Asmaa Mahfouz was celebrating her 26th birthday on Tuesday among tens of thousands of Egyptians as they took to the streets, parting with old fears in a bid to end President Hosni Mubarak's three decades of authoritarian, single-party rule. Posting a controversial video online, she put herself at great risk, but also felt it was the only way to reach others.
"I felt that doing this video may be too big a step for me, but then I thought: For how much longer will I continue to be afraid and hesitant? I had to do something," Ms. Mahfouz said. Read the full story online at the New York Times.