There is a total lack of understanding in the Arab region about
the US position as to Egypt. And here I am not talking about politicians and
the intellectual scene, but it is a lack of understanding that crosses social
and political borders. The people with or against the latest developments are
puzzled and dismayed.
In Egypt, it is common knowledge by all parties that the
Muslim Brotherhood high jacked the democratic process and was working on the
political islamization of the country on all levels without any consideration
for the rights of minorities. The understanding of the MB of democracy is that
elections are a stepping stone to becoming the rulers of the country, they do
not deny it. The US position emanates also from the legality of elections. It
is a flat one dimensional view where there is no consideration at all for the
rights of the minorities, the independence of the judiciary, not to mention
democratic processes. The Egyptian people who believe in a civil state and
refuse to be subject to an Islamic state cannot understand the position of the
US and many consider that this position emanates from a deal the US made with
the MB to guarantee Camp David and the security of Israel rather than a real
concern about democracy and values. And from their side the MB believe that the
US is a paper tiger that they can manipulate through a media that is more
concerned by scoops than background research. The MB strategy is to stage their
actions in a manner that addresses Western media rather than internal
discourse. Their local internal message is different and it states “Islam is
the solution”, versus democracy, free economy, and Human Rights as described in
the UN Charter.
We daily hear and read experts on Egypt analyse the
situation, and honestly they are rarely relevant and very often talk in cliché bundling
all of the Middle East in an easy to box figment of their imagination. They
deeply and honestly believe they understand “what Egyptians want”. The reality
falls far away drawn from the realm of racism; a colonial offshoot of sorts that
translates into a total lack of respect for the national media or the local intellectual
class or the Egyptian civil society.
Voices and echoes from all sides of the divide need to be
heard if people want to understand each other. This is possible, only if, the
people working in the public sphere of powerful countries are ready to listen to
the people of the Middle East and then proactively seek the truth.