Citizen XAK
Sisi displays violence only during occasions when he speaks about governance and the people who challenge him. This violence seems to serve the purpose of demonstrating toughness and decisiveness in the face of “conspiracies” and “plots.” This violence, aside from being an indication of a deep sense of fragility and a lack of any constitutional legitimacy that suffices to shield him from criticism, condemnation, and reproach, is violence that only appears in this specific context. I have never seen him adopt this tone in any issue concerning the entire country or as a comment on the country's relationship with any external challenges or pressures that have emerged in recent years.
Compare Sisi's rhetoric when talking about the presidency to his tone when discussing the Ukrainian war, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, or even human rights issues and European and American pressures, and see how his language changes. Sisi summons a spirit of challenge only when it comes to his personal stay in power. It's as if the existential battle for Egyptians and their philosophical and faith-based cause now revolves around ensuring that this man remains president forever and nothing else.
December, 2017
You have probably seen the circulated photos of Santa on his cart in one of the streests in Cairo. It made me laugh too. But do you want to know what makes me laugh too? The fact that there is no real future for Santa in our country, both as a person and as an idea. Why? Because any child born and raised in the conditions we are living in will not believe that a chubby man with a white beard can give them a gift for free. Bitter experiences have taught them—and us—that every gift must have a price. “Nothing is free,” as our president Sisi says.
June 18, 2021
Ask me about bad luck, and I'll tell you about:
Fourteen years in education, your mother gives birth to another child after you've lived 19 years as an only child, with neither brother nor sister. Due to your new sibling, you're forced to enter mandatory military service. The notification from the army arrives, stating: You won't spend a year in the army. So you celebrate: yay! You read carefully, and there it says: “you'll spend three years.” You think to yourself, is this a joke? But you soon realize that it is real. You'll have to spend three years in the army, while your friends will spend only one year or get exemptions. So you curse yourself. You enter the army and spend the three years begrudgingly, hating yourself, saying: It's just three years. You finish the three years and think it’s over. You finish the three years and it turns out: it isn’t over. But wait—congratulations! You're promoted to an officer, that’s great! You’re the first person in your family to become an officer! So the entire family celebrates your great achievement, with visitors coming from everywhere, celebrating, and your mom and dad begin to tell everyone "our son became an officer!" But then comes the surprise. You're no longer an officer. What? Why? How? Oh... someone said that some of your family members are part of the "Muslim Brotherhood…" Damn it. So they strip you of your rank, and you return as an “ordinary” citizen who—let’s just say spent—three years of servitude in the army, that's all...
This isn't a fictional story, this is the story of a young man from a rural village in Menofiya whom I met yesterday. The young man, 26 years old, was shocked to find himself not only stripped of his rank, but also wanted by the army, subjected to continuous interrogations in closed rooms, asked about every member of his family, even the children and their interests. They'd ask him if he prays or not, and what his opinion is on this and that, and how he views the regime and Sisi. The young man, trying to keep his rank and job, answered, having no real connection to politics in any way and isn’t even interested. “I’ll tell you, frankly. Your family members are horrible people,” one interrogator told him. “Someone close to you snitched to get you into trouble with the military and have you stripped of your rank and in prison.”
Although snitching exists everywhere, and there are, of course, people who don't wish well for others, it makes me wonder: since when has betrayal and snitching on others become a habit among the rural people of Upper Egypt? What has changed in Egyptian rural areas and their customs and traditions over the past ten years that made someone strive to put another person in trouble? As we all know, the customs of Upper Egypt are very strict, especially when it comes to relations with others, and betrayal itself is known as one of the worst traits that someone may possess. Those who snitch and engage in such behavior are derogatorily labeled as "birds," traversing among people, gathering information to exploit and harm others.
It’s unprecedentedly increasing, and of course, the current regime is a big part of this divide, of this increase in snitching. When Ali El Haggar, one of the popular singers and a supporter of the Sisi regime, sang in 2014: "We are a people and you are a people, we have a God and you have a God," and when several “artists” and “TV reporters” explicity tell people “snitch on your neighbor if he is ‘a villain’.” A villain? Like seriously? what were these people thinking? Did they think that with this song and these words, which we know are heavily supported by the regime, were just some passing words/song? Or a culture that subsequent generations may inherit? It's a culture of division. It’s about “us” and about “them”. This is nothing but a destructive culture.
The 26-year-old military officer yesterday, is an “ordinary” citizen today, and he can't find a job, can’t get married, and is looking for any way to jump off the Egyptian ship, perhaps to be picked up by another, after three wasted years in military service, where he didn't learn to fight or the arts of war, but only learned how to chop onions for the rest of the soldiers.
This is the story of a young man from our youth, and a snippet from the new culture of snitching, and this is the reality of our nation, Egypt.
April 10, 2022
I've said this before, and I'd like to reiterate it. El-Sisi has tremendous confidence in his decisions and choices, guided by a philosophical foundation that he calls “as per Suleiman and this discourse.” This confidence is deserved, as this man, whom you mock:
Has reached the highest possible position in his career, inspired and guided by the same beliefs and thought process that you seem to disagree with. Like, come on—he is the president of the country. On a personal level, he is someone with an extremely successful life experience, regardless of how he achieved this success. Undoubtedly, he doesn't share the moral reservations you may have about this success; quite the opposite, he likely takes pride in it, much like your feelings towards your own modest personal successes, albeit on a larger scale.
Has successfully maintained this position for 10 years in a tumultuous period under tremendous and exceptional pressures. This, too, is an immensely challenging feat and calls for self-confidence, a sense of uniqueness, and cleverness. Meanwhile, his opponents, in his view, are a group of failures who couldn't sustain the rare political gains they achieved. Therefore, their perspectives on politics, the economy, or anything else are perceived as a waste of time and a subject of ridicule.
What you label as state mismanagement or wrong decisions that may have harmed you or your loved ones are inconsequential to this man's daily life and those around him. Their living conditions are often unaffected, and at times, these decisions even improve their circumstances. Consequently, their perception of danger or the desired harm necessary for reconsideration or a change in course is linked to entirely different factors than those influencing you.
Because we are societies where education plays a limited role in shaping our way of life, numbers and indicators discussing things like demographic changes, class shifts, moral repercussions of poverty, and the lack of trust in the government are all worthless as long as they don't translate into people standing in the streets with visible weapons, torches, and tangible material threats visible to the naked eye.
Anyone who has successfully dealt with the emotions of the masses would find it extremely difficult to take their emotions seriously as long as they don't go beyond mere words.
February, 2018
In Egypt, there is a massive holding company named "Tahya Misr" (Long Live Egypt), established by President Sisi through his exclusive authority. This fund seizes state assets, major companies, factories, and assets worth billions. With a decision solely made by Sisi, this magical fund has become immune to any oversight or scrutiny. It operates without parliamentary, judicial, or oversight from the Central Auditing Organization. No entity in the country has the authority to question or review its activities. Any foreign or Egyptian company or businessman associated with this fund is similarly shielded from accountability, exempt from the scrutiny of any authority or judiciary, except for Sisi himself. The budget of this fund is detached from the general budget of the Egyptian country. Even in the most autocratic regimes, this level of impunity for misusing public funds is unheard of. June 29, 2021
“Your concern with this matter makes us appear as if we don't respect people, don't love our societies, or that we are ruthless, harsh, and despotic leaders. Honestly, this is just not fitting. Presenting ourselves as an oppressive regime is a thing of the past, long gone."Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Paris, December 2020
In the picture, the late Shaimaa El-Sabagh is one of those respected by Sisi. She was killed by one of his police officers because she dared to commemorate the martyrs of the January revolution, carrying flowers in a peaceful demonstration organized by a political party. She returned home lifeless, leaving behind her child. The regime faced international embarrassment due to the documented audio-visual evidence of her murder spread across international media. Unfortunately, this did not happen for many other victims. The officer who killed her was brought to court, but in 2017, the initially severe sentence was overturned and replaced with a lenient one that doesn't match the heinousness of the crime. Perhaps this officer considered himself unlucky for not receiving the same treatment as officers who killed protesters, escaping any punishment, as promised by Sisi in a dialogue with his army officers.
