A Pro-democracy activist asks americans: If not now, when?

To the nearly $28 billion in economic assistance provided to the country since 1975.3The U.S. is rapidly reassessing its approach to the developments in Egypt. On Tuesday U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton declared Mubarak’s government “stable” and suggested that it was addressing “the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people.”4Mohamed ElBaradei, who is not only a Nobel Prize winner but also the former head of the International Atomic Agency, responded in an interview on CNN5:    The U.S. must demand Mubarak resign and call for free elections. Clicking here will automatically add your name to this petition to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel Prize winner and Egyptian pro-democracy activist, recently asked, “If the west is not going to speak out now, then when?” As a chief backer of Mubarak’s military, the United States has a special role to play in the rapidly unfolding events in Egypt. You must use our nation’s considerable leverage to advocate for Mubarak’s resignation and the immediate announcement of free and fair democratic elections.  Dear Friend, In Egypt, forces loyal to the longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak aimed a water cannon at a Nobel laureate and well known democracy activist. They beat the supporters who tried to protect him from this attack and then used tear gas to trap him in a mosque.  His message to us? In an interview with The Guardian of London1 Mohamed ElBaradei issued this challenge: “The international community must understand we are being denied every human right day by day. Egypt today is one big prison. If the international community does not speak out it will have a lot of implications. We are fighting for universal values here. If the west is not going to speak out now, then when?”   Urge Secretary of State State Hillary Clinton: Demand Mubarak resign and call for free and fair elections immediately. Click here to automatically add your name to the petition. The United States has been a key benefactor of Mubarak throughout his 30-year reign as a dictator whose corrupt government has employed torture to stifle dissent and authoritarian rule to maintain claim to the reins of power. In fact, the U.S. provides $1.3 billion in annual military aid to Egypt — that’s a stunning 25% of Mubarak’s military budget.2 And this is in addition “I was stunned to hear Secretary Clinton saying that the Egyptian government is ‘stable,’ and I asked myself at what price stability. Is it on the basis of 29 years of martial law? … Is it on the basis of rigged elections? That’s not stability. That’s living on borrowed time. Stability is when you have a government that is elected on a free and fair basis. And we have seen how elections have been rigged in Egypt, we have seen how people have been tortured. And when you see today over 100,000 young people, getting desperate, going to the street, asking for their basic freedoms, I expected to hear from Secretary Clinton … democracy, human rights, freedom.”   As protesters escalate their calls for the ouster of Mubarak, a dictator who has held the presidency for 30 years, he responded by unleashing the police and military who have attacked protesters with shocking force. Opposition leaders have been placed under arrest and internet and cell phone service has been cut off in an attempt to cripple the nascent anti-authoritarian movement. Clinton has recently taken a different tack and asserted “We support the universal rights of the Egyptian people, including the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.” We need Clinton — and the U.S. government — to go further in support of human rights and demand truly democratic elections. Tell Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: The U.S. can support the people of Egypt by demanding democratic elections now. Click here to automatically add your name to the petition. As a chief backer of Mubarak’s military, the U.S. has a special role to play in the rapidly unfolding events in Egypt. The U.S. can add teeth to its statement that it supports the universal rights of the Egyptian people, including the right to free speech and assembly, by using its considerable leverage to advocate for Mubarak’s resignation and the immediate announcement of free and fair democratic elections. Thank you for taking a stand for the rights of people of Egypt. Becky Bond, Political Director  CREDO Action from Working Assets 1. “Egyptian government on last legs, says ElBaradei,” The Guardian of London, January 28, 2011. 2. “Defence budget (Egypt),” Jane’s Information Group, December 30, 2010. 3. “Background Note: Egypt,” U.S. Department of State, November 10, 2010. 4. “Can the U.S. get on the right side in Egypt?” Washington Post, January 28, 2011. 5. “ElBaradei: Egypt is not stable,” CNN News, January 25, 2011.