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An elected president is more important than political difference

January 27, 2014 at 2:43 pm

I write this piece after all that was hidden was disclosed. It is a piece not addressed to political opponents or those who I thought were political opponents; it became clear that they were allied with the people of religion, the military and the people of the Gulf States. It was a dirty replication of the tainted European ages.

All of them bit the body of the civilian state under the cover of the popular will. Then, tomorrow they will dispute with each other over power, position, money and land based on what they learnt and what we know they believe in.


 

These words are also not addressed to those who are desperate or frustrated, who do not believe in this country or its history, or those who do not believe in this nation and its abilities or in Allah and His fate.

I address my words to those who started the beautiful dream with me scarifying their lives and properties for the sake of Allah and their state, and who are not waiting for a reward from anyone.

The aggression, criminalisation and occupation in our nation for tens of hundreds of years is far more than what you are experiencing today. However, the nation achieved victory; victory which is based on morals, ethics and principles that people believe in such as honesty, courage, peacefulness and having the right conversation, even if it is bitter.

I, perhaps more than many others, know exactly what mistakes were made by the Muslim Brotherhood, and the extent of them. Similar to many other political movements I spent sixteen years with the Brotherhood from 1980 to 1996. I recorded my differences with them in the resignation note published and handed to late supreme guide Mostafa Mashour.

With my colleagues I prepared to establish Al-Wasat party, which increased the differences between us and them. Then, after January 25, we launched the party and our differences were highlighted once again; during the parliamentarian elections in Damietta, I nominated myself as president for the parliament against Muslim Brotherhood candidate Saad al-Katatni. Having my contentions with them is one thing, but killing them, blazing and looting their offices, collaborating against them and manipulating fake accusations is something else.

What is going on with the Muslim Brotherhood’s experience in authority is a national tyranny, an ideological apostasy and animal criminalisation. What has happened with the freely elected president Mohammed Morsi and what is being done to him is shameful in the forehead of all humanity. The one who does not say the right word is not a man, even if he has many differences with the Muslim Brotherhood.

I will remain as I am and as I was. I will remain a man who will not be blinded by political difference in order to tell the truth. The one who will live as a man and die as a man cannot avoid this principle. With this man I will continue my way, and for him alone, I forward these words; not for the others who are half men.

The shoe of the freely elected president is more honourable, transparent, supreme and important to me than all the heads that took part in the conspiracy – even if they had long beards, wore headscarves or held senior military positions.

Essam Sultan is the Vice President of the Al-Wasat party in Egypt

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.