March 11 , 2021
The latest developments in the case of the German spy of Egyptian origin were revealed in a report by the German prosecutor today. The report indicates that the Egyptian intelligence tasked him with monitoring how the German media views the Egyptian regime and its policies.
Well, isn't this something any German-speaking individual could do normally? Interestingly, the man mentioned that he requested, in return for his valuable services, that his mother receive her pension of 2300 EGP (120 USD).
Talk about spy perks!
November 4, 2022
Do you know, sir, the most dangerous thing that threatens our country and the future of our generations? There is not a single individual or institution in our country that can tell the president that we are literally in a crisis, not just heading towards one.The level of intimidation has reached the point where no one can confront him, even if it's just in the form of advice. Everyone knows what they are dealing with.
You might say, "So, the president is unaware and oblivious." I'll tell you no, for many irrelevant reasons that might be beyond the scope of this post. Perhaps the president doesn’t want to acknowledge the other side of the story, or perhaps he sees that there are achievements from his own perspective. We don’t know. But he is well-aware of the situation.
Large companies always have a team for review, evaluation, and they bring in people to scrutinize and open their books, warning them if things aren't going well. This team is simply part of the team. They are not enemies. Their report is usually directed to the board and the president, and these people get paid to do this—to warn and possibly suggest the need for changes in policies and personnel, even if it reaches the board president.
Companies that collapse and spiral into crisis are simply the ones that bring in people to praise them or have a team that makes them hear what they want to hear. The most dangerous thing for a company is when you've silenced everyone, when you are willing to do anything just to get a false sense of security, and they remain silent, harboring fear. It's basically a burial permit.
Now that’s for a company. Consider what will happen to us as a country if no one screams and says, "Watch out, for heaven's sake! Watch out!" You know the answer.
November 4, 2022
In the face of the existential threat looming over the familiar contours of Egypt on the world map, particularly in the shadow of the Nile crisis and the construction of the Renaissance Dam, many pens that we considered staunchly nationalistic and patriotic have refrained from commenting. Out of fear? Out of greed? Out of awe? I don't know. The reasons simply remain elusive. However, what is crystal clear is their conspicuous absence in addressing this monumental calamity, and whatever they’ll say highlights nothing but the stark ugliness of their indifference. It reflects poorly on them and their history.In ancient Rome, Julius Caesar stood receiving stabs while in the Senate until a stab from Brutus came. He then uttered his immortal sentence: "Et tu, Brute?" – "Even you, Brutus? Then fall, Caesar." This crisis has revealed dozens of "Brutuses" in Egypt, individuals who rush to defend factories, buildings, personalities, yet they cower and fear to defend the lifeblood of our nation: the Nile.
Even you, Brutus... Then fall, the Nile.
January 4, 2020
Today, we can say that January 25 was an uprising and not a revolution in the true scientific sense. It succeeded in overthrowing the old regime but failed to build a new one. The old regime managed to come back to life in new forms and in a more dreadful manner. This failure is not attributed to the strength of the old regime but rather to the absence of the revolutionary spirit needed from the Egyptian people to complete the process of change.After the success of the military in using religion, Al-Azhar, and the Church in manipulating the people following the 1977 uprising, it replaced the values of struggling for improving living conditions with other religious values that belittle worldly life, glorify striving for the afterlife, and consider the current hardships as a test from God. The remedy lies in performing more rituals, prayers, and acts of obedience until God lifts the affliction. Consequently, the role of culture receded, and the influential elite became the sheikhs and clergy.
In essence, the people became content with their miserable conditions, and they no longer have a genuine desire to change them.
May 12, 2021
In moments like these, regimes commit crimes, justified by intellectuals, and the people swallow them. Later, the intellectuals complain about the ignorance of the people, who end up paying the price for the crimes committed by the regimes.
January, 2022
Much of what Sisi says now would've been unthinkable before 2014, maybe 2015, before he gained full control over the media, turning its employees into tools. This is what he always wanted when he said, "Nasser was lucky with his media." Now, he comfortably lies, knowing his audience won't hear opposing views.
One recent lie is that before 2012, he asked all presidential candidates and politicians about fixing issues like health and education, but got no answers. This is an exaggeration. Everyone remembers that candidates had plans for Egypt's problems, including health and education. It needed leadership to put those plans in action; to say otherwise is just not true.
To make his lies believable to his supporters, Sisi raises his voice and acts dramatic, claiming he'll answer to God. But can this hide the fact he's been in charge since 2013? He used to say he came to save the country, but now, after seven years, where are his solutions? What's his plan? How much progress has Egypt made in healthcare, education, and the economy?
Blaming everything on 2011 won't solve the problems he's caused. Can fear really stop people from asking questions? Weren't there warnings before 2011 about how Mubarak's policies hurt people and led to the revolution? Does Sisi think the way to avoid another 2011 is to make people poorer and take away their dignity?
Can Egypt, with its large population, be controlled just by lies and intimidation? Even Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak couldn't do that with all their connections. Does Sisi really think he can do it with just a few followers and puppet journalists? Is the issue of the two islands more important than the trust of the people?
December 21, 2022
Yesterday, I found myself wandering near the American Embassy in Cairo, in the neighborhood of Garden City, founded by Khedive Ismail and renowned among all Egyptians. It had been years since my last visit to this area; my last time dated back to my middle school days. Now, at twenty years old and a university student, I decided to give it a visit. At first glance, the neighborhood seemed unchanged. However, upon closer inspection, I began to notice the differences. The lush greenery seemed to have suffered from the government's relentless "beautification projects" that are happening everywhere, with fewer trees in the City of Trees.
But this story is not about Garden City. While the altered neighborhood surprised me and caught my attention, what truly surprised me even more was a conversation I had with a homeless man on the street. I’ve always loved Cairo because of its abundance of stories. They're etched on people's faces in the streets and roads, waiting to be read. I don't just settle for observing and reading them on the faces; I engage, because Cairo’s tales are just endless.
I was walking at 8 a.m. The weather was beautiful, with a gentle breeze. I looked around, observing the scenes, taking in the sights and sounds. My gaze fell upon a homeless man wearing glasses, engrossed in reading a book about the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser, sitting on his small mat. This sight was unusual in Cairo. Usually, our homeless extend their hands not to grasp literature but to seek alms. After passing the man and crossing to the other side of the street, I decided to turn back to him.
"Hello, how are you?" I greeted him.
"Hi, I'm fine," he replied.
"I noticed you're reading a book. May I ask what it's about?"
"It's about Gamal Abdel Nasser's journey from the village to the great Arab nation."
And thus began our conversation. Despite his disheveled appearance, his eloquence and depth of knowledge immediately struck me. I realized that this was an educated man, perhaps circumstances or a wrong decision had led him to this state, but his intellect remained intact.
"That's intriguing. What are your thoughts on the book?" I asked.
"The book is great, it talks about the story of Gamal Abdel Nasser and his life. Truly captivating and very beautiful," he responded.
"Really? Can I take a look at it?"
"Yes, of course, go ahead."
I took the book from the man and examined it. "Interesting," I thought to myself. The man interrupted my thoughts and began to talk at length about books, his old library, and shared experiences from his life as if he had known me for years. Each time he spoke, I realized more and more that this man was educated and cultured, not like the homeless who flaunt their knowledge for sympathy and money. No. This man really knew what he was talking about; he was a good reader and a good speaker, and had genuine insight as well.
