By Rania Al Malky
CAIRO: Some crimes are just unforgivable, no matter who committed them.
In Shubra El-Kheima a few days ago, according to news reports, two 14-year-olds were arrested for raping and castrating a 10-year-old child. Both the horror of the crime and the age of those who committed it seem beyond the reach of the most twisted imagination. But there it is, all over the newspapers. It simply makes no sense.
But what does this have to do with election season, you ask? A lot.
Although such shocking crimes are not exclusive to Egypt — school shootings have become almost a trademark of the US — they are new to our society, like the case of the notorious Torbini who used to rape street children and throw them off trains a few years ago. No one can deny that these wretched crimes are symbiotically related to the levels of dire poverty we have reached.
This is where election season comes in. For the poor unfortunate souls of this country, ‘tis the season to be jolly, with candidates building castles in the air with their rosy promises of better healthcare and education, more jobs, cleaner streets and a decent living.
On state TV’s daily talk show Masr Inaharda (Egypt Today) on Thursday night, presenter Khairy Ramadan hosted the head of the National Democratic Party’s (NDP) policies secretariat Gamal Mubarak. It was clear that the interview was carefully choreographed to serve the NDP’s legislative elections campaign.
Mr. Mubarak spoke eloquently about the party’s program, its grand plans for a comprehensive health insurance system, a new and improved education system where teachers will be continuously assessed and a pensions scheme that will give ordinary Egyptians the security they lack. He even weighed in on Egypt’s agriculture policy and how important it is for the party to keep the peasants happy.
Under the slogan “So you can safeguard the future of your children,” Mr. Mubarak explained, the NDP promised to fight corruption and warned candidates who use violence at the polls against severe punishment.
It was a brilliant interview and quite honestly if Mr. Mubarak didn’t belong to the NDP I would have personally voted for him if he was running for the assembly. But alas, he does belong to it, and despite the fabulous performance, it’s impossible to disregard the fact that he is the face of the very same party that has led to the desperate situation Egyptians on all levels find themselves in today.
Naturally we cannot lay the blame for everything that goes wrong in this country on the government. It wouldn’t be reasonable. But then the results of years and years of gross negligence, lack of planning and unaccountable officials, too, are unreasonable. One of the least reasonable oversights is precisely what the NDP — which will de facto win a majority of seats in the People’s Assembly — has promised to safeguard, the future of our children.
And I’m not speaking about their economic future, whether they can get a good education that will secure a good job and a steady income so they can afford a decent living. My concern is much more basic than that; it’s the elephant in the room that no one seems to talk about but everyone fears. Even though compared to other cities our crime rate is not considered high, Egypt is no longer as safe as it used to be, and if the gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow, it can only get worse.
If election season is the season of promises, and the NDP is going to win the elections, then as a citizen of this country, I implore those in government who will represent me in parliament to put law and order on the agenda. I need to know that when I dial 122 that the police will come to my rescue not keep me on hold until it’s too late.
This is why the story of the castrated 10-year-old child has everything to do with elections. The future of our children, literally their existence, is at stake, so let’s not fail them.
Rania Al Malky is the Chief Editor of Daily News Egypt.
