This post is due by Tuesday, February 18 @ midnight for full credit.
Email late posts to rwilliamsATchamplain.edu for partial credit.
Read the assigned chapters above, and then:
1. Provide 3 SPECIFIC observations about the Arab Spring you learned from EACH chapter of our book, using 2-3 sentences combining the book and your own IYOW analysis.
2. Finally, ask ONE specific question you have of the Arab Spring after completing our reading.
The plot thickens, so they say. In the 4th chapter we begin to get into the daily communication between the author and the “friends” of the Facebook page. This part of his story is very intriguing, because he illustrates the connectedness in which he has fostered through this source of media. True networking, by bringing together all of these like-minded individuals to one platform must have felt empowering to him and to the followers.
ReplyDeleteI got a lot out of the transactions between the followers and Wael Ghonim. Without giving his identity yet not losing interest he was able to walk a very delicate line. Between maintaining his anonymity and maintaining the forums intent, he answered questions respectfully. It is also poignant to read how he answered questions of his identity. By emphasizing that Khaled Said’s story was all of theirs. He utilized the shared experience of this man’s tragic death and the commitment of the people to propel his group’s motives even father. This was very brave of him to become the voice piece of this revolution.
In the 5th chapter on page 126, half way down the page the author says something that I think is important to remember. He states that “Whenever violence between Muslim’s and Christians occurs in Egypt, it usually starts for nonreligious reasons.” He continues the paragraph by illustrating many factors that cause disagreements among the two parties. I feel like this is important to remember. As we learn more about the Middle East, it is important to keep each country’s identity separate from the geographical area s whole. It is important to remember that each place has its own identity. By maintaining their individualism, each country can grow separate from their neighbors, hopefully fostering a more sustainable nation for itself.
At the bottom of pg. 137 it is interesting to witness the encouragement that the author was spreading to the followers of the Facebook Page. He was trying to stay as optimistic and empowering as possible. He also offered the chance for anger to be harnessed into a positive force. He organized the group and their feelings. On page 169 we understand yet, again the organization of taking many ideas and collectively putting them into concise sentences. This is where we read of the many chants the group chose to use. This illustrates a cohesiveness and organization to the many thousands of followers.
As suspense builds and we learn just what the author has at stake, I am left with one question. Why did he choose to advocate now? What inside him drove him to activism? He had opportunities and he was wealthy, with a dream job. He did not even live in the country anymore. I wonder if he wanted to test what social network could accomplish. I am curious if he was so interested in this fight not to make Egypt political strong hold looser, or if he wanted to push his own personal boundaries?
Chapter 4
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by the power that facebook had on the people. I never really understood how or why I was being told that it was so powerful. I understood that it played a major roll but I did not know why. Although it seems that Khaled Said served as a sign of hope that gave people confidence in what they where aiming for. It also seems to amp people up and get them excited for upcoming events. Its exactly how we use it in the U.S, although they use it for a much more serious topic. "The internet provided a means to join forces on real issues." pg85
Chapter 5
The Egyptian police system seems relatable to a mob. They take bribes, and they torture people to get answers. To get their message across and to prove their point they beat people to death while they protest. They where implementing that fear was the best way to control people, although that seemed to be failing. I am excited to see the inspiration that Tunisia had on Egypt. It has been the first sign of activity that could make a large difference in Egypt.
Chapter 6
I was surprised about him mentioning the january 25th event to the airport security and have the security give him support. I thought that was a risky move, although it did not seem the phase them. I was surprised by how the security forces had backed down, although I was not surprised by what took place at night. If only they could have done the sit in, It would have made a big difference. The face that the government had blocked access from facebook and twitter showed that they where in fear.
Did the government see January 25th coming?
