Pro-Al Sisi journalist warns a third revolution is on the way

Less than a year after she wrote her column entitled “Al-Sisi, you need only wink with your eye”, which was published in Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper on July 25, 2013, Ghada Sharif wrote an article in the same newspaper on Tuesday entitled “The Interior Ministry is back to its black days” in which she promised that a third revolution was on its way now that Al-Sisi has become president of the country.

The conversion of this writer from one position to its exact opposite is not confined to her. It is no longer a personal phenomenon but a general condition. A large number of those who once supported Al-Sisi, including writers, journalists and public figures, have had a change of heart and, instead of voicing support for him, they have been criticising him. These people were once some of his staunchest supporters. All of this happened only a few days after he assumed the presidency in sham elections.

In her first article, Sharif wrote: “Since Al-Sisi told us to take to the streets we shall take to the streets. Frankly, he needs not call or order, it would suffice for him to wink with his eye… and he’ll find us all responding to his call. This is a man who is adored by Egyptians. If he wants us to be his four wives, we are at his demand. Even if he wanted us to be his slave girls, we would happily do it, by Allah. By doing so we would only be implementing the Shariah anyway.”

That article attracted condemnation across Egyptian society. It was a shock for public opinion. Many people considered it an insult to Egyptian women and described it as provocative. It was even removed from Al-Sisi’s election campaign.

However, in her recent article Sharif wrote that the Egyptian police “considered Al-Sisi’s ascent to governance a licence to return to tyranny”. She added: “If the president fails to deal with this issue decisively and quickly then I promise him a third revolution is on its way.”

The writer listed a number of traffic police violations perpetrated against her colleagues. She wrote: “These incidents only mean that violence is the instruction given by the director of the Giza traffic department. Should this man remain in his position for one extra day that would mean that perpetrating violence is a policy that is adopted by the minister himself. Consequently, everything we’ve heard about the return of torture inside prisons is true and the beating of detainees in police stations is true.”

She talked about the traffic police reminding them of what happened during the January 25 revolution when they withdrew from the streets. “We have not forgotten the withdrawal of the traffic police from the streets after the prisons were stormed and the criminals took to the streets.”

She narrated what happened to her personally when a traffic policeman had an argument with her at a crossing. She said to him: “Haven’t you given me a ticket? Why are you quarrelling with me now?” He astonished her by saying: “We are back”.

Sharif asks: “Was what the policeman said due to having been standing in the sun for too long or was he simply reiterating what he heard from his bosses: Our days are back again?”