An Egyptian social media campaign standing in solidarity with Syrian refugees has sparked on Twitter in response to lawyer Samir Sabry’s calls for new laws to strictly surveil Syrian business owners to prosecute “those who finance terrorism and hostility against their country”.
Sabry is notorious for his lawsuits accusing celebrities of “indecency”. He also accused Syrians of “invading” commercial areas in Egypt and driving up housing prices.
There are currently around 130,000 registered Syrian refugees in Egypt, according to the UN refugee agency, and they live in Egyptian communities rather than refugee camps.
There was an outpour of support on Twitter for Syrians in Egypt, in the form of a trending Arabic hashtag emphasising that they are welcome in Egypt.
The attack against Syrians are mainly stem from some lazy Egyptians who cannot stomach the fact that others succeeded to create profitable business in Egypt.
Syrians prove that #Egypt is the land of opportunities, regardless of its political system. #السوريين_منورين_مصر— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) June 10, 2019
Syrians are the best thing to happen to Egypt in years. They've injected a pleasant dialect in the air, humility into social spaces, delicious cuisines, resurrected a semblance of an old cosmopolitanism, and they are just simply beautiful human beings. #السوريين_منورين_مصر
— Amro Ali (@_amroali) June 10, 2019
Syrians are not refugees ❌
Syrians are Citizens ✔
Egypt is your country guys ❤#السوريين_منورين_مصر#السوريين_منورين_مصر— Ahmed Eldershaby (@2Beckham) June 11, 2019
Youssef Hussein, the Egyptian host of “Joe Show”, an Arabic talk show and political satire television programme, tweeted that Syrians “are not guests here [in Egypt], our home is your home”.
قبل ما أسافر من مصر كنت أشوف أي سوري على طول أتكلم وأدردش معاه لدرجة ممكن تعطله عن مصلحته من فرحتي بيه عندنا .
إنتوا مش ضيوف عندنا .. إنتوا الدار داركم يا حبايب ❤️— Joe (@youssef_hussen) June 9, 2019
Khaled Awad tweeted: “Made by Syrian hands on Egyptian land. Syria and the Syrian people are in our hearts forever.”
https://twitter.com/khaledawad74/status/1138394570968981505
While Makram Abdou wrote: “Who said these people [Syrians] are strangers here? We have the same customs and traditions, the same blood. Are hearts are one and the colours of our flags are one.”
#السوريين_منورين_مصر
مين قال ان الناس دول اغراب عننا
الناس دي مننا نفس العادات والتقاليد نفس الدم حتى القلب واحد و لون العلم واحد pic.twitter.com/7pHmeg4sML— Makram Abdou (@AbdouMakram) June 11, 2019
Some drew on Egypt and Syria’s shared history: when the two countries formed the United Arab Republic in 1958 under President Gamal Abdel Nasser, a political union that lasted until 1961, and prayed for “maintaining love and unity always” between the Egyptian and Syrian people.
تبديل الاسم أمام مقعد سوريا فى الأمم المتحدة إلى (الجمهورية العربية المتحدة) بعد الوحدة بين مصر و سوريا عام 1958م.
صورة من الصور الجميلة أوى ربنا يديم علينا المحبة والوحدة دايما كلنا عشاق لسوريا
– من القاهرة هنا دمشق ، من دمشق هنا القاهرة
🇸🇾 ♥️ 🇪🇬
#السوريين_منورين_مصر pic.twitter.com/K1RqmZCbjp— Gamal kamal (@gamal_kamall) June 11, 2019
And when Damascus radio expressed solidarity with Egypt during the tripartite aggression on Egypt in 1956: “From Damascus, here is Cairo”, the radio presenter said.
https://twitter.com/anassr505/status/1137815783747280898
And in 2011, when Egyptians took to the streets during their revolution holding both the Egyptian and Syrian flags in support of the uprising against Damascus.
https://twitter.com/hahellyer/status/1138