Chapter 4:
ReplyDeleteIt's incredible to see how Wael started this Facebook page to bring people from online to streets. What is also more incredible to see is that how he managed to be anonymous and hide his identity so people won't know who he is. And how he was the admin of the Facebook page he created and it was important for him to hid his identity. It was also nice in his part to also keep changing his IP address so the authorities won't be able to track him down, using "Tor" this was a smart move on Wael's part. When social media tools like Facebook and Twitter or used properly they have the potential to do some damage just it could do some good to society.
Chapter 5:
What's so surprising and intriguing from reading chapter 5 is that the power that the Egyptian authorities hold. Which is not the same in many other countries in the world. For instance like the State Security apparatus which is the strongest and most influential police division. Their only mission is to bring down political activists like Wael and then threaten them, torture, terrorize and so on so they would stop. Their power is so superior as the people even called them as the "government".
Chapter 6:
After reading chapter 6 what I liked the most in this chapter was the fact how he was in airport and also he has been on the watch list and Wael had his message read as draft to be sent if he was going to be arrested. And also I like how he has the confidence and not afraid to say what he has to say like when he was searched and was asked by the security officer why he was on the watch list and he plainly and simply said the he did not like Hosni. I liked his confidence.
As far as the January 25th is concerned did the State Security know that was going to come or not?
Ch. 4- In this chapter you see how the ball slowly started rolling and the revolution was gaining traction and success. One thing I was surprised by was the fact the regime arrested the murder suspects of Khaled Said's murder. It is interesting to see how the regime gave the protestors a small victory. It seems as if the regime made small efforts at trying to act like the public's voice was being heard in a last effort effort to gain public support, even if it was fake. I also like how the author expresses his inspiration from Ghandi. Putting importance on nonviolent resistance is key and I'm glad he stresses that. Lastly I was surprised to read that the facebook page had finally been shut down, even though it was for a short period of time. However it was interesting to see peoples reactions and and how transgressions of the elections were reported when the page was re-launched.
ReplyDeleteCh. 5- The first thing that jumps out in this chapter is that I am surprised at the hesitation to cover the Tunisian protests. I understand why and ultimately it was probably the right decision, however the author seems to have a slight arrogance about himself and it shows in his description of this decision, among other places throughout the book. This chapter also highlights how corrupt and powerful the police force was. In the very beginning of the chapter the author states, "The police force lacked the technology to help it solve crimes, so torture became one of its primary means of attaining information."(pg. 123) Lastly, this chapter again highlights how important and powerful the media can be. As stated on pg. 155, "the regime feared the media more than it cared about the welfare of protesters, so the security forces would be careful not to be photographed showing any violence".
Ch. 6- In the chapter I liked how when the author is being searched at the airport and being questioned by the guard, he expresses his opinion and the guard murmurs agreement. This is a good example of how the population really was overwhelmingly against this regime. It is also impressive to see how some of the important guidelines were stressed in the protest. The fact that peace, unity, and no religious or political affiliations were highlighted help to bring the group together for a common cause.Lastly, it was encouraging reading the accounts of Jan25, just to see a huge success for the protestors and reading a detailed account gives hope for change.
Question- Why do you think security forces allowed protestors to reach Tahrir Square?
Chapter 5 :
ReplyDeleteWe use Social media everyday to communicate with our peers, sell and trade used gear, meet new people, and organize small events around campus. Or at least that's what i've been using it for.. I can never imagine starting a "group" on Facebook aimed at setting out for a new life, as a community, hell as a city, as a state! LET ALONE A COUNTRY! 36,000 people joined the group in it's first day, they shared the same vision and this was their only outlet… The power of an image is what brought this Facebook group across the country. Thousands had heard what happened, but did everyone see what remained? This most have been an emencse catalyst for the groups growing members. I am happy when I get a couple likes on my status.. There is no way that Ghonim saw what was about to happen..
