News Highlights:
- Egyptian protestors respond to Hosni Mubarak’s latest televised speech with derision as he said he will not run in the September elections but will stay on as president until then; violence used by security forces against the protestors has resulted in several hundred dead and thousands injured in just one week.
- Israeli officials urge Western governments to not criticize Mubarak’s regime.
- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas tries to suppress Palestinian demos in support of the Egyptian people, as the official Palestinian Authority expresses support for Mubarak.
Feature:
A special expanded feature, highlighting two interviews with Egyptian Canadians from Montreal talking about the situation in Egypt and their own feelings about what is happening. Rachad Antonius, a professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal, is a specialist on the Arab world and he talked about the popular revolt in Egypt and what it could mean for the future of the region. Mohammed Kamel, a human rights activist, talked about the repercussions of the Egyptian protests on other dictatorial Arab governments and how most of them are afraid of true democracy in their countries. He detailed some of the demands of the Egyptian people such as dropping the Emergency Law, releasing political prisoners and other steps to establishing democracy, and talked about the coordinated activities happening on Feb. 5 in Canada (and globally) in support of the Egyptian people. Both guests emphasized that the Mubarak regime was finished, something they had not expected to see this soon, and also that they were proud of the tenacity and determination of the Egyptian people.
Focus on Zionism:
Excerpts of a February 1st, 2011 analysis by Palestinian journalist, Khalid Amayreh, entitled “Mubarak must go”.
Here is an audio file of this show: