Egyptian writers are still following the French President’s, Emmanuel Macron’s, recent visit to Cairo, commenting this time on his remarks on Egypt’s human rights’ record.
Earlier this week, Macron raised the topic of Egypt’s human rights’ situation with reporters, and said that the current policies are “tougher” than under the toppled President’s, Hosni Mubarak’s, regime before 2011.
Al-Masry Al-Youm’s Mohamed Amin noted that the Egyptian Foreign Ministry and other state bodies should have prepared well for Macron’s remarks and anticipated the questions of foreign reporters on human rights. Amin argued that France’s stance toward Egypt has not changed as some people claim, and the European country does not support or oppose Egypt.
From Al-Akhbar daily, Karam Gabr sent a message to Macron, asserting that Egypt saved human rights from their enemies, and those who are trying to abuse those rights. Gabr claimed that Egypt, under the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood, witnessed the biggest attacks on the country’s churches and Coptic properties.
Likewise, Al-Akhbar’s Mohamed Barakat asserted that foreign media usually raises the issue of human rights during foreign leaders’ trips, arguing that such media usually has an agenda which aims to “defame” Egypt’s image. Moreover, Barakat stated that Egypt should always be ready to strongly respond to such inquiries, emphasising that President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi always skilfully responds to them on this issue.
Meanwhile, Sameh Geweda of the private newspaper, Al-Youm Al-Sabaa, raised his opinion that only Egyptians have the right to call for their freedom, maintaining that they will never allow any Egyptian President to use the army’s tanks against his people. Geweda criticised Macron’s repeated attempts to interfere in Egypt’s internal affairs, urging him to stop instructing Egyptian as if they are students before their tutors.
On the other hand, the Editor-in-Chief of Al-Shorouk newspaper, Emad Eldin Hussein, demonstrated that Macron was the first leader to stand in Egypt and clearly tackle the human rights issue, which he has been keen on since 2013.
Hussein believes that the press conference which took place with the presence of the two leaders observed a conflict regarding the definition of human rights. He argued that the losses were more than the gains of such an argument, calling for Egyptians to reconsider the way they address the west on their issues.
For Al-Ahram editorial, Macron’s visit, among other recent significant ones, proved that Egypt has reclaimed its place in the world and the Middle East.
