In this two part interview on the current political and economic situation in Egypt. Hossam el-Hamalawy is a journalist and blogger from Cairo who has been active in the struggles for social and economic justice in egypt and in the labor movement.
For more information about Social Movements in Egypt www.arabist.net/arabawy
For more information about this interview www.ckut.ca mostafah(at)riseup.net
Part 1: Textile workers Resist and Neoliberalism In Egypt
Hossam speaks about the the current textile labor strikes in gazal mahalla one of the largest factories in Egypt and in the Middle east. Gazal Mahalla is also One of Egypts most active and militant textile factories in egypt which began, the wave of strikes across egypt in 2006. The mahalla strike represented over 20,000 workers, and they held another wildcat strike again in october 2007. and what neoliberalism means for the day to day survival of Egypts working class, and poor.
Part 2: Repression and Resistance
This part of the Interview the creation of systematic torture, and a police state in Egypt were built by the Mubarak regime after the assisination of Anwar Sadat, in October 1981. Hossam talks about how torture and repression are used against movements in Egypt, but beyond that have become privatized. Also in this part we speak about the hope generated by the movements in Egypt for real change to the political and economic system that has caused misery in Egypt.