Usamah “Sam” Husseini

Given all that has happened, I'd encourage people to be protesting in front on Egyptian embassies.

> Institute for Public Accuracy
> 980 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045
> (202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * ipa@accuracy.org
> ___________________________________________________
>
> Monday, January 4, 2010
>
> Americans Attacked in Cairo over Gaza March;
>
> Video and Interviews Available
>
> A high-stakes standoff continues today in Cairo, where participants > in unprecedented protests are available for interviews.
>
> On New Year's Eve -- shortly after the Egyptian government had > prevented buses from taking them to Gaza -- hundreds of people, > including scores from the U.S., who were attempting to march in > Cairo were kicked, punched and dragged into a holding area by > plainclothes Egyptian government forces.
>
> See video: http://husseini.posterous.com/9292893 (filmed by Sam > Husseini).
>
> Beginning Dec. 27, 1,300 activists from over 40 countries had been > in Cairo attempting to go to Gaza, which has been under siege. > Israel has prevented free movement to or from Gaza on its border > crossings and has prevented the Gaza port and airport from > functioning.
>
> These 1,300 activists -- roughly equal to the number of Palestinians > killed in Gaza during the Israeli bombing "Cast Lead" of this time > last year (about 13 Israelis were also killed) -- have been > prevented by the Egyptian government from going to Gaza through the > Rafah crossing in the south of Gaza.
>
> Protests in Cairo have been ongoing; one took place Monday in front > of the Prosecutor's Office, roughly the equivalent of the Justice > Department. This protest included about 40 Egyptians and 40 > internationals. On New Year's Day, several hundred people protested > in front of the Israeli embassy in Cairo; protests there are > virtually unheard of -- prohibited by the Egyptian authorities. > During protests, people have almost always been penned into areas to > prevent their being seen by the general public.
>
> The following individuals still in Cairo can speak to the violence > of the Egyptian authorities as well as the Egyptian policy of > maintaining the siege of Gaza and the crisis situation in Gaza:
>
> RYAN FAY, Ryanbfay@aol.com
> Fay, a law student, has done legal work on behalf of Palestinians > on the West Bank, attempting to prevent the demolition of their > homes by Israel. See a photo of Fay shortly after being hit with a > police walkie talkie: http://aliabunimah.posterous.com/?sort=&search=ryan > .
>
> MICK NAPIER, chair@scottishpsc.org.uk, http://scottishpsc.org.uk
> Napier is chair of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, > one of hundreds of organizations with delegations in Cairo. He said, > "It is clearer than ever that the Egyptian dictatorship is fully > complicit with Israel's crippling siege of Gaza."
>
> HEDY EPSTEIN, hedy@hedyepstein.com
> Epstein is a survivor of the Nazi Holocaust and author of > "Remembering Is Not Enough." See the New York Times piece "Awaiting > Gaza March, Holocaust Survivor Stages Hunger Strike." http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/12/28-3
>
> SAM HUSSEINI, Egyptian mobile: 011-20-161477373, samhusseini@gmail.com
> Communications director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, > Husseini has been blogging and posting videos at: http://husseini.posterous.com > .
>
> MICHAEL BROWN, mikefbrown@yahoo.com
> Brown is former executive director of Partners for Peace. He is > accompanied by his 80-year-old father Edwin L. Brown, professor > emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the > classics department.
> See video of the elder Mr. Brown being thrown to the ground and > shoved into a penned-in area. He later reported sustaining a bruise > on his hand, which he still has, and being pulled on by a cord > around his neck. In the video "Demonstrators being forcibly ejected > from the street," Edwin Brown is wearing a blue hat: http://husseini.posterous.com/from-earlier-this-morning-demonstrators-forci > (video by Kayvan Farchadi). Michael Brown was kicked in the ribs by > plainclothes Egyptian forces; he and others witnessed Egyptian > government forces pulling women by the hair.
> The Browns were also penned in on Dec. 29 for over four hours > while attempting to visit the U.S. embassy.
>
> EMILY RATNER, emily@nolahumanrights.org
> Ratner was in Gaza in June, but she was turned away from entering > Gaza this weekend by Egyptian officials. She recently wrote the > piece "Freedom Marching in Circles While Winding Our Way to Gaza." http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/28-5
>
> For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
> Norman Solomon
>
>

Outside the main museaum near Tahrir Sq.

