Blog

27/6/2012 We have been desperately waiting for the economy to become the absolute priority to this country, for we cannot allow the stagnation to go on any longer. To stimulate investment at home and abroad, we need to reassure the investors of the constancy of the tax laws and regulations, and we need to restore security and stability. Investment, security and stability are essential for the revival of tourism, one of our main sources of income. I hope that President Morsy will ensure that religion is not used in such a way that it becomes a “scarecrow” that keeps tourists...

27/6/2012 Thinking back on the period preceding the announcement of the results of the presidential election, those who conducted fierce campaigns of slander and negativity against the main bodies in charge of the process should now feel shame. In spite of the skepticism aimed at them, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), the Supreme Presidential Elections Commission (SPEC), and the Supreme Constitutional Court performed their duties with great patience, preparing and issuing their legitimate findings with restraint. Announcing Morsy as president of Egypt ultimately brought honor to the members of these institutions. Finally, Commander Shafiq should be honored...

4/7/2012 The story of Tahrir Square and the January 25 Revolution that changed our political system is now part of our contemporary history. However, the identity of Tahrir square has changed now that the revolutionaries have been replaced by street vendors and criminals who have neither respect, nor dignity, nor hygiene. The square has been transformed into a truly ugly place. Nevertheless, instead of crying over spilled milk, I would ask President Morsy to consider a practical alternative. Why not transform the square into an historic memorial ground with a statue of the famous Egyptian revolutionary “Ahmed Orabi” in the...

4/7/2012 Last week, Mohamed Morsy took the presidential oath twice; first, in Tahrir Square, and then before the general assembly of the Supreme Constitutional Court. The new president appears to have made a successful compromise between the legitimacy of the law and the legitimacy of the revolution. Personally, I see no contradiction between the two oaths as long as in his role as head of state he keeps his priorities straight. It was a nice touch that Morsy spoke at Cairo University, recognizing also the legitimacy of education and knowledge.  He should also consider recognizing the armed forces for protecting...

11/7/2012 President Nasser’s experience with the U.S. is an excellent history lesson for young people who were not yet born during Nasser’s era because it is key to interpreting recent developments between Egypt and America. At the time of the 1952 Revolution the U.S. ambassador to Egypt was Jefferson Caffery, a high-ranking diplomat. Caffery was known to be a great supporter of Nasser, who, along with his Free Officers, was seen as having strong anti-communist sentiments. American support had grown after the Cairo’s January 1952 fire, an expression of popular anger and potential prelude to a street-led revolution. The U.S....

8/9/2012 The Syrian revolution and Al Assad’s potential fall is part of the same scenario that was repeated in many Arab countries, which the West romanticizes and idealizes by calling the “Arab Spring”. Months passed and regimes fell, but in most Arab countries, Libya in particular, the results have been regional and sectarian divisions, conflicts, and economic crises. The “Arab Spring” began with a fact. The presidents of the Arab countries concerned – Gaddafi, Ben Ali, Saleh of Yemen, al-Assad, Mubarak – were dictators who had serious flaws that brought about their downfalls. The corruption and election rigging that took...

17/7/2012 There is a campaign underway serving the political interests of a certain group, that is a retaliation against the Supreme Constitutional Court because of its decision to dissolve the People’s Assembly. This decision was rendered legally through reasoning respected by most jurists. As citizens, something that concerns us deeply about such politically-motivated conflicts are the demonstrations that erupt on our streets, some of them with people shouting slogans, carrying vulgar signs, disrespecting the judiciary, and demanding its purge. The mobs making these unfair accusations attack all state institutions, from the judiciary that is itself entitled to justice, to the...

31/7/2012 A year has passed since gunmen attacked a police station in El-Arish. Those criminals, who belong to Islamic extremist groups, abuse Islam and are an affront to the religion of peace and tolerance. In the early days of the January 25th Revolution, prisoners fled to Sinai after the attacks on police stations and jails throughout Egypt. As their numbers increased, so did the amount of sophisticated and deadly weapons they brought with them. Conspirators in El Arish and Gaza (and possibly those in Israel who remain resentful that President Sadat forced them to return Sinai to Egypt) specifically struck...

29/9/2012 It is now evident that those who participated in the irresponsible demonstrations over the past few days have nothing to do with defending Prophet Mohamed (PBUH). There is abundant proof that most of them were thugs and mercenaries paid to vandalize! In a recent article, I appealed to the Minister of Interior, General Ahmed Gamal El Din to “liberate” Tahrir (Liberation) Square. Although he stated, when he assumed his ministerial duties, that it was possible to evacuate such places like Tahrir Square from criminals in few hours, he believed that a consensus of political movements should precede any such...

24/11/2012 I have spent my life praying to God that I might be the one to bring people together and not the one who divides them. I have chosen a path of dialogue to avoid clashes and conflicts such as those we have seen in recent days. These clashes and conflicts are driving the nation to a stalemate and splitting it into two camps fighting each other. Both camps are forgetting the interests of the country, forgetting the importance of protecting national security and the preservation of life. Therefore, my conscience prevents me from choosing sides or taking part in...

27/11/2012 The rules of dialogue apply to everyone. On the one hand, Morsi, prior to issuing a package of resolutions and a new constitutional declaration, should have met with respected elders of the nation to discuss his reasoning. On the other hand, when Morsi invited political leaders to discuss these important matters, they should not have imposed conditions such as the cancellation of the constitutional declaration before starting a dialogue. Real dialogue does not impose conditions. The nation is divided and at great risk. Our economy is about to collapse and if a “revolution of the hungry” were to take place,...

24/12/2012 Yet another topic that has intensified public anger is seeing Hazem Abu Ismail’s supporters attacking Egypt’s Media Production City and terrorizing members of the media who oppose the regime. Who is Hazem Abu Ismail to allow himself and his supporters to attack the headquarters and the newspaper offices of al-Wafd Party? Who is Hazem Abu Ismail to threaten to cut off the hand of Wael Ibrashi, Egyptian television presenter and Editor-in-Chief of Sawt Al-Umma? If we want to restore the State’s prestige, our legislators, our interior minister, and all ordinary citizens must work together to find a way to...