Youssef Shaaban: Gagging of Freedom of Speech

Youssef Shaaban: Gagging of Freedom of Speech!

Youssef Shaaban: A Breech in Human Rights!

Youssef Shaaban: Egypt's New Police Brutality Victim!

Update: Youssef Shaaban is a free man and drug acquisition charges dropped (November 25)

Update: Youssef Shaaban is missing

Update: Youssef Shaaban is illegally detained in Borg El Arab in a solitary cell for 4 days (November 27)

Dear President Mubarak,

Yesterday my obstetrician confirmed that I am pregnant with a baby boy. I saw him kicking, tossing, and turning in my womb and I was ecstatic with the surge of feelings that only tears could relieve. I had the smile of a very content woman on my face all the way home. I switched on my laptop and there he was – Youssef Shaaban: a new victim of your dying decaying screwed up regime!

Your officers ruined what was supposed to be a perfect day for me! I could not sleep! I was on a seesaw of fear and anger; I would think of your police officers and their victims and fear would tighten its grip over my heart, then I would think of freedom of speech and basic human rights and anger would numb my mind! Because of your regime, I regret getting pregnant! Because of your officers, I did not want a baby boy! Because of your recurrent offences against human rights, I wish I was never born!

I am 36 years old and you have been my president for the past 30 years. What kind of stories have you left me to tell my son about you? What kind of stories have you left behind to be documented in history books? Let me show you how 2010 will commemorate you! 

Look at this picture and tell me how should an expecting mother feel

Should I wait for the day I see my son tortured by your skilled sadists? Should I prepare myself to bury him the way Khaled Said's mother had to bury her own son? Should I get acquainted with a good lawyer just in case I have to sue your Ministry of Interior?

Look at this picture and tell me how should an expecting mother feel

Should I be prepared to turn every stone looking for my son when he is in the custody of your torturers? Should I walk around with a camera and a voice recorder just in case I find him dead and I need to document how his humanity was violated? This is Ahmed Shaaban, just in case you do not know whose picture that is! Some people say that this is NOT Ahmed Shaaban because the police officers denied his grieving mother the right to take documenting photos of his tortured body!

And this is Youssef Shaaban, a journalist who stood up for his beliefs! A man who was investigating the truth! A human being who stood up against injustice! Look at him being snatched in broad daylight! Look at his face one more time for God knows next time we see him what deformed face he will have!

Look at him again! Doesn't his smile or the look on his face break your heart?

Here is his story … listen to his story being told by our voices; the voices of Egyptians who are pathetically helpless in the face of oppression!

Video by Islam El Hadary (I hope my next post will not be about him!)

I am Youssef! Yes! Youssef Shaaban! You might not know me but I am a reporter and I am deeply in love with my country. This is my crime! This is what I am accused of! I will not tell you my story from scratch; I will just tell you how it ends. I was standing in a silent demonstration with a group of common Egyptians in the area of Abu Soliman in Alexandria. They just wanted to live but the tycoons did not even grant them the right to their lives. They wanted to destroy their houses [and build a mall and some fancy houses] to add a few more millions to their stuffed bank accounts. My support of those peoples' rights – along with others – upset the big guys. And after I was supporting those poor people's right to live, I became the government's new pothead! If Khaled Said is a pothead! If Ahmed Shaaban is a phone thief! If loving this country is a crime! Then yes, I am guilty as charged! I am the new pothead! What are YOU waiting for? For how long will you turn a deaf ear? Your turn is coming! You are next if you don't speak up!

ARABIC LINKS HERE , HERE , HERE, HERE AND HERE

I wonder what would have happened if Youssef or Ahmed or Khaled had American passports? Today – 22 November – was my scheduled interview appointment at the US Embassy. I have an invitation from my father, work documents, bank statements, and the rest of the required documents. I wanted to give birth to Adam in the US. I wanted him to be an American citizen living in Egypt. I wanted him to have a blue passport just in case! I read all the debates about the Jus Soli (Birthright citizenship) and I wanted to give that one gift to my son. I realized that giving birth in the US will cost me between 15,000 and 20,000 USD because I am not insured and I am too old to be added to my father's insurance. The only other option was to show up in labor on the doorstep of any emergency room in any hospital. By law they are bound to deliver my baby and because I have no source of income, they will not charge me for my delivery. The American tax payers will pay for it! It just felt wrong! Abusive of the system! I am not cheap and this is not how I want to bring my baby to the world! I want him to know that pride and integrity are his most valued possessions! Today, I feel i was wrong! I made a mistake and now it is too late to fix it!

When I was a teenager, my father told me that I could fall in love and get married to any man as long as he was not a police or an army officer! He told me that they are a bunch of violent sadistic sick-in-the-head wife-beaters! He told me that their military tutoring kills their humanity! I did not believe him at the time! Now I do not know what to believe! I remember in the 90s when terrorists used to kill officers and their families – I shed so many tears for them. I prayed for them! Today, they have grown into two categories: monstrous killing machines and silent passive robots. They are both equally guilty of torture! They both have blood on their hands! They all deserve to be punished for tarnishing Egypt's image! I am not sure what you deserve for the past 30 years of your life!

واو ألف و واو ألف تبقى إيه؟

واوا

و اللى بيطلب حقه يبقى بيعمل إيه؟

شقاوة