Chapter 6 :
Not quite embarrassing to say but I had no idea that someone had set them selves on fire in protest through-out the arab spring until I had our first class this semester. Though this was a protest by mostly peaceful means, but this is an extreme, this is a clear indicator that the public was stressed, fed up and willing to lose their lives for the freedom of not only them selves but for the future generations.. The police favored the power of the regime and kept opposition isolated, I could not imagine this in america.. Police work for the good of the people, not against it, siding with a violent extreme rulers.. Through-out all of this though, the people of egypt kept their heads up and remained positive, spreading awareness in a new way..
Chapter 7 :
Things are picking up now.. I can't imagine his anxiety heading back in.. Though he was on the watch list, even the security at the airport let him through, they know whats going on their, and they could have even known that this man could make a difference…. He seemed nervous, but so ready to do what he had to do, at the time he probably didn't even know what he was doing himself, this was all new, to everyone. The world was rapidly changing. These statistics are staggering.. 30 million egyptians suffering depression, over 100 thousand suicide attempts, so much poverty, so much corruption… Highest rate of newborn deaths… In the world… egypt was in deep..
Question : Why Jan 25?
Question answered as I read on....
In chapter four I think it was really interesting to see how big of an impact facebook really had with this revolution! I think one of the coolest things about this chapter and one of the hardest things must have been how he kept his identity a secret, and how he went about it. The answers that he would give people I thought said nothing, but everything at the same time!
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5 right in the beginning I was really shocked to read that a lot of the people were telling protesters to calm down and to stop fighting. They were writing on this facebook page telling people to calm down and to think analytically and logically about what they could do next. I am very surprised about this because I don't know how they were able to write those things. I just assumed that everyone would be angry enough to want to cause harm and not logical thinking.
chapter 6 What I found really interesting in this chapter was when it came time for him to be checked at security. To me this could have gone two ways, if he was approached by someone who did like the president then he could have been arrested or worse. I think he got very lucky and it was really interesting to see how open he was about not liking the president.
Question: I wonder if police knew about this protest sooner, if people in the police force were apart of the facebook page.
Chapter 4:
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that in the survey almost 20% said they did not care if the Silent Stand was effective. I am a results oriented person, so if I did not perceive something to be effective I would be disappointed. I was also surprised that 70% of the page's members were under 24. I know that 50% of the Arab world is under 25; it is still astonishing to me that young people could be this politically active, especially compared to the U.S. I thought it was interesting that Wael understood the need for video to evoke emotion. It is impressive to see how much command he has of the human psyche.
Chapter 5:
I found it interesting that he said that the Tunisian media played down the self-immolation, but news spread quickly through social media. This is in direct contrast to the first book we read where the author downplayed the importance of social media in the Arab Spring. I am beyond surprised that the police would change their official slogan to, "The people and police serve the nation." Even if that is the directive given to the police I do not see any benefit from making that statement public. I was again surprised when Wael said, "Whenever violence between Muslims and Christians occurs in Egypt, it usually starts for nonreligious reasons." (p.126) The way that U.S. media portrays violence in the Middle East they make it seem religiously motivated.
Chapter 6:
I thought that it was interesting that Wael wanted to make sure the page would be updated if he were arrested. I am impressed with his ability to put the cause's needs over his own. I was again impressed with how he wanted Rasd to remain neutral. Wael has a unique ability to see the big picture and is savvy in the ways of revolution. Wael's optimism is admirable. When he said that if the protest failed he would learn and try again. I feel that his disposition was important to the revolution.
Question:
Would there have been a revolution in Egypt if Wael did not spearhead the initiative?
Chapter 4
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to me how important the movement Wael created and the amount of people who followed him and created their own support pages. What caught my attention was really Yemen since they are a country that’s not really together. Something that bothered me was the fact that he wrote the automated response to the “who are you, administrators?” question. While he did somewhat answer anonymously he also touched on aspects of his personal life which to me seem somewhat cocky. Another thing that interested me was the fact that he talked about Tor as a hiding tool. From what I understand while the network does hide who you are it isn’t impossible to find out, which got me thinking whether the government is looking at Tor.
