Al-Jazeera, Qatar, November 28
Over 300 worshipers were killed in the horrific attack recently carried out at the al-Rawda mosque in the Sinai Peninsula, and Egyptian authorities have responded: by targeting innocent civilians. Shortly after news of the death toll broke, the Egyptian Secret Service arrested a notable member of the April 6th Movement, a peaceful youth organization that was active during the 2011 revolution. Later that evening, a well-known Egyptian news website, Al-Masryoun, was removed from the web at the behest of the government. This would be funny if it weren’t so sad—how pathetic it is that the Egyptian leadership, on the day of the deadliest-ever attack on the country, chose to cause division within society and spew hatred instead of uniting the people. A basic principle of any successful battle against terrorism is to unite the public against the common enemy, thereby eliminating support that such an enemy might enjoy. The Egyptian nation has stood by its leadership in this fight, only to see the real threat minimized and weapons turned on the public. We must understand that terrorism can never be overcome with guns alone; rather, it is also a battle over the hearts and minds of people. It is as much a psychological war as a physical one. The Egyptian government would be wise to internalize this simple truth and embrace the public in order to forge national unity, with the aim of pushing Egypt forward. Instead, Cairo is wreaking havoc on its own people, weakening them at the expense of fighting terror organizations. The government must reexamine its misplaced priorities! – Gamaal Sultan