A year has passed and another year is starting with the same questions in people’s minds since Al-Sisi’s rule in Egypt started. Where is Al-Sisi leading us? What is his plan for the economic recovery of Egypt? When will corruption be abolished? Because I was like the rest, immersed in Al-Sisi’s speeches and dreams, I forgot to ask: what will you, Al-Sisi, do for the poor people of Egypt? What will you do for those who paid the price and suffered, or those people who had dreams which have gone to waste a year after your rule? What will you do to let them believe their choices were right? Why don’t you, too, sacrifice?
The sacrifices you ask of us are sometimes more than we can take. You want to lift subsidies and raise prices and ask us to bear both. We, too, want you to sacrifice and work hard for us, to bring us back the life we lost for the past four and a half years. We want to feel that we made the right choice, so you cannot tell us that you lowered the budget deficit while we have empty pockets tomorrow. You cannot take pride in raising growth rates while we have to make our children drop out of schools to help us make a living. Your sacrifice has to be with some efforts too. I do not care about how much you gave away to “Tahya Masr” Fund, but I care about what you will do for us to live tomorrow in safety and security.
What I see, and what many people feel, is that you do not have a clear plan. You told us, of course, that you do not have a programme, but you also did not tell us that you will have no programme ever.
What I see and am convinced with is that you do not attract efficient national entities to help you rule the country, and you work without a real ‘board’ of efficient people. You have, of course, a board of the best scientists in Egypt and the world, but with no clear role.
What saddens me is that you still keep a government that is unable to meet the needs of people, nor satisfy your ambition. They try, of course, but there is no time for failure in this critical phase, and you did say that they do not satisfy you ambition.
Mr. President, a year passed and I cannot see in your speeches anything new. We know that we are dear to you, but we have waited for the speech to change to know how we will be able to live under your rule for the next few years. We could not find a speech that makes our hearts be at ease. On the contrary, this gave your opponents a chance against your popularity which was affected in the past year.
Mr. President, I completely object on the speech you gave to the West saying that your stay in rule is a guarantee for Egypt’s stability, which in turn is a guarantee for the whole region’s stability. This speech does not go along with Egypt’s importance, and we must not always be under their disposal (Hamas, for example). If they approved of such a speech, it does not necessarily indicate their satisfaction. The West is used to supporting tyranny and dictatorial regimes if this support meant security and safety.
Where did you hide the opposition? Why do we only hear cheers and applauses? Why is every voice opposing your performance defamed by immoral media? Why is he always accused of being either a Muslim Brotherhood member or a traitor working for the West or the US, the two which you try to gain their support and approval of your legitimacy? You even tried for the first time in one of your speeches to say, literally, that Mohammed Morsi was an elected president by the Egyptian people’s will, during the press conference with the German counsellor.
Mr. President, you have to unite all Egyptians on a national project that would only serve the poor and low-income people, a project where they would feel that Egypt is their home. This feeling was lost because of what they call the ‘elite’, who are too ignorant to lead the people.
Unite the people behind a project carrying Egypt’s name, a project where everyone can participate for a better tomorrow and better financial and moral benefits. In this project, the people will fight their feelings of defeat and carry their hopes to a new world, where their love for Egypt would be revived.
It would be beautiful for a mega project like the Suez Canal Project to be implemented in a year, and it would be even more beautiful if it was of benefit to the simple Egyptian citizen, who chose their president and only get demands to sacrifice and withstand. On the other hand, they do not see anyone else sacrificing like they do, not even you. They actually feel that their government is sugar-coating words as you do, without giving them what they need. Bureaucracy is ruining their lives and corruption is drowning them, while the people of power order and they obey. Where is the people’s dignity? To tell you more, we all bear this burden when we look around us and see the same faces which were in the front pages before you. These figures are still there with the same power and wealth, so how will this change our feelings?
Mr. President, I know my words may anger you and those around you but you have to listen to a voice other that those who make of you a god walking among people. A voice other than those who picture you a hero sent from heaven to save Egypt, and so drown you in yourself until you can’t see or hear anyone but yourself. They would then do whatever they want with Egypt and its people. You should listen to patriotic voices, no matter how different their ideologies are. Our differences are for our own benefit. In differences, we have the benefit of seeing aspects of the truth to one thing.
Mr. President, take a step back, and look at the bigger picture from outside, look at the fake patriots and watch their behaviours and their violations. Look to those who have despaired of reform and give them hope. Look to those living under poverty line and build them a better tomorrow. Look at yourself keep admitting how hard it is, and how necessary it is for you too to sacrifice even more than all those and to pick up the pieces.
Mr. President, bring back the real patriotic opposition to the scene and hear them out. Bring in all the expertise and competencies and benefit from them. Stop surrounding yourself with people of confidence who lack efficiency, as there is no room for failure or for any further delay, and replace them with those who have the capacity to achieve our ambitions.
Mr. President, fighting corruption and bureaucracy is not less important than fighting terrorism, it is the war whose effects your people will feel, and may bring you back some of your lost popularity.
You have rough terrains ahead of you that should be crossed; we have to address what we have reached of media professional degeneration, we have to face the police’s offences against the people and the judicial system should be reconsidered. I do not call on you to fight them like your predecessor, but I call you to eliminate what they have of corruption and repair the system as a whole.
Eliminating corruption may take time, but the people will feel safety and stability with every step which would convince them that they were not wrong to choose you, and might drive them to sacrifice in the hope of a better tomorrow.
Mr. President, I conclude my message to you using the language you always use with us, “All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock” and we are flock and you are responsible for us in front of God. So fear Allah for our sake and be ready to answer to God for what you presented to your people. Don’t forget Omar Ibn El-Khattab, whose wailing was heard on earth and in the heavens as he wondered how he would answer to God if a mule trips in the Levant.
What will you say to God about those subject to injustice and those who do not find their daily bread and spend the nights with their children’s’ stomachs empty? What will you say to God after the media made you God’s shadow on earth?
I apologise to you sir, but many people want to tell you what I just did, and I wanted to be the means, please take my message to you seriously and reconsider before you start a new year that may bring more losses, which we are in no leisure to endure.
Emad El-Sayed is an Egyptian journalist and the Editor of Daily News Egypt.
