Below is another update from our friend in Cairo. This is an account of the events on Friday the 28th. Again, we thank Amal for sending these posts to us to share with everyone. We will continue to post as they come in. A larger protest is being planned for tomorrow, Tuesday February 1. We hope everyone will be safe as they demand changes from their governemnt and offer our support in spirit to their endeavors.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Cairo, Egypt
Friday of Rage.
To open this Egyptian “Friday of Rage”, the country’s Coptic Christians vowed they would protect their Muslim brothers while they paused in protests to pray.
The internet and all cell phones had been closed during the night. News was sporadic on Al Jazeera Arabic, the people’s primary source of information. Egyptian-run television ran clips of small gatherings in a quiet country.
Outside, thousands of people were exploding into the streets of every town and cities.
Mohammed al-Bardei, former Nobel Peace Prize winner and spokesman for authentic democracy in Egypt, was reported to have been put under house arrest.
Wel known politician Mohamed al-Sekki called on President Hosni Mubarak, whose regime is the focus of the disturbances in the country, to address concerns of protesters. His failure to do so thus far, three days into the uprising, has confirmed the popular opinion that he has little respect for the governed.
By 3 in the afternoon, 25, 000 in the northern coast city of Damietta had bombed the police station. Police station fires spread from city to city throughout the country.
By 4 pm, 100,000 were reported on the streets in Mansoura and 150000 in Port Said. In Cairo, police fired tear gas; in other towns and cities, police were said to be acting in sympathy with the protestors.
Numbers of protestors in greater Cairo, a city of about 17 million, were reported to have swollen to a half million.
In places, the police used live ammunition and protester were killed. One person warned that the police were using sulfur. During afternoon prayers, people stopped to pray – at the top of their voices – and petition Allah for support from the army.
The Egyptian Army, unlike the military, is respected for its professionalism and admired for its success in the 1973 war with Egypt. It is thought of as a people’s protector of last resort.
“The people call for the government to fall.” replaced the words of prayer . Over and over again, the demand bounded through the streets
When the retaliation came, demonstrators toppled a police van.
The government closed the bridges to Tahrir Square.
Those already in the square torched the headquarters of the Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP), located in a building on the perimeter of the square and next to the Egyptian Museum. This victory, of considerable symbolic value, fed the courage of the crowd.
Journalists called for local news station to discontinue their reporting of disinformation.
In the city of Suez, located at the southern end of the canal and totally controlled by the NDP, demonstrations were violent.
In Port Said, located at the Mediterranean mouth of the Suez Canal, people swore they would stay in the streets till the government fell. Police refused to fire on them.
In Alexandria 50,000 gathered on the corniche in support of the revolt. Not a single policeman was seen.
At 5:45 in Cairo, police suddenly stopped firing and stepped over to join the protesters. In an operatic moment, the sides exchanged hugs and kisses.
Egypt has 1 policeman for every 4 citizens. They tend to be recruited from poor families, have little education and are very poorly paid.
At 6:15, the police resumed their assault.
The Army, said to have refused orders to shoot, arrived in Tahrir Square. The police left. The demonstrators went wild with happiness and walked hand-in-hand with the troops.
The joined to create a human shield to protect the Egyptian museum from the fire at NDP headquarters next door.
At 12:15 am, President Mubarak announced the he had excused everyone in his cabinet. He would remain on the job to ensure the security of his people.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Update from Cairo Jan 30-2011
This post was sent to us by a friend who is working in Cairo right now. Amal is from West Seattle and is in Egypt doing work for the American University (corrected). We thank her for sending this update. If we receive others we will be sure to post them here.
Cairo, Egypt
Sunday, January 30: 9:30pm
Today, the fourth day of what must now be called an Egyptian revolution, 100,000 people showed up in Tahrir Square, the political center of the people's protest against President Hosni Mubarak and his government and for democracy and government respect of the people. Not a bare spot was to be found.
