Dear Naguib Sawiris and Ahmed Zuweil, and all other distinguished members of the so-called "council of wisdom", and honourable members of Egyptian opposition parties, and speakers of the Moslem Brotherhood, and whoever else you are out there trying to resolve this crisis: COULD YOU PLEASE STOP NEGOTIATING ON OUR BEHALF! Yes you heard me. Stop negotiating. Who told you that our brothers and sisters died trying to negotiate? Who told you that 8 million of us hit the streets in one day just to gain leverage for better terms?
We surely respect that you have shown in your professional careers the ability to make the best of situations. And we admire you for it. But this here is not a DEAL. You are missing the point. There is nothing to negotiate and de facto there is noone to negotiate with. With the first hours of that beautiful tuesday morning 11 days ago this regime lost all legitimacy. The people did not show their dismay or disapproval. They declared their INDEPENDANCE. When millions echo in one voice all over the country "the people want to topple the regime" (El sha3b yurid eskat elnezam) you should all have listened more attentively. The message is clear and the words are simple and perfectly self- explanatory. It's called a REVOLUTION.
WE (the people) do not want THEM (the regime). That means we sure as hell do not want the head of state, but it also means we do not want anyone appointed by this head of state, any of his ministers, any of his ruling party officials or even members. We do not trust anyone remotely associated with this now illegitimate regime and we have decided their time is up. So please tell me: who are you negotiating WITH?
We thought you wanted to be our voice and welcomed you amongst us. We thought you would transfer our message to those who apparently were in a coma during all those hours where we were chanting clear and loud. We thought you would carry our voice and speak out our will strongly and clearly with the conviction of millions of men and women behind you. We thought you would explain it to all those who are asking "What do these kids want?" (El 3eyal dul 3ayzin eh?) or those who repeat without interruption "El resala weslet" (the message has been delivered). We were even hoping you would take over for us and manage this transition for all of us until we elect our new government. We trusted you with this gigantic task because we thought you are up to this great responsibility.
Instead you lured us first into dialogues and tried to win our trust and then went on to form councils and hold TV appearences and give interviews. You started speaking of half way solutions. You sat down and held meetings with the new Vice President and other members and figures of the regime. All of a sudden we saw some of you stating that we have achieved what this revolution set out to achieve. We were robbed of our belief in you when we heard you utter the very words we hear from our beloved illegitimate former government. Suddenly we realized you are out to achieve a personal or public success completely focused on just one thing: emptying the Tahrir Square.
You are mistaken gentlemen, we do not want you to formulate our demands because they are clear as sunshine. And contrary to you, we are not going to make deals with the devil. We are not going to be "reasonable" as you put it because all our deals with the devil have gone bad in the past. We know the story of the boy who cried wolf by heart gentlemen. You're used to different outcomes. You have your companies and your reputation and your global and national awards decorating your cv and your bank account and your circle of acquaintances. You have managed through diplomacy or cunning shrewdness to always maintain your interests while remaining neutral. But this is a whole different ball game Sirs because we have nothing to maintain.
Once these contracts are signed you will be honourly discharged at best (or worst), but we will get slaughtered. Your mission will have failed, but we will have died in vain. You will not be able to add this round to your brilliant record of successes, but we will be hanging in basements operated by the secret police. Your guarantees are not worth a penny because you do not know what it means to be stripped down to the bones and tortured. Your promises don't mean anything because this regime has never raped your mother or your sister in front of your very eyes to get a fabricated confession out of you. Your assurances make absolutely no sense because you gentlemen do not know what it means to litteraly have to run for your life without having committed any crimes.
So if you really want to do us a favour and if you want to have a real role in our nation's revolution, tell your negotiating partner Mr Omar Soleiman, the former head of INTELLIGENCE that we definitely don't want him because he is the last person we could trust with our lifes should we retreat from our stronghold. We hear his threats and watch his TV and we are not stupid. Explain to them that they should stop saying "the message was delivered" (el resala weslet) because this is obviously not the case. If it were, our brothers would not be followed around by secret police as soon as they leave Tahrir Square. If it were, our martyrs would still be alive. If it were, their national TV would be openly and publicly apologizing to the NATION FOR ALL THEIR LIES. If it were, then we would be seeing people willing to serve us and not desperately trying to continue ruling us. If it were, we would not be receiving threat mails and calls assuring us that we are within arm's reach should we not stop our incitement.
