Wrong ways

Is the government handling the host of crises it is facing correctly? Doaa El-Bey is not so sure

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The last several weeks witnessed events thought to have been treated rather poorly and ineptly by the government. Starting with accusing a mentally unstable person of killing a Christian worshipper, to crushing a pro-judge demonstration to the triple bombing in Dahab and Monday's train crash in Al-Sharqiya that left nobody dead (the miracle was not attributed to the government).

The bomb attacks in Dahab and previous terrorist acts in Taba and Sharm El-Sheikh were blamed on government policies. For years officials have ignored the people of Sinai who suffer from poverty, unemployment, negligence, marginalisation and alleged persecution at the hands of security forces who reportedly treat them as second class citizens or non-Egyptians.

Wael El-Ibrashi regarded the Dahab bombings as to be expected from a people who are under constant economic and social pressure which has bred a generation of young men who, despise the present regime, seek revenge from perceived wrongs committed by its administration.

"Instead of presenting the people of Sinai trophies for their role during the war, the security forces persecuted and tortured them and the regime adopted policies that impoverished them," El-Ibrashi wrote in Sawt Al-Umma.

Writers discussed the significance of the dates of the Dahab attack. Mahmoud Khalil said the fact that the bombing was a day before the anniversary of Sinai's liberation indicates that the perpetrators aimed to shake the basic values that give the present regime its credibility.

"It is a confrontation between Egyptians who live on the dangerous geographical border of Egypt and a central political authority that did not exert enough effort to integrate them in the society they belong to," Khalil wrote in the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Yom.

Hassan Nafaa wrote in the same newspaper that denouncing terrorism was not enough, arguing that what was needed was to adopt effective policies that might dry up all the sources of terrorism, including despotism and corruption which in turn lead to unemployment and a deterioration in health services and education.

Bahaaeddin Abu Shaqa suggested that the government should look upon Sinai as the defence line for Egypt. If so, it should provide it with all its needs and work to curb unemployment.

"Terrorism made use of Sinai's remoteness from the central government and its mountainous terrain to plan and commit terrorist acts. However, if we take another look at Sinai, we can avoid similar incidents in the future," Abu Shaqa added in the opposition daily Al-Wafd.

The way the government has been dealing with pro-judge demonstrations has subjected it to severe criticism. Some writers have described the government's attitude on the issue as a sign that the regime has expired.

Tarek El-Bishri wrote that members of the regime are behaving like musicians who have no conductor to adjust their tune.

He added that the judges' stand was not the first in their history but is one of the most significant as they attempt to preserve their independence and prevent the government from controlling them.

"Never before was a judge beaten like what happened on 24 April 2006. Never before was a revered judge transferred to a disciplinary board dealing with criminals," El-Bishri wrote in the weekly Nasserist newspaper Al-Araby.

Amira Abul-Fetouh hailed the judges' attempt to free themselves from a despotic and corrupt regime that is trying to curb any call for liberation and independence.

However, Abul-Fetouh added that we needed to do more to change ourselves in order to support the judges. "We must get out of the state of passiveness imposed on us by the unfair regime. We need to get out of our cocoon and snatch our freedom with our own hands. We need to stand by the judges in their fight to regain their stolen right, no matter what the sacrifices are," she wrote in Al-Wafd.

Sectarian strife is still much in the news. Writers were still criticising security forces for sticking to their story that a mentally disturbed individual attacked three churches in one day -- a practically impossible feat. They said the charge underestimated the intelligence of Egyptians.

In order to avoid similar incidents in the future, Gamal Asaad Abdel-Malak suggested the government should treat Muslims and Christians according to the principle of the right man in the right place regardless of religion, and to incriminate any discrimination on social, political or religious bases. "The government should activate the role of political parties and civil societies which can have a strong presence in the street and resolve the problems facing all Egyptians regardless of their religion. In this way, Egypt will be for all Egyptians," Abdel-Malak argued in Al-Araby.

Last but not the least important this week was parliament agreeing to renew the emergency law, imposed since 1981, for another two years. The move was categorically rejected by members of the opposition and opposition newspapers. Al-Wafd, mouthpiece of the Wafd Party, wrote in its banner headline, "Al-Wafd rejects the extension" while Al-Masry Al-Yom screamed, "Egypt in the grip of emergency till May 2008".