[Fdu] Fwd: F4P ACTION: Call for faculty signatures on letter of Solidarity with the Real Egyptian Revolution

[p.fitting at utoronto.ca]

----- Forwarded message from maryjo.nadeau at gmail.com -----
     Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:45:19 -0500
     From: Mary-Jo Nadeau <maryjo.nadeau at gmail.com>
Reply-To: Mary-Jo Nadeau <maryjo.nadeau at gmail.com>
  Subject: F4P ACTION: Call for faculty signatures on letter of  
Solidarity with the Real Egyptian Revolution

Dear F4P,

Please see below for a callout to "writers, trade unionists,
organizers, scholars, and activists" who have supported Egypt's
democratic revolution, and who do not wish to remain silent in the
current round of assaults against Egyptians.  Many prominent faculty,
activists, artists have already signed.

To sign on, please send an e-mail to York University Professor David  
McNally at
davidmcnally at sympatico.ca ASAP - signatures will be collected for two  
more days.

For a good

Solidarity with the Real Egyptian Revolution

One year ago brave activists in Egypt electrified the world. Sweeping
into Tahrir Square in Cairo, and similar sites in other cities and
towns, protesting outside government offices, and striking for living
wages, workers’ rights and against corrupt managers, they overturned a
dictator and drove forward a process of mass democratic upheaval that
has been dubbed “the Arab Spring.” In the process, Egypt’s revolution
became an inspiration to millions around the world.

Every step of the way, millions of ordinary people struck blows for
women’s rights, independent unions, democracy and social justice. But
every step they were also brutalized by a military apparatus intent on
blocking real change. Even after the dictator, President Mubarak, was
toppled, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has continued
to rule via “state of emergency” law, while responding to the
revolutionary process with arrests, torture, beatings, and killings.
Since Mubarak’s fall, as many as 14,000 people have been subjected to
military tribunals and the beatings and torture associated with them.
As a result, one year later, the revolution hangs in the balance.

In recent months, attacks by SCAF on youth, women, and workers have
become more ominous. Ongoing violence against women protesters has
intensified. The army has been clearly linked to assaults on Coptic
Christians, twenty-four of whom were murdered in October of last year.
Then, in December, an alarming escalation in army attacks on peaceful
protesters created more martyrs of the revolution. Meanwhile, youth
activists associated with the April 6th Movement have been arrested
and charged with insulting the army and trying to overthrow the state
– merely for distributing anti-SCAF posters. Simultaneously, SCAF and
the Ministry of the Interior launched a threatening smear campaign
against activists of the socialist left, and sent soldiers to raid the
offices of seventeen NGOs. In these and many other ways, SCAF has made
clear that it does not intend to give up power.

But courageous Egyptians are refusing to stand down in the face of
these attacks. November and December saw huge popular mobilizations,
teachers’ strikes, an inspiring 10,000 strong women’s march in Cairo,
and a gathering of 50,000 in Tahrir Square to inaugurate the new year.
These actions are a source of great hope for the future of Egypt’s
popular revolution.


As writers, trade unionists, organizers, scholars, and activists who
have supported Egypt’s democratic revolution we refuse to be silent in
the face of these assaults, especially in light of the silence of our
governments. We publicly condemn all attacks on freedom of speech,
assembly, religion and association in Egypt. We call for the release
of all political prisoners.  We condemn the actions of foreign
governments such as those of the US and Britain that hypocritically
mouth support for the Egyptian revolution while supplying SCAF with
arms and tear gas to crush protests. And we proclaim our solidarity
with the democratic, trade union, women’s, youth and socialist groups
who insist that the Egyptian Revolution must continue on the road to
genuine democracy and social justice.


----- End forwarded message -----