CAIRO: The Egyptian media’s reaction to the translation of the US ambassador’s remark on the verdict handed down to democracy advocate Saad Eddin Ibrahim was scathing.
One commentator urged the Foreign Ministry to expel her from the country.
The Egyptian and foreign press reported that the recently-appointed US Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey referred to Ibrahim’s verdict as a shame, in a remark she made after meeting with Coordinator of the Arab Economic Summit Mervat El-Talawi at the headquarters of the Arab League Sunday.
Scobey’s remark, “It’s a shame was translated in the Egyptian press as “aar, Arabic for “disgraceful, which prompted Al-Osboa editor-in-chief Mostafa Bakry to call on the Foreign Ministry to expel Scobey from Egypt effective immediately.
US Embassy spokesperson Margaret White told Daily News Egypt, “There doesn’t seem to be a directly equivalent translation from English into Arabic that expresses the meaning of ‘It’s a shame.’ To prevent any misunderstandings, we posted the statement issued yesterday by the US Department of State on our website at http://egypt.usembassy.gov with an Arabic translation.
Sixty-nine-year-old Ibrahim was sentenced in absentia to two years or a fine of LE 10,000 Saturday on charges of tarnishing Egypt’s reputation, after he urged the US to tie its aid to Egypt with improvements in the country’s human rights record.
The US Congress had frozen $100 million of the aid subject to a number of conditions including improving the human rights situation in Egypt but this decision was later reversed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Egypt had reacted harshly to the decision, claiming that no one could interfere in what it deemed were internal affairs.
In its statement, the US heavily criticized the Ibrahim verdict, with State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos saying on Monday, “We are disappointed by the recent conviction in Egypt of democracy activist Dr Saad Eddin Ibrahim . Lawsuits should not be used to undermine the principles of freedom of expression. We strongly advocate – in all countries – the protection of civil and political rights, including freedom of speech and due process.
The verdict was based on a report submitted by the Foreign Ministry which alleged that Ibrahim had requested that the US use the aid it gives to Egypt annually to pressure for an improvement in the country’s internal political situation.
Ibrahim, who holds dual American-Egyptian citizenship, currently resides in the US but indicated last month he would like to return to Egypt if he was given assurances he would not be arrested.
