All signs in and out of Egypt say the revolution will not be turning back.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا
By Kristen Gillespie
ARAB HUMOR
*All signs in and out of Egypt say the revolution will not be turning back. Rumors circulating all day in diplomatic and journalistic circles about a highly anticipated speech from President Hosni Mubarak, where the embattled leader may announce his resignation. Protesters, meanwhile, have been unleashing a very different kind of weapon: the Arab world’s famously wicked sense of humor. Photographs and placards mercilessly mocking Mubarak and his government is yet another sign that what pro-democracy activists are calling “the wall of fear” has truly fallen.
*A member of the 61,000-strong facebook group “We are all Khaled Said” that is driving the youth-led protests in Egypt posted this picture
of two scuba divers holding up a sign reading, “The fish want the regime to resign.”
*An email circulating features pictures of signs mocking President Hosni Mubarak. This one, referring to the leader’s 30-year grip on power, reads: “The carpenters of Egypt want to know: what kind of glue are you using?”
*Another poster features hieroglyphics, with the corresponding Arabic letters underneath spelling out the word “L-E-A-V-E.” Underneath is written:”Maybe in hieroglyphics you’ll understand, Pharoah.”
*An email being forwarded among Jordanians takes the names of popular American movies and television shows and comes up with their Jordanian equivalents:
“The Usual Suspects’ becomes: “The Muslim Brotherhood”
“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ becomes: “Samir Rifai and the Lower Chamber of Parliament,” a reference to the recently resigned prime minister whom protesters forced out of office.
“The Social Network” becomes: “The Tribe.”
TWITTERING
*@naglarzk tweeted a comment from recently released Google executive Wael Ghonim: “President Mubarak is paying the price for his lack of interest in the youth movement and killing a large number of young people.”
*On his own twitter feed, Ghonim paints the end he sees coming: “I feel that the pen is writing the last line and soon enough we will turn the page and draw our future with our own hands.”
*@demaghmak sees another unlikely digital hero of the revolution: “After the Egyptian revolution, heads of state will roll out the red carpet to welcome Mark Zuckerberg as he arrives in their countries.”
REALITY VIDEO
*An unnamed child in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria leads a protest: “Hosni Mubarak!” he shouts. “Down, down!” the crowd answers. “Prime Minister} Ahmed Shafiq!” “Down, down!” Other chants include, “revolution until victory” and “Good morning, Mubarak – this is your last day.”
*In Tahrir Square, protests sang along with a musician… and the lyrics are simple: “We are all one, we all ask one thing: LEAVE LEAVE LEAVE!”
Feb. 10, 2011
photo credit: illustir
