Egypt Still Fights Alone

I hardly know where to start this morning.  Once again the CNN, BBC World and Al Jazeera English are continuing their “…….” I don’t have a word to put in there – let’s just say that their slant on the news from Egypt seems to be from some parallel universe to the one that I am living in.  Euronews is mostly ok but it also has it’s moments – for example yesterday morning they referred to General Sisi as a general who had never seen live action – not their exact words…but why on earth should they slot those words in?  Would they refer to Obama as a Chief of Staff of the American Forces, who has never seen live action?

Yes, the media is reporting events – some events, but they still report with a slant that is against the Egyptian Government and pro-MB.  For example BBC still refers to the ousted President Morsi as “the first democratically elected President, Dr. Morsi who was deposed by the military” This implies a military coup which we are all sick of stating was not a coup.  I am really getting tired of repeating that the people called on the military to remove Morsi when he would not step down.  The fact that he was democratically elected is irrelevant since we can all agree now that he ruled as a dictator – the reason for his removal.  Less people took to the streets to remove Mubark  and the media instantly referred to him as the “ousted President Mubark”  What is their problem now?

As I write today – all over social media and slotted into mainstream coverage hourly is some comment that Mubarak WILL be released at any moment.  This is an attempt to get an anti-Mubarak move going within Egypt to divide the people.  The fact they should be impartially reporting is that Mubarak has been legally acquitted on one of the last remaining criminal charges against him.  The remaining charge is unlikely to be proved.  So, criminal charges were brought against Mubark and he has been successfully defended against all of them save one remaining.  Those are facts NOT what they are reporting.

I feel like taking all these reports apart line by line but don’t have either the time or energy – but I have done it with one – I have challenged the Irish Times on an Egypt article.

BBC again, Jeremy Bowen reports from the morgue that people don’t want to talk to the cameras because of the government’s anti-foreign media propaganda.  Ordinary Egyptians and foreigners like myself here, have been Facebooking and Tweeting since 30 June about the foreign media mis-infomation campaign.  On 17 Aug the Egyptian government called a press convention to point out to the foreign media what they were doing and not doing.  The spokesman pointed out that their coverage was unprofessional and biased.  He called for professional, impartial reporting on Egypt.  So now they have a reference in most interviews and news coverage about the “anti-foreign media” stance and propaganda of the government.  See what I mean?  Egypt can’t win with these people.  Here is the short and to the point statement the government issued afterwards

I watched a BBC interview between Jeremy Bowen and Mostafa Hegazy, a representative of the Egyptian Government.  Jeremy sat forward in his chair like a bulldog in the attack stance, fired questions at Hegazy like bullets from a machine gun, cutting across his answers before the guy even finished speaking.  Hegazy sat back in his chair and answered clearly and calmly – wonderful interview for Hegazy but appalling behaviour from Jeremy Bowen.  His street interviews, even under fire :-), are more relaxed than this one was!

My title say “Egypt Still Fights Alone” that is true in the sense that we feel we are alone (yes, talking like Egyptian, will explain later).  Alone because the short comments coming from the EU meeting yesterday still came across as the EU trying to find some way to pressure the Egyptian government to stop what they are doing.  What are they doing?  They are arresting people suspected of violence and acts of terrorism – a right every country’s security forces can exercise.  The British Security Forces detained Greenwald’s partner at the airport for 9 hours under the Terrorism Act yesterday.  Though this was an obvious abuse of power.  Anyone speak up?  As an EU citizen the dialogue regarding Egypt disgusts and embarrasses me because as the weeks pass the world will see the charges against those arrested and the evidence.  Then aren’t the heads of the EU going to look stupid in front of it’s citizens?

“Egypt Still Fights Alone” not entirely true in the sense that many Arab states such as Kuwait, UAE, Jordan, Baharain and Saudi Arabia, in the region have openly declared their support for Egyptian government & security forces in fighting terrorism.  By the way remember 9/11 when the term 9/11 was coined and everyone took it up?  Foreign media here are making a laugh of the use of the phrase being used here despite the fact that there are reams of videos showing the Al Qaeda flag in protests.

But here is the odd and confusing thing……it’s not only the Arab states supporting Egypt, ISRAEL supports the Egyptian Government and Army – what does that tell you?  The Israelis know exactly what and whom the Egyptians are fighting.  The brother of the current Al Qaeda leader is arrested in Cairo – it is mentioned in the foreign media – barely.  Remember the media frenzy and celebrations when Obama is supposed to have killed Bin Laden?  Then the Supreme Guide – one of the men behind all the violence, is arrested and what does Obama do?  He suspends military aid and cash to the Egyptian military.  Someone explain all this to me please?

Earlier I said I would tell you about my use of “we” when speaking about Egypt.  It’s like this – quite a lot of the time Egyptians in general can drive me crazy for a variety of reasons in my daily life.  But since the silence from abroad during the year of Morsi’s dictatorship and the subsequent illogical bias in the foreign media; and from foreign governments in favour of Morsi and the Brotherhood AGAINST the majority of Egyptian people……I have begun to feel as oppressed by all this as the Egyptians themselves do.  Always been one to fight for the underdog I have to fight on the side of the Egyptian people, Interim Government and Security Forces.  As a citizen of the world and a human being I am compelled to fight for innocence and against terror – but especially when it is in my face.  Hence “we” 🙂