Tell everyone: Egypt's revolution is sweet and peaceful

No one wants the Muslim Brotherhood to take over, no one wants violence – just elections and a new constitution

Amr Shalakany in Tahrir Square, Cairo
(Amr Shalakany is associate professor of law at the American University in Cairo)

guardian.co.uk, Sunday 30 January 2011

"This is a sweet, sweet revolution; it is peaceful. Tell everyone we are peaceful.

We do not owe this revolution to the Muslim Brotherhood, not to anybody. They say the Ikhwan is more organised – maybe. But this is the people on the street; this is not about any political party. Look, he says, more and more people are coming; Tahrir Square is getting more and more full.

I am sorry, the man tells me, but I hate your president. What is this speech he gives? Why can't he support us? He says we can have human rights but he gives us no political rights? To America, we are monkeys, monkeys, monkeys. We Egyptians don't deserve a constitution, don't deserve freedom, don't deserve democracy.....

The level of demand is high. The people are so aware, they know what they want. The majority of people are happy but some are scared and concerned about what will happen next. No one wants the Muslim Brotherhood to take over, no one wants violence. We are being peaceful, tell them we are being peaceful.

On Thursday night they shut down the internet. Khalas. Tell them we have no contact, no texting, no internet, nothing.

Listen, they are chanting in the streets: "Gamal, Gamal, tell your father we hate you." Are the crowds anti-US, I ask. Not so far, no anti-American sentiments in the crowds. They have brought back the slogan from the 1980s: "Mubarak traitor, agent of Americans."

It's a sweet, peaceful revolution. Tell them. Look, more and more people are coming into Tahrir…
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