The size of the gathering was unaffected by the government's shutdown of the internet and cell phone services. Nor the fact that it shut down Al Jazeera in Arabic, the county's main source of news.
That fact is, that in spite of the tremenously rapid growth in internet and cell phone use in Egypt, the major pathways for news are mosques - whose messages sound throughout the city each day and which provide public gathering places for the people, and word of mouth.
Neighborhood are extremely tight-knit; people help each other - lending money, bartering for services, adjudicating quarrels, offering aid and spreading news. Since very few move house, the ties are long, complex and meaningful. Neighborhoods tie the country together. Word travels efficiently.
Mohamed al-Baradei
At some point, Mohamed al-Baradei, former Nobel Peace Prize winner and spokesman for authentic democracy in Egypt, announced that he would be willing to form an interim unity government.
The people's opinion of al-Baradie is mixed. He's been out of the country for decades, most recently as head of the IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and many see him as an interloper and there are others with long established reputations for leadership and opposition to the government.
Still, in my opinion, it's important now that a titular leader emerge. The people will get tired; they need people to replace those who were in positions of power and who are leaving the country in droves. Among many others, President Mubarak's son, Gamal, often mentioned as a likely successor to his father - much to the people's disgust, is said to be in London with his brother and their respective wives.
Meanwhile, the police have returned to the streets and protesters keep the pressure on one of main sites of oppression, like the Ministry of Interior (known locally as the Ministry of Torture). Today shots were heard from inside the building and there are rumors that the Minister abandoned the country.
F-16s over Cairo
Early this evening, my apartment rattled violently. Two F-16 fighter jet coming in low to buzz Tahrir Square. The people shout louder. In a phrase which rhymes in Arabic, they yell "You fly; we stay"
Army tanks rolls toward square while rumors spread that they had been order to use live ammunition and that they had refused.
I suspect that's true. In Egypt, the army is thought of being on the side of the people. It would simply be "unEgyptian" of them to shoot
Egyptian's distaste for violence
People here are terribly upset by the violence. They genuinely hate to see people being hurt. They avoid confrontation.
In fact, a major turning point in the revolt was provoked by government violence. In the beginning, the protest was mostly young middle-class men; but when the police started bruising, bloodying and in some cases killing, the lower classes joined up en masse.
And now, as this very dignified rebellion progresses, people are proud. For the first time in my life, I see real pride in their faces. They are proud of the consistency and restraint in the protest, proud of protecting their own neighborhoods.
I believe we'll see a lasting change in the Egyptian psyche.
As an Egyptian-American myself, I am proud; I get shivers thinking about the folks out there.
-Amal Sedky Winter, PHD
Cairo, Egypt
Cairo, Egypt
Sunday, January 30: 9:30pm
Today, the fourth day of what must now be called an Egyptian revolution, 100,000 people showed up in Tahrir Square, the political center of the people's protest against President Hosni Mubarak and his government and for democracy and government respect of the people. Not a bare spot was to be found.
The size of the gathering was unaffected by the government's shutdown of the internet and cell phone services. Nor the fact that it shut down Al Jazeera in Arabic, the county's main source of news.
That fact is, that in spite of the tremenously rapid growth in internet and cell phone use in Egypt, the major pathways for news are mosques - whose messages sound throughout the city each day and which provide public gathering places for the people, and word of mouth.
Neighborhood are extremely tight-knit; people help each other - lending money, bartering for services, adjudicating quarrels, offering aid and spreading news. Since very few move house, the ties are long, complex and meaningful. Neighborhoods tie the country together. Word travels efficiently.
Mohamed al-Baradei
At some point, Mohamed al-Baradei, former Nobel Peace Prize winner and spokesman for authentic democracy in Egypt, announced that he would be willing to form an interim unity government.
The people's opinion of al-Baradie is mixed. He's been out of the country for decades, most recently as head of the IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and many see him as an interloper and there are others with long established reputations for leadership and opposition to the government.
