left archives — Page 14 of 94

Egypt’s 1968: The revival of street politics

Posted on 14/06/201125/02/2021 By 3arabawy

Above is Chapter IV of the MA Thesis I wrote 10 years ago, when studying at the American University in Cairo’s Political Science department. This chapter discusses the revival of the student movement following the 1967 defeat.

Of course reading it today I wish if I would have edited some parts, changed the lingo here and there, and added more resources and info I’ve been learning over the past years.

But in general I still think the thesis stands, and could help shed some light on this critical period in the history of the left in Egypt.

‘There is a strong return to socialism and leftist sentiments between the young people who did the revolution’

Posted on 10/06/201126/02/2021 By 3arabawy

Lol, Sawiris is really worried! Explaining why he launched his liberal party, Sawiris was very frank as always. It’s not the Salafis or the Brothers that Egypt’s Rockefeller and his liberal buddies are worried from. What worries him, as he explained clearly in that interview with Bloomberg: “There is a strong return to socialism and leftist sentiments between the young people who did the revolution, which why we went to establish our political party.”

Piggipedia: Sherif el-Qamati شريف القماطي

Posted on 06/06/201125/02/2021 By 3arabawy

Sherif el-Qamati is a State Security Police officer who worked at the Bureau of Counter-Communism and Human Rights Organizations, which was in charge of monitoring, arresting and torturing leftists and rights activists.

I first spotted Qamati as early as 2003, when he began showing up for our pro-Palestine and anti-Iraq war protests in downtown Cairo, in the company of the infamous torturer SS Lt. Colonel Waleed el-Dessouqi, both seen below in the picture I took in a pro-intifada protest, 28 September 2003.

Qamati was one the SS officers involved in the crackdown and trial of Revolutionary Socialist activists in 2003-4. He ritualistically attended our protests in downtown Cairo over the following years, monitoring activists with his cold dead eyes which always reminded me of Putin somehow.

During the Cairo Spring, when thousands of Egyptians took to the streets of Cairo in solidarity with reformist judges, Qamati was present in the protests and took part in the crackdown. On 25 May 2006, Qamati, with the help of the police force of Qasr el-Nil Station, kidnapped and sodomized left wing blogger Muhammad el-Sharqawi in custody. He was never held accountable despite repeated calls by local and internaitonal rights watchdogs.

Qamati continued to show up for our protests in 2007, but could hardly be noticed in the following years. Other than demonstrations, I also saw him in January 2007 working out in the FDA Gym at Zamalek’s Yamama Center. As of 2008, Qamati held the rank of Major, according to one of his relatives’ obituary published in Al-Ahram.

So where is this rapist today? Whatever happened to him? Is he part of the National Security Sector? Has he been recycled in some other police department, forced to retire, or what? Qamati must face justice and pay for his crimes.