We cannot attribute the negative portrayal of Egypt, whether locally or internationally, to lack of understanding. It is illogical to assume that most of the Egyptians, and those who write about Egypt in Western media, are mistaken while a handful of regime supporters are right.
Regime supporters argue that this gloomy image is false, not a real one. But when they depict this rosy image they don’t go back to reality, but to meaningless figures. They refer to a growth rate of up to 7 percent and an increase in export and flow of foreign investments.
Generally speaking, these figures are true, although they are partially miscalculated. However, most of the Egyptians don’t believe them, especially the poor who are increasing at the same pace as the growth rate. The poor don’t trust the statistics of the government and its supporters, not because they are fond of the gloomy image, but because they can’t find any reflection of them in reality.
The reason behind the gap between the two views is the type of this growing economy. This growth is limited to specific sectors, construction and petroleum in particular, which are monopolized by a few groups. Tourism, which has contributed to this economic growth more than construction and petroleum, is also monopolized by a certain coterie.
The sectors – namely agriculture and manufacturing – from which most segments benefit, do not achieve any growth. That’s why most Egyptians don’t believe the statistics that paint a rosy image of the Egyptian economy, even though they are true.
Yet, the absence of the impact of the economic improvement on most Egyptians in recent years is not the prime reason for the bleak picture of Egypt painted by some local and global media. The picture does not only relate to the apparent deterioration in the performance of the government, evidenced by the disasters that have befallen the country. One example is the ferry that sank with more than 1,000 Egyptians on board, while its owner, the pro-government billionaire, has escaped punishment. Later, a landslide in Moqattam claimed the lives of an unspecified number of Egyptians.
Between the two disasters that have claimed the lives of poor citizens there was the inability to control the fire of the Shoura Council which eventually gutted the historically important building, and the return of the Egyptian Olympic mission from Beijing empty-handed with only one bronze medal.
These disasters have created a gloomy atmosphere in Egyptian society, just as the deterioration in the life of most Egyptians has led to a growing state of anger and discontent. However, neither of the two states has contributed to the creation of the popular negative image of Egypt; the absence of hope for the future is the only reason.
The poor segments and the victims of the disasters resulting from the deterioration in the performance of government can dream of a better life if there was hope. But the major dilemma of Egypt today, as seen by most Egyptians more than anyone else outside Egypt, is that this hope has faded away to the point where it has virtually disappeared from the public scene.
Hope for the future improves the image of any country regardless of the gravity of its problems. So, when this hope disappeared the picture became so bleak. The only way to find some hope for the future is to make a serious political and social change that can be felt by most Egyptians.
Because this change cannot bear fruit at one night, the process should be convincing. The first step towards this goal is to restore the people’s confidence that no one is above the law and that the rule of law governs both the powerful and the weak, the rich and the poor.
Dr Waheed Abdel Meguidis an expert at Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.
