EGYPT: A SYMPHONY OF NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE

Feb 5, 2015

Egypt: A Symphony of Nonviolent Resistance by Julia Taleb

During the 30 years of President Husni Mubarak’s oppressive rule, national songs were linked to the persona of Mubarak. Songs that exalted national identity were confined to Egyptians’ mind and memories. In nationwide demonstrations that ousted Mubarak on February 11, 2011, a torrent of patriotic songs that glorified Egypt prior to his time surged.

The national songs chanted at Tahrir Square were not only the outcome of the day; they were the products of decades of resistance, each with its own story. The songs that remained in Egyptians’ minds were those associated with major revolutions and political events including the Second World War, the Nakbeh in 1948, the 1953 revolution and the Six-Day war in 1976 —all revived national and patriotic songs.

National songs by Sayed Darwish, the artistic icon of the 1919 revolution led by Saad Zaghlul against British occupation, resonated and inspired many slogans during the 2011 Revolution. Peaceful protesters faced the police and echoed some of his lyrics, “Full independence or unfavorable death,” they chanted.

Born in 1892 and witnessing both the Ottoman occupation and the British imperialism, Darwish became the father of national songs. “Prior to his time the idea of nation-state that was established after the French revolution in 1789 didn’t exist or was vague in Egyptians’ consciousness,” said Emad el-Sabe, an Egyptian political writer. The focus was more on establishing the Islamic Uma (nation) to expand from Iran East to Morocco West.

Music as Anthem

With the escalation of events after January 25, 2011, Darwish’s song “Bladi Bladi” (“My homeland My Homeland”), which was adopted as the national anthem on 1979 was used to reclaim Egyptian national identity as a popular identity. Its lyrics were based on a speech by Mustafa Kamel, an Egyptian leader of the national movement for independence. This music spoke to all Egyptians regardless of their religious or social background and united them in the square.

My homeland, my homeland, my homeland

My love and my heart are for thee

Egypt! Oh mother of all lands

My hope and my ambition

How can one count

the Nile’s blessings for humanity

(This clip of Rami Sabri singing the Egyptian national anthem was uploaded on YouTube by Ali Weka)

“Darwish’s songs focused on loyalty to homeland as the highest form of loyalty and they were rooted in the everyday narrative of Egyptians’ lives,” said el-Sabe. “His songs were still relevant during the 2011 Revolution.”

In the 1960s, songs of the famous Egyptian composer and singer Sheikh Imam, whose lyrical subjects favored the poor and oppressed became most dominant even though they were banned on Egyptian radio and television stations. His song “Ya Masr Oumi,” (“Egypt, Rise Up”) spoke of Egyptians’ courage and hope. “It became like an anthem that united and inspired people in the square to stand up against oppression,” said Heba Youssef, an Egyptian Activist.

Egypt, rise up and tighten your vim

I have all you wish for

Neither oppression nor night will make me bow…

We are still many; so don’t be worried of oppressors…

Egypt, our hearts are filled with goodness and our dreams still like moist roses…

(Imam’s song performed by Iskanderella, a popular band that performed many songs for the revolution. The clip was uploaded by Zayed Power on YouTube)

Imam worked with poet Ahmed Fouad Negm and together they were known for their revolutionary work, especially that which criticized the government after its defeat in the 1967 war. Imam was sentenced for life in prison, which made him the first person to be imprisoned for his songs in the history of the Arab world. Eventually he was released after the assassination of President Sadat on October 6, 1981.

Even though Imam’s songs were banned, they were alive in Egyptians’ consciousness. “The 70s’ generation were quick to retrieve songs of their lost hope, which they saw coming true during the 2011 Revolution,” said el-Sabe.

The success of the 1953 revolution in bringing King Farouk down, originated a flood of national songs. By then, Egypt gained its full-independence and the sense of nation-state was established. Songs followed that enriched this national feeling including songs by legend Oum Kolthum, who died in 1975. Decades old songs by Oum Kolthum like “Ana Al Shaab” (“I am the People”), became the chant of millions across the country. The song was also played on most TV channels covering the demonstrations in Tahrir Square.

I am the people. I am the people

I don’t know the impossible

I don’t accept anything but eternity

My homeland is open like a sky. It embraces friends and ousts strangers.

(Oum Kolthum singing over live streaming of protesters that was broadcasted on ON TV)

“These songs were broadcasted in Tahrir Square and have attracted the masses and reminded them of their national identity and the need to fight for Egypt,” said el-Sabe.

Music as History

In an article published on January 24, 2014 on the Seventh Days, an online Arabic newspaper, art critic Tarek el-Shanawi said that the song that had the greatest impact and represented the revolution most faithfully was “Ya Biladi” (“My homeland”) by Azziz el-Shafie and Ramy Jamal.

