Egypt

AlJazeera and Reuters are reporting that the Egyptian government will redeploy security forces country-wide starting Monday except for Tahrir Square.

I can't believe how can the government do this. The police are much hated now because of the system brutality and protecting the regime for decades, their clashes with the public from 25 to 28 January and killing many of them, and finally for abandoning the country and let it fall into chaos, or directing doing this looting.

The pages linked below are my updates on what is happening in Egypt in 2011, as the people rise and demand a change of the regime.

State TV announced that AlJazeera permits have been withdrawn, and is prevented from operating in the whole country. The signal of the Arabic channel on NileSat has been cut. New frequencies have been announced by AlJazeera so people can tune to the new frequences. However, I can still see them broadcasting live from Tahrir Square in Cairo on a North American satellite.

AlJazeera showing military fighter jets and helicopters buzzing on low altitude over the protesters. The protesters raised their voice shouting anti-regime and anti-Mubarak slogans in defiance as these flew by.

Called my mother. She is fine. Thanks God. Door of apartment building is bolted and neighborhood watch committee doing its job in the absence of the vanished police.

Cousin's apartment was about to get robbed. Her son and residents stopped them, and the criminals were handed over to the military. They came in a micro-bus.

Another case of a friend's mother where gangs tried to break the apartment building's gate, but the porter and his sons prevented them. The gangs then quipped: مش انتوا مش عاجبوكم الامن "Don't you dislike the police"? As if this is planned or something.

Talked to my brother a few minutes ago. It is now 02:00 on Sunday there (19:00 Eastern Time).

After calling his land line, his wife told me that he is down in the street, protecting the neighborhood. I was able to call him on his mobile phones, so the service is back.

Talked to my brother.

Unlike my mom, he went to his work, and went to pick up a car of a cousin that broke down yesterday. My cousin parked it at Carefour on the outskirts of Alexandria. The army is protecting Carefour, but the saboteurs managed to break its glass. The army conscript at Carefour verified the car license and personal ID before allowing them to tow the car. He said that he saw the people breaking the glass and stopped them making further damage. The car alarm sounded, and the army soldier disconnected the battery.

Called my mother just now. This is an update from Alexandria as of 29 January 2011 10 am (EST).

As the police stations were torched, some of the suspects inside have escaped. Some criminals has taken advantage of the absence of police and formed gangs, robbing what they can.

One of the things Egypt has excelled in for millennia is bureaucracy.

Ever since Egyptian scribes learned how to write, and use that skill to became a servant of authority rather than toiling in the fields, they took that a step further and used their skill and position to exert control over the peasants.

Egypt consumes 19 billion cigarettes a year.

Alexandria is the first Egyptian city to ban smoking in government buildings.

The cynic in me sees grumpy government employees getting more grumpy, and not being on their desk for smoke breaks.

But overall, this is long overdue. As someone who can't stand tobacco smoke, I hope this is enforced for the better health of everyone.

A new sensation in Egyptian songs is Nader Abou El Leef.

His real name is Nader Anwar Gaber, and he is from Alexandria.

The Arabic Wikipedia has a biography of him and the Egyptian dialect wikipedia has another.