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Why I said no to the constitution

24/12/2012 I read the new constitution first as an ordinary citizen and then as a lawyer. In particular, I was looking for anything that might affect the independence of the judiciary, for if we are to protect citizen rights and punish criminals, the protection of our judiciary is key. I do not claim to have absorbed every detail when I read the draft constitution, but I did get a good sense of it. Although many of the articles are controversial, the main reason I voted “no” was because of article 233 which states: “The first High Constitutional Court, once this...

No place in our country for Palestinian aggressors

2/1/2013 Egyptians tend to jumble the papers when they examine the Palestinian file, so we must take care to distinguish between the Palestinian cause and certain Palestinians individuals. No one can deny the major role that Egypt has played in supporting the Palestinian struggle for justice and equality. For more than 64 years, Egypt made great efforts and sacrifices including going to war. As for the Palestinian people, like all others they vary in type and conviction, and there is no doubt that some adopted extremist religious positions and chose the path of terrorism. We Egyptians will not forgive those...

Let 25 January be a day of national reconciliation

22/1/2013 As the second anniversary of the January 25 Revolution approaches, a lot of people expect demonstrations by opposition parties who reject the legitimacy of the government. Many anticipate clashes between supporters of the opposition and supporters of the current regime. God only knows what will be the extent and the results of this. I have a completely different scenario in mind, one that carries a dose of optimism and is described in the language of reason. The opposition forces can make as many demonstrations as they wish to reject the legitimacy of the existing regime, but I do not...

Bringing justice to citizens and police for the sake of Egypt 

8/2/2013 To weaken the police is to destroy their ability to protect citizens and institutions. The police are needed now more than ever to protect us and our families from the growing number of street thugs whose conduct is increasingly violent and erratic. As a man brought up with discipline and respect for the law, I am appalled at the current level of contempt for the police. I think back to the 1940s and 50s and remember that if a citizen assaulted a policeman, or even pulled a button off his jacket, the penalty was enough to deter further breeches...

Security and tourism development are inseparable

23/2/2013 Despite Egypt’s political crisis that has damaged Egypt’s tourism industry, the minister of tourism, Dr. Hisham Zazou, successfully put Egypt in a positive light during his speech before the World Tourism Conference in Madrid last month. He relayed confidence that tourism would be back in full force as soon as Egypt moves beyond its current situation. Participants and guests of the conference listened with great interest to Zazou’s speech as he explained that Egypt was and will always be “a real success story” and that to invest in Egypt is to “bet on a winning horse”. He concluded with...

Let’s unite and have mercy on Egypt! 

3/3/2013 When we examine Egypt’s current image from the presidential palace, Al Etihadia; to the Memorial of the Unknown Soldier in Nasr City; to Tahrir Square and Cairo University, we hear conflicting slogans and obscene expressions never before known in our history. We see violent clashes between rival sects, sometimes escalating to the use of automatic weapons. The result is always the same – a resounding failure to unify at this most critical juncture of our economic, social and political condition. At the very least we must agree upon a minimum of ways to protect our national interests and security....

A tribute to the armed forces for saving Sinai

17/3/2013 I breathed a sigh of relief when I learned that our armed forces were putting an end to the Sinai smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Egypt. In two days they destroyed 20 tunnels with heavy machinery while confronting the criminals who were trying to prevent the demolition. The future of one of the most precious part of our country is secure once again. There is no doubt that the action of the armed forces was carried out in coordination with the military intelligence. This service, trusted by the people of Sinai, is the only authority qualified to gather and...

Liberating downtown from its occupiers

6/5/2013 For decades, the streets of Kasr El Nil and Talaat Harb in downtown Cairo were a picture of tidiness and elegance. So I was utterly shocked to see masses of street vendors clogging the streets and sidewalks as I was passing through downtown today. Not only have these vendors created an eyesore, the way they are displaying their goods has reduced the passage of cars to a single vehicle, and has completely blocked the sidewalks from pedestrians. This, of course, is illegal. The shopkeepers in this area are facing a serious challenge as it has become impossible for them...

With work, law and order we could save Egypt

20/5/2013 When we look at the present situation, we find there are two major threats to the future of our country. The first is neglecting work and production, and the second is losing respect for laws and national institutions. The idea of the value of work has collapsed since the 25 January Revolution. With the pretext that we are still in a revolution, large numbers of citizens have given up work to protest and attend sit-ins; some even rioted and destroyed their workplaces! As we all know, when production declines national debt increases. This forces prices of everyday goods higher,...

No reconciliation before defeating terrorism  

31/7/2013 As a man who has spent his life promoting interfaith and intercultural dialogue, I understand that when conflict dominates the public scene and clashes rage, there are those who wish to begin a period of reconciliation. However, when it comes to strategies to ensure stability, my experience has taught me that we are not in a position to begin reconciliation as long as our national security is at stake. First: When we examine the situation in Egypt, we find a sharp difference between the MB after the collapse of their system, and the rest of the Egyptian people. The...

Egypt’s national security is sacred

When one hears the allegations of murder and of wanton bloodshed issuing from the lips of the leaders of the MB and their allies, one has to step back and pause. The men who staged the sit-ins in Rabaa al-Adawiya and al-Nahda, and their friends who reside in various hotbeds of terrorism are living proof that Egypt’s national security is under attack. Suffice it to consider the following points: 1. When citizens feel threatened and insecure in their daily life, when one feels like a stranger in his own country, when the country appears to be under occupation by the...

Islamic responsibility to protect Christians

20/8/2013 It was not the first time in our modern history that churches were the targets of attack, but never so many in such a short time. In less than a week after the dispersal of the sit-ins of Rabaa al-Adawiya in Nasr City and Nahda Square in Giza, sixty churches were violently attacked. The methods used also varied from past attacks. For the first time, churches and Christian-owned properties were attacked simultaneously. This also coincided with criminal acts of arson, assault with weapons, demolition of public and private property, and other acts of sabotage directed against all Egyptians by...