The Egyptian Revolution Continues: Friday, February 18, a Day of Celebration, Remembrance and Reiteration of Demands

Egyptians in Tahrir Square on Friday, February 18, 2011

Egyptians took to the streets on Friday, February 18 to mark a week since Mubarak stepped down, to celebrate the victory, to remember the fallen and to reiterate the rest of the demands of the revolution, of which only one has been met. The fact that up to one million Egyptians occupied Tahrir Square on Friday sends a clear message to the military that the people are still mobilized, that they have not lost momentum and that they are ready to take to the streets any moment if their demands are not met in a timely and satisfactory fashion.

The High Council of the Armed Forces seems to have taken things into its hands by keeping in place the cabinet recently appointed by Mubarak of which some ministers are rumored to be replaced and new ones to be appointed in the coming few hours.

The committee that has been formed by the army to amend the constitution still leaves too many questions unanswered and leaves many unsatisfied, especially those calling for a temporary constitutional declaration to rule the interim period until elections are held and a proper committee is formed, without the supervision of the army, to draft a new constitution.

The State Security division in the Ministry of Interior, notorious for its illegal practices and torture of political dissidents, has not yet been scrutinized or disbanded as the protesters have demanded. The emergency law has not yet been cancelled and the emergency state has not yet been lifted. Not enough top officials have been charged or put to trial. The tone and rhetoric used by the military, the government and State media against the widespread labor and professional strikes and protests have been hostile and worrying. Most political prisoners have not been released yet. The military police have tried to disperse several protests and end numerous strikes. They seized several activists and journalists and confiscated the photos they had taken. All these practices are unacceptable and leave the people no choice but to doubt the intentions of the military and shake their trust in it.

Yes, it has only been one week, but the interim period has thus far been marked by opacity and negative rhetoric. This has to end immediately, because the people demand it. There is a road for Egypt to establish a democratic state governed by the rule of law and respect of human rights, but this so far has not been the road taken by the military (as feared!). A forum of independent Egyptian human rights organizations has issued a detailed statement including a roadmap for a nation of rights and the rule of law, available both in English and in Arabic. This, and similar initiatives, should guide us in these times.

Never trust a man in uniform!