Director’s Statement to all our Friends in the World: Updates on the Events in Egypt
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Dear friends
Thank you all for the many many notes of concern and messages of solidarity and support.
Concerning the Library, in addition to the wonderful pictures and video we posted some days ago, I would like to bring you up to date on the situation here.
As you know from this website, the young people have safeguarded the building. Also you may be interested to see what happened to government house about ten blocks away (see picture of the destroyed building), so you can appreciate the truly great vote confidence the demonstrators gave to the Library and its work. Those young people are truly great.
Very large peaceful demonstrations continue, (see picture) and the demonstrators still show their enormous goodwill towards the institution. Thankfully, the government forces have decided to respect the peaceful demonstrators’ rights to express themselves.
So, we are all fine in the Library, and we are having huge meetings with all our young people (mostly from the BA) talking about the Constitution, transitions and ensuring true democratic processes, etc. We are yearning to reopen our doors and restart our many activities. In a few days, perhaps we will be able to do so.
Beyond our website, here are two links that you may find interesting, a CNN video interview and a Wall Street Journal text that just appeared.
Please see them and please bring all this to the attention of others.
Ismail Serageldin
Librarian of Alexandria
Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina