We, the youth of the square are attempting to communicate with our families and friends on the outside, to respond to the various accusations that we hear in the local news. We have asked our fellow Egyptians in the square for their views on these accusations. Here are their responses to each one:
1. The Muslim Brotherhood is responsible for the 25 January revolution and controls Tahrir square.
The Muslim Brotherhood was not present at the start of the revolution. It only started to participate after the first week.
The protesters on Tahrir square come from different political, social and religious backgrounds. This is clearly reflected in the diversity of daily activities that take place in the square, which include reading the Quaran, playing music, etc.
The Muslim Brotherhood has announced it will not nominate a candidate in the presidential elections.
The Muslim Brotherhood constitutes a part of the Egyptian public and has the right to participate in the protests, like any other political current.
2. The protesters in Tahrir square belong to an organization and receive funding, which is why they sleep in similar looking tents.
The protesters in Tahrir square come from various social classes. Some sleep in tents, others cannot and sleep on the floor. The protesters know they subject their lives and the lives of those around them to danger, especially after the criminal incidents of last Wednesday involving Mubarak and state security thugs.
Would these people to risk their lives for the sake of money or an organization? We are here to defend certain principles and achieve our legitimate demands.
3. After 12 days of protest, the protesters have brought the country to a standstill and prevented people from going about their jobs and daily lives. Why all this destruction?
We are not the ones who imposed curfew on the Egyptian people. We are not the ones who shut down gas stations, banks and the stock exchange. We are not the ones who pulled the police off the street and freed prisoners, causing insecurity. Egypt lost millions of dollars because of the government's decision to disrupt Internet across the country. Egypt's losses during the days of the revolution are nothing compared to what has been stolen by corrupt elements in the government and the Interior Ministry. The revolution seeks to bring down these very elements to restore the people's rights.
4. Why are protesters still in Tahrir square? Are they not satisfied with the changes that the government has made so far?
Since the first day of the revolution, the youth raised the slogan "The people want the regime changed." This slogan encompasses all of our demands. By the regime, we mean the president, his government, his lying media, and his corrupt businessmen. We do not deny that the revolution has achieved many accomplishments. But these accomplishments are insufficient because the core has not changed. The fraudulent People's Assembly has not been dissolved and we cannot trust that it will take steps to amend the constitution. The Emergency Law is still in place and can be used to arrest all those who peacefully try to call for changing the regime. Finally, there is still no law guaranteeing the freedom to establish political parties. All the changes offered by the government so far are superficial and do not represent real change in the root causes of corruption, injustice and dictatorship.
We invite you to visit us in Tahrir square to spend some time with us and listen to the people.
In Tahrir until liberation.
