My sympathies to the Egiptian people! Hope all is sorted out soon!

[Loralee Reach 245]

Death Toll Hits 38 as Egypt Protests Continue

 

 

 

 

 

 

CBC News

 

Hundreds of anti-government protesters returned to the streets of central Cairo on Saturday, chanting slogans against Hosni Mubarak, a day after the Egyptian president fired his cabinet and promised unspecified economic and political reforms.

 

SPREADING UNREST

 

Mubarak addressed the nation late Friday, as protesters - eager to end his 30-year rule - overwhelmed police forces in Cairo and other cities around the nation with their numbers and in attacks with rocks and firebombs.

 

Mubarak said he would not be resigning, but instead announced he had fired his entire cabinet. A new cabinet was to be appointed on Saturday. The president blamed the protesters for abusing the freedoms he said he'd given them, adding they were plotting to destabilize Egypt.

 

Military officials were urging citizens not to congregate in the streets and to observe a 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew, state television said. Later on Saturday, authorities extended the length of the curfew in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez to cover the hours of 4 p.m. until 8 a.m. local time.

 

Demonstrators who ignored the curfew in Cairo set police cars and army vehicles on fire Friday night. Some paraded the streets wearing helmets nabbed from police officers.

Death toll rises to 38

 

Mubarak is clinging to power after five days of anti-government protests that have left a trail of wreckage across Cairo. Medical officials on Saturday said 38 people, including 10 police officers, have died during clashes with security forces since Friday. More than 2,000 people have been wounded.

 

The sight of protesters pouring into Cairo's downtown Tahrir Square for a fifth day indicated Mubarak's speech the previous night had done little to cool the anger over Egypt's crushing poverty, unemployment and corruption.

 

Overnight, the government called in military forces and by morning the army had replaced police in guarding government buildings and other key areas.

 

Several tanks were parked in the vast Tahrir Square, but soldiers did not intervene in Saturday's protest there. Not far from the square, the army sealed off the road leading to the parliament and cabinet buildings.

 

The Egyptian military also closed tourist access to the pyramids.

 

Canadians are being warned to avoid Egypt's major cities unless it is absolutely necessary. The Department of Foreign Affairs said Canadians should not travel to Cairo, Alexandria or Suez.

 

The federal government also said Canadians currently in Egypt should avoid demonstrations and large gatherings. There are an estimated 6,500 Canadians in Egypt and all are believed to be safe.

 

Cellphone services in Egypt were restored Saturday after a government-ordered communications blackout was imposed in "selected areas" on Friday in an apparent bid to stop protesters from co-ordinating demonstrations. However, internet service appeared to remain blocked.

[Lowdark 5613]

We can only hope that the loss and the tragedy is not in vain and some constructive, tangible progress and improvement results.

[rickoshadows 937]

Another middle-eastern nation slips into Islamic Fundamentalism.

 

Which is really too bad, as Egyptians don't really consider themselves Arabs, but generations of grinding poverty have left them vulnerable to the promises of extremist groups who will take advantage of the situation to establish another theocracy based on Sharia Law.

 

The end of the world is nigh, or at least the end of the western European world is. (and yes that includes us)

[Guest S*rca****sid]

I think someone needs to be more informed, this has nothing to do with Islamic extremism. It's about political reform, which was sparked with events in Tunisia.

Imagine what the citizens of Canada would do if our leader was in power for 30 years with no fair and open elections?

And I doubt this is the end of Western civilization, I have yet to see a map that says Egypt was in the western hemisphere?

[Lowdark 5613]

The media has made a lot of the potential for any possible power vacuum to be filled with extremists, especially when they disect the American perspective (who have supported the current regime for 30 years). It sells papers and gets ratings regardless of its factual accuracy. Either way, I think we all agree that the violence and the bloodshed results in something positive for everyone. Otherwise it was all wasted.

[Capital Hunter 18263]

I think someone needs to be more informed, this has nothing to do with Islamic extremism. It's about political reform, which was sparked with events in Tunisia.

Imagine what the citizens of Canada would do if our leader was in power for 30 years with no fair and open elections?

And I doubt this is the end of Western civilization, I have yet to see a map that says Egypt was in the western hemisphere?

 

I agree with Rick. We have to be careful when expressing our support for a movement when it comes to middle east. We have to know the impossible to know as who is behind it and where it is going to end up with whom will be in power instead.

 

Middle east politics is very complex and not easy to understand and likely not many are informed unless they live there for a while. Lets hope Egypt will go in the right direction.

