Wael Ghonim Speaks
Posted: February 7, 2011 Filed under: Breaking News, Egypt | Tags: 2011: days of revolt, mona eltahawy, Wael Ghonim 41 CommentsAl Jazeera English clip of what as far as I can tell are Wael Ghonim’s first public comments after being released today, made at his home:
Wael also gave an interview that is making waves across Egypt.
The Guardian — “Facebook campaigner Wael Ghonim strikes a chord on Egyptian television“:
Google executive’s emotional interview after his release hailed as a landmark moment in Egypt revolt
Wael Ghonim at his home in Cairo on Monday. Photograph: Ahmed Ali/AP
An emotional television interview given by a young Egyptian Google executive who was arrested after playing a key role in using the internet to spark the uprising against Hosni Mubarak is being hailed as a landmark moment in the ongoing revolt after it struck a chord across Egypt and beyond.
Wael Ghonim, a marketing manager who became a hero to anti-government protestors after he went missing on 27 January, confirmed in the interview following his release that he was behind a highly influential Facebook page that helped lead to what he described as “the revolution of the youth of the internet.”
Before his appearance on Monday on a privately owned Egyptian television channel, the father-of-two was held in repute by many who believed that he was the anonymous activist behind a Facebook page named after a young Egyptian businessman whose death at the hands of police in June set off months of protests.
The page, “We are all Khaled Said“, became one of the main tools for organising the demonstrations that started the revolt in earnest on 25 January.
However, Ghonim’s stature across the country now appears destined to rise dramatically if the post-interview reaction on the internet is anything to go by. Calls are being made for him to stand as president. Others predicted that his performance, which was being acclaimed as a tour de force of calm but explosive political passion, would inevitably boost the numbers of those attending the latest mass demonstration in Cairo’s Tahrir square and elsewhere this morning.
“I am not a hero. I only used the keyboard, the real heroes are the ones on the ground. Those I can’t name,” said Ghonim, who sobbed throughout the interview, which ended with him being overcome with emotion as he was shown images of some of those who died in the uprising.
This appears to be the scene at the end where Ghonim becomes overwhelmed and leaves the studio upon being shown images of people who died in the protests:
Translation of Ghonim’s words in the above clip, as provided by a comment left on the youtube:
“I’m so sorry, but I swear by God, we are not to blame. It’s the fault of those in power, who refuse to step down. I want to go.”
I see a longer clip from the interview and even a translated transcript of the full interview, but I caught this retweeted on Mona Eltahawy‘s twitter:
@RamyYaacoub is going to subtitle the Ghonim interview tonight (EST).
RamyYaacoub says the video will be coming up shortly, so I’ll add that when it becomes available.
Also Mona tweeted this about 4 hours ago, and it’s being retweeted a lot:
#Egypt revolution isn’t 1 person but mass uprising. Needs a face or else #Mubarak‘s war of attrition will wearit down. Make @Ghonim face NOW
This is an open thread to discuss the protests in Egypt and other developments in the Middle East.
UPDATES
RamyYaacoub had video editor issues, so he’s just posted his transcript here with timestamps. Also, Alive in Egypt has overlaid captions on the youtubes: Part I | Part 2 | Part 3 | Last Part
And, a memorial page: 1000memories.com — Egypt Remembers.
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Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
A marketing manager who gathered a protest with a Facebook page has now, with a single emotional TV interview, inspired calls for him to be president.
I’m speechless.
I guess that’s what happens when there’s a leadership void.
Perhaps it is an emotional response, but when your leaders are corrupt to the core, someone who stands up with courage and nothing but the best of intentions for his country and its people is a far better choice than more elites. Is there something to be said for governing experience? Yes. But the experienced politicians in this country that I trust are in the single digits. It takes too much money and connections to rise to power, so a person that rises from the people looks pretty attactive.
I agree with Outis.
Yes, I too agree, Outis. Isn’t that one of the things that made Mubarak attractive 30 years ago? He was a man of the people, albeit a full life military man. So he could be controlled by the military (or vice versa) but seemed to be ‘normal’ to the people.
Good point, Outis, and if this goes anywhere I certainly hope Ghonim is the right person for the challenge.
My gut response, I have to admit though, is oh geez it’s just like the U.S. All about marketing and emotion rather than substance and reason. I see the Obama social networking and graphics and the people fainting at his rallies – I knew where that was headed and here we are.
I know it sounds stodgy but I think this would be a real good time for people to call for reason over emotion. As Sima points out, Mubarak came in this way. And experience in how government works might be useful, because IMO if the new President approaches the job as a marketing challenge, look out.
I would consider him for President, and I don’t even live there.
Then if you end up with a President more adept at marketing than governing, you’ve no business being surprised.
