Original Post: March 20th, 2011
Cheer up !! I say to all my good friends from the NO camp. A Yes or a No result are not what will make or break this country's rise to democracy. Look at the millions who came out yesterday,
determined to make their vote. Look at them dragging their families along, each one making sure they bring as many people to the stations as possible. These are not people that you should worry from, these are people you should embrace. These are people you should trust. You should have the faith that those same people you saw yesterday will put up a fight for their freedom and will not let another dictator rule them.You should trust that these people decided to go down and vote because they want a better Egypt and they will continue to do so until they have it.
But DO worry about how WE chose to deal with a YES result..
DO NOT allow the Muslim Brotherhood or the Islamists to drag you down to their level. They've used labeling to mark the NO camp and create division. Do not let them label you. If you start believing that the YES camp are the MB followers, you are allowing them to further label you and you're promoting more loyalty from the YES camp towards the MB if you start to attack them.
DO NOT believe or promote that a YES vote is treason to the revolution. The people who left their homes and stayed hours in line to make their voices heard are not traitors. They are true Egyptians who love their country and are proud to take part in its reform. They came out and voted because they believe they are doing what is best for Egypt. All they need is guidance not rejection.
DO NOT read the YES vote as the MB's power. Read it as the NO camp's failure to reach people. If the MB support was that strong, you would've seen it in 2005 when we had semi-free elections. The Brotherhood has lied and cheated, it has spread false understanding and it has used aggression to trick people into believing that a YES vote is what is better for Egypt. If they succeeded it means that WE have failed but it does not mean that they have the true ability to convince people, otherwise they would've used their "charm" and not those cowardly methods.
DO NOT get side tracked and DO NOT make it personal. It's not a fight of GOOD vs. EVIL, it's our duty and our challenge to make Egyptians better voters not to put the MB down. If Egyptians are better voters, if they know how to get their information, how to judge their candidates, how to make a choice for a better life, they will reject - not only the MB but - any party that does not play by the rules. Our enemy is not the MB, our true enemy is IGNORANCE. If it's not the MB it will be another party.
DO NOT feel defeated. The fact that this revolution could bring those millions to vote is the biggest success we could have asked for. The amendments to the constitution are a technicality. The true victory is the awakening of our population. Treasure that and push it forward.
DO NOT be a soar loser. Accept the results of the referendum. We've all participated in this referendum which means we accepted to play the game with those rules. Change the rules for the next round or do not play at all.. but DO NOT discredit yourself by rejecting the results.
Finally, you should know that people voted YES for many reasons. Thinking that the MB was behind it all, is over estimating the influence of deception on Egyptians. People voted YES because: 1) They didn't understand the technicalities of this referendum, 2) They did not know what was going to happen if they said NO, 3) They are afraid of the army staying longer or taking over completely, 4) They wrongly associated YES with stability, 5) They were paid to do so.
Fight Ignorance not the Muslim Brotherhood they're one wrongdoer and many more to come.
determined to make their vote. Look at them dragging their families along, each one making sure they bring as many people to the stations as possible. These are not people that you should worry from, these are people you should embrace. These are people you should trust. You should have the faith that those same people you saw yesterday will put up a fight for their freedom and will not let another dictator rule them.You should trust that these people decided to go down and vote because they want a better Egypt and they will continue to do so until they have it.
But DO worry about how WE chose to deal with a YES result..
DO NOT allow the Muslim Brotherhood or the Islamists to drag you down to their level. They've used labeling to mark the NO camp and create division. Do not let them label you. If you start believing that the YES camp are the MB followers, you are allowing them to further label you and you're promoting more loyalty from the YES camp towards the MB if you start to attack them.
DO NOT believe or promote that a YES vote is treason to the revolution. The people who left their homes and stayed hours in line to make their voices heard are not traitors. They are true Egyptians who love their country and are proud to take part in its reform. They came out and voted because they believe they are doing what is best for Egypt. All they need is guidance not rejection.
DO NOT read the YES vote as the MB's power. Read it as the NO camp's failure to reach people. If the MB support was that strong, you would've seen it in 2005 when we had semi-free elections. The Brotherhood has lied and cheated, it has spread false understanding and it has used aggression to trick people into believing that a YES vote is what is better for Egypt. If they succeeded it means that WE have failed but it does not mean that they have the true ability to convince people, otherwise they would've used their "charm" and not those cowardly methods.
DO NOT get side tracked and DO NOT make it personal. It's not a fight of GOOD vs. EVIL, it's our duty and our challenge to make Egyptians better voters not to put the MB down. If Egyptians are better voters, if they know how to get their information, how to judge their candidates, how to make a choice for a better life, they will reject - not only the MB but - any party that does not play by the rules. Our enemy is not the MB, our true enemy is IGNORANCE. If it's not the MB it will be another party.
DO NOT feel defeated. The fact that this revolution could bring those millions to vote is the biggest success we could have asked for. The amendments to the constitution are a technicality. The true victory is the awakening of our population. Treasure that and push it forward.
DO NOT be a soar loser. Accept the results of the referendum. We've all participated in this referendum which means we accepted to play the game with those rules. Change the rules for the next round or do not play at all.. but DO NOT discredit yourself by rejecting the results.
Finally, you should know that people voted YES for many reasons. Thinking that the MB was behind it all, is over estimating the influence of deception on Egyptians. People voted YES because: 1) They didn't understand the technicalities of this referendum, 2) They did not know what was going to happen if they said NO, 3) They are afraid of the army staying longer or taking over completely, 4) They wrongly associated YES with stability, 5) They were paid to do so.
Fight Ignorance not the Muslim Brotherhood they're one wrongdoer and many more to come.
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