By Wael Abdelgawad | AbolishTorture.com

I know I’ve been quiet on the subject of the “Arab Spring” – the pro-democracy movement sweeping the Arab world. It’s not for lack of caring. Actually the Arabic satellite news plays in our house every day, we discuss the events daily, and I have written about them on other blogs.

These are heady, inspiring times. The Tunisian people’s revolution that kicked the whole thing off, demonstrated the power of mass peaceful protest. People who are unafraid, who say, “We won’t take this anymore” and are ready to back up that statement with their own lives, can do anything.

When Egypt followed suit, at first the analysts said, “Don’t get ahead of yourselves, the case of Egypt is different, the mukhabarat (secret police) are powerful.” But at the time I wrote on another blog,

I am sure that when the first youth went out in Tunisia to demonstrate against the dictator Ben Ali, their families said to them, “What? Are you crazy? You are just some kids, you will never get rid of Ben Ali, this is insanity.” And now look. The dictator has fled, political parties have been unbanned, the press is free, political prisoners have been freed, and all because of some youth with a dream who would not listen to those who told them, “No.”

As I write this, plainclothes police and paid thugs are shooting at the Egyptian youth in Tahrir square. Some of you may be thinking, “This dream of freedom for Egypt is over.” You know what? Don’t count them out yet. The power of an idea cannot be underestimated. The power of one man, one woman, standing up and pursuing a dream of freedom against all odds, cannot be calculated. They are not giving up on their dream. We will see what tomorrow brings. I am praying for the people of Egypt tonight, praying for the youth, praying for justice, praying for freedom. My hands are trembling as I write this. But I’m not giving up on the power of a dream. There is no change and no power except by God!

Later, after Mubarak resigned, I wrote,

Mubarak the dictator is gone. But the January 25th revolution must continue until all the corrupt old guard are gone. The killers and torturers of Khaled Said and so many other innocents must be brought to justice. The voice of the people must be respected, and their freedom assured.

What has happened is a huge first step, a historic moment. It is a tremendous victory for the people and the youth. A new age has dawned on Egypt. Now ahead lies the journey.

Remembering the Fallen

A few months have gone by since I wrote that, and the Arab Spring continues to unfold. Protests continue in Yemen and Syria, with both governments acting brutally to repress the people. In Syria in particular, the government has treated its own citizens as enemies. And of course in Libya the terrible drama continues, with Gaddafi entrenched and making war on his people.

I want to take a moment to honor the sacrifices of the brave protesters in these nations. These people are painting a signpost to the future with their own blood. The Libyan officers who were murdered by Gaddafi when they refused to issue orders to fire on the people; the Egyptian youth who were arrested and disappeared in the early days of the protests; the many innocents gunned down in Syria; they are all heroes whose names may not be recorded in history books, but who are changing the world.

Palestine

Recent events in Palestine are the latest twist. First, popular protests forced Fateh and Hamas to reconcile, to the fury of the Israelis. Then, on the anniversary of Al-Nakba (the Great Catastrophe – what the Palestinians call the creation of the state of Israel), unarmed Palestinians marched and approached various Israeli checkpoints. The Israelis responded with their usual cold hearted brutality, opening fire with live ammo, killing at least twelve protesters.

Now I wonder, does this herald a new direction for the Palestinian freedom movement? Not armed conflict, nor the endless futile attempts to negotiate with the intransigent Israelis, but continuous peaceful protest? If so, I think it could represent a powerful and dramatic change of direction.

Hopes for the Future

Last year – before the Arab Spring began – I wrote in a poem,

I want the Muslim people
to find their power, art,
science; and the quiet joy
of worship and God’s love.
Let them step into the century
free from tyranny, standing tall
with faith as hope and heart.
Let them drink from the bubbling spring
of the Quran.
Let them breathe.
Let them free themselves
and transform the world.

I have a dream for the Arab world, and the Muslim world in general. I have a dream of a Muslim world informed by faith, but in which all religions are free to practice without restriction. I have a dream of a Muslim world liberated from kings and military dictators. I have a dream of a Muslim world governed by the people, whether that takes the form of multi-party democracies, parliamentary systems, or Islamic-style shura systems. I have a dream of a Muslim world where everyone can speak freely without fear of being arrested and tortured.

I have a dream of a Muslim world that embraces science, education and technological development, in ways that are respectful of the environment. I have a dream of a Muslim world where people can find jobs, and where business and trade are encouraged and not limited by corruption and nepotism. I have a dream of a Muslim world that follows a path of development based on faith, fairness and respect for all living creatures; rather than the Western model of consumerism and corporate greed. I have a dream of a Muslim world with strong cultural and trade ties between nations, where the huge variety of cultures and races in the Ummah is seen as a blessing.

Can my dream ever become real? I don’t know, but if it can, then the events we are seeing today in the Arab world are the first step.

Many human rights report suggest Egyptian police brutality is systematic and not isolated incidents

Torture in Egypt is out of control and is one of many elements destroying the fabric of Egyptian society, shredding all remnants of trust in the government, and pushing the Egyptian people to the edge of despair.

I am of Egyptian-American descent but have never lived in Egypt, though I visited in the summers when I was a child. I have many friends who spent much of their lives in Egypt and who return periodically to visit. I was talking to one of these friends recently and he was complaining about corruption in Egypt. I said, “It sounds like the country is really going downhill.” He replied, “It’s not going downhill. It’s gone, gone. There is nothing good left except the people themselves.”

But I’m not talking here about individual rants or subjective viewpoints. I’m talking about one specific issue, torture, and the overwhelming evidence that this abominable act has become the default M.O. of the Egyptian government.

A 2009 report by the London-based Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR) says that torture is systematically being used on all levels of Egyptian society including women, children, elderly men and youth, regardless of their social status.

The organization submitted a complete file which includes the names of victims and their torturers to the United Nations Human Rights Council and other concerned international bodies.

While previously restricted to detention centers, torture is now widely used at police stations and illegal detention areas, said the report, adding that it is not only being used on the political opposition, but also on criminal suspects and others who are not suspected of a crime.

(I have even read of fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters being detained and tortured when coming to the police station to inquire about detained family members).

The report also points out that 285 instances of torture have been recorded, resulting in 119 deaths over a nine-year period. The number of forced disappearances has also increased, with 73 people disappearing between 1992 and 2009. Of the 73 disappearances, 56 are still missing.

How much more must the Egyptian people suffer at the hands of tyrants and torturers?