I asked him frankly, "What do you do here on the street all the time?"
"I have two daughters, one a doctor and the other a lawyer, both happily married. But family troubles with them and their mother left me with nothing. So here I am. I may lack material wealth, living in the streets, but I'm far more content than if I were rich. All these material possessions hold no value; what matters is this," he said, pointing to his heart.
I talked to him for over an hour and a half about almost everything, and I learned that he now sells books to make a living. True, the number of books he had for sale didn't exceed 20, taken out of a black bag with great enthusiasm, and he explained their contents to me. The twenty books were of different types, including science, politics, cooking, and even children's comics. I couldn't understand how they all fit in this bag together. The man picked up a book about the Bermuda Triangle and started explaining in tedious detail what it was, then he talked to me about El Shaarawy and his advice, Ahmed Zewail and chemistry, and about everything and anything.
Trying to help him, I said, "Do you sit here all the time? Can I take a picture of you? I have many friends who love reading, and they would love to come and buy books from you." He simply responded, "No, don't let them come; it would be embarrassing for me. I only have 20 books or less, and I'm still waiting to get more books to amaze them and suit their needs. Wait until March 1st; then, let them come. As for your request to take a picture, I don’t mind, of course. Do you know? There is a journalist from one of the channels who came to request an interview with me to talk about my family and the problems I have with my daughter and wife. This request angered me because I saw in the journalist's request an opportunity to violate my privacy and insult my daughter and wife, despite all the problems between us. So, I said to myself, 'I used to sit and watch television and see them bringing up family problems and hiding and blurring people's faces so none could recognize them. Am I going to do the same now? Impossible.'"
Once he said that, My thought was confirmed. The man continued, saying, "My situation wasn't like this. I used to be one of the best carpenters in Helwan all my life, working with all kinds of wood, and I traveled back and forth. But my situation changed. Two years ago, I used to make in a day what took people a month."
Following this, the man didn't stop offering me advice; he began advising me on everything that crossed his mind. From choosing a wife to raising children, from travel destinations to investment tips, he even suggested some books for leisure reading. Never did I imagine I'd be discussing determinism with a homeless man on the street at 8 a.m. But perhaps what struck me most was the sentence he uttered that day, and how he went from being a wealthy individual to a destitute living on the streets. That sentence made me think deeply, connecting the harsh circumstances imposed by the government on the people. The man told me that while his main problem was with his family, over the last two years, he found himself utterly shattered and unable to cope with skyrocketing rents and the withdrawal of government subsidies. Along with inflated prices of food and beverages, he was unable to afford or purchase anything, forced to sell off many of his belongings to fund his divorce and pay off debts.
I stood in front of this man's story for a long time. It's a tale from the streets of Cairo, of a man much like any of us. We cannot blame him or say he didn't complete his education or failed himself. Regardless of his current state and his family issues, the man is educated. However, his personal problems, compounded by the austerity measures of the government, broke him and turned him into a person living on the streets now. He also mentioned something interesting and surprising: he lives in Helwan, just a couple of streets away from me, and comes every morning to Garden City to make ends meet. I asked him how he comes here every day, and he replied, "I take the bus from the station in Helwan, and I come here, praying that none of my relatives see me in this condition or sitting here. I value my dignity.”
It’s a story from Cairo, and there are millions more. In the new year, I wish for nothing more than for those in power to realize that their decisions have an impact on the Egyptian street. I hope they realize the responsibility or relinquish it to those who deserve it. Until then, let’s just wish the best to him and all those who are going through this.
July 15, 2021
The head may fall, and the regime remains capable of producing the same orientations with the same policies once it reinstates its 'legitimacy' over the ruins of the victims' bodies who aspired to a change that never came. This has happened in all the Arab countries where attempts for change took place. The reason for the failure of these attempts is the absence of an 'alternative' on one hand and, on the other hand, the determined efforts to suppress them.
April, 2022
There was a young man from a small village called Miet El-Farmaoui in the district of Miet Ghamr in the Dakahlia Governorate. He had scored around 85% in his high school exams. At that time, there was a thing called "improvement," meaning he could repeat the year to enhance his grades and enter the college of his choice. However, he couldn't afford the expenses for an additional year, so he accepted what fate had in store and enrolled in the Faculty of Education, majoring in Geography.
At the end of the year, his father was overjoyed, not only because he ranked first in his department but also because he entered the improvement exams secretly. This time, he scored 95% and entered the college he had dreamed of all his life—Economics and Political Science. For about two days, neighbors, family, and friends gathered at his home, and all you could hear in their voices was a heartfelt congratulations. Exactly two months later, he packed his bags for the hustle and bustle of Cairo, beginning a journey filled with every kind of hope.
Four years passed quickly, like a rocket, and his father bore the weight of sacrifices, depriving himself of everything to provide his son with a social image befitting his peers. He graduated from college with a very good grade and started working on his master's thesis on reforming the constitutional court in Egypt. While preparing his thesis, he worked as a researcher, delving into various topics and earning money here and there. He invested every penny wisely, took a few French courses, and honed his English skills through self-study using references and dictionaries borrowed from acquaintances.
Two years of intensive self-improvement in his field and beyond, coupled with mastering multiple languages, prepared him to be close to his dream. The next step was the hardest—joining the foreign service, the dream of every political science graduate. He applied for a commercial attaché position, underwent written and oral exams, competing with 43 students for one available seat. But he was up to the challenge and emerged as the top candidate.
After the results were announced, his father received a call. "Come, sir, and collect your son from the morgue." The young man had taken his own life, throwing himself into the Nile, and his swollen body was found in the Maadi section of the river. The grief-stricken father couldn't comprehend his son's death. How could a young man who excelled in foreign service exams take his own life just a week before defending his thesis? But a kind soul, a friend of the deceased's father, whispered at the morgue and said, "Your son topped the exams. The authorities said he's socially unfit because you work as a laborer in a brick factory."
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the suicide of Egypt's bright young mind, Abdelhamid Sheta, who succumbed to a fatal dose of class-based oppression. If only he were present, his father would have sold everything he owned to buy him two suits to proudly represent Egypt abroad.
May Abdelhamid rest in peace.
May 21, 2022
One interesting aspect is that the Egyptian regime has been talking for years about external pressures, cosmic conspiracies, targeting, and all of that. Despite this, we haven't seen any signs of wavering, retreat, or timid willingness to negotiate or show a breakthrough, until the masses of the people felt the miserable failures and the eye-piercing incompetence, and declared their discontent.
When the people, overflowing with anger and clear dissatisfaction, become the driving force, it becomes imperative to engage in negotiations, give and take, response, procrastination, and maneuvering—not with international powers, not with the West, not with friends, and not with enemies, but with the entity that seems to be the most important despite all efforts to demonstrate its insignificance and triviality: the people.
The people are the ones who brought this nightmare upon themselves, and they are responsible for navigating through it. It will only progress with their slow reform, with their understanding, with their perseverance, or with the harsh measures they take. Whether they sweep it under the rug, handle it with beatings, or confront it head-on, it doesn't matter much. What matters is that whoever summoned the jinn deals with it, and everyone knows what they're dealing with.
May 1, 2022
“The difficult circumstances will pass as long as we are together.” - Sisi
Please, is this a statement from a country’s president? Or is it someone going through a tough time with their spouse, perhaps seeking a divorce?
April, 2022
One of the most peculiar statements made by Sisi in recent days is his intention to introduce a new subject called “Understanding and Respecting Others.” To be honest, it is unclear to me where he came up with this invention, but it is certain that he has never heard about sociology before.