Still, in my opinion, it's important now that a titular leader emerge. The people will get tired; they need people to replace those who were in positions of power and who are leaving the country in droves. Among many others, President Mubarak's son, Gamal, often mentioned as a likely successor to his father - much to the people's disgust, is said to be in London with his brother and their respective wives.
Meanwhile, the police have returned to the streets and protesters keep the pressure on one of main sites of oppression, like the Ministry of Interior (known locally as the Ministry of Torture). Today shots were heard from inside the building and there are rumors that the Minister abandoned the country.
F-16s over Cairo
Early this evening, my apartment rattled violently. Two F-16 fighter jet coming in low to buzz Tahrir Square. The people shout louder. In a phrase which rhymes in Arabic, they yell "You fly; we stay"
Army tanks rolls toward square while rumors spread that they had been order to use live ammunition and that they had refused.
I suspect that's true. In Egypt, the army is thought of being on the side of the people. It would simply be "unEgyptian" of them to shoot
Egyptian's distaste for violence
People here are terribly upset by the violence. They genuinely hate to see people being hurt. They avoid confrontation.
In fact, a major turning point in the revolt was provoked by government violence. In the beginning, the protest was mostly young middle-class men; but when the police started bruising, bloodying and in some cases killing, the lower classes joined up en masse.
And now, as this very dignified rebellion progresses, people are proud. For the first time in my life, I see real pride in their faces. They are proud of the consistency and restraint in the protest, proud of protecting their own neighborhoods.
I believe we'll see a lasting change in the Egyptian psyche.
As an Egyptian-American myself, I am proud; I get shivers thinking about the folks out there.
-Amal Sedky Winter, PHD
Cairo, Egypt
Update from Jordan
As I write this evening the people here in Jordan have been glued to their tvs watching events unfold in Egypt. The internet cafe where we are working is switching the tv back and forth between soccer and events in Egypt. We are in a smoke-filled room of young men smoking from hookas. As you are probably aware, Al Jazeera has been shut off in Egypt, as have been internet and wireless phone services. Yet, young people in Egypt have been beating the censors and figuring out how to use dial-up and other ways to get around the media blockade. Tonight (Sunday) the Arabic channels on live feed here in Jordan show Mohammad al Baradi has joined the demonstrations in Cairo. I have nothing to add at this point in terms of new information, as I presume the information you are getting on the Web, CNN, BBC, etc. is giving pretty good coverage. Our hotel has only one channel, and that is in Arabic. It is interesting to watch the Obama administration squirm and evaluate out how it can hedge its bets, but that seems impossible at this point. The Egyptian pillar of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East is about to fall, and no one at this point can predict where things will go.
Like Egypt and Tunisia, Jordan has serious economic problems as well; the price of fuel and food is driving people to distraction. Gas is over $4.00 per gallon, food prices are going up, and salaries are low. Earlier this week there were demonstrations in Amman against a sharp rise in fuel prices. A young high school teacher, with whom we spoke, makes about $300 per month and wants to leave his country, but doesn't know where to go or what to do. We will be in Israel and the West Bank late in the day on Tuesday.
Kraig
Like Egypt and Tunisia, Jordan has serious economic problems as well; the price of fuel and food is driving people to distraction. Gas is over $4.00 per gallon, food prices are going up, and salaries are low. Earlier this week there were demonstrations in Amman against a sharp rise in fuel prices. A young high school teacher, with whom we spoke, makes about $300 per month and wants to leave his country, but doesn't know where to go or what to do. We will be in Israel and the West Bank late in the day on Tuesday.
Kraig
Friday, January 28, 2011
Oman
Here is another entry from Dr. Kiracofe. Thank you!
The flight to Oman left Kuwat about 10:30, full to capacity, stopped in Dubai to let some passengers off and take on some more, arrived at Muscat, Oman at about 2:30 am.
