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I'm a liberal because I love life and happiness and freedom.
I'm a liberal to be able to express my opinion freely
and to let those who differ in their opinion freely express it.
I'm a liberal because I see that liberalism is the life
I need for myself and my children.
I'm a liberal because I refuse to let anyone dominate my right to choose
or to have anyone impose a viewpoint on me they believe is right
I believe in two principles: freedom and equality.
Liberalism allows me to practice these two principles.
Liberalism: An Egyptian Story
My father was a leftist and a member of the 1972 Students' Movement.
Ahmad Sameeh: Al-Wafd Party
I was raised among leftists, which was democratic left, however. I had the chance to think freely and I chose liberalism.
There is a saying that goes: 'When you are young and not leftist, you do not have a heart.
When you are above thirty and not liberal, you do not have brains. And I decided to have brains
There is a saying that goes, 'the freedom of your hand ends at the tip of my nose."
This means that anything one will do which will harm or touch me is against liberalism.
Ingy Abul-Ezz: Liberal Activist
Liberalism appeared intellectually in Egypt.
Dr. Wahid Abdul Megid: Member of the Executive Bureau, Al-Wafd Party
It started through translation due to the interaction between Egypt and the rest of the world.
This new thinking moved intellectual and political life. Until the 1952 revolution we had a liberal environment.
We all stand to elect Muhammad Naguib as a president of Egypt.
The 1952 Revolution was the most significant event leading to a true setback of liberalism and liberal thinking in Egypt.
Dr. Osama El-Ghazali Harb, President of the Democratic Front Party
This setback persisted until the fall of the former Soviet Union.
Egypt was under the rule of Sadat, during which the calls for political democracy started.
We need to move from the one-party to the multi-party system
With external pressures and the change in the external environment towards more freedom, democracy and liberalism,
the liberal forces started to gain momentum giving birth to Al-Ghad Party and then the Democratic Front Party,
and many rights-based organizations appeared, particularly human rights organizations,
all of which address and espouse the essence of liberal thinking.
This parliament will always be memorable forwhat it did to modernize legislations complementing the Constitution
and the amendments made to the law of practicing political rights, the party law,
and the law concerning the People’s Assembly and the Consultative council and others.
Prior to 2005 I thought nothing could ever happen.
Bassem Samir, Al-Ghad Party
I joined Al-Ghad Party after the beginning of the Ayman Nour case.
I felt that the case was ambiguous, but I’ve been waiting for anything to happen
Maybe that one should have a cause and tries to pursue victory or successes.
The foundation of Al-Ghad Party was connected to our need for a new young liberal movement that revives liberal life in Egypt.
Dr. Ayman Nour, Founder of Al-Ghad Party
The conduct of the government is a source of resentment and we need to tell the government either do your job or leave.
Islamists in Egypt were successful in certain regards:
they dominate unions; they made women wear head-dresses, and convinced the people that liberalism is against religion.
However, this is not the case. It is not reasonable that a political idea could convince people to lose faith in their religion,
because if people believe, it is difficult to take that away.
Liberalism has always been an expression of opinion and thought.
Israa’ Abdul Fattah – Al-Ghad Party
It is impossible that this is against the principles of religion
But liberalism is against the connection of state and religion.
Liberalism is about a very simple idea,
which is having a state that has one treatment for all, irrespective of religion.
If anybody comes up to tell me that liberalism is against religion,
I would say: you know nothing about liberalism, and may be also about religion.
Shehab Wagih - Democratic Front Party
Liberalism originally gives you the right to adopt the religion of your choice.
Religion cannot originally have followers without the choice to follow or reject it.
Liberalism gives one the right to choose
and religion does not hold you accountable except when you have the right to choose.
A quick look at history and we realize that many Egyptians back in 1919 had forgotten their religion
and were gathered under the green flying flag, and they sacrificed their blood
to have access to freedom, independence, and the Constitution.
Liberalism is the solution
Liberalism is the solution of one of the most important problems of Egypt,
i.e. that the citizen does not know the right and the freedoms s/he is entitled to.
Liberalism can restore us to being the one fabric we were, Christians and Muslims from Sinai down to Nubba.
Egypt is one nation that needs to be governed by a liberal regime.
Liberalism is the true alternative to the authoritarianism in Egypt.
If we had democracy and the circulation of power,
we would have achieved one of the principles of liberalism.
The key to all problems in Egypt is changing the political system, and at the core of this change is having a democratic liberal regime.
Liberalism guarantees that the madvantaged social classes do not pay the price of the solution.
Egypt needs democracy. Egypt needs liberalism. Without both the future of Egypt will be a big question mark.
Liberalism is the solution and is the only solution in Egypt.
Liberalism ensures my and your happiness and that of all the Egyptians. And it ensure your, their, and our freedom.