The proposed Egyptian constitution is “hogwash" [...]. It is hogwash like those who wrote it, like the referendum that took place today, and like those who organized it. Nevertheless, I admit that I have been following events in Egypt, and remembered several things about the history of the United States, its constitution and its presidents, such as Abraham Lincoln. The most famous speech in the history of the independent U.S. was the one delivered by Lincoln in Pittsburgh on November 19, 1863, a speech that bore the city's name after that. The most famous quote in that speech was “government of the people, by the people [i.e. that it came through the people], for the people [that is, to serve the people]." Well, the current Egyptian model is a constitution of the Muslim Brotherhood, by the Muslim Brotherhood, for the Muslim Brotherhood, and thank you very much. What has changed in Egypt? The grievance before was related to the dictatorship of the Mubarak regime, and now, it is related to the dictatorship of the Muslim Brotherhood. While Hosni Mubarak had secured for himself a malleable parliament that would protect him from legal prosecution, Mohamed Morsi grabbed for himself protection from prosecution itself, before having to back down under pressure from the street, when he forfeited some of the dictatorial powers that he had decided to exercise. Under Hosni Mubarak, there was rampant corruption. Under the Muslim Brotherhood, corruption has fallen, thank God. However, the Muslim Brotherhood cannot take any credit for that. Instead, what happened was that there was nothing left in Egypt to steal anymore. Then there is the dispute with the judges. While Hosni Mubarak differed with ten percent of them, the Muslim Brotherhood has antagonized 90 percent of the judges, who now have decided to boycott the regime and what it represents. The Muslim Brotherhood in power managed to achieve in three months, what Hosni Mubarak took 30 years to do, that is, to impose a dictatorial one-party rule. I will not say that the majority of Egyptians oppose it, because that would be an opinion. Instead, I will rely on a fact that no one can deny, except perhaps an Egyptian Salafi like Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, who still denies that his mother has U.S. citizenship. The fact in question is that half of the Egyptians cast their vote for the Muslim Brotherhood, while the other half cast their votes for his opponent. Dr. Morsi now is attempting to impose on the other half the constitution of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis, or in other words, eliminate any hope for the Egyptians to modernize, and any hope for us, the poor Arabs, to follow Egypt towards democracy, modernity and prosperity. I want to make an aside here. In parallel with half of the Egyptians who have started feeling nostalgic for the regime of Hosni Mubarak, there are the Syrians who are confronting a regime that is killing its own people, and destroying the two greatest cities in the history of human civilization, namely Damascus and Aleppo, on top of their inhabitants. It is presupposed that any regime that would succeed the current one would be better. But is this true? Well, there is the coalition abroad which the majority of the world now recognizes, and which brings together some of the finest Syrians, along with a minority of bad elements and extremists. However, the armed opposition on the ground is not the same as the opposition based abroad. It too includes both patriotic and honest fighters, as well as extremists and terrorists. So I also fear a day, in which the Syrians may feel nostalgic for the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Returning to Egypt, I have personally witnessed some of the attacks on the youths of the revolution in Tahrir Square, when the Mubarak regime was in its final days. Who among the Egyptians does not remember the Battle of the Camel, and the victims who fell on Mohamed Mahmoud Street? Well, today, there are masked men from the Muslim Brotherhood, or thugs who are paid to attack protesters in the public squares of Cairo and around the presidential palace. Where is Egypt's army, which is supposed to protect the people and democracy? The new army could not even hold one consensus meeting, and I thank the Muslim Brotherhood for making me wish for a military coup for the first time in my life. If the Egyptian army takes power voluntarily or forcibly, perhaps the people will forgive it for having “perpetrated" the coup of 1952, a time when there was a monarch with a secret police protecting him, as well as laws on lese majeste. This king was replaced by a regime led by a man that was soon followed by the entire nation, and not just Egypt. He established a dictatorial regime and nationalized intellect, industry and commerce. Egypt suffered, as well as the Arabs, by following suit, and we are all still paying the price. Yet the only difference, after months of having the Muslim Brotherhood in power, is that the cost to be paid has risen, while the returns diminished or spoiled altogether. I do not want to close any doors, and I believe that there is still a chance for mending the successive mistakes made by the Muslim Brotherhood administration in Egypt. The Egyptians have elected as president Mohamed Morsi, and not Mohamed Badie. The President must act in full independence from the group. Since he is a believer, there is no doubt that he does not want to be accused of acting like someone taking pride in sin. We have seen the fate of many Arab presidents in the past two years, and they will be followed by the Syrian president soon. However, I want President Mohamed Morsi to succeed, and for this success to be reaped by both Egypt and the whole nation. [email protected]