I completely agree with him. We need Understanding and Respecting Others to be taught in our schools. But in addition to that, our educational curriculum should undoubtedly have more subjects. It should include:
* Not Killing Others
* Not Torturing Others
* Not Imprisoning Others
* Not Engaging in Forced Disappearances of Others
* Not Stealing From Others
* No Seizing Others’ Money
* Not Violating The Honor of Tthers
These are just some examples of subjects that need to be taught in our great, thriving, and fantastic republic… the Republic of Officers.
September 23, 2022
99 years of a complex personality. He was never a consensus figure; like all those who played distinctive roles in history, he remained a subject of debate, with people either standing by him or against him—alive or deceased. Those supporting him had varied reasons, and those opposing him had diverse grievances. Some of his supporters elevated him to a level where he became an unparalleled figure, while most of his detractors exaggerated their opposition to the point of turning him into a man unlike any other.
A man with such an extensive experience, spanning events from the mid-1940s until his departure, and being a firsthand witness immersed in these realities, is nearly impossible to encapsulate in the attempts made by both admirers and critics to summarize him and his experience. Summing him up, from both praising and criticizing perspectives, will remain a reduction, a deletion from the context, and a simplification of the truth.
On the occasion of his 99th birthday, we can only say: May God have mercy on Mohamed Hassanein Heikal.
March 10, 2019
Prime Minister: "Just think, what if Egyptians decided to hold off on having children for two or three years?"
Imagine if we put a hold on those failed projects for a couple of years.
Or if we took a break from hosting conferences for a while.
What if the salaries of the army and police didn't see any increases for a couple of years?
Or if we paused the construction of palaces and prisons for a bit?
Imagine. Just imagine.
November 12, 2020
No one can force you to think compassionately or sympathize with the poor citizen who self-immolated in Tahrir Square in protest against the abusive actions of certain police officers, or to contemplate his reasons and feelings. It's sad that people don’t respect this tragic and miserable incident, even indulging in baseless speculations about the victim's affiliations, motives, and connections. I understand that life is about choices, but if you choose to approach such an incident selfishly, I suggest you consider how the responsible police officers should have opted for a more appropriate way to deal with such a horrific event.
Shortly after its occurrence, they brought the deceased's wife and son to the office of a certain police officer, allowing them to insult the deceased in a videotape, while his body had not yet cooled. They tarnished his reputation, reaching a level of degradation where they even had the little kid describe his father as "Mohamed the madman," just to please the officers standing behind the camera and to say that our country has no problems whatsoever.
These officers are supposed to protect society from brutality, extremism, and terrorism, apply the law, and ensure justice. Yet, they believe that securing safety and stability is achieved through arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, keeping the political detainees in everlasting cases, depriving them of their basic rights, and fostering enmity between them and our people in the streets and in countless homes. They are the ones who make the angry, saddened, desperate, and frustrated turn their backs to the wall and explode. Later, they claim that the explosion was a foreign conspiracy from “the villains.”
Instead of condemning the victim, try to understand his perspective. Don’t simply believe their narratives.
February, 2020
Has anyone ever heard of a popular revolution that took place throughout Egypt against the Free Officers and military rule, demanding the trial and imprisonment of Abdel Nasser specifically? I don't think so, you know why? Because this so-called revolution has been buried in history, referred to as the "March Crisis," not a March revolution, just like they called the June defeat "Al-Naksa."
If you try to find any information about this popular revolution, you won't find any, because there was no revolution that occurred. It was merely labeled a "crisis." In it, all political and popular currents in Egypt rallied around one demand—to overthrow military rule.
The Military Council dealt with it just as they did with January 25, to the letter.
August 9, 2021
A week ago, I was in one of the old neighborhoods in Asyut, in the Safa area of Bani Ghaleb, about 450 kilometers from Cairo. I went there with my uncle to meet his old friend from college. Despite a few hiccups along the way, including missing a gas station break as we couldn’t refuel, we eventually found another gas station after a few hours on the road and decided to rest for some time. After five hours, we finally reached our destination, and we were warmly welcomed by my uncle's friend. We enjoyed a good “Asyut-ian” meal, some drinks, and spent some time watching TV.
Later in the evening, I felt a desire to explore the city and get a feel for it since I'd never been there before. Stepping out of the small apartment, I decided to cross over to the other side of the neighborhood to get myself some refreshing cold juice because of the hot weather that day. As I wandered, I passed by a hospital and stopped at a vendor selling cold drinks to quench my thirst. Unfortunately, the man there didn't have the drink I wanted, so he kindly directed me to a nearby shop close to one of the local schools. Following his directions carefully, I arrived at another supermarket and found the drink I wanted. As I was about to leave, I decided to wait for some more time. Thirty meters from me, adjacent to the back gate of the school building, sat a veiled woman selling vegetables. Like other street vendors, she appeared to be striving to earn a living. I noticed several people trying relentlessly to offer her money and assistance, where she politely declined. I got closer to her, hearing her as she emphasized to those offering help that she wasn't seeking charity, telling them: “No one owes me money; I'm not a beggar. If anyone wants to get something, let them get something for the little boy to eat; that would be good. Thank you."
I left the woman where she was, looking from afar at her again. This woman, who hides her face, probably doesn't do it for religious reasons. She seems to have a sense of dignity and pride that made her look at what she did with disdain. Behind her, the school wall was painted with the colors of the Egyptian flag, where you could read the words "Long live Egypt, Long live Egypt, Long live Egypt" written above her head, and the woman sitting right in the middle. “What a painting of contrast,” I said to myself. I remembered what I was taught in my poetry lessons: “contrast strengthens and clarifies meaning.” I also remembered what I learned in my art classes: “contrast and juxtaposition intensify.” Indeed. I looked at this real-life painting of dissonance, and I had nothing to do but reflect on the broader socio-economic conditions within Egypt. If this is the condition of the citizens of Egypt, then how is the condition of Egypt any different? How will Egypt live long? How will the child who grows up watching his mom sit in front of a school, struggling to make ends meet, view education in the future? If a country doesn’t provide its people with the best means for a better life, then it is a poor, weak country whose citizens will turn into its biggest enemies, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Writing this, I remembered the old song sung by actor Nagah Al-Mogy in one of his old movies:
“‘Long live Egypt, long live Egypt,’ everyone said.
‘Long live Egypt, in every aspect, long live Egypt,’ everyone said.
‘Long live Egypt… in factories, in farms, and in the mountains,’ everyone said.”
“You leave it to live and it’ll live and thrive. Just leave it live,’ I say.”
June, 2022
From what I have learned in the past ten years, politics in the Arab region still adheres to Murphy's Law: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." In other words, if the worst-case scenario is a military coup, then the coup will happen. If the crisis is at its worst, leading to a massacre, then the massacre will occur. This is simply because our Arab region is still governed by primitive politics that has not evolved its institutions or accumulated experiences to make the decision-making process more objective, rational, and less driven by primal instincts such as the love of power, wealth, the illusion of a singular leader, and the like.
What is happening in Sudan is a new testament to this hypothesis: a political transition (supposedly democratic) in which both military and civilians participate. The most likely scenario is the worst one: the military will prevail over civilians, as was the case in October 2021. The military, led by two allied factions, controls two parallel armies. The worst-case scenario is that their personal differences escalate into an open military confrontation, which is happening these days. Nothing seems predictable in Arab politics; only expect the worst-case scenario.
October 16, 2022
“We're looking for a prayer to help us boost our income, Sheikh.”
“Of course, my dear. It's 650 Egyptian pounds.”
“Why, Sheikh? The previous prayer was only 250.”
“That previous one was specifically for softening the heart, my dear. Don't you think your income might improve with a generous spirit? Think it over.”
“Alright, I'll pay once I see an increase in my income.”
“But how can I be sure you'll follow through? You might just take the prayer and disappear. Let's simplify things. Pay 350 now and the remaining 300 when your income starts to pick up.”
“Okay, how about this: I can use my contacts to get you 2,000 TikTok views, and I’ll owe you only 100 pounds.”
“No, let's not complicate things. Just go and get prayers from Google. They’re for free, you know.”
“Well, the secular prayers on Google didn't work well last time, and their effectiveness was weak.”
“Alright, you know it. So let's get back to discussing the price then.”
“So, what if you add an extra 200 pounds, and you personally perform the prayer for me?”
“You want me to perform the prayer myself for just 200 pounds?!”
“Yeah, it's just a prayer. You prayed for Mustafa, offering two night prayers for 400.”
“Mustafa, my dear, has a different situation. He's subscribed to the plan annually, getting the full package - pilgrimage, Umrah, additional prayers, fasting, and more.”
“Mustafa is a successful businessman, and we're not as well-off.”
“True, with all his deals, he barely has time to pray, except maybe during dinner. But, by the way, he was once in the same position as you. Do you know how he reached his current status?”
“How did he do that?”
“It was through my prayer for increased income.”
“Okay, Sheikh, I agree that the 350 is important, and I'm ready to go ahead with it.”
“Alright, now it's 400 because of the time wasted. A sincere piece of advice for the sake of Allah: think about the comprehensive package.”
September, 2019
The disparity between the official dollar price and the market price is not just mere currency valuation; it's a longstanding story that represents our societal dynamics and our relationship as a people and a regime. Governments always dictate values for commodities, accomplishments, and so on. Yet, our collective perception diverges from these assessments and attributes a different value.
November 11, 2020
Dear Mr. President,
I hope this letter finds you well.
Mr. President, do not run for election again. For the sake of God. The Egyptian people are backward people and don't deserve all your achievements.
They are stupid, Mr. President, and they do not understand you. Leave them so they face hell on Earth. Let them face their horrible destiny on their own. Let them grapple with terror. With fear. With poverty. And they’ll know your worth. Keep your valuable sacrifices for people who will appreciate and acknowledge them. They’ll run back to you. And you’ll remember my words. Leave them Mr. President. Leave them.
But before you do so.
I hope you hand over the country to us again but at the rate of 7 Egyptian pounds per dollar.
And give us back the two islands of Tiran and Sanafir that you gave to Saudi Arabia.
Give us back the old external debts; they were 35 billion dollars, not 67 billion dollars.
And the 30 billion dollars of Gulf aid that you got after June 30th 2013… don’t worry about them. They are in safe hands. We will build factories and employ young people…
Bring back the youth who died… whether civilians, military, or officers…
Bring back the lentils at 14 pounds, chicken at 15 pounds, and meat at 65 pounds. Sugar at 4 pounds, rice at 3 pounds, and oil at 9 pounds.
Before you leave, Mr. President…
I hope you cancel the Entebbe Agreement with Ethiopia… We want to get thirsty, don't worry.
I hope you cancel the maritime border demarcation agreement that led to the loss of Egyptian oil fields to Cyprus… We will be fine, don't worry.
And the Rafale plane… the most expensive plane in the world and its price is 100 million dollars… give it back to France. The F-16 is enough for us. We are backward people. We don’t need it.
Give to France the French Mistral aircraft carriers, which cost 3 billion dollars… Didn’t you know that one Exocet missile, also French-made, priced at only one million dollars can turn all into wreckage at the bottom of the sea in a second?
Please Mr. President. Please.
I beg you…
Get rid of the new canal and return the 8 billion dollars to us. The old canal and the two pennies it brings are enough for us…
As for your amazing projects that you fear from those you always call “the villains,” like the shrimp farm project, please cancel them too; we are content. We can live on ful, taamiya, and koshari… We don't know what shrimp even looks like. Spare us their billions, Mr. President…
Bring back tourism, just as it was before they exploded the plane, kidnapped the other, tortured Giulio Regeni, and attacked the Mexican tourists…
Return Sinai to us without killing or displacing its people.
Cancel the increases that were given to the army and police.
Mr. President… I know. I’m asking for a lot. But I have one last thing for you. If your majesty allows for it.
Please… I beg you. Cancel the long-term loan of $26 billion with Russia for the nuclear reactor… I mean, we are okay with the loan… But the nuclear reactor? No. Mr. President… No…We are drowning and electrocuted every time it rains because the infrastructure is crumbling. I appreciate your effort, Mr. President… But we are not missing a nuclear reactor that will wipe us off the map. We have the sun. Why not? It’s clean, cheaper, and free. You love all that is free, don’t you?
Mr. President, thank you for donating your family’s money in the first week of your rule. We appreciate it. We’ve kept them for you here, you can take them with you. Your plan worked, and our country flourished, thrived, and achieved remarkable progress under your leadership. We have excess money now. You can take yours. Thanks Mr. President. Thanks.
Oh.
I forgot.
Can you please take “potential terrorism” in your hand while you leave? I mean… If you can, of course. And don’t forget to close the door.
Thanks Mr. President.
Thanks.
March 21, 2021
The President's bravado: “I said, if the people reject the economic reform path, the government would resign on Thursday, and I would call for presidential elections on Saturday. So I asked everyone, those not currently detained, found them all in agreement and content, so no problem.”
May 3, 2019
I stumbled upon this post on Facebook by chance from one of the student union leaders in Egypt named Mohamed Morsi, and it’s an old post, dating back around 3 years.
“Dear President Sisi,
I received an invitation from your Excellency to attend the Egyptian Family Iftar in my capacity as the president of the Helwan University’s Student Union. Without this capacity, I could have been either a prisoner of opinion or a pursued person. It’s also unlikely that this capacity will in any way vouch for me after those words to complete the remainder of the holy month of Ramadan with my family.
I hope you accept my words with open arms. I convey them to your Excellency here in short sentences. I hope you read them. It is better for me to write it here instead of going to the Iftar and you don’t hear them. The Egyptian family, Mr. President, fasts during Ramadan, grieved and heartbroken by its families in your Excellency’s prisons.
The Egyptian family, Mr. President, fasts and breaks the fast in front of the departments, prisons and prosecution offices just to know the fate of a son or father who did not commit a crime but simply objected to your Excellency’s vision, which you personally admitted that 90 million Egyptians are dissatisfied with.
The Egyptian family, Your Excellency, is waiting for a coup de grâce from the Ministry of Individual Cases, or a harsh ruling from the platform of justice, or escape from the fence of oppression, tyranny, and high prices.
I will not prolong and will not waste your Excellency's time or my time on a speech that will not reach you, and if it does, you will not pay attention to it. If only I had enough time to attend an Iftar, then I think I would break the fast with those who say that Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian and that Jerusalem is Arab, and that Egypt is a country and a homeland, even if it were just half a date!”
There is no need to comment; his words alone suffice. The manner and strength with which Mohamed speaks here is unusual and not seen today. The Egyptian regime learned its lesson after its extensive experience in dispersing gatherings of students and their leaders. If we look closely, many of the prominent opposition figures today in Egyptian politics, the majority of them were student union leaders and activists with a history dating fifty years. It was a harsh lesson that required attention, forcing the regime to deal firmly with any display of leadership and opposition and in a severe manner, appointing student leaders who are known to be publicly loyal to the regime so that they do not deviate in any way.
The Egyptian regime is fully aware of what it means to have a student union president who opposes and has a strong individual voice. History tells us that student movements were most of the time the driving force for change. Today this voice of change is lost, and values of dignity and expression are lost with it. It’s reached the point that if a student leader speaks in a way that is similar to Ahmed’s, we will feel as if something is wrong. We aren’t accustomed to it. Our people, unfortunately, have become satisfied with injustice as long as it guarantees them a safe life away from prison. When I say this, however, I do not blame anyone. I fully realize that what happened was a concerted effort to silence all segments of the population, planned in a way to clear the path for the regime to implement its plans without being bothered by anyone... even if was is a 20-year-old student.
No matter how strong the regime appears, it is a fragile regime that will not last long.
January, 2019
The slow death of political prisoners in Egypt is the sole responsibility of the regime. The consecutive deaths of prisoners due to the deterioration of their health and the lack of healthcare are clear crimes. The current regime is accountable for the overall health of prisoners, especially political ones due to direct animosity. This responsibility remains regardless of whether the prisoner has committed a legal crime, as the law itself guarantees prisoners' rights to healthcare, visitation, correspondence, and other essentials they are deliberately deprived of.I hope that those in power remember that there is no social stability without reconciliation with the oppressed in Egypt. Suppressing anger and despair is not a recipe for long-term stability. Searching for a common ground that unites all Egyptians, regardless of their diverse backgrounds, political affiliations, and social classes, is a duty for all parties, with the government taking the lead.
March 3, 2020
Water is more important than gas, more important than petroleum, more important than concrete because:Water is the agricultural workforce.
Water is the continued fertility of the land.
Water is electricity generation.
Water is the foundation of food security.
Water is the Nile, and the Nile is the fabric of our civilization.
Without the Nile, we would be like Libya with its 7 million population. Anyone who neglects the Nile has not yet grasped our way of life.
April 24, 2020
"Egypt, with its 30 presidential palaces, is now building three more—one in Alamein, one in the Administrative Capital, and a grand palace in the City of the Future. Yet, no one talks about it.
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How many schools or hospitals could have been built with the cost of these palaces?
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How many factories could have been established, employing how many young people?
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How many families could have been lifted out of poverty?
February, 2021
UAE celebrates Mustafa Qandil, an Egyptian, for surpassing a company value of 1.5 billion dollars in Dubai.
Qatar celebrates the young Egyptian, Fares Ibrahim, after winning its first Olympic gold medal in history.
The common thread in both stories is that they are successful, hardworking, and outstanding young individuals who managed to find an environment that appreciates their creativity after being expelled from a corrupt system that only values the ignorant and those devoid of creativity.
Congrats to both Qandil and Ibrahim. I wish them all the best. May our people find prosperity and fulfillment wherever they choose to go, and under any flag that recognizes and values their contributions.
February, 2021
UAE celebrates Mustafa Qandil, an Egyptian, for surpassing a company value of 1.5 billion dollars in Dubai.
Qatar celebrates the young Egyptian, Fares Ibrahim, after winning its first Olympic gold medal in history.
The common thread in both stories is that they are successful, hardworking, and outstanding young individuals who managed to find an environment that appreciates their creativity after being expelled from a corrupt system that only values the ignorant and those devoid of creativity.
Congrats to both Qandil and Ibrahim. I wish them all the best. May our people find prosperity and fulfillment wherever they choose to go, and under any flag that recognizes and values their contributions.
March 3, 2021
The confiscation of properties and lands owned by thousands of Egyptians in the areas where projects are implemented is a tragedy. Compounding the issue is the fact that compensation is both delayed and significantly less than the actual valuation of the confiscated properties. The gravity of this issue is not highlighted appropriately in the Egyptian media because the entity responsible for property confiscation is the government, and decisions come from President Sisi or are through his delegation, and the execution is by the military. Indeed there is a lack of genuine journalism in Egypt that addresses the plight of the people, and there is no real authentic parliamentary body that actively addresses this issue.
Major projects, especially those to be undertaken in densely populated areas, inevitably collide with private properties. Therefore, countries enforce laws to ensure fair compensation for citizens whose properties may be affected by such projects. In Egypt, the Egyptian constitution and laws explicitly emphasize respecting private property, accompanied by specific regulations governing the process of expropriating private properties for public benefit. However, since 2013, the primary challenge facing private property in Egypt is that these projects are often carried out without considering any opinions other than those of the Sisi regime. There is a conspicuous absence of genuine debate regarding the impact of these projects on people, and there is no discussion on possible alternatives to minimize the damages incurred. The projects are carried out, and whatever happens, happens, as usual. The average Egyptian citizen, who has invested their entire life savings into their home for their family, or those who have taken loans or borrowed from others, are the ones paying the price and shouldering the burden if their property falls within the scope of a project. In such cases, they face the ordeal of property expropriation.
Once the government decides to expropriate a property, they don’t notify the affected residents; no. The residents might be having breakfast safely in their homes and then find themselves suddenly displaced without any proper notice, as happened in the Houd Al-Barka area in Al-Warraq, Giza, where the government wanted to construct the Rod El-Farag Axis road. After the forced eviction, which is also against the government's own laws, the affected citizens face another dilemma: they didn’t receive compensation on time. Due to the consistent prolonged delay in receiving compensation, Houd Al-Barka citizens waited for over a year to receive the compensation that is stipulated by law.
Even if they get lucky and the delayed compensation finally arrives, it falls short of the true value of the property. This is actually a repeated scenario. People who had their properties taken for the new road, King Salman Axis, in Giza, received eviction notices just two days before, making it practically impossible for them to find any alternatives. According to the law, before an eviction, people are supposed to be informed 30 days in advance. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case. Properties were confiscated, and when the compensation finally arrived, it was approximately one-third of the value of each apartment. For context, a three-room apartment in this area had been valued at around 250,000 Egyptian pounds ten years ago. People, however, found themselves in a situation where they only get to receive only 100,000 pounds for the apartment, roughly one-third of its old value from a decade ago, or nothing at all. Of course, the current market value is more than tenfold higher… Can you grasp the magnitude of the loss? A hundred thousand pounds in Egypt can’t secure you even substandard housing, let alone affording a new apartment.
An alarming aspect of property confiscation for government projects in Egypt is that it has affected around 34,000 individuals. Let’s reframe this a bit: 34,000 properties registered in the names of their owners, each one representing a family. The actual impact of this is a complete social tragedy. In 2020 alone, there were 23 eviction and property confiscation decisions. Up until the past year, the courts had more than 2,020 cases where individuals contested the expropriation of their properties and complained about the inadequate compensations provided by the government. President Sisi then shows on the TV screen, lamenting that Egyptians don’t have patience and are not appreciating the “divine wisdom” behind his projects and decisions. It’s absurd.
Our regime fails to grasp that the issue here is not related to projects or factories whose results and effect on the lives of Egyptians have yet to manifest and may never do so. Here, we are facing a catastrophe where hundreds of thousands have been deprived of their homes. Sisi might say: the Egyptian people can bear sleeping without food. But… How can they endure being deprived of their houses—of their shelter? It’s a tragedy, and unfortunately, it’ll keep on escalating and because the regime's real estate, roads, and bridges projects, which are supposed to be beneficial for people, are increasing We are talking about a general disaster, not a public benefit, as there is no benefit to a country at the expense of destroying the lives of its people.
We are humans. When someone is living in a place, he wants to remain in wherever he is or aspires to move to a more comfortable place. However, what is happening at the moment, in front of everyone’s eyes, is that the regime is undermining thousands of lives, setting them back years. Their years of hard work are simply lost years and have no value. The sacrifices of individuals who have labored and deprived themselves and their families of many things to build a home are meaningless in the eyes of the Egyptian government. This clearly indicates that the new projects undertaken by Sisi and his regime, whether roads, bridges, or cities, do not have the Egyptian citizen as their goal. These projects are prepared for a new beneficiary who will benefit from them at the expense of the blood and toil of others.
September 21, 2021
“I spoke to God, and I told him, Lord...
I want to have a sign that will reassure me that I am on the right path. ‘The villains’ made me second-guess myself. I woke up and found myself here, walking on a paved road, covered with blue carpets, in the middle of fields of wheat, in the heart of the desert.
Just at this moment... I knew how much God loves me and stands beside me. And to you Egyptians, before you say anything, this paved road in the desert did not cost the state treasury a pound.
