100 Years from Tahrir Square

[demmiblue]

An Open Letter to the Women of the Peaceful Egyptian Revolution:

Dear Sisters:

The world watched as you began the revolution that toppled a brutal regime. Most of you are very young, and you creatively used the tools of modern communication to find solidarity around the world, to link yourselves to the tens of thousands of us who fervently wished for justice through your efforts. We anxiously watched as most of you met violence with peaceful resistance. Your energy and brains, your hardiness and courage, your belief in democracy, equality and freedom shone a light the whole world saw. And on the 11th of February, the world saw pictures of you, standing in Tahrir Square where you, like your brothers, had been beaten, gassed, shot at, imprisoned, and killed — now dancing with joy. You wrote:

The revolutionary feeling here is incredible. Every day this square is full of peasants, workers, students and professionals, engineers, teachers, singers, writers and celebrities, Muslims, Christians, young, old, rich and poor.

You didn’t need to add “women and men” because we could see that for ourselves.

You joined in the hard work of beginning a new government, begun many years before you occupied the square. Work that includes the advancement of feminism, the rights and equality of the women of Egypt, rights the elder sisters among you had advanced for years. And yet, only a few weeks after the triumph of February 11, you were attacked, verbally, physically, and sexually, by some of the same men you’d stood alongside in your struggle and triumph. You were demonstrating on International Women’s Day for inclusion of women in the new Egypt — or else “where’s the democracy?” as one young woman said. Men in the Square responded with anger and contempt. Some chanted “Go wash clothes.”

<snip>

It won’t take 100 years for you to see huge progress in Egyptian women’s rights, to see how your peaceful revolution has helped people in other countries fighting for their rights. Never forget you have the support of women all over the world. One-hundred years from now, you won’t believe the view from Tahrir Square.

http://www.aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/100-years-tahrir-square

[ismnotwasm]

1. Awesome and thank you

I hope to see a reduction in FGM as well. Egypt is one of the bigger offenders.