“Ya Biladi” was released after the “Friday of Anger” where on January 28, 2011 hundred of thousands of Egyptians from diverse political, religious and social backgrounds were peacefully demonstrating across the country. This resulted in police crackdown on protesters and the death of dozens.

Screens in the square were broadcasting the song with a video clip that showed the daily lives of martyrs before the revolution and their deaths. Despite the sadness and rage, protesters in the square continued demonstrating peacefully. “The song and images created empathy in the square,” said Youssef. “Most people felt they had moral responsibility to stay to call for the justice of these martyrs.”

My homeland my homeland, I love you my homeland

Mother, don’t be sad and please don’t cry

Tell my mother it is ok I die and my country live!

The song captured the struggle and the sacrifice of the martyrs when mainstream news in Egypt disparaged the protestors in the square until after Mubarak fell. In just a few minutes, the song was able to summarize events and represent Egyptians’ feeling of hope and sacrifice, said Youssef.

(Azziz el-Shafie and Ramy Jamal singing “Ya Bladi.” Video uploaded on YouTube by Mamdu Schauki)

Celebratory Nature of the Revolution

Live bands, singers and music broadcasting in Tahrir Square, provided a celebratory nature to the revolution. “A lot of people, who were not necessarily interested in politics or the revolution, went to the square to listen to these national and emotional songs,” said el-Sabe. “With time they became interested in what was happening and joined the revolution.”

Ramy Essam, an Egyptian singer and composer who in 2009 established a band called “Mashakel” (“Problems”) that voices the daily suffering of Egyptians and the longing for freedom. “There was no venue to play my music,” said Essam. “ Mubarak’s regime was oppressive to this art and events’ organizers were afraid to support anti-oppression or anti-regime songs.”

On the third day of the revolution “Friday of Anger,” the 27 year-old singer left his little town of Al-Mansoura and went to Cairo, the cultural capital of the Arab World. He camped in Tahrir Square where he became known as the revolution’s singer. “I had no plans to sing and like any Egyptian, I went to protest against oppression and corruption,” said Essam.

With his long ponytail and guitar, Essam felt that the square was not the right place for music. “People were staring at me and I was shy to sing,” he said.

After few days of outrage, January 31 was a quiet day in the square. In an attempt to entertain his friends, he took his guitar out at night and started singing. “People were gathering,” said Essam. “This gave me more confidence and courage to sing.”   With this performance, Essam became the first formal singer of Tahrir Square.

The next day, February 1, a stage was established in the square. It was for slogans and revolutionary speeches to address the public, unite their efforts, and raise awareness of the revolution. “The stage was a place for poets to voice Egyptians’ suffering and galvanize the masses, but not for a singer with a guitar,” said Essam.

On this day, Mubarak delivered his second speech where he pledged for political reforms and announced that he wouldn’t run in the next election. “His emotional speech deceived many Egyptians who left the square,” said el-Sabe. People who were left in the square were frustrated, so Essam pushed his way through to the stage and began singing his famous song “Irhal” (“Leave”). “Once I sang, people were demanding that I stay on stage,” said Essam.

His song “Irhal,” incorporated the top repeated slogans from the beginning of the revolution, served as an amplifier of those messages. “Down down on Husni Mubarak,” “people want to topple the regime,” “he [Mubarak] leaves, we will not leave.” Essam also added his own lyrics, “We are all one hand, our demand is united, leave leave!”

(Ramy Essam singing “Irhal,” song from his album “Manshourat”)

That night, people were recharged and stayed in the square. “When there was ebb in action in the square, people were bored or discouraged, but music made them stay longer,” said Essam.

Music As Resistance

Before Mubarak stepped down on February 11, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) stayed neutral and did not take action against peaceful demonstrations. SCAF didn’t seem to have a stake in the outcome, so when SCAF took control many people trusted that it did not have the ambition to hold on to power.

While some people supported the army, many continued protesting to ensure that all revolutionary demands of freedom and dignity were achieved before going home. Soon after, hundreds of thousands demonstrated against the crackdown of the ruling army on protesters.

During a sit-in against SCAF that lasted from February 25 until March 9 where people chanted “down on military rule,” many activists were captured and tortured including Essam. “ The security forces were more brutal with me,” said Essam. “ They said my music was attracting and inciting the masses against their rule.”

During its rule, SCAF used public media to portray activists who criticized its rule as unpatriotic. However, musicians including Essam continued singing and drawing attention to SCAF’s human rights violations and the revolution’s demands. “In resisting, we were reaffirming our responsibility to Egypt,” said Essam.