Happens all the time here too. That’s kind of how we end up with people like Palin in charge, isn’t it? There’s this mythos that anyone can be President, it takes no real training at all. When ‘anyone’ becomes President though, it’s often a disaster, like Mr. Obama.
That’s certainly true for here in the US, but Ghonim was held as a political prisoner for 12 days in the middle of a bloody revolt… Palin and Obama didn’t arise out of something like that. I think this is different.
As revolts go it wasn’t all that bloody and 12 days is not even two weeks.
Come on. I don’t mean to diminish the events here but must everything be Cliff Notes these days? It’s not like he’s been a freedom fighter or organizer or leader for years, he’s a marketing manager for Google who put together a protest on Facebook. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it deserves kudos, but this “political prisoner in the middle of a bloody revolt” seems an effort to elevate him to Nelson Mandela status.
12 days as political prisoner does not a President make.
I didn’t say he was Nelson Mandela. But there was actual life lost and a real grassroots protest/revolt here as opposed to the faux grassroots that Palin and Obama have going on. Nor did I say he’d make a great president, just that I think he’s different. I just think he’s a genuine figure as a rallying point for the Egyptian protesters at this time. I’m far more interested in the fact that he’s brought new life to the protests and the prediction that he’ll bring more people to Tahrir and other protest areas than the calls for him to be president.
Not sure what makes Egyptians gathering in a square “real grassroots” and Americans rallying for Obama and Palin “faux grassroots.” Both groups would insist, and sincerely believe, they are real people with real concerns being addressed by real leaders.
Ultimately we just have to see how it plays out, but I don’t think it’s insane of me to question if a Google marketing manager is the best person available to be President of Egypt based on a Facebook page and one emotional TV interview. Maybe he is; maybe drawing thousands of people to a city square is a great accomplishment; or maybe it’s what any good marketing/PR person can do.
Well from my vantage point, One group is protesting a 30 year dictator and fighting for the right to self-governance and democracy. The other two groups are largely fanclubs, imho. There are fair amount of genuine supporters mixed up with the bot-like supporeters, but they are all still supporters of a personality at this point, rather than much of a series of signature causes, since neither Obama nor Palin really stand for much imho, empty suit, empty skirt, and by now anyone who had grander aspirations for either of them should have ample evidence to the contrary.
The Egyptian protesters are actually fighting for a cause bigger than one person or figure–they’re fighting for, yes, freedom–as Hillary discussed in her human rights speech at Georgetown, that’s freedom from the oppression of tyranny and freedom from the *oppression of want*.
Mona Eltahawy talking about Ghonim, Wisner, and Suleiman on PBS Newshour… Michael Singh also offers his view:
She looks a lot like Janeanne Garafalo.
She does here, but in an interview I saw of her a few weeks ago, she reminded me of Roseanne Roseannadana. 😉
Oh, and to even it up and mention a man, I always think that Ed Schultz looks like Roy Clark.
Transcript from NewsHour of above segment.
# Via Scarce: Wael @Ghonim said wld sing this song to himself during 12-day detention, blindfolded http://bit.ly/gGOEjV #Jan25
Dima_Khatib:
Thanks for the updates, Wonk.
OT: Ed Rendell is breaking up with his wife. Too bad Pat lost interest in him.
Maybe his wife was a Hillary supporter and couldn’t take his sudden flip flop to Obama.
Oh snap, I’d need some tissue to soften up the eyes.
Also OT: Jane Harmon is quitting and there will be a special election to replace her.
Plus, the scourge of Obots, the DLC, is going out of business.
I guess the DLC’s work is done now that Obama is in the WH–even tho Obots still claim they didn’t support him.
Comment from the article about the DLC:
‘Corporate America has spoken and is putting all their chips on the other side of the aisle.’ So true, so true.
A couple things. First this: Meyer: Clinton’s Fear-Mongering about Egyptian ‘Chaos’ | Informed Comment
and second this:
Switzerland – Rights Groups Issue ‘Indictment’ of Bush – NYTimes.com
And this one
Foreseeing Egypt’s Unrest | Informed Comment
This is such an interesting discussion with so many valid points. And while I agree with Zaldonis, I wouldn’t trust a “Marketing” person as far as I could throw them (I battled them like dragons in my former corporate life), I will go out on a limb and state he is just a manager, so he’s probably a guy who needed a paycheck, not a marketing genius like Axelrod.
I guess I am truly hoping the protesters prevail and are able to take their country back. After the protests in Europe failed, I’ve been hoping so much that the people can prevail, somehow, somewhere. Because I know that deep down, I hope it is possible here too and that people will see others succeed and will stand up. I wish all the protesters in every country right now, who are showing more courage than myself or any of my neighbors, the very best. Solidarity to the highest.
What Outis said x 2
x 3.