 

I don't agree with the part that the end of western civilization is near. No matter how many nuclear bombs they make they can never match the quantity and quality of western bombs and their advanced delivery system.

[RubJunky 1954]

What's happening now in Egypt has been happening around the world more than 2000 years. Its people natural instinct right to be free. Global communication is the driving engine behind these revolts of freedom from Russia to Tunisia people are realizing the truth.

 

Iran will be the next to fall but not for another 20 years Mahmoud Ahmajinedad has too much power now to be overthrown. To overthrow your government in these dictatorship run states takes lots of human sacrifice the sacrifice of freedom.

Unlike us slaves here in Canada our government has conveniently set us all up with free 1-800' #'s to voice our distrust and avoiding a clash of 100,000's on parliament Hill.

[roamingguy 300292]

Tragedy, in a powderkeg region of the world.

You know, we all have our valid complaints about the government (no matter what party, and federal/provincial/municipal), taxes, stupid laws etc...but really, all in all it's things like this that make us realize how great Canada is and we are all pretty lucky to live here

RG

[Lowdark 5613]

Roaming Guy is right, Canada isn't perfect and I'll never pretend that life here can be easy. It can be hard and challenging and unfair but when you stop and look at most of the rest of the world, many of the people born here have won the lottery.

[rickoshadows 937]

I don't agree with the part that the end of western civilization is near. No matter how many nuclear bombs they make they can never match the quantity and quality of western bombs and their advanced delivery system. They have to be stopped though before it is too late. By any means.

 

The best bombs and technology will be for naught Unless we develop the political will and the fortitude to use them before it is too late. Currently our rights to security of person and freedom to move around at will is being held hostage to some pretty low tech improvised explosive devices. The rules based on military combat separated from civilian populations are obsolete, and we haven't figured out the new ones yet.

 

Additional Comments:

I think someone needs to be more informed, this has nothing to do with Islamic extremism.

 

Egypt has been battling with Islam Extremists for a long time. If you check your history, you will see that modern Iran grew out of the overthrow of a western supported dictator. The previous leader was Anwar Sadat who was assasinated by the same group that did the first bombing of the World Trade Center. it is possible the start caused by poverty and dissastisfaction with the Mubarak regime, but you can bet it is being fueled by those with an agenda, the most likely being the same crowd that is now running Iran.

[Capital Hunter 18263]

I agree that uprising starts with the elite and intellectuals and those people who demand for their legitimate rights and freedom but then these groups being a minority in many countries lose power to the more powerful and violent elements and they (those who started the uprising) become the very first target and victims of the revolution that they themselves started. We have seen that in many revolutions.

[Suzirider 737]

I'm with ricko on this one.

If it was only about kicking out a dictator, then why is Israel so nervous ?

The Muslim Brotherhood is not just a fringe group or an Old Boys Club.

We shall soon see if there are attempts to change the constitution to allow religeous based parties. To me, the question is, do they want more, or less theocracy ?

[Pink Kitty Escorts 6195]

The problem with the middle east is (and I know this is simplistic) a battle of the holy books.

 

The Qur'an states that Israel will be destroyed, The bible proclaims that Israel will exist forever.. As long as Israel stands, the bible is proven right and the Qur'an is wrong..

 

This as you can imagine can cause some problems for the Islamic fundamentalists.. Israel being surrounded and vastly outnumbered by all of her enemies has to be aggressive and overprotective in her stance.

 

All of that said, it is extremely scarey and a huge wakeup call for the world when they see these things happening around the world.. I truly feel like something major is about to happen..

[RubJunky 1954]

The news coming out of Egypt has now confirmed that a Muslim vs Christian war has finally started. We can all sit back now and watch these two fictitious religions beat the living hell out of each other as more Muslim countries jump into the mix followed by Israel and the rest of the Christian world. I will still be standing next to my favorite tree when this circus is over. Long live stupidity in the human race.

 

rub

[Phaedrus 209521]

I don't think the predictions of imminent doom and gloom and disaster are warranted. In fact, I'd be very disinclined to trust any predictions at all right now.

 

There's no guarantee the present regime will fall, or even that it'll change much. And if it does go down, there's also no guarantee that the Muslim Brotherhood will subsequently end up in power. And even if they do, there's no guarantee that immediate Jihad will be top of their agenda.

 

For now, the best thing (and the only thing, really) is to wait and see. And hope. And pray to your deity of choice, if you're so inclined.