How and why?
Because, first, the state treasury does not have a pound. Secondly, this is a miracle that God made special for me, and miracles are supernatural. He says be and it is. No costs or fees.
Why don’t you believe me?”
March 1, 2020
It's interesting to see el-Sisi today agitated, shaken, and seemingly terrified by everything around him. However, the problem is that he is not afraid of the people at all; they don't seem to factor into his considerations. Even in his speeches, which we often criticize, he doesn't seem concerned about the public. The real fear lies in the possibility that someone within the military might use the people as a tool against him, just as happened before.
That's why he stated it explicitly on one occasion, "What happened eight years ago in Egypt won't happen again." In other words, "What we did to the people won't backfire on us."
November 23, 2022
Although I’m not a fan of Erdogan, I am surprised to see so many Egyptians disappointed in him, banking on and expecting that change will come from outside and not from within.
Because we are accustomed to one-person rule in our countries, we are not able to comprehend the style of government in countries that choose their rulers freely and where people hold them accountable if they act in a way that does not serve their interests. Throughout the past years, Turkish President Erdogan’s hard-line opinion on the coup in Egypt reflected his personal stance. On the occasions when he said: “I will never respect the coup plotters in Egypt” and “Morsi is the president of Egypt because he was elected by the people,” as well as “The Egyptian people are in our hearts, but we will not communicate with Sisi,” Erodgan was expressing not only his view but also his party’s, and Turkey consequently adhered voluntarily to those stances.
For years and till this very moment, Turkey has been a refuge for many Egyptians who fled to it after suddenly finding themselves chased by the police forces. This, in addition to all the times in which Turkey demanded the release of Egyptian detainees and halting executions, I believe were sincere efforts for change. The shift in Erdogan’s position today towards Egypt and the closeness to the Egyptian regime that he has long been against might seem hypocritical. However, let's not forget that Erdogan does not rule alone; his decisions are shaped by institutional vision that must be taken into consideration.
We must speak and act responsibly, realizing that any meaningful change in Egypt must happen through its people. Relying on Erdogan, Turkey, or other nations is futile, and we alone are responsible for achieving our country's interests. Blaming foreign entities is foolish. In the end, politics is governed by interests only. We are lucky if our interests coincide with others’, but blaming them for our inability to change our reality is misguided. In the end, don’t be disappointed in Erdogan. Be disappointed in ourselves.
March 21, 2019
Korea manufactures a car for $5,000 and sells it to Egypt for $7,000. Egypt imposes fees, tariffs, and ownership transfer costs, resulting in the car being sold for $20,000. Korea earned $2,000 from the car and is a wealthy country. Meanwhile, Egypt received $13,000 for the car, and is a poor country.
The iPhone 14 costs $800 to produce, and Apple sells it for $1,100. However, in Egypt, the same iPhone is priced at $3,000. Apple's profit from the sale amounts to $300. Egypt made $1,900 in the process.
July, 2016
“- The building's doorman is attempting to sell your apartment, and he is going to do so TOMORROW!
- Seriously? Are you kidding me? In what capacity, if any?
- He says that he is the building’s guard, and he protects your building. He has the right to sell anything in the building to keep it safe, and he chose your apartment—whether you like it or not!”
For those who support Sisi and believe it is his and his government’s right to sell the country’s land and assets just because Sisi is a military man and that “the military protects the country.” For those who assert that our country is safe solely because of the military and we “don’t want to end up like Syria and Iraq”.... I hope you read the lines above carefully. I hope you realize how inadequate of an argument that sounds.
The situation has become absurd and intolerable.
November 23, 2022
When you review the entire Egyptian lyrical and musical heritage, you realize the recurrence of symbols such as “wheat,” “canals,” and how they were integrated and combined into expressive rhetorical expressions as indicators of the Egyptians’ connection and belonging to this country and land, with metaphors symbolizing goodness, growth, hope, ability, production, fertility, and more.
I will not delve into the symbolism of wheat in ancient Egyptian civilization on the obelisks and the murals. It is enough to observe the Egyptian musical heritage in the last 120 years only so that anyone grasps how the presence of Egypt is connected to the presence of wheat... Egypt without wheat and cotton... is no longer the Egypt of history. Wheat means fullness, and fullness means dignity, and dignity means ability. Cotton means covering, warmth, and profit. Imagine an Egyptian, full, generous, capable, and in a warm house. This is no longer the case. He was annihilated by the officers’ country.
We tried after January 2011 to revive, improve, and reintegrate wheat in our lives once again, it worked. President Morsi then held a conference amid the golden land during the wheat harvest, announcing that the country achieved 70% of self-sufficiency within a year. This was an alarm bell for the military regime, which carried out a bloody military coup and installed a military leader who detests canals and agriculture. A man who drains the lifeblood of the country and replaces it with concrete in its veins.
Concrete does not satisfy, does not cover, does not honor, does not warm, and does not profit... and they are well aware of this.
March 13, 2022
Years have passed, and it's become a recurring observation that President Sisi addresses the public with his back turned, even in non-contentious speeches or scheduled conferences. Instead of standing on the platform to face the audience, he remains seated, often next to the speaker. He only speaks directly to the audience during events with foreign guests outside the country, such as the Government Summit in Abu Dhabi, where he was interviewed by an Emirati journalist on Sky News.
It raises questions: Does the president feel more secure outside Egypt, avoiding direct interaction with his people?
August 12, 2022
When Sherif Mounir [an Egyptian actor] comes out and says to people: “People think that I'm not suffering from the high prices, but I swear I have installments to pay, and Ahmed El-Sakka and Karim Abdel Aziz [Egyptian actors] have too,” you realize the extent of the absurdity we have in in this country.
This man sees no difference between the installments you pay to get the latest car models, chalets on the North Coast, houses in the Administrative Capital, gifts, diamonds, and whatnot, and the installments that 99.9% of Egyptians grind through for refrigerators, stoves, and kitchen utensils. He tries to be the loyal actor he is to the regime, telling people that they need to bear more and more all for the “new republic.” He is, as we say, in Egyptian slang, living in watermelon water, distant from reality and the struggles of people. He doesn’t realize that the installments that most Egyptian people pay are to meet their basic needs and get their children married, not for pleasure and luxury that can be dispensed with.
Sherif, however, doesn’t stop here. He speaks to the public once again and says that acting is a tough job. He believes that it is normal for there to be a difference in pay between actors and others because the profession is difficult. In his point of view, actors go through very “challenging” circumstances, and therefore his wage must be higher than others'. “We work like an investigation officer or a prosecutor who goes to work at dawn, and we wear summer clothes in the harsh winter in order to complete our tasks,” he says. Sherif also advises those aspiring actors to stay away from acting, because it’s “exhausting” and they work all day for 24 hours non-stop.
While it’s his right to believe that his job is difficult, trying to impose that view on us by telling people they need to work hard is both absurd and unrealistic. Actors don’t work 24/7. They have air-conditioned trailers with bathrooms, and they have assistants. Why does Sherif get a higher wage than the technicians (lighting workers, camera workers, and production assistants)? These people, if he works 10 hours a day, they work twice as hard so that once he enters the shooting set, everything is prepared and ready. So why does want want to make it sound as if Egyptians are lazy, careless, and not working hard enough? All of us know the answer. Sherif himself knows it.
Sherif, I hope you pay your installments... and I hope you leave our people pay theirs.
June 13, 2020
We have now transitioned from the phase of "Why are you upset? Our Lord is protecting us, and Egypt hardly has any coronavirus, and the performance of the president and the government is dazzling" to the phase of "What will the president do for you? I mean, the pandemic exists all over the world, so either be vigilant or perish while you remain silent. We won't be better than America and Britain."
Do not let preoccupation with mockery make you forget the importance of caution and social distancing.
