There was a cadre of people in the streets who were deliriously hopeful back then, too. They're living in London, TX, Los Angeles, and NYC now...
It's not a question of the place "becoming Berkeley." It's a question of ensuring VERY basic rights for female citizens and religious minorities, as well as ensuring that the "beatings will not resume" with impunity. It's just not cool to 'trade away' the rights of half of the citizenry in exchange for...what? A pig in a poke? A surfeit of happiness for fundamentalists who like to control and abuse women and limit their freedoms?
The assaults against women have been happening ever since they put Hosni in the pokey--and I predict it will get worse, not better. I'm not alone, either. BTDT, bought the tee shirt--it sucks to see half a population repressed like that, using religion as a cudgel.
CIVIL RIGHTS
A slap in the face for Egypt's women
Nihad Abu El Konsam voted against it. "This constitution will set Egypt 100 years back," she said. The fact that the constitution's is based primarily on Sharia law is not the problem. "The fundamental principles of Sharia law are equality and human dignity - the same principles all religion," said Nihad Abu El Konsam....the constitution is extremely imprecise. It leaves an "open door," Abu El Konsam believes, for extreme fundamentalist interpretation and discrimination against women and other Egyptian citizens.
'Every citizen is equal' isn't enough
Nor does the Muslim Brotherhood's assertion of citizen "equality" within the constitution give solace to the women's right activist. In her office, she pulls out a stack of case-files. The same 'equal rights' constitutional article, Abu El Konsam says, has been in the Egyptian constitution since 1971.
"And yet since that time, for 40 years now, women have suffered discrimination in all areas. Even today we don't have female judges in Egypt holding the same high-level positions as men. Women aren't even allowed into some industries. There's discrimination in income levels and education. Unemployment levels are four times higher for women than for men. We don't even have a law against abuse in the household. When we do go to court, the offender is acquitted."
The lawyer believes that the Islamists have "tailored" the constitution to meet their own demands. She also worries that genital mutilation of young girls and women could once more be legalized, that the age of marital consent might be dropped to nine or 11 years of age, or the right to divorce once more thrown into question.
http://www.dw.de/a-slap-in-the-face-for-egypts-women/a-16459115
This shit is just not "OK" and it's not a question of "self-determination"--it's abusive and wrong.
= new reply since forum marked as read