twair_46-47_Southern California Chronicle 2/21/12 9:30 PM Page 46
Egyptian Americans Celebrate Revolution, Call on Congress to Stop U.S. Aid to Military
STAFF PHOTO S. TWAIR
By Pat and Samir Twair
Egyptian American Organization board members (l-r) Wahid Boctor, Aza Akkad and Dr. Faiza Shereen.
it backfires. “Look how Samira Ibrahim took her suit against virginity tests to the court, and she won.” Soueif said pressure must be put on London and Washington to stop supplying weapons to the Egyptian military. “The next battle will be with the military to hand over power to the people,” she concluded, lamenting the absence of leaders to articulate what Egyptians want. El-Fattah, a prominent blogger, was temporarily jailed Oct. 30 for “inciting violence”—charges
Southern California Chronicle
Dr. Faiza Shereen, a professor at Cal Poly Pomona who has written a play, “The Country Within,” introduced the incoming EAO board.
Gaza Children’s Art Show Drawings from the exhibit “A Child’s View From Gaza,” banned by Oakland’s Museum of Children’s Art (see November 2011 Washington Report, p. 43) were on view in Los Angeles at the Levantine Cultural Center (LCC) from Jan. 17 to Feb. 17 in an exhibit organized by LCC founderdirector Jordan Elgrably, Amani Jabsheh and Dara Wells-Hajjar. On Jan. 27 the drawings were displayed on the auditorium walls of the Hollywood Women’s Club for a reception featuring the music of Musa Naser and a buffet of Arab food. Speaking were three American women activists who’ve visited Gaza since Operation
ne message came through loud and
can Organization’s “Spirit of Tahrir” celebration in Los Angeles: “Do everything you can to persuade the U.S. Congress to withhold aid to the Egyptian military.” More than 250 prominent members of Southern California’s Egyptian-American community gathered in the UCLA Faculty Center to honor the January 25 Egyptian Revolution and to communicate via Skype in Cairo with author Ahdaf Soueif and activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah. Soueif, whose latest book is titled Cairo My City, Our Revolution, said she hasn’t written fiction since the unfinished revolution began. “Hosni Mubarak may be gone but the military regime continues,” she remarked, “even though it takes a nip and tuck here and there to satisfy the people.” Stating that a Muslim Brother is now her representative in parliament, even though she is secular, Soueif said there is fear that the overly religious will try to take over, and many Egyptians are watchful for this. Responding to a question about gender issues, the writer for The Guardian noted that any time the regime harasses women Pat and Samir Twair are free-lance journalists based in Los Angeles. 46
STAFF PHOTOS S. TWAIR
Oclear Jan. 29 at the Egyptian Ameri-
ABOVE: Gaza children’s art admirers (from l) Dr. Laila El-Marayati, Amani Jabsheh and Dr. Diane Shammas. RIGHT: Gaza child’s drawing of an Israeli soldier. he denies. “We continue the revolution by challenging the military and demanding due process for the imprisoned, instead of five-minute trials,” he stated. “The struggle is getting results. The military lifted the emergency law before the first anniversary of the revolution.” When asked how American Egyptians can help, El-Fattah reiterated: “Stop U.S. aid to the Egyptian military.” THE WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS
Cast Lead, Israel’s land, sea and air attack of the unprotected Palestinian coastal enclave from December 2008 to January 2009. More than 200 people came to view the 24 drawings by Gazan children aged 7 to 14 who created the images in six centers offering art therapy classes in the aftermath of the Israeli onslaught. Skies are MARCH/APRIL 2012