Story Corp Project
The Egyptian Revolution
Interview Transcript
Interviewer:
Linda Badr
Narrator:
Roqayah Tbeileh
Dates:
7/03/11
Place:
The American University in Cairo (AUC)
AUC Library
Study Room 2007, second floor.
University:
The American University in Cairo
Prof.:
Dr. Kim Fox
Date Completed:
7 March, 2011.
Roqayah Tbeileh was born on the 20th of June, 1990. Tbeileh is Palestinian but was born and
lived her whole life in Saudi Arabia. She graduated from school in 2008 and is currently
studying Journalism and Political Science at AUC. Tbeileh is single and has two brothers and
two sisters.
Tbeileh is very patriotic and considers the Palestinian problem as one of her own problems. She
is ready to do whatever it takes to solve the Palestinian ongoing issue. Her political activism is
not only shown in her engagement in protests that only concern her country but also in her
involvement in protests against the corrupting regime in Egypt. Tbeileh participated in the recent
Egyptian protests and risked her life for the sake of Egypt and that was manifested in her
insistence on going to the protests even after being hit by rubber bullets. She believes that all
Arab countries should be one nation and considers Egypt as her country.
Before hearing about Tbeileh’s engagement in the revolution, I was planning to interview one of
the leaders and organizers of the 25th of Jan. protest; however, when I thought about the points
that I will be discussing with that person, I figured out that there is no specific angle that I could
talk with him about. I thought there would not be anything new since most of us watched talk
shows which interviewed some organizers who informed us how they planned for the revolution,
what pushed them to revolt and how did they manage to encourage all those people to
participate. There was nothing new or special about that and so when I heard about Tbeileh’s
engagement, I immediately thought that she is worth interviewing more than any other person.
The fact that she is Palestinian who has only been living in Egypt for two years yet participated
in the protests like any other Egyptian did and her determination to continue on protesting after
she was severely injured and hit by rubber bullets showed how she is so committed to Egypt and
that she did that out of her love to Egypt. Tbeileh is a special example for a person who is so
concerned with any problem that has to do with any Arab country. I had other Palestinian friends
who were in Egypt at the time but who left the country immediately, unlike Tbeileh who decided
to stay in Egypt and fight for Egypt.
Topics of Interest touched by the narrator:
Arab countries
Hope for better conditions in the Arab countries
Foreign policies
Hidden agendas
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7 March, 2011.
Persons Present:
Linda Badr
Roqayah Tbeileh
Before recording, I and Roqayah switched off our phones, took off our earrings and rings and
conducted the interview while standing to prevent any noise or distortion.
I began the interview by introducing myself and my interviewee as well as giving a hint of the
core topic of the interview.
Badr:
Hey everybody, it is Linda Badr from Multimedia Writing. I will be
interviewing my Palestinian-Aucian friend who was heavily engaged in the recent
Egyptian protests. Roqayah Tbeileh will tell us more about her engagement in the
revolution and most importantly her intentions of being in Tahrir Square bearing
in mind that she is Palestinian in the first place.
Badr:
Hi Roqayah.
Tbeileh:
Hi.
Badr:
How are you?
Tbeileh:
I’m great, how are you?
Badr:
I’m good.
Badr:
Firstly, before we begin our conversation, tell me more about yourself. How old
are you, what is your major, where do you live?
Tbeileh:
I’m Roqayah Tbeileh. I’m Palestinian. I lived my whole life in Saudi Arabia. I’m
21. My Major is Political Science and Journalism and that’s pretty much it.
Badr:
So does that mean that you are somehow into politics bearing in mind that you are
a Journalism and Political Science student?
Tbeileh:
Well yes, I have been a little bit into political activities. Like protests, previous
protests, anything regarding the Arab world, anything against violence in the Arab
world, anything that is against human rights, any violation, I will go protest
whenever there are any protests and I have a group of friends who are activists,
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much more political active than I am but at least I know how things are going on
in Egypt.
Badr:
Have you ever engaged in any Egyptian protests other than last month’s protests?
Tbeileh:
I participated in the workers’ protests at AUC but that is not a real protest like the
ones in the streets.
Badr:
Yes Exactly. I think the recent Egyptian protests are totally different, I mean
Egypt hasn’t experienced those kind of protests that brought about major changes
for a very long time so tell me how does it feel like being in Tahrir Square and
playing a major role in changing Egypt’s history?
Tbeileh:
First of all, I went as if it was a normal protest as the ones that were being held
because of what is happening in the Arab world whether in Lebanon or Palestine,
the reaction protests. However, this one was much more violent, much more
crowded, somehow more organized than others and I actually wanted to
participate in them. At the beginning, I didn’t believe that it is going to turn into a
revolution as much as a series of protests but it did and it was surprising to me but
I knew this is the purpose why we went to Tahrir and yes I feel really optimistic.
Badr:
Yes, but Frankly speaking, I was a bit suspicious of your intentions of being in
Tahrir square baring in mind that you are Palestinian and that you are antiMubarak not because you are anti-Mubarak’s regime or anti-Mubarak’s
corruption but because you are anti-Mubarak’s decision to close “the Rafah
borders crossing into Gaza after the Israeli bombing campaigns several years ago,
an act that led Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah leader to accuse Egypt of being part
of the crime, which resulted actually in many anti-Mubarak protests not only in
Palestine but also in Yemen where protesters gathered in front of the Egyptian
consulate, trashing the interior, throwing computers out of the windows and
burning the Egyptian flag. There were even 500 protesters who gathered in front
of the Egyptian embassy in Syria as well as in Lebanon. What is your comment
on this?
