Egyptians, manipulated to revolt?

July 4, 2013

by Kiflu Hussain

If the detest for Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood came genuinely from Egyptians, I would welcome it since I detest ideologies constructed around ethnicity and religiosity.

However, I simply can’t buy the economy as an excuse to sack Morsi.Even angels can’t sort out a shambolic economy botched up by a half century military dictatorship within a decade let alone in a year. Of course, I heard the narrative that Egyptians got irritated with Morsi because he was busy propagating his Islamic ideology within Egypt and beyond instead of focusing on the economy that creates jobs and put food on the table.

That shouldn’t have been a surprise, or a disappointment in an Arabic world where Islam reigns with an iron fist.Hence, after electing a leader who campaigned on a Muslim brotherhood ticket, it’s certainly not fair to expect him not to do that. I also heard criticism that Morsi incurred the wrath of Egyptians by appointing unpopular figures thereby polarizing the nation.Ironically,many democratically elected leaders do that.Barack Hussein Obama of the US managed to retain Susan Rice, unpopular both in the US and overseas such as Africa,as his adviser and life still goes on.

What I fear happened is Morsi might have shown a tendency of promoting that brand of Islam as opposed to the brand in Saudi Arabia and the like that’s cozy with the West.Otherwise,we had been told, not so long ago, that he came to power by the ballot unlike the decadent sheikhdoms littering the Arabian land.And,since it’s not pragmatic anymore to prevent Muslim Brotherhood from coming to power through the democratic means like it was done in Algeria decades ago; and since outright coup d’ etat is no longer in vogue, you apply your expertise from centuries of experience in deception.Therefore,you galvanize the gullible public into a “revolution.”Then, in order to avert disaster and maintain “stability,” you unleash the military which you trained and armed to the teeth with a “road map.”

Like I said, I have no sympathy for any group anywhere that seeks power from narrower viewpoints such as ethnicity or religion. So this is not a requiem for Mohamed Morsi.However, as one ordinary Egyptian said on Aljazeera, “Morsi came by the ballot. And he should have left by the ballot not by force,” or at least unceremoniously like this which paves the way for more polarization. At any rate, if Egyptians found themselves to be manipulated in overthrowing Mohamed Morsi for other sinister forces like my runaway imagination smells conspiracy theory anywhere these days; I implore them to remember Alexander Pushkin’s words. This is what he’s said to have said in writing about “Delusions of Love.”

“It is not hard to deceive me; I am only too happy to be deceived.”

I expect Egyptians and all people under repression to continue showing the same spirit instead of disillusionment until their aspirations for freedom, justice and equality are met.

An Ethiopian Social & Political Commentator exiled in Uganda

Email: kiflukam@yahoo.com

Twitter: @Hussainkiflu