[P2P-F] Fwd: Jews & Spiritual Progressives Welcome Mubarak Resignation; but not a military or "security" force coup to replace him

Sat Feb 12 08:19:41 CET 2011

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rabbi Michael Lerner <rabbilerner at tikkun.org>
Date: Sat, Feb 12, 2011 at 4:17 AM
Subject: Jews & Spiritual Progressives Welcome Mubarak Resignation; but not
a military or "security" force coup to replace him
To: Michelsub2004 at gmail.com

*Jews & Spiritual Progressives Welcome Mubarak Resignation; but not a
military or "security" force coup to replace him*

Tikkun magazine's editor Rabbi Michael Lerner  and the Network of Spiritual
Progressives issued the following statement on Friday, February 10th:

*Jews and Spiritual Progressives of every religious community are rejoicing
at the triumph of the democratic uprising in the streets of Cairo and other
Egyptian cities and at the resignation of President Mubarak.*

*But we have no illusions that the struggle for democracy has been won*. We
are fearful that the US and others who seek "stability" rather than
"democracy" may accept a new autocratic regime under the leadership of Vice
President Omar Suleiman (the US ally who played a significant role in  the
torture operations in Egypt)  or under the leadership of a "soft" military
coup in which the Army becomes the primary force in Egypt. Nor would we
welcome a government dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, though they have a
legitimate role to play in any new government. It remains to be seen if a
genuine democratic process takes place, or merely a military and security
forces controled process leading to elections that reflect the desires of
the military which might continue to control the media and the security
forces.

Here is what we would look for to see if this is really a democratic
transformation:

1. The immediate end of the Emergency Laws that have been in effect since
1972 and that have given the state powers that deny fundamental human rights
for the Egyptian people.

2. The freeing of all political prisoners

3. A focus on economic justice for the poor (which is the majority of the
population. A specific step would be to call for the West to immediately
embrace a Global Marshall Plan whose first setting would be the Middle East
countries.

4. The creation of a democratic transtion group representing all the
different opposition factions as well as the Army and Mubarak's party,  but
the Army and the old regime  having only a few representatives rather than
dominating the process.

5. Immediate opening of the Egyptian television and other media to a wide
variety of perspectives representing all the diferent factions in the
Uprising including, but not dominated by, the Islamic forces or the Army.

We are well aware that the Iranian revolution, at first a popular uprising,
was taken over by extremist mullahs and turned into an oppressive
dictatorship of the mullahs even as the forms of democracy and election of a
president gave the pretense of democracy. We do not want that to happen in
Egypt, which  is one reason we have called upon the US, Israel and the
Western countries to embrace the democratic forces rather than hope for
"stability" through military control. Only an unequivocal and massive set of
political moves by the US and Israel, including an end to the Occupation of
the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza, would convey to the Egyptian people
that the US and Israel had really gotten the message that supporting
Mubarak's repressive regime was a mistake and that they truly respect the
masses of the Arab world and wish to be partners with them rather than seek
to dominate them.

All this is a major religious and spiritual celebration. Though the
right-wing government of Israel and the Jewish establishment in the U.S.
have called on the US to support "stability" rather than democracy, the vast
majority of Jews in the US and around the world have celebrated the Egyptian
uprising, and while feeling concerned that it not be taken over by
anti-Israel elements who might seek a war with Israel, we recognize the
Biblical legacy of the need to overthrow the Pharoahs of Egypt and "let the
people go." Western religions including Islam retain the story of the
Israelite freedom struggle retold in the Bible. Jews celebrate that
liberation every Sabbath and on Passover. That ancient story has predisposed
many in these Wester spiriutal tradition to favor every liberation struggle
in the contemporary world!!!! We will not be fooled by a new Pharoah to
replace the old Pharoah, whether the new Pharoah is Suleiman or the army or
an Islamic dictatorship.

But none of these concerns will overshadow our current rejoicing at the
overthrow of Mubarak. This joyous moment reminds us once again of Tikkun's
main lesson: *DO NOT BE REALISTIC.* Never allow the people with power in the
economy, politics or the media to tell you that fundamental change is
"unrealistic" and that you must settle for minor reforms while keeping  the
fundamental problems untouched. Remember that this kind of advice was in
place in Egypt four weeks ago, and that ordinary people, not big shots, just
little guys like us, changed history! And remind those who tell you that the
goal of a Global Marshall Plan
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=UZ6wxRhO5WPmkywEECFK9HMDg4JwP%2BkV>or
of an ESRA--Environmental and Social Responsibility Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution (www.spiritualprogressives.org/ESRA)<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=0rxVdL3r7wfAoabKs5gIhTzscQH9HjG6>.
Indeed, this is the  moment to reaffirm our commitment to A New Bottom Line
in both our personal and economic/political and social lives  of love,
kindness, generosity, ethical and ecological sensitivity and awe and wonder
at the grandeur and mystery of the universe (or universes)--as embodied in
the Spiritual Covenant wtih
America<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=N%2BxNivZ0gsm%2Fo8mI%2F0iN4XMDg4JwP%2BkV>.
Remind the pessimists, cynics, skeptics and "realists" in your life of the
following basic truth that they could have learned from the Bible, from the
60s, from the huge advances made by the civil rights, women's and glbtq
movements, and now from Tunisia and Egypt: *YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS POSSIBLE
UNTIL YOU ENGAGE IN SUSTAINED STRUGGLE FOR WHAT IS ETHICALLY DESIRABLE AND
ENVIRONMENTALLLY NECESSARY.*

Help us spread this kind of message. Join the Network of Spiritual
Progressives at
www.spiritualprogressives.org<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=5Xl%2FolHBCuHGkg8s1%2F7g3HMDg4JwP%2BkV>(and
you get a free sub to Tikkun along with membership--and now that
Tikkun
will be mostly on line, subscribers get special content on the website,
which opens in early March, that is not available to non-subscribers).

And Come to Tikkun's 25th Anniversary celebration at which we will give the
Tikkun Award to several cultural, political and spiritual leaders who have
themselves rejected the phony "realism" that keeps so many in chains.
Info: www.tikkun.org/celebrate
or by calling 510 644 1200
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=UNTk%2F1c4nAI%2F8%2BB6xymdQTzscQH9HjG6>

For interviews with Tikkun Editor Rabbi Michael Lerner, contact Mike Godbe
mike at tikkun.org or 510 644 1200.

         Click here to
unsubscribe<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=tLvSGRJ85TPcPKitp7ox%2FnMDg4JwP%2BkV>

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