After almost 14 months of military rule, Mohamad Morsi won the presidential election on June 30, 2012. He granted himself virtually unlimited powers and the authority to legislate without judicial review. In late November, he issued an Islamist-backed draft constitution and called for a referendum. Hundreds of thousands of people stayed in the square protesting the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood.

During this time, demonstrators persisted in playing their emotional and national songs, which were not initially favored by Salafis and the Muslim Brotherhood as they were seen as infringing on the teaching of Islam. Meanwhile, Morsi’s supporters were broadcasting religious songs and playing Qur’an.

“Muslim Brotherhood used religious songs as a technique to interrupt protesters’ music,” said el-Sabe. “Demonstrators perceived this as an intrusion and an attempt to disturb their political message.”

With continued demonstrations against Morsi, the military, led by Army Chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, brought him down on July 3, 2013. While some considered the event as a coup d’état, many have seen it as a popular revolution. Eventually, el-Sisi was sworn in as president on June 8, 2014.

Morsi supporters, who protested what they perceived as a military coup, used music strategically. Targeted by the military after the fall of Morsi, they used national and emotional songs they initially opposed to appeal to the masses and to show that they were unlike Salafis, open and secular, said el-Sabe. “Until today, Morsi supporters use it to galvanize people against el-Sisi in places like Giza and 6th of October, which has a majority of blue collar workers.”

Art: A Strategy to Document, Attract, Mobilize, and Motivate

While songs became the musical representation of the revolution, graffiti became its visual depiction. Graffiti was painted on the walls and the ground inside Tahrir Square and in neighboring areas. Graffiti artists were inspired by the rhythm played in the square and when music went off they used to shout, “Where is the music? We need to paint,” said el-Sabe.

During the transitional period, the army was removing Graffiti from walls, “However, the next day artists would go back and repaint the same things and add more to reflect the army’s insults,” Youssef said.

The old walls of the American University in Cairo on Mohamad Mahmoud’s street, located next to Tahrir Square, became not only an artistic piece but also a historical record of the revolution. Many of the revolution’s violence took place on this street; people died, were captured, dragged and lost their eyes at the hands of the security forces.

(Graffiti at the corner of Mohamed Mahmoud Street and Tahrir Square (photo published at Jadaliyya.com)

(Graffiti of the revolution’s martyrs on Mohamed Mahmoud Street (photo by Ewan Camero)

Graffiti was live documentation that spoke to people from all social classes and, due to its permanence, reminded them constantly of the revolution. It also raised political awareness among people who might not have been interested or able to read the news or follow political events. “The images were vivid, clear and spoke loudly to the general public, so it was impossible to ignore, ” said Youssef.

The youth were also quick to produce short songs with fast and energetic beats that represented the fast political changes of the revolution. The vibrant nonviolent resistance was evident in the proliferation of hip-hop and rap songs that spoke of the reasons that pushed people to revolt — poverty, oppressive regime, and lack of opportunities. “Egyptians are known to use simple language and rhythm to communicate their messages, so this type of music appealed greatly to the youth,” said el-Sabe.

The phenomena of street poets or “Zajal” in Arabic, where performers deliver spontaneous poetry in tune with the music played became very common. Poets like Hisham Al-Gakh were very popular. Al-Gakh used to recite revolutionary lyrics to the rhythm of music played by his own band or by other artists in the square. “The focus was to keep the words parallel to the music,” said el-Sabe. “Al-Gakh’s performance was very entertaining and attracted a lot of people to the square.”

“When I was on stage, thousands of people were singing with me, ‘our revolution is civil, peaceful and popular’,” said Essam. “This gave everyone a sense of unity, strength and positivity.”

(Ramy Essam on stage speaking and singing to the public in Tahrir Square against the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood- speaking of pluralism, freedom, and peace)

On January 25, 2013 two years after the beginning of the revolution, Essam released his album “Manshourat” (“Pamphlets”), which was inspired by the revolutionists and events in the square. The album was made available to the public, who he credits for inspiring him to produce this work.

“Essam is known to having spent all his time in Tahrir Square,” said Youssef. “He was not there to put a commercial show, but he was participating all the time as an activist.”

Egyptians still suffer from oppression, poverty, and injustice. Essam had friends who were imprisoned, tortured and died in this revolution.

“Music is my strongest weapon,” said Essam. “As long as I breathe, I will continue protesting and singing against oppression regardless of the aggressor and I wouldn’t stop until we have a free and just country.”

Julia Taleb was born and raised in Syria. She moved to Canada, where she obtained a B.A. in journalism and an M.A. in international affairs from Carleton University. Julia focuses on issues related to the Middle East, including politics, culture, and democracy building.  Her work has been featured by many organizations, including the Middle East Institute, Voice of America, Fair Observer and the Atlantic Council.