I want the Egyptians to succeed. I want them to gain Democracy as they want it, not as we Americans define it. I suspect it’ll be closer to our ideal than it would seem at this point.
I see the similarities between the ‘youth’ movement in Egypt and the Palin and Obama movements, but there are vast differences. No-one is dying here for Obama or Palin, and I bet no-one would. Also, Obama leads his movement, Palin hers. As we’ve discussed, no-one seems to be outright leader of the Egyptian movement. This can be bad, this can be good. I’m afraid they are doomed, I’m hopeful they succeed. I swing back and forth between hope and depression for them.
And it feels really sort of dishonest to be evaluating, almost judging, what they are trying to do while sitting on my butt in a chair in a warm room before a computer. Maybe I need to go to the next sympathy rally in Seattle…
Everybody here hopes the protesters succeed in taking their country back, I would hope that’s a given among us. I’m feeling a little like I did during the 2008 primaries and first 18 months of Obama’s presidency — like if I express reasoned concern that veers from the echo chamber, that somehow makes me against the protesters or complicit in thwarting their effort to gain Democratic elections and a prosperous economy.
My concern for them is the same concern I have for Americans, that with power they make smart choices. I hope Wael Ghonim or whomever they choose as leader leads them well.
Sima, you say nobody here is dying for Obama. The circumstances of Egypt today and the U.S. in 2008 are vastly different, but I went to an Obama rally and I know as well as I’m typing here now that many, if not the majority, would have eagerly put themselves in harm’s way, even died, to protect and defend him, to see their dream realized. I hope you attended one of his 2008 rallies, if not you missed an amazing event, the type that’s both exhilarating and terrifying. Exciting because a crowd of people gathered with passion over a single vision, and terrifying because it’s fueled by passion over a single man.
Hating Mubarak is justified but Mubarak is by no means the only problem Egyptians have to deal with. And while it would be spectacular if a Google marketing manager turned out to be a hero leading Egyptians to free elections and prosperous economy and national security – wouldn’t that be something! – I stand by my observations and evaluation so far.
Zal,
You should stand by your evaluation. It makes all the sense in the world.
Of course we all hope, at an emotional level, that the protesters are successful. But it’s obvious to me that they missed the SOGOP moment.
And clearly they should have met with Suleiman (if they were invited–were they?), if only to stay in the loop. Now the Muslim Brotherhood has pretty much eclipsed them in terms of the real world situation.
And BTW, I’m not saying I don’t trust Wael Ghonim because he’s a marketing person. I’m saying the people choosing a 31 year old marketing manager on the slim strength of his having gathered a protest through a Facebook page and being emotional in a TV interview is worrisome because they’re being pretty much as indiscriminate as those who cheered Mubarak 30 years ago. It’s not what he knows or may have a talent for that’s troubling, it’s whether or not he has what’s needed to navigate the very complex circumstances and challenges ahead for the next President.
Or as indiscriminate as those who supported Obama despite his lack of experience because he could read a speech off a teleprompter?
Yes exactly, bb.
If he is chosen, it will be because the powers that be “market” him to the people. Marketing is a science (art???) that I wish had never been perfected.
Did you even watch the interview?
The reason I ask is bc in the interview he passionately stands up against being accused of being a traitor of Egypt simply for asking for their rights to self-governance and democracy. I think these are the the types of things that struck a chord with people. Not the fact that he created a facebook page. He’s a rallying point right now–Nothing more nothing less.
I added Part 3 and Last Part youtube links from Alive in Egypt to the updates.
Also, if the following is authentic, then here’s a very interesting Statement issued by The Faculty of Law at Cairo University (scroll down page to see the translation on-site):
I looked for the rolling updates which BBC and The Guardian both had up through yesterday. Today, neither has such a feature.
Interesting but…in any way meaningful? I really can’t know. But…could mean Suleiman is a done deal and whatever the people of Egypt do (who are not MOTU level) no longer really matters? So, best to go with the US/British line? Oh, I do feel so skeptical….
The Telegraph has covered the WikiLeaks State Dept. cables where Israel and US agree Suleiman should be the next leader of Egypt; that was back in 2008.
Nice touch that he has a secret hotline to Isreali government figures, said he would allow Israeli soldiers to invade Egypt to go after Hamas, and guaranteed he could prevent elections in Gaza. Obama needs guys like him.
The Awl reports on piece by UC prof which includes allegaton Suleiman tortured one US rendered detainee himself.
Well, Glenn Greenwald must be feeling better, making good progress in getting over his dengue fever, as he’s on top of the two articles I noted, plus works in how the NYTimes sets forth Obama et al’s actions. And, he pulls in the background articles available. Usual fine job.
His closing paragraph shows our MCM is in fine stenography mode, verging on hagiography of Suleiman the Torturer. (Have US publications mentioned those WikiLeaks’ cables?)