May 6, 2020
I was first surprised when I visited the Facebook page “We are all Khaled Said” in 2018, the page that sparked the Egyptian revolution in 2011. It struck me that the last post was dated July 3, 2013, the day the military coup occurred, which was the statement of the military forces when it overthrew Morsi’s regime and the will of the people… The same the people who were led by this page to go out on January 25, 2011, to claim freedom and establish a “civil state,” seeking justice for Khaled Saeed, who was tortured by the Egyptian police. After the statement was posted, the page came to a halt, and the page lost its voice forever.
This means (simply and without the effort of thinking) that the page’s mission ended with the publication of the coup statement against the elected president. It is not possible for the page to go further than that, and it is not possible to post even a single letter after that, because the page will have three options:
(1) Supporting the military coup against the will of the people and the elected president. This means “revealing the entire plan,” and one can imagine the reaction of the 3.5 million followers of the page at that point.
(2) Opposing the coup, which is impossible. This page, in my estimation, only existed to enable the military to seize power, by cutting off Gamal Mubarak. Thus, the statement of the military coup was the last post for the page, essentially saying to Egyptians, “Thank you for your cooperation... Our plan succeeded…”!!
(3) Stopping the page’s activity, so that it remains a “beautiful memory” that could be recalled, allowing Egyptian youth the opportunity to search for an explanation for the page’s inactivity. This is a huge fall. The page moderators treated 3.5 million people as if they were used toilet papers, destined for the trash bin, without a word of farewell or thanks!
The third choice was the ideal one, and that’s what happened. The page's activity stopped for years. Today, the page has no presence on the Internet. There is no page, no revolution, and we have not achieved justice in Khaled Said's case.
A dream is dead and buried.
October 13, 2020
Yesterday, one of the journalists named Sahar Al-Jaara (I had never heard of her before, to be honest) came out to us to say: “I saw a severe congestion in front of some restaurants, as if Egypt has no problems. I said to myself, if all these people celebrate New Year’s in restaurants, who is eating chicken feet?”
I am amazed and shocked every time by the amount of disgrace and the attempt to manipulate scenes, exporting an untrue image of our people. So let us clarify this a bit. Is it customary or part of the culture that Egyptian people eat chicken feet? No, chicken feet are usually bought as food for animals. Are there now people who eat chicken legs in Egypt? Yes, of course. Is it a large number? We do not know. But has it increased recently? Yes, of course. Why? Because chicken prices have increased by more than 96% in just one year, which made eating chicken in Egypt a dream for many millions. Now they want, as we say in Egyptian slang, something of its smell, and it seems that chicken feet are the most suitable solution.
To respond to the misleading journalist, Ms. Sahar, I would like to ask her some questions: How many people were there in this crowd? A thousand? Two thousand? Three? Half a million? A million? Two million? What about the other 108 million others? Journalist Sahar is indifferent, and she simply doesn’t care. All she's trying to say is that everything is fine, and that the government's plan is progressing well. No one is hungry or anything. These are just rumors invented by evil people and the enemies of the country to slander and defame the wise Egyptian regime and its policies.
I don't know what else to say, but if this is the state of our journalists, then the situation is bad and does not bode well.
January, 2020
The reasons for the revolution are still present,
The factors for its success are still absent,
And that is the issue at hand.
May, 2020
It's ironic that as a decision-maker and official, you live your life promoting lies for the sake of the nation's “stability” and “the safety of its lands.” When you pass away, people accuse you of things where truths are mixed with lies, and proven facts are exaggerated with hyperbolic claims. It remains impossible for anyone to distinguish truth from falsehood, and reality from exaggeration. This is because you were one of those who worked throughout their lives to maintain a status quo built on deceit and manipulation, and the consequences align with the nature of the work.
June 11, 2021
It is a mistake to privatize public banks at a time when the government is grappling with resource shortages, declining investments, and investors' inclination towards the luxury real estate sector, which does not contribute to productive capacity and complicates Egypt's housing problem. If we look at newly industrialized countries like South Korea, we find that the privatization of public banks there occurred only after significant progress on the path of economic growth. Is it impossible to bring up these major issues for expert and public discussion before making decisions of such critical significance?
April 25, 2019
Mahmoud, the ambitious, hardworking son of Sisi, could have easily kicked back and relied on the fact that his father is the president, relaxing and avoiding work, enjoying the presidential palace funded by the country's wealth. He could have stayed there alone and become the sultan of his time. But no, Mahmoud did not choose that path. He decided to take a hard pass on a life of leisure and pleasure, rejecting comfort and refusing to depend on his father’s status. He decided to exert effort on his own, spending endless hours of training, becoming the powerful individual he is in the General Intelligence Service (GIS) through his years of hard work—of course!
Some naive people might say that Mahmoud reached his position and status through his father, but the truth is different. It is a well-established undeniable fact that Sisi vehemently loathes nepotism. Yes, he does. Mahmoud, being a talented and ambitious go-getter, had a keen interest in intelligence from a young age. When other kids were enjoying Eid gifts, he invested his pocket money in buying magical ink. While others were learning how to write, he was mastering the secret art of breaking codes. His commitment and skills eventually landed him a very well-deserved spot in the GIS... Bravo, Mahmoud!
Even after that, Mahmoud didn’t cease to be a dutiful and good son. He was there for his father, our great president, providing him with information about officers who were not loyal to him. Of course, we know that the 119 intelligence officers who retired did so because they had the intention to do so—they wanted to do so, and they did it “willingly.” Intelligence work is hard, I can imagine, and it was a season in which everyone felt down.
Mahmoud is such a versatile individual. He plays various roles within the intelligence agency, particularly in internal affairs. In 2015, Mahmoud showed his genius by orchestrating the parliament to ensure it perfectly aligns with his father’s interests. He did that by strategically placing individuals in key positions to secure a majority in the parliament, allowing the approval of laws that favored Sisi's agenda.
Now, concerns arise because—you know— jealousy between siblings is a thing. Because Mahmoud was the puppet master of everything. Sisi, being an amazing father, addressed the issue by sprinkling responsibilities on his other kids. The country is vast, with numerous institutions, all under his command and his offspring. So Mustafa, his other son, was given charge of the Administrative Control Authority, giving it laws and powers that make it the most important regulatory body in the country. Every day, we hear about corruption cases being exposed by the Administrative Control Authority, with high-ranking officials involved in webs of deceit, accused of bribery and profiteering. We know very well that corrupt individuals in Egypt get nabbed not because they breached the laws of corruption. No, no, no. They violated the very strict state laws that everyone—of course everyone—follows. They deserve that. Mustafa, being the faithful lovely son he is, ensures that all the country’s institutions worked for papa's benefit and under his control.
Now, Mahmoud is in charge of the GIS and Mustafa of the ACA. Someone's missing? Oh Hassan. Well, Hassan wasn’t exactly pulling his weight. But thanks to papa again, Hassan is currently an officer in the GIS, married the daughter of the former Chief of Staff and Sisi's best friend and right-hand man, Mahmoud Hegazy. All is good and life is great.
What a great hard working family that we Egyptians are lucky to have.
March 21, 2022
The crisis in Egypt is political, not economic. Perhaps now they realize that governance is a political matter. It is not acceptable to proudly declare, "I'm not into politics," as it is akin to someone entering an operating room, standing over the patient, and shouting, "I'm not a doctor, but I have people behind me who can run this hospital in six hours." Noble, great, and courageous, but we need a surgeon. The patient is bleeding.
August 5, 2019
The remarkable achievements of Egyptian squash players on the world stage fill me with pride. However, I ponder whether the unique success of Egyptians in this sport, distinct from others, is rooted in the fact that squash is akin to the concept of "bang your head against the wall," which encapsulates the essence of life in Egypt since ancient times.