DEAR AMERICA: Things Are Falling Apart In Egypt
AP ImagesI have been in correspondence with a thirty-something college-educated woman who lives in Cairo with her family.
I've had her identity independently verified. Until now, she was reluctant to have her story published, and still asks we not use her name.
But things are getting bad over there and she wants American to know.
Here's a letter from Egypt:
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I'm very frustrated. I'm angry. We're seeing total security vacuum in some places in Cairo - total absence of security forces (police); non-stop clashes and deaths spilling out from Portstaid to at least 2 more governorates.
Too many deaths — protesters and policemen and military. The police are cracking down on protesters and in other places they're absent and thugs are controlling the streets in downtown and in front of Semiramis Hotel. And we're seeing severe shortage of solar, which is causing awful traffic jams almost everywhere and strikes by taxi and truck drivers.
Muslim Brotherhood (MB) students are losing in student university union elections — they won in two universities but lost in several other places.
Why is the USA giving any money to Egypt? Why does Obama Administration still support the MB?
The government is ignoring the events and protests; the Interior Ministry is heavily involved in what's happening and they too are angry because of casualties among them.
Something wrong is going on. Why is the USA silent?
Do they want another Syria? Obama doesn't know that this atmosphere helps homegrown extremists to do what they want inside and outside the country?
Some newspapers criticize Morsi and his government and policies, but that's not enough. Why did the US use harsh language with Mubarak and not doing the same with Morsi?
What kind of experience do the MB have to run the country? Did you hear about the "Powers of Attorney" by tens of citizens in Portsaid and other places for General Al-Sisi to run the country?
It is all too much to bear, believing that nobody, anywhere, really cares.
Another email a few hours after the previous:
It's been also said that members of the police force in another Governorate called Daqahliya have taken off their police uniforms and threw them on the floor, something that we saw during the January 25 revolution. They now in a sit-in opposite the Security Building in Mansoura (the capital/ main city in Daqahliya).
This violence will only escalate and will not stop before the parliamentary elections. (3/6/13 - now looks like those elections are cancelled) Of course the officials and particularly those in the Freedom and Justice Party want to restore calm before the elections. The opposition (The Salvation Front) decided to boycott the elections but other parties will participate.
We're not seeing any hope. Nothing good is happening. We don't understand what's happening. We ask ourselves - who are those people defying the security forces and attacking them? Why are our youth kidnapped and then turn up shot or killed in hospitals? It's getting harder by the day. We're only expecting economic conditions to worse and security situation to deteriorate...
It's so saddening - We're tried of seeing funerals and we're sick of the police forces firing tear gas at people in funerals. Our opposition might be weak and divided but that doesnt mean that we get ignored like this.
We're waiting for the dreaded March 9 - next Saturday. It's the day the court should issue a verdict on the famous stadium massacre in Portsaid where over 70 people were slaughtered.
Question - if this goes on, how would people go out to vote in the elections? How safe is it going to be? Who wants to give their vote to the MB? Who wants them here anymore? I know that many people don't want them. Even those who voted for them before; they regret it now.