The airport at Kuwait for those not flying first class is not a pleasant experience, for those in business or first class there are some very comfortable lounges. Economy class passengers may use them for a fee, about $25, full internet, elegant coffee service, and etc.
In Oman I was greeted as I got into the airport building, before passport check, by someone from the hotel who walked me through the visa process (for a fee of 45 euros) and made the whole process of arrival absolutely effortless, smooth as silk, perfect, and then whisked me away to the really beautiful and nearby Park Inn Hotel. It is new, only open for a few months, but very lovely and thoughtfully designed with warm, welcoming staff (even at 3:00 am...) Rooms are in a modern idiom, using teak wood and colorful fabrics in a way suggestive of a beach hotel, and we are not far from the beach, I can see the sea from my window. The hotel also boasts fine dining in a number of styles and has an attractive and enticing room service menu. I was delighted to find cold beer, wine and even some whiskey in the icebox. I will leave the whiskey alone, but a cold beer was most welcome, indeed!
Breakfast was one of the best ever in a hotel, and it is prepared in a modern luxe show kitchen visble behind the serving counter, all dishes carefully prepared and presented, very tasty... charming, attentive staff, right there with coffee, and what ever else one might want. My driver/guide was waiting for me when I came down stairs. He speaks perfect,and refined English, and knows all about the various statistics that one might want to know and about the history of all the buildings. Like many in the tourism business in this part of the world, he is from India. We visited the most interesting and photogenic fish market (especially busy on a Friday) the corniche, then on into "downtown" Muscat where the Palace is. Beautiful new big white Toyota land cruiser, spotlessly clean inside and out (there is a fine here for driving a dirty car).
It is really not a big city, more like a big town, charming and intentionally beautiful with flower beds blooming fragrantly everywhere. The whole place has a relaxed pace, people are friendly, don't drive aggressively, are courteous to one another... in all a most pleasant introduction to a really fascinating and spectacular country, we went to a beach area where unusual rock formations run right into the sea, yellow golden colored stratified layers of stone at steep angle running into the blue, blue waves... the color of the water here is more a saphire or aquamarine blue in contrast to the more turquoise blue of the shallower Persian (Arabian) Gulf...
The company hosting my tour has an office here in the lobby of the hotel, so i will ask them if they can help work out a better connection for me to Riyadh. Gulf Air changed the time of my connecting flight in Bahrain so if I can't make a change I will spend the day in the airport at Bahrain instead of seeing some interesting historic places in Riyadh... so I am going to work on arriving in Riyadh earlier either on another Gulf air flight or some other airline... will have to wait til Sunday which is like our Monday... fairly sure I can work something out...
This is such a pleasant place (this time of year) that there are many tourists, mostly from Europe. In front of the Sultan's Palace here in Muscat (he has several, including one that floats, a huge yacht like an ocean liner) I heard a distinguished looking Omani guide, in traditional dress (incluiding a turban) giving a lecture in perfectly inflected German to an attentive group of German tourists of a certain age, some of whom were taking notes...
now for a nap on the roof terrace under a huge umbrella by the pool...
more of Barry's adventures in Arabia soon,
best wishes,
b
The flight to Oman left Kuwat about 10:30, full to capacity, stopped in Dubai to let some passengers off and take on some more, arrived at Muscat, Oman at about 2:30 am.
The airport at Kuwait for those not flying first class is not a pleasant experience, for those in business or first class there are some very comfortable lounges. Economy class passengers may use them for a fee, about $25, full internet, elegant coffee service, and etc.
In Oman I was greeted as I got into the airport building, before passport check, by someone from the hotel who walked me through the visa process (for a fee of 45 euros) and made the whole process of arrival absolutely effortless, smooth as silk, perfect, and then whisked me away to the really beautiful and nearby Park Inn Hotel. It is new, only open for a few months, but very lovely and thoughtfully designed with warm, welcoming staff (even at 3:00 am...) Rooms are in a modern idiom, using teak wood and colorful fabrics in a way suggestive of a beach hotel, and we are not far from the beach, I can see the sea from my window. The hotel also boasts fine dining in a number of styles and has an attractive and enticing room service menu. I was delighted to find cold beer, wine and even some whiskey in the icebox. I will leave the whiskey alone, but a cold beer was most welcome, indeed!