Tbeileh:
I see your point and I unfortunately saw this in the Egyptian media on the first
channel and on the national T.V. and I can’t say I was shocked, I wasn’t. I
expected that and I expected that people won’t accept me as a Palestinian going to
protest against an Egyptian regime in Egypt as if I’m provoking (sarcasim) people
to go and protest. We all know the agenda stories and everything. If you are
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asking me about Gaza borders, yes, I’m against what happened and yes, I blame
the Egyptian government but this is not the reason I went to the protests, actually I
went to Tahrir as an Egyptian. I’m attached to Egypt.
Badr:
But let me tell you something, you haven’t experienced what we Egyptians
experienced. I mean you haven’t experienced the poverty we lived in for a very
long time under Mubarak’s regime, you haven’t experienced the unemployment
rate in Egypt and many other corrupting conditions so how do you justify your
existence there in Tahrir square and protesting with other Egyptians?
Tbeileh:
I’m not accused of anything to justify it but the thing is that there was corruption,
I could see it and everyone in the whole world could see it. There reason the
people went to protest in Jordan, the reason people protested in the U.S with the
Egyptian people is the same reason I participated in these protests except that I
was in Egypt,except that I really belong to Egypt because I simply believe in one
Arab world, one nation. We are one nation. The reasons that made my friends
protest for Aqssa or for Jerusalem or what happened in Jerusalem like a year ago,
it would make me protest for Egyptians today.
Badr:
So the reason why you went to Tahrir is not because you are anti-Mubarak’s
decision but because you are anti-Mubarak’s regime.
Tbeileh:
Exactly. It got nothing to do with foreign policies. This time (emphasis) it got
nothing to do with foreign policies. It is totally about Egypt.
Badr:
So what difficulties did you face while being in Tahrir? Tell me more about the
difficulties that you faced.
Tbeileh:
First of all, when I went on the 28th of Jan., I got shot, I got 13 injuries in my legs,
I couldn’t walk afterwards. That was difficult for me that day and the following
days because I had to participate more in the protests and I actually rested for
three days but I continued protesting in Tahrir and it was kind of tiring but after
all, the purpose that I know that they shot me so I can’t go and protest again….
Badr
Encouraged you?
Tbeileh:
Yes, encouraged me, motivated me, provoked me, all of these (smiles). I wanted
to go just to prove them wrong. I wanted to tell them even if you kill us, we are
still alive.
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Badr:
And that also shows at the same time that you did that out of your love to Egypt,
out of your commitment to Egypt not because as we thought in the beginning that
you are participating in the protests because you are anti-Mubarak’s decision
regarding closing the borders, which actually shows that you really love Egypt
(continued on protesting after being severely injured).
Tbeileh:
Yes, exactly. Even if I was more severely injured or if I was even killed by them,
it would only count for Egyptian protests, for Egyptian revolution, nothing to do
with the foreign policy. If I was protesting for my own purposes, I wouldn’t
sacrifice anything. If I want to sacrifice, I will go to the borders but I won’t go to
Tahrir where everybody think I’m something while I’m something else.
Badr:
You told me before that you are ready to participate in any protest wherever that
protest. You told me that you are ready to protest in any country if you are anti the
regime of that specific country so tell me if you were living in The United States
(U.S) and the same thing that happened in Egypt happens in The U.S., will you
still participate in the protests? bearing in mind that The U.S is Israel’s main ally.
Would you do the same thing? (doubtful)
Tbeileh:
(thinking) I would support them. I would support the protests, I distinguish
between the people and the policies, The U.S. policies. I would sympathize with
people and that’s all. If it was exactly like Egypt, perhaps I would think of
participating in the protests but of course as my relation to the Arab world, I
would likely protest more in any part of the Arab world, like what is happening
now in Libya. If I were in Libya, I wouldn’t go back home and I would protest, if
Yemen, if Bahrain, if Saudi Arabia, if any other place, I would protest. After all,
we are all humans. If a child is dying somewhere because some corrupted regime
is not paying attention, I would protest.
Badr:
Regardless of the country! (surprised and wondering)
Tbeileh:
As I told you, when it is about the government, I care more, I wont lie, I care
more about the Arab world because I’m related to it but yes, I do care about all
humans because all humans care about us. Supposedly (sarcasm).
Badr:
Finally, I think what I got out of this interview is that I’m so convinced that we
should stop judging people according to our predictions of how they might be
thinking and to spend sometime investigating and knowing more about them
before establishing false perceptions. I mean firstly, I was a little bit suspicious of
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your intentions of being in Tahrir Sqaure but what you said was really convincing
and that knowing more about you and talking to you showed that your intentions
were not I perceived, not as I thought in the beginning so what do you think.
Tbeileh:
(smiles) Yes, I think it only takes a question. Many people asked me why are you
going there, it is a protest in Egypt and you are Palestinian and you already have
your own cause and it has been there for 60 years and you are just participating in
this! I was like yes, actually because we are all humans and people are being
oppressed by that regime and the amount of hunger, the amount of poverty in this
world, in this country specifically, 43 percent of the Egyptian population is under
the poverty line, everyone in this world should know this and should react to this.
It was a normal reaction. Just me being “Palestinian” (emphasizes on the word), I
have seen people who are let’s say Lebanese or Palestinians, they can’t
participate, the Southern Lebanese, the Palestinian, and the Iranian, people are
always being suspicious of them while we are only one people.
Badr:
Yes, thank you so much for being with us today.
Tbeileh:
Anytime.