Chapter 5
It’s interesting to read about the Church bombing. When I first read it I was confused about whether or not I agreed with the words Wael used to spread the image. It is very not Islamic to desecrate a place of worship since Islam is so big in the Middle East. It bothered me reading about how Egyptians proudly consider themselves to be the cultural and scientific leaders of the Arab world. I didn’t like that he made it seemed that Egyptians liked Tunisia’s actions but rather had to beat them in some sort of way. Another point was the comment made by a member of the Facebook page in which he says that if no one shows up to the Jan 25 stands that the whole Egyptian youth would look bad and that the world would look down upon them. This showed me the arrogance again that Wael seems to be clinging on he definitely chose that on purpose.
Chapter 6
I like that he somewhat shut up the customs officer by saying this is the last time this will happen it made me wonder whether he was or wasn’t a follower of his page. It was weird that they gave flowers to such a corrupt police force but also reminded me of times when that is done here in the US. Also it reminded me of Wael kissing each of the policemen that had beaten him. The words what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger was well place when thinking of Jan 25. It was interesting because they didn’t win at the Square.
I wonder how could they have succeeded on January 25? What was in it for the police that they were so against the protest?
Chapter 4:
ReplyDelete1. “It was becoming clearer to me that Arabs, no matter how divided they seemed, shared a very deep common anger” (85). I think that this point is extremely important because it is a key element that describes the spread of the Arab Spring… Tunisia triggered Egypt who triggered many more Arab nations. If the Arab world wasn’t united, the spread of revolutions wouldn’t have been so dramatic.
2. I think it is interesting that Wael put so much emphasis on keeping his identity secret while fighting for people to face their fear (102-103). He describes this as not only an effort to protect himself but also to preserve the attitude of the people. He mentioned in previous chapters that it was important for people to be fighting for change rather than to be fighting for a person.
3. “Inspired by Gandhi and other advocates of nonviolent resistance, I was keen to stress regularly that our activities were to remain peaceful at all costs” (107). When watching the news today and seeing the troubling violence in Syria among other places, it is contradictory to think that the initial intentions of most revolutions are nonviolent.
Chapter 5:
1. “There is no president or government or police force stronger than the people” (132). It amazes me to think that a country of a few million is intimidated by a regime of a few hundred or even thousand. I think the regime was so successful in its oppression for so long because of the fear element. It is very much a conceived power than an actual power.
2. I like that the Facebook event wasn’t targeted at Mubarak personally but at the entire regime system. Wael realized that you can’t just replace the dictator but all of the dictators “gang” also. Getting Mubarak out of office was important, but it wasn’t the only thing.
3. “January 25: Revolution Against Torture, Poverty, Corruption, and Unemployment” was the name given the efforts on January 25th and the word “revolution” was a strategic choice by Wael. It was the first time that he wanted people to think of their efforts as a revolution, which was prompted by the activity in Tunisia.
Chapter 6:
1. One of the key demands of the revolution was “to increase the minimum wage fairly, particularly in health care and education” (166). I think it is amazing that we are now demanding these same things in our country, which many consider peaceful. This just goes to show the difference in our two governments’ effectiveness.
2. “It was our attempt to let [the police officers] know they were not our real enemies, and that the real enemy was whoever had brought them to the front lines” (178). This seems to be an effective tactic to gain the support of the police and central security.
3. The idea of martyrs has been influential through the book because of their heroic nature (183). By killing activists, the police actually gave the activists something else to fight for and fueled their cause.
Question:
What was the status in Tunisia before the revolution? Was there passive internet activity like in Egypt?
Chapter 4:
ReplyDeleteIt was very surprising that 19% of the votes for whether or not the Silent Stand was effective were I don't care. 19% seems like a pretty high percentage when dealing with a situation like the revolution. I would have thought this would have been the lowest percentage. It was pretty amazing that after only 3 months the Facebook page had reached the 250,000 member mark without the help of advertising. It was also pretty amazing that when they launched a survey about what active members thought about the page, 81% of them were under the age of 30.
