Al-Arabiya, Saudi Arabia, Originally Posted in Arabic on November 7
For quite a while now the Saudi media has been particularly careful about criticizing the Egyptian regime, in an attempt to give President Al-Sissi – one of its closest allies – a chance to stabilize his country. But we cannot be silent anymore.
Not because we want to hurt Egypt, but rather because we love it. The situation in the country is quickly deteriorating. The recent parliamentary elections have seen one of the lowest turnout rates in the country’s history, with only 26% of the citizens casting their vote.
The opposition to President al-Sissi is growing bigger and bigger by the day, extending well beyond the Muslim Brotherhood. I have personally met many moderate Egyptians who lost faith in their country and decided to leave it. For these Western-minded individuals, a new future in Europe seems better than having to endlessly fight for their nation.
The Egyptian economy is also going downhill. The grandiose project to build a new Suez Canal, announced by Sissi a little over a year ago, did not meet its goals. It even fell short of attracting foreign investors – pointing to the insignificance with which it is regarded around the world. If we don’t discuss these crucial matters about where Egypt is headed, they will never be addressed. Let us criticize Cairo’s actions, not because of malicious intentions, but because we care for it.
We want Egypt to stand strong and prosper. Therefore, we cannot serve it with our silence. We must serve it with a voice of truth. – Jamal Khaskagi