The people want to topple the regime. This is what "those kids" want. And we don't make deals with the devil gentlemen, so please stop negotiating the terms!
We surely respect that you have shown in your professional careers the ability to make the best of situations. And we admire you for it. But this here is not a DEAL. You are missing the point. There is nothing to negotiate and de facto there is noone to negotiate with. With the first hours of that beautiful tuesday morning 11 days ago this regime lost all legitimacy. The people did not show their dismay or disapproval. They declared their INDEPENDANCE. When millions echo in one voice all over the country "the people want to topple the regime" (El sha3b yurid eskat elnezam) you should all have listened more attentively. The message is clear and the words are simple and perfectly self- explanatory. It's called a REVOLUTION.
WE (the people) do not want THEM (the regime). That means we sure as hell do not want the head of state, but it also means we do not want anyone appointed by this head of state, any of his ministers, any of his ruling party officials or even members. We do not trust anyone remotely associated with this now illegitimate regime and we have decided their time is up. So please tell me: who are you negotiating WITH?
We thought you wanted to be our voice and welcomed you amongst us. We thought you would transfer our message to those who apparently were in a coma during all those hours where we were chanting clear and loud. We thought you would carry our voice and speak out our will strongly and clearly with the conviction of millions of men and women behind you. We thought you would explain it to all those who are asking "What do these kids want?" (El 3eyal dul 3ayzin eh?) or those who repeat without interruption "El resala weslet" (the message has been delivered). We were even hoping you would take over for us and manage this transition for all of us until we elect our new government. We trusted you with this gigantic task because we thought you are up to this great responsibility.
Instead you lured us first into dialogues and tried to win our trust and then went on to form councils and hold TV appearences and give interviews. You started speaking of half way solutions. You sat down and held meetings with the new Vice President and other members and figures of the regime. All of a sudden we saw some of you stating that we have achieved what this revolution set out to achieve. We were robbed of our belief in you when we heard you utter the very words we hear from our beloved illegitimate former government. Suddenly we realized you are out to achieve a personal or public success completely focused on just one thing: emptying the Tahrir Square.
You are mistaken gentlemen, we do not want you to formulate our demands because they are clear as sunshine. And contrary to you, we are not going to make deals with the devil. We are not going to be "reasonable" as you put it because all our deals with the devil have gone bad in the past. We know the story of the boy who cried wolf by heart gentlemen. You're used to different outcomes. You have your companies and your reputation and your global and national awards decorating your cv and your bank account and your circle of acquaintances. You have managed through diplomacy or cunning shrewdness to always maintain your interests while remaining neutral. But this is a whole different ball game Sirs because we have nothing to maintain.
Once these contracts are signed you will be honourly discharged at best (or worst), but we will get slaughtered. Your mission will have failed, but we will have died in vain. You will not be able to add this round to your brilliant record of successes, but we will be hanging in basements operated by the secret police. Your guarantees are not worth a penny because you do not know what it means to be stripped down to the bones and tortured. Your promises don't mean anything because this regime has never raped your mother or your sister in front of your very eyes to get a fabricated confession out of you. Your assurances make absolutely no sense because you gentlemen do not know what it means to litteraly have to run for your life without having committed any crimes.
So if you really want to do us a favour and if you want to have a real role in our nation's revolution, tell your negotiating partner Mr Omar Soleiman, the former head of INTELLIGENCE that we definitely don't want him because he is the last person we could trust with our lifes should we retreat from our stronghold. We hear his threats and watch his TV and we are not stupid. Explain to them that they should stop saying "the message was delivered" (el resala weslet) because this is obviously not the case. If it were, our brothers would not be followed around by secret police as soon as they leave Tahrir Square. If it were, our martyrs would still be alive. If it were, their national TV would be openly and publicly apologizing to the NATION FOR ALL THEIR LIES. If it were, then we would be seeing people willing to serve us and not desperately trying to continue ruling us. If it were, we would not be receiving threat mails and calls assuring us that we are within arm's reach should we not stop our incitement.
The people want to topple the regime. This is what "those kids" want. And we don't make deals with the devil gentlemen, so please stop negotiating the terms!
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