Have you notice how we all have been glued to the TV’s since 30th June?  Come on folks that is 40 days incl all of Ramadan – more than enough time in the desert.  We won’t even talk about the paralysis we have been experiencing for the year 30 June 2012 – June 2013 or the hope we fed on from since 2011.  We have exhausted ourselves in the waiting and worse still we hand over our power to the MB and media.

What did we think was going to happen after 30th June?  I was full of hope that there would be an immediate action and an end to the stalemate.  No point lamenting the lack of that now.  Obviously the Interim Government are playing the political game and maybe they should work with the army and let the MB at the sit-ins til they wither.  They have more patience than me and maybe it will be better for Egypt in the long run.  Morsi and MB coming to power in Egypt in 2013 will, in time, prove there undoing.  They failed miserably.

SO WHAT SHOULD WE DO TO TAKE BACK CONTROL? Work around them!

  • There are two sit-ins in Cairo.  Let the Security Forces sit and watch them.  Do whatever they want to contain that.  Not a good idea to cut off food, water etc. because they will simply let children die, bring them out sick and dying for the international media to see.  They will dig tunnels, use the local people under duress etc etc
  • If the local media want to cover the sit-ins – make it brief.  Starving them of attention will probably work faster.
  • We need  security to be restored to post 1997 status and maintain a high profile and high anti-terror alertness. Because when we lessen the media attention and our attention to them, they will do and are doing other things outside of the sit-ins to bring attention and supporters to them.  So, we need a heighten security
  • Make sure they are not allowed establish any more sit-ins ANYWHERE.
  • Promote Luxor and Aswan as safe places for Tourism the tourist areas in these towns are small and if the security forces and, if necessary, the Army cannot contain them securely as pre 2011, then we might as well all just give up.  Til now Cairo has given up on us.  Life is and has been going on as normal for everyone in Cairo AND the Red Sea – Luxor and Aswan have just been forgotten and it is also our fault because we have been asleep here.
  • Get on with writing the new Constitution, the elections in time and all the other changes that need to be made.

IN SHORT – get on with life.  Work around the MB and the sit-ins.  Perhaps if it is so obvious we are doing that they will want to get back to the politics or face being left behind for at least another 10 – 20 years.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  Leave a comment!

One Comment

  1. I really admire your drive and courage Mara and agree 100% that tourism in Luxor-Aswan could be promoted quite easily, security restored as it is not such a big place. Security forces, army and of course Ministries have to connect in order to save at least what is left from the ashes, however, as an interim government do they have the capability? Is there any politician in Egypt right now who has the drive, strength and charisma to unite the country and kick start it into motion? The MB have been waiting in the wings for decades and most of their leaders were incarcerated for decades, after the first democratic election in Egypt they are not going to simply disappear into the woodwork and to be fair why should they? In the meantime, unless there is a strong movement, political leader capable of uniting Egyptian population, despite religious belief or background and out of this mess then I can’t see an immediate future. If there is such a person or persons then why weren’t they running in the last election anyway? Stability in Egypt is vital to security in the middle east and personally I think the western politicians are playing a very dangerous game. Tunisia, Libya, Syria, Egypt, Mali, Yemen, Algeria all under constant dictatorships since colonialism! Maybe it’s a way of returning back to the colonial era and power? It was certainly a very lucrative time in history. Alternatively I have heard a lot of people saying “democracy” is not for the arab world!! Could it be that such populations can only succeed under colonial rule or dictatorships?

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