Breakfast was one of the best ever in a hotel, and it is prepared in a modern luxe show kitchen visble behind the serving counter, all dishes carefully prepared and presented, very tasty... charming, attentive staff, right there with coffee, and what ever else one might want. My driver/guide was waiting for me when I came down stairs. He speaks perfect,and refined English, and knows all about the various statistics that one might want to know and about the history of all the buildings. Like many in the tourism business in this part of the world, he is from India. We visited the most interesting and photogenic fish market (especially busy on a Friday) the corniche, then on into "downtown" Muscat where the Palace is. Beautiful new big white Toyota land cruiser, spotlessly clean inside and out (there is a fine here for driving a dirty car).
It is really not a big city, more like a big town, charming and intentionally beautiful with flower beds blooming fragrantly everywhere. The whole place has a relaxed pace, people are friendly, don't drive aggressively, are courteous to one another... in all a most pleasant introduction to a really fascinating and spectacular country, we went to a beach area where unusual rock formations run right into the sea, yellow golden colored stratified layers of stone at steep angle running into the blue, blue waves... the color of the water here is more a saphire or aquamarine blue in contrast to the more turquoise blue of the shallower Persian (Arabian) Gulf...
The company hosting my tour has an office here in the lobby of the hotel, so i will ask them if they can help work out a better connection for me to Riyadh. Gulf Air changed the time of my connecting flight in Bahrain so if I can't make a change I will spend the day in the airport at Bahrain instead of seeing some interesting historic places in Riyadh... so I am going to work on arriving in Riyadh earlier either on another Gulf air flight or some other airline... will have to wait til Sunday which is like our Monday... fairly sure I can work something out...
This is such a pleasant place (this time of year) that there are many tourists, mostly from Europe. In front of the Sultan's Palace here in Muscat (he has several, including one that floats, a huge yacht like an ocean liner) I heard a distinguished looking Omani guide, in traditional dress (incluiding a turban) giving a lecture in perfectly inflected German to an attentive group of German tourists of a certain age, some of whom were taking notes...
now for a nap on the roof terrace under a huge umbrella by the pool...
more of Barry's adventures in Arabia soon,
best wishes,
b
Kuwait: Visit to the Arab Fund Building
Below is a report from our client Dr. Kiracofe who is traveling around the Arabian Peninsula before joining our group in Riyadh next month. He has sent us this entry about his visit in Kuwait. More to come about his visits in Oman. Thank you Dr. Kiracofe for sharing this!
It is 7:36 your time, 3:36 pm here. I leave for the airport at around 7:30 pm. Just came in from spending the day at the Arab Fund Building. It is the most fabulous building in the middle east, and one of the most amazing buildings I have ever seen. I showed up unannounced and asked to be permitted to see the interior, which I was told is very beautiful, an understatement if ever there was one...
I was told to take a seat in the spectacular lobby, filled with remarkable antiques from all around the Islamic world. 20 minutes later security showed me to the first floor to a huge atrium with a very elegant cafeteria to one side where i was shown to a table and invited to take coffee and little cookies. There a highly educated gentleman engaged me in conversation about Islamic culture, and we talked for half an hour or more about pattern formation and the meanings behind the patterns... Then he suggested we take a walk around, and for the next 4 1/2 hours he showed me all through the building, built for the Arab Fund, like the World Bank of the Islamic world, with office space, meeting rooms, dining rooms, sitting rooms, auditorium, one more beautiful than the next.
Islamic traditions applied to modern architecture with the most lush use of exotic materials and exquisite workmanship in all types of material, stone, marble, ceramic mosaic, brass, copper, leather, glass, wood, wool for carpets and tapestries... simply amazing... the finest artisans from all over the Islamic world, perhaps mostly Egypt and north Africa, but also Syria and Turkey... and the facility is available to the public for meetings, conferences, events, also to the diplomatic corps, universities, private companies, anyone may apply to use the spaces and they are equipped with every possible modern amenity for presentation and broadcast... extremely well done. The man who showed me through the building is the director of maintenance, he was the electrical engineer responsible for supervision of the electrical and mechanical systems during construction and has remained with the building since it opened, more than 10 years ago, but it looks like a new building. Everything is spotless and in perfect condition.... as i left he gave me a book about the building... gorgeous photography... worth coming to Kuwait just to see this building!
anyone coming to Kuwait with any serious interest in cultural things should come to this building. The man to contact is Ziyad Reja M. Khalil, zraja@arabfund.org They welcome people with a serious interest and are happy to show the building and encourage photography. I am very glad I went to see it!
More from Oman tomorrow...
best,
b
It is 7:36 your time, 3:36 pm here. I leave for the airport at around 7:30 pm. Just came in from spending the day at the Arab Fund Building. It is the most fabulous building in the middle east, and one of the most amazing buildings I have ever seen. I showed up unannounced and asked to be permitted to see the interior, which I was told is very beautiful, an understatement if ever there was one...
I was told to take a seat in the spectacular lobby, filled with remarkable antiques from all around the Islamic world. 20 minutes later security showed me to the first floor to a huge atrium with a very elegant cafeteria to one side where i was shown to a table and invited to take coffee and little cookies. There a highly educated gentleman engaged me in conversation about Islamic culture, and we talked for half an hour or more about pattern formation and the meanings behind the patterns... Then he suggested we take a walk around, and for the next 4 1/2 hours he showed me all through the building, built for the Arab Fund, like the World Bank of the Islamic world, with office space, meeting rooms, dining rooms, sitting rooms, auditorium, one more beautiful than the next.
Islamic traditions applied to modern architecture with the most lush use of exotic materials and exquisite workmanship in all types of material, stone, marble, ceramic mosaic, brass, copper, leather, glass, wood, wool for carpets and tapestries... simply amazing... the finest artisans from all over the Islamic world, perhaps mostly Egypt and north Africa, but also Syria and Turkey... and the facility is available to the public for meetings, conferences, events, also to the diplomatic corps, universities, private companies, anyone may apply to use the spaces and they are equipped with every possible modern amenity for presentation and broadcast... extremely well done. The man who showed me through the building is the director of maintenance, he was the electrical engineer responsible for supervision of the electrical and mechanical systems during construction and has remained with the building since it opened, more than 10 years ago, but it looks like a new building. Everything is spotless and in perfect condition.... as i left he gave me a book about the building... gorgeous photography... worth coming to Kuwait just to see this building!
anyone coming to Kuwait with any serious interest in cultural things should come to this building. The man to contact is Ziyad Reja M. Khalil, zraja@arabfund.org They welcome people with a serious interest and are happy to show the building and encourage photography. I am very glad I went to see it!
More from Oman tomorrow...
best,
b
Syria Not Ablaze
Hello Everyone: 1/28 Syria Not Ablaze
Traveling in Syria and elsewhere in the Arab world at this time is exciting and a deep learning experience. People in Aleppo (the second largest city) and Damascus are making references to the troubles in Tunisia and Egypt. We have been in Syria for the last week, but Seattleites' knowledge of events is as probably as good as mine, as information in Syria is restricted. I mostly have to rely on general impressionistic accounts and upon conversations with people who speak English. Nonetheless, there appear to be no troubles, demonstrations, etc. unfolding in the Syrian Arab Republic at this time. Life seems to be tranquil. The government has for some time blocked access to Facebook, My Space and You Tube. Yesterday, an English language paper in Damascus reported that all cell phone-accessed chat rooms would be blocked. The government is probably taking precautions no doubt, but it is a bit hard to read. We arrived in Amman, Jordan this afternoon, and went to an internet cafe, but discovered that their routing access had been cut off because of the troubles. But, I found another cafe that had access, for how long they don't know. I don't understand the mechanics of this.
