The following are excerpts from a public address delivered at a pro-Mursi rally by Hiba Attia, an Egyptian-American student from Jamesville, New York, who studies at SUNY-Oswego. She is also a member of the Muslim American Society and of Egyptians Abroad for Democracy.
Her speech was posted on the Internet on July 15, 2013:
Hiba Attia: "This is a message for the whole world. Again – this is a message for the whole world. My name is Hiba Attia. I am an Egyptian American, and a college student in the State University of New York, in the United States of America.
"I am here not for my president, not for President Mursi, but for Egypt, for legitimacy, for democracy, for freedom – for freedom of choice – and lastly, for my dignity. I am here because democracy and legitimacy have been hijacked by the military coup. I am here as well today to condemn the massacre and the killing of civilians and peaceful protesters including women and children, by the Egyptian military, in front of the Egyptian Republican Guard. Last week – more than 100 killed and more than 1,000 wounded. This is a crime against humanity. This is a crime against humanity.
"Oh Allah..."
Crowd: "Oh Allah..."
Hiba Attia: "Oh Allah..."
Crowd: "Oh Allah..."
Hiba Attia: "Oh Allah..."
Crowd: "Oh Allah..."
Hiba Attia: "Oh Allah..."
Crowd: "Oh Allah..."
Hiba Attia: "I am an American Egyptian citizen, born and raised in the United States. As an American citizen, I know and I have felt the pleasure of knowing what freedom, democracy, and legitimacy are. What happened on January 25, 2011 in Egypt is a revolution. According to Thomas Friedman, the famous U.S. journalist, Egypt needs at least ten years to start to see the fruits of this revolution. This is by looking and comparing the French and American revolutions to the 2011 Egyptian revolution. Last June...
"Allah Akbar! ..."
Crowd: "Allah Akbar! ..."
Hiba Attia: "Allah Akbar! ..."
Crowd: "Allah Akbar! ..."
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Hiba Attia: "Oh Allah..."
Crowd: "Oh Allah…"
Hiba Attia: "Oh Allah..."
Crowd: "Oh Allah..."
Hiba Attia: "Last June, in 2012, over 25 million Egyptians went to the voting polls. They participated in the election of President Mursi as the first freely and democratically elected president of Egypt. One year is not sufficient to evaluate presidential activity. One year is not sufficient to evaluate presidential activity. [...]
"Oh Allah..."
Crowd: "Oh Allah..."
Hiba Attia: "Oh Allah..."
Crowd: "Oh Allah..."
Hiba Attia: "Oh Allah..."
Crowd: "Oh Allah..." [...]
"Down With The Military Regime!"
Hiba Attia: "President Obama, as Americans, should we have deposed you when you had sharp decreases in your popularity? I would definitely say no, because we, as Americans, voted for you for four years, and we reelected you for another four years.
"Our Secretary of State, Senator Kerry, after you lost the presidential elections in 2004 to President Bush, did you ever think to depose President Bush, when he had the lowest approval rate of any outgoing U.S. president? Absolutely not, because this contradicts the core principles of our democracy.
"Every democratically-elected president, including Obama, President Bush, and President Mursi, had or have to complete the four-year presidential term...
"Allah Akbar! ..."
Crowd: "Allah Akbar!..."
Hiba Attia: "Oh Allah..."
Crowd: "Oh Allah..."
Hiba Attia: "Oh Allah..."
Crowd: "Oh Allah..."
Hiba Attia: "We need to stand by the core principles of democracy. They do, and they're teaching us, as the young American generation. We, as Americans, need to practice what we preach, and we need to walk the talk in Egypt and all over this world. In Egypt and all over this world!
"I just want to end my statement by telling everyone here today that the free people around the world are supporting your presence here today, to define democracy and to protect our legitimacy. No matter how many different languages we may speak, all of us share one common word, and that is...
"Oh Allah..."
Crowd: "Oh Allah..."
Hiba Attia: "Oh Allah..."
Crowd: "Oh Allah..."
Hiba Attia: "Down with the military regime!"
Crowd: "Down with the military regime!"
Hiba Attia: "Yes, we are shouting against the military."
Crowd: "Yes, we are shouting against the military."
Hiba Attia: "Down with the military regime!"
Crowd: "Down with the military regime!"
Hiba Attia: "Yes, we are shouting against the military."
Crowd: "Yes, we are shouting against the military." [...]
