Egyptian writer: 'There was no revolution in Egypt except the January 25 revolution'

Egyptian writer Alaa Al-Aswany retracted his support for the June 30 demonstrations and the July 3 coup saying there was only one revolution and that was the January 25, 2011, revolt.

Speaking during a ceremony on the International Day of Non-Violence in the Opera House in Cairo, Al-Aswany said those who participated in ousting former President Hosni Mubarak were applying the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and taught the world lessons, particularly on how to bring about change peacefully.

Al-Aswany emphasised that the revolution saw the noblest Egyptians, and taught the world how a regime can be toppled by peaceful means. He stressed that the revolution is one and has sequential waves: the first wave toppled Mubarak and the second wave toppled the group that came to power democratically but turned against it.

He concluded his speech with: “A tribute to the detainees who are paying the price for our freedom and the freedom of our children. There is no country in the world where a citizen is condemned to 15 years in prison for protesting. I salute the revolutionary generation, who will succeed and who will change their country as they wish. They should not be disheartened nor succumb to any feelings of despair, because in spite of all those who fight them, the revolution is continuous and it will be triumphant.”