I interviewed a couple of men extensively this week about the situation in Syria. Both men are educated, knowledgeable and fluent in English and have served in the military; one man is about 30, the other about 40, and the younger man is a graduate student in English at Damascus University. Both men said that the economic situation was very difficult and the availability of jobs, particualry for young people, is bleak. High food prices and general inflationary problems seemed to be the major concern of these two men, and I heard that from other people as well. Real unemployment is about 25%. The older of the two men I interviewed has been a hotel desk clerk for seventeen years and earns $150 per month, the same salary that he earned when he started there in 1994. He needs about $700 a month for his family to survive! The younger of these two men reported that, even if he gets a good job as a translator with the government, there is no chance that he will be able to afford to purchase a home. Both men also said that older people have vivid memories of the severe repression against the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1980s, when thousands and thousands of people were massacred, a chilling memory indeed. The English major said the university campus shows no signs of unrest. These two men believe that their government, although it has problems, is not like the governments in Tunisia or Egypt, and they are willing to give it time. Both men think that President Bashar al-Assad, whose portrait is ubiquitous, cares, is responsive and trying to address the problems of the country. However, both men, were very clear that the cost of living and jobs for young people would have to be addressed or future troubles may unfold. Yet, for the present Syrian nationalism appears to carry the day.
For now,
Kraig
Traveling in Syria and elsewhere in the Arab world at this time is exciting and a deep learning experience. People in Aleppo (the second largest city) and Damascus are making references to the troubles in Tunisia and Egypt. We have been in Syria for the last week, but Seattleites' knowledge of events is as probably as good as mine, as information in Syria is restricted. I mostly have to rely on general impressionistic accounts and upon conversations with people who speak English. Nonetheless, there appear to be no troubles, demonstrations, etc. unfolding in the Syrian Arab Republic at this time. Life seems to be tranquil. The government has for some time blocked access to Facebook, My Space and You Tube. Yesterday, an English language paper in Damascus reported that all cell phone-accessed chat rooms would be blocked. The government is probably taking precautions no doubt, but it is a bit hard to read. We arrived in Amman, Jordan this afternoon, and went to an internet cafe, but discovered that their routing access had been cut off because of the troubles. But, I found another cafe that had access, for how long they don't know. I don't understand the mechanics of this.
I interviewed a couple of men extensively this week about the situation in Syria. Both men are educated, knowledgeable and fluent in English and have served in the military; one man is about 30, the other about 40, and the younger man is a graduate student in English at Damascus University. Both men said that the economic situation was very difficult and the availability of jobs, particualry for young people, is bleak. High food prices and general inflationary problems seemed to be the major concern of these two men, and I heard that from other people as well. Real unemployment is about 25%. The older of the two men I interviewed has been a hotel desk clerk for seventeen years and earns $150 per month, the same salary that he earned when he started there in 1994. He needs about $700 a month for his family to survive! The younger of these two men reported that, even if he gets a good job as a translator with the government, there is no chance that he will be able to afford to purchase a home. Both men also said that older people have vivid memories of the severe repression against the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1980s, when thousands and thousands of people were massacred, a chilling memory indeed. The English major said the university campus shows no signs of unrest. These two men believe that their government, although it has problems, is not like the governments in Tunisia or Egypt, and they are willing to give it time. Both men think that President Bashar al-Assad, whose portrait is ubiquitous, cares, is responsive and trying to address the problems of the country. However, both men, were very clear that the cost of living and jobs for young people would have to be addressed or future troubles may unfold. Yet, for the present Syrian nationalism appears to carry the day.
For now,
Kraig
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