Chapter 5:
How can Egyptian authorities be so powerful? Is fear really a strong enough power to hold back millions of people? I found it interesting that Facebook targeted more than just Mubarak but the entire regime as a whole. The media was extremely important and it was a way to put fear in the eyes of the regime.
Chapter 6:
It was pretty awesome that Wael would do anything to put the pages needs above his own and it showed just how much he cared about the cause. It was interesting that he was able to discuss the event with airport security and they did not do anything to him. Although it was too bad that they did not succeed at the square.
Question:
What could they have done differently to succeed at the square on January 25th?
Chapter 4- There are a few things I found interesting. On p. 85, the point made about Khaled Said’s case extending across borders, uniting people, and their actions due to it, was quite intriguing to me. “Solidarity with Khaled Said transcended national borders. Groups from Tunisia and Yemen began creating Facebook pages in support of our cause….. the internet provided a means to join forces on real issues.” It was evident that no matter their differences, the Arab world was uniting under one cause: the deep anger they all shared for the corruption surrounding Khaled Said. What also stuck out to me was on p.89 when the author agreed to answer questions from bloggers in a hypothetical conversation. I think this was a brilliant way of satisfying the bloggers curiosity and suspicions without revealing his true identity.
ReplyDeleteChapter 5- What stuck out to me was on p. 123, the behavior from the police force, especially evident through the change of slogan .The slogan changed from “The police serve the people” to “The people and the police serve the nation.” The most shocking part of it all is that torture was no longer uncommon or even frowned upon from the government. “Torture was not a matter of isolated incidents, it was systemic. The police force lacked the technology to help it solve crimes, so torture became one of its primary means of attaining information.
Chapter 6- The entire day of Jan 25 and all of the moments leading and coming from that day were shocking, interesting, and inspiring to me. However, one specific happening that stuck out to me was when Hazem and Wael, along with dozens of others, were dashing towards a gas station only to be thwarted by hundreds of police officers threatening to attack. Just as the police were about to charge, “But then, out of the blue, their commander ordered them to move away and clear the area.” ..”We learned later that the forces had received orders to halt all engagement with the protesters and to allow us to reach Tahrir Square”. I am extremely curious to why they would let the protesters pass without a fight or any trouble at all. It seems as though they knew that the protesters would meet their fate in the end anyway once they reached their destination of Tahrir Square. If I were Wael, I would have been extremely suspicious of the police and their motives on letting the protesters by.
Yalla, colleagues!
ReplyDeleteGood reflections here - shukran.
Dr. W
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteChapter 4: Online and on the Streets
ReplyDelete- I didn't know that a poll was taken after the silent stand. It was really interesting to see the results, a lot of people were all for this cause and not many were against it.
- The poles that were created in general really do shed light and provide insight upon peoples thoughts and feelings towards various thing pertaining to the revolution and its actions against the government. I feel that this really helped those contributing to the site to see where their followers and fellow brothers and sisters were in terms of the revolution.
- Seeing so many people being actively involved in these protests and conversations on facebook was really astounding and inspiring. Having that much concern and passion for the people and the country they live within is really awesome to see.
Chapter 5: A Preannounced Revolution
- "The police force lacked the technology to help it solve crimes, so torture became one of its primary means of attaining information." I had no idea, eye-opening.
- "Often when a traffic officer would pull me over to issue a ticket, I would bluntly say, "I do not pay bribes." Most of the time the officer would let me go, because he was either disappointed or embarrassed." That is disgusting and ridiculous.
- I'm glad to read that everyone didn't group the police force under one thing but rather acknowledged that there were some who upheld the people and the law they stood for.
Chapter 6: January 25, 2011
- I found it really interesting that on his car ride over to the airport he played the soundtrack of Inception. I think that was a good touch and humerous in its own way.
- It makes sense that he was so systematic about everything for obvious fear of being caught and yet even worse having those people around him in the mix of his own mistakes. I could only imagine all the emotions that were rushing through him all this time.
- I really didn't have a clue as to how influential Janurary 25th is to the Egyptian people. The story behind it is pretty inspiring and tragic in its own respect.
This is more of a statement rather than a question. After all Wael Ghonim has gone through I'm surprised he hadn't quit but then again this just shows how he truly loves his country and the people that live within it. Not only does he love them and the country but he respects them greatly, so much so that he had started all this and it has created something great. Something that everyone can and should be able to embrace and take part in. His vision of a country whose goal and focus is technology and education is awesome and I applaud him for that.
Chapter 4 - The first thing that caught my attention was the surgery questionnaire that Wael put up. When he polled the question "For those who didn't join the Silent Stand, why didn't you participate?" The highest response, with 25%, responded with "My parents would not let me." This reminded me of the statistic how the majority of the population is under the age of 25. 70% of the facebook page members were under 24 years old. It would be interesting to see the results to the poll if the members were older and not under the supervision of their parents.
ReplyDeleteThe page reaching 37,000 likes shows just how much of a difference this social media page made, and how members began to say that they felt as if they belonged to part of a community. What really stuck out to me was the response the author wrote to the questions regarding who the admin of the page was. The way he responded was brilliant in my opinion.. He responded using emotion, so other would be able to relate to him and they would feel connected to the man behind the facebook page without knowing his true identity.
Chapter 5 - The changing of the police force's official slogan was interesting. The police were no longer serving the people. "The police force lacked the technology to help it solve crimes, so torture became one of its primary means of attaining information." It blows my mind how the police are the ones committing most of the crimes in Egypt! The Egyptians referred to the police as "The Government" because anybody who showed opposition would be punished and tortured.
I thought it was very brave of the author to post the images and videos of the church bombing on the facebook page, given that he knew members would lash out at him and that Egyptian media shielded away from publishing images of attacks on churches.
I am curious as to if the reason page members had not been commenting as much as usual on the post about Police Day was because of Fear? Lastly, the comment about how the regime fears the media more than the well being of the protesters shows a lot about the kind of people the police are. Instead of serving and protecting the people, they are more worried about protecting themselves from the media exposing them.
Chapter 6 - The first thing that came to mind as I was reading the first few pages in this chapter was how much Wael truly cared about that facebook page. He was so concerned about leaving it unattended, even for a few hours on his flight. The fear that he must had been experiencing on that flight after leaving his family seems unimaginable.
I also found it shocking how when Wael and Hazem left the square to go eat, outside of the square life seemed completely normal as if nothing were happening! But it must have been partly due to the fact government blocked Facebook and Twitter.
Question - It would be really interesting to know, why did the commander order the police to clear the area and let the protesters reach Tahrir Square?
Chapter 4-
ReplyDeleteI found it almost disturbing and surprising of how big of a chunk of the people didn't care or were not interested in the revolution. I just find it extremely hard to believe that many people were uninvolved with the revolution. That's a lot of people! However on a lighter note, it was good to see and have re-enforcement of how many people used facebook as a means to put in their thoughts and hopes for the revolution.
Chapter 5-
One thing that stood out to me and probably a lot of other people is how people set themselves on fire in support of the revolution. That fact is unfathomable in my head because nothing even close to that has happened in this part of the world. As much as it is disturbing, it's crazy to know that one would give their life to better others.
Chapter 6-
One tactic that Wael and the people of Egypt used that was interesting is how they made sure that the police knew that they were not going against them. They didn't want the police to think that they were completely opposed to them even though they were part of the corruption. It is brave of them to show forgiveness towards the police because they know that they are being lead by corruption and brain washing.
Question- How do the police in Egypt get their jobs and how are they trained?
Chapter 4
ReplyDeleteObservation 1: The narrator was careful about hiding his identity. He used a program to change his IP address, was careful about opening attachments, and used a Mac OS. “These measures allowed AbdelRahman and me to ignore the threats and insults we received via e-mail, especially since only a handful of people knew our true identities” (Ghonim 82).
Observation 2: The narrator wanted his resistance to remain nonviolent. “Inspired by Gandhi and other advocates of nonviolent resistance, I was keen to stress regularly that our advocates were to remain peaceful at all costs” (Ghonim 107).
Observation 3: The narrator, though he made many attempts to stay anonymous, was his own downfall when FB took down his page. “The admins said that the page had been closed after a lot of abuses were reported and it was discovered that “Kullena Khaled Said” was managed by fake accounts, which violated Facebook’s policies. Our attempts to remain safe and anonymous had come back to handcuff us” (Ghonim 118).
Chapter 5
Observation 1: The narrator seems to become a bit paranoid when it comes to the police force. “With every passing day I became more convinced that the police force was the chain that the regime tied around our necks; if the police force could be neutralized, the regime would be paralyzed” (Ghonim 123).
Observation 2: The narrator considers his readers feeling, and wants to keep them in good spirits. “I wanted to end the year on a positive note, despite everything depressing that had taken place” (Ghonim 124).
Observation 3: “With the spread of the Internet and satellite television, Coptic Egyptian’s emotions would be even more strongly aroused by gruesome images circulated within their communities while Muslims remained unaware of the atrocities because they never saw them” (Ghonim 127).
Chapter 6
Observation 1: The narrator is clever. “We had agreed that Ahmed Saleh, an activist whom she knew well and who was a friend of both AbdelRahman Mansour and Mostafa al-Nagar, would update the page during my absence. I wanted to ensure that the page would be constantly updated if I was arrested, and I didn’t want anyone to suspect that I was the admin” (Ghonim 160).
Observation 2: The narrator is prepared, for being caught. “After sleeping during most of the flight, I wrote a brief message to Najeeb before I reached passport control. It said ‘I am now being arrested at Cairo Airport.’ The message was only a draft; if I needed to send it all I had to do was press the Send button” (Ghonim 163).
Observation 3: The narrator was making an impact on the protests. “The regime’s decision to block these two websites was a grave mistake. They did not realize that it was impeccable testimony to the strength of the protests” (Ghonim 186).
Question: Why do “peaceful” protests turn violent?
Chapter 4 talks about Ghonim's developing use of Facebook, particularly his group about Khaled Said and the measures he took to protect his identity while administrating that page. In stories about old revolutions, you always read a lot about people whispering to each other that support is growing or that they’re seeing the use of secret symbols spread. However, Ghonim was able to perpetuate enthusiasm by witnessing his number of fans growing in real time. He could also track the type of people who were supporting him by using this technology, and make sure that the messages being projected were always peaceful. I hadn't known about the polls they conducted, either. The efficiency and preventative knowledge of Ghonim's media management seems to have played a huge role in how successful the revolution was.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5 Ghonim talks about the police, and general corruption within the Egyptian legal system. He mentions that people called the police "The Government" because of how extensively they smacked down opponents of the regime. This is interesting in light of how, after the Arab Spring, the Egyptian military actually became the real government – not the police. Ghonim describes the police changing their slogan to "the people and the police serve the nation" as a sign of the police completely turning against Egypt’s citizens, but I wonder if that was actually a sign that the police had been just as defeated as the citizens by the regime.
Chapter 6 reveals just how aware Ghonim was of the immensity of what he was doing with his Facebook page. His paranoia and planning really did help him in the long run, but I wonder if any of his cohorts thought he was blowing things out of proportion at the time. Finally, after hearing so much about the events of January 25, it was sad and intriguing to read what it was like from the very peak's perspective.
Ghonim knew a lot about the use of social media, and how to unite people similar to himself. Would January 25 have been more successful if he had known more about politics?