The egyptian revolution of 2011, also known as the january 25 revolution arabic. How an egyptian revolution began on facebook the new. Usbased egyptian activist says brother kidnapped by. Wael ghonim thanks the social network by catharine smith shortly after egyptian president hosni mubarak stepped down from power on friday, activist wael ghonim spoke with cnn s wolf blitzer and credited facebook with the success of the egyptian peoples uprising. Symbol of egypts revolution and emblematic of its failure wael ghonim, photo flickr flickr to achieve your vision, you need friends and communication channels more than you need plans, egyptian activist and tech entrepreneur wael ghonim wrote in his book revolution 2. Wael ghonim is a symbol of the revolution in egypt. Born in egypt in 1980, he began working his first web job while studying at cairo university, then moved to the u.
Wael ghonim has been touted as one of the leaders in egypts revolution and has already coined the phrase revolution 2. Wael ghonim is weeping for the martyrs of the egyptian revolution, one fan posted on his facebook wall. Because the only barrier to people uprising and revolution is the psychological barrier of fear. Wael ghonim was one of the founders of that facebook page but the revolution did not go according to plan. During these 11 days, he was interrogated regarding his work as one of two administrators of the facebook page, we are all khaled said, which helped spark the egyptian revolution of 2011. Yet, from the masses, a handful emerged, including wael ghonim. A look inside the egyptian revolution chicago tribune. As he reveals, once the revolution spilled onto the streets, it turned from hopeful to. In response to the murder of young activist khaled saeed. Wael ghonim almost sounds apologetic about his central role in helping plot egypts future. The revolution was on the street and not online, wael ghonim is keen to assert. In 2011, wael ghonim, the web activist who played a leading role in protests against the egyptian regime, did most of his work anonymously, online and. Wael ghonim egyptian activist and computer engineer. This sunday night, for the first time in more than two weeks, traffic is flowing through cairos tahrir square.
Wael ghonim helped touch off the arab spring in his home of egypt. His activism led to an 11day spell in police custody during the uprising, and despite his protestations, ghonim subsequently became a poster boy for the revolution, both in and outside egypt. The egyptian revolution one year ago was often called the facebook revolution. The widespread culture of democracy activists disappearing or worse, being tortured and killed had inspired ghonim to create a facebook. What ghonims book makes clear, however, is that revolution begins with the self. From online protests sparked by younger egyptians like ghonim as well as asmaa mahfouz and many others with experience using the internet, to the crowd of more than 2 million that packed cairos tahrir square on february 10, the egyptian revolution of 2011 has been like all revolutions a volunteerled effort to make the world a better. Wael ghonim is an egyptian internet activist and computer engineer. Read 4 posts by wael ghonim and get access to exclusive content and experiences on the worlds largest membership platform for artists and creators. In egypt, businesses are open, university classes are back in session and a new military government rules with popular support and a promise of coming democracy. The power of the people is greater than the people in power. Hazem ghonim, who wael said is an apolitical dentist, was taken away by security forces to make his elder brother stop posting live videos that have fiercely criticized egyptian leadership over. Wael ghonim, photo flickr flickr to achieve your vision, you need friends and communication channels more than you need plans, egyptian activist and tech entrepreneur wael. The peaceful egyptian revolution had a distinct goal, but no clear leader, reports cbs news correspondent seth doane. Social media sparked, accelerated egypts revolutionary.
A year after the tahrir square uprising, wael ghonim is the international superstar of the arab spring, with a big new book out this month celebrating the egyptian revolution he helped unleash. Lets design social media that drives real change wael. His facebook page, expressing outrage about a young man killed by police, became a. That life, he soon learned, had belonged to khaled mohamed said. Speaking at tedxcairo, he tells the inside story of the past two months, when everyday egyptians showed that the power of the people is stronger than. Wael ghonim, the egyptian activist hailed by many fellow protesters as a hero, had a message wednesday for his countrys leaders.
It was not facebook or twitter that brought down the regime of hosny mubarak. The muslim brotherhood candidate mohammed morsi was. Wael ghonim and egypts new age revolution cbs news. He details his experiences leading up to and during the egyptian. The man who kickstarted the egyptian revolution bbc. The pages followers expanded quickly and moved from online protests to. After being held in secret detention by egyptian security forces for 11 days during the protests, ghonim came to. When i went on the streets on tuesday, on the 25th, i was like, whoa, its gonna happen. But a year after the fall of the government of president hosni mubarak, his words continue to. The power of the people is greater than the people in power, the 31yearold egyptian details his role in the arab spring. It was the perfect book for a long flight fast paced, interesting, and timely. A year later, egypts wael ghonim talks about revolution.
As administrator of a facebook page, he urged people to take to the streets. The face of egypts social networking revolution cbs news. Wael ghonim is an internet activist and computer engineer with an interest in social entrepreneurship. During the egyptian revolution, ghonim said he thought that, all you need is the internet to set a society free. Wael ghonim anointed voice of the revolution by tahrir. Wael ghonim, a social activist whose facebook posts helped ignite what would become the arab spring in egypt in 2011, has experienced this process firsthand. It was the egyptian people that did that, and it is they who deserve the credit. Speaking at tedxcairo, he tells the inside story of the past two months, when everyday egyptians showed that the power of the people is stronger than the people in power. One of the most prominent icons of egypts 2011 revolution, wael ghonim, has been sparking a debate on social media after he appeared on a series of videos and made controversial remarks. Wael ghonim has become an iconic figure of the egyptian revolution since he anonymously started the facebook page, we are all khalid said, criticizing police brutality in egypt after young activist khalid said was beaten to death in broad daylight by the police in alexandria for posting a.
In 2011, he became an international figure and galvanized prodemocracy demonstrations in egypt after his emotional interview following 11 days of secret incarceration by egyptian police. Wael ghonim talks revolution in egypt the boston globe. Marco werman talks with wael ghonim, who played a role in last januarys protests in egypt. What happened to wael ghonim, egypts revolution icon.
Wael abdelgawad, american author and martial artist. Coined the keyboard freedom fighter, he used the power of. Wael ghonim, a 31 yearold egyptian, came onto the global scene during the january 25th revolution in egypt. Im no traitor, says wael ghonim as egypt regime targets.
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