Egypt: Politics and Rights
Dina Khayat. a leading Egyptian businesswomen, had another interesting oped in The Hill yesterday, talking about human right in Egypt and the present political situation in Cairo.
She opened with noting the new TV commercial that’s creating waves in Egypt – she states:
The commercial was never deemed newsworthy although it has been airing every day for months. In it, the former Grand Mufti of Egypt pleads for contributions to a common account to rehabilitate and preserve mosques and churches. For decades, Copts had to get special presidential permission to repair or even repaint a church. To millions of Egyptians and not just the Copts, it is a welcome message of unification. For the first time in living memory,the new discourse places Copts and Moslems in one sentence; mosques and churches in one common account.
(check out the full commercial below)
She goes on to talk about the ongoing political turmoil – putting into a wider context:
After three tumultuous years, Egyptians want security, stability and a return to work and are more likely to resent anyone they perceive as standing in the way of a return to normality. Neither Brotherhood nor youth activists have understood that. And so the general distaste for the Brotherhood now extends to the youth activists. Whereas during the days of Mubarak groups like April 6 had wide appeal in their calls for his removal, their message now seems almost anachronistic. They were the golden youth of the January 25 revolution. Now that appeal has eroded. Seemingly obsessed by demonstrations and maintaining a constant state of revolution, they have neither presented a vision for change nor an alternative system. The message of these young activists which does not extend beyond a refusal of the current status quo and the lack of rural outreach has resulted in a near absence of support at the grassroots level.
You can read the full oped here:
The administration’s keyhole approach to Egypt
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