Pampering Mubarak and starving Morsi

It is cruel and very painful to hear news of deposed President Mohammed Morsi, who begged his lawyer, Mohamed Salim Al-Awa, for “a bit of money” just so he would be “able to live”. Broadcasters affiliated with the security sector’s media spoke of this subject and took it as an opportunity to ridicule the former president.

The sad truth of the matter is that these broadcasters appeared to be very happy over this news despite the fact that it is a great insult to Egypt as a country as well as to the institution of the presidency, along with the millions of voters who elected Morsi as President in 2012.

For these individuals, Egypt’s reputation is not nearly as important as slandering its former president, which completely ignores the fact that his dignity, even after isolation, is inevitably tied to Egypt’s dignity.

For the first time in history, the media is showcasing intellectuals, liberals and normal people in Egypt as they rejoice over the loss of their dignity. The public is being exposed to contrasting images of Mubarak, who is being spoiled and pampered in his prison cell and Mohamed Morsi, as he begs for anything that will satisfy his hunger behind prison bars.

Hosni Mubarak, who was overthrown during the January 25, 2011, revolution, was preparing his son to “inherit” the country. He was permitted to enjoy the heavenly beaches in Sharm Al-Sheikh after he was thrown out of the presidential palace and when it was decided that he would be incarcerated, he experienced a five star imprisonment in one of Egypt’s legendary hospital suites.

Despite his crimes, Mubarak would not have been sent to trial were it not for the immense pressure from the country’s streets and squares. Were it not for the revolution’s youth, Mubarak would still be enjoying the warmth of life in power as he kept company with oligarchs and old institutions.

Even as he resides in prison, Mubarak is still being treated like a pasha and receives nothing more than respect from anyone he encounters. In fact, people are currently working towards washing his reputation clean and he is being acquitted of the charge of killing protestors.

Mubarak’s witnesses claim that he showed nothing but mercy to the peaceful protestors and the revolution’s martyrs were killed by some type of alien or ghost who came to Egypt in a UFO, from an unknown outside world, one which we know absolutely nothing about!

Mubarak’s pictures are once again being raised in Egyptian squares and his era’s servants of corruption have once again returned to Egypt, to dictate their conditions to the state. Those who protested against Mubarak are being sent to prison in large groups as the January 25 revolution is now considered one of the many conspiracies that was drawn up in some international intelligence bureau.

Nothing more can be done for Mubarak except for the people to say: “We are sorry dear president! Go back to your palace with dignity and honour for you have been forgiven for your sins.”

On the other hand, we have all heard the recording that was leaked after a poor spying operation, in which there was talk of how the former president-elect was being starved to death in prison. Soon after, images emerged of an emaciated Morsi in a loose and shabby white garment. We heard him as he begged for a small amount of money to be put for him in the canteen so that he would be able to live.

We also learned that Mubarak recorded one of Morsi’s stays in hospital, with the help of his doctor, as part of a business deal for one of the newspapers that remains affiliated with the security sector, and the doctor who helped him with this recording was sent to trial.

As for Morsi, everyone is aware that certain individuals spied on him and his lawyer; however, no one wants to talk about him or even hint that they empathise with his situation because he has been assassinated morally, liquidated politically and sentenced to death while staying alive.

Morsi’s life is too cheap whereas Mubarak’s life is too precious because the former comes from a line of peasants while the latter has the blood of pashas running through his veins. A farmer has no right to stand shoulder to shoulder or on equal footing with the country’s inheritors, because an eye can never be placed above an eyebrow.

This is a translation of the Arabic text published by Al-Mesryoon newspaper on February 14, 2014

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