Soapbox:

Posing for the cameras

By Sameh Fawzi

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Recently, many in this country have been threatening to take up their grievances with the international community. Hind El-Hinnawi, who needed to prove that actor Ahmed El-Fishawi was the father of her daughter, did so. Coptic expatriates often try to bring outside pressure to bear on the Egyptian government. The Muslim Brotherhood at one point threatened to "internationalise" the question of election rigging. Kifaya plays to the foreign media non-stop. And our judges seemed to like the idea too. Meanwhile, our government is allowing domestic matters, including the freedom of religion, to be "internationalised".

The government has allowed foreign monitors to look into the matter of religious freedom. And yet it occasionally accuses its opponents of being pawns for outsiders, and is accused of the same in return. So here is the deal. If you don't like someone in this country, call him an agent. Or better yet, denounce him to outsiders. So why is it we keep hearing both government and opposition saying that "foreign intervention" is the last thing they want?

There must be reasons for this phenomenon. One is that public confidence has eroded in the legal and political probity of the system. Egypt lives in a state of political flux, and the resulting insecurity leaves everyone in need of assurances from abroad. Right now, most rights groups in this country believe that the government will only change under foreign pressure. I don't see this happening. I don't think the world is really paying attention to mothers aiming to establish parenthood or judges facing disciplinary action.

Outside help is a mirage. If we want things to change, we should start fighting for our rights, not just posing for the cameras.

This week's Soapbox speaker is a political commentator.