... Or is it? One can imagine the coverage in the US if Americans were treated like this in say Iran. Actually, last night I met with an Egyptian activist who told me the gov here even stops protest that are in solidarity with the Iranian oposition.

At 9:00 am, about 20 internationals with several Egyptians went to the Megles al Dawla (a high court referred to as the Council of State) to sign on to as plaintiffs on a lawsuit. We gave our information to former ambassador Ibrahim Yousri and Prof Mohammed A. Sharaf. The lawsuit is opposing the wall Egypt is having built to stop the tunnels between Egypt and Gaza and is attempting to keep the Rafa crossing open.

At 11:00, many of us then went to the Prosecutor's Office, akin to the Dept. Of Justice, as best I can figure. We were penned into an area (again) but we were not as hidden from public view as much as we typically are, though we were ofcourse surrounded by riot police. I would estimate about 40 internationals and 40 Egyptian activists at the height of the protest, quite lively, combination of Arabic and English chants calling on the Egyptian government to stop the siege of Gaza, let Gaza be free and stop the shameful wall. Like the Journalist Syndicate Building, this is apparently one of those places where protest is allowed. What is not allowed by the Egyptian state is marching or protesting in a very public square, which is what was attempted on New Years Eve.

After the protest, about 20 international went to try to get power of attourney documents made to facilitate the lawsuit. We handed in our passports, but after a while the Egyptian officials stated that we could not get power of attourney done because what was need for that was a residency visa, not a tourist visa, which is ofcourse what all of us had. Definitely seemed like more obstructionism from the Egyptian government lest justice be done swiftly. Prof. Mohammed Sharaf who was with us stated that what was needed was for us to get an initial power of attrouney document made at our respective embassies, allowing Ibrahim Yousri Sayed Husein to persue lawsuits in our name and then contacting him.

Anyone wanting to do this (there may be minor administrative and legal costs of less than 150 Egyptian pounds, about $30), should contact:

Mohammed A. Sharaf
56, 83rg Re, Maadi, Helwan
cell: 012 107 6312
tel (from outside Cairo): +20 107 6312
sharafma@yahoo.com

Ibrahim Yousri Sayed Husein
Address: No. 11 Rd 213, Degla, Maadi, Helwan
mshahbah@gmail.com or ibrahim.yousory@yahoo.com

Part of the reason I feel reasonably comfortable advocating this course of action is that Ibrahim Yousri has pursued another important case: See this AP story in Jerusalem Post from 2008, apparently the case is still continuing, with the courts continuing to defer it:

This issue was repeatedly raise by the Egyptian protesters at the 11 am protest. This seems to be part of a pattern of large scale corruption. One Egyptian activist I talked to painted a picture of the Egyptian elite sucking the country dry so that when things fall apart, they will all flee to the Gulf states, Europe or the US. This indicates to me that Simona Sharoni was very wise in advocating (I think on my facebook site) that the activists should have protested at the fancy hotels in Cairo for New Years (I brought this up several times, but it was not pursued). As it was, we're shouting at impoverished conscripts instead of confronting the jet setters around Mubarak who are committing the corrupt and criminal acts.

Chants in Arabic and English. Hedy Epstein spoke. Egyptian activists chanting about egypt's wall of shame. I just did brief interview with O TV - an alternative Egyptian channel.

Passed around at protests, this rejects the excuses of the Egyptian gov.

http://husseini.posterous.com
http://washingtonstakeout.com

Sort of dept of justice. Against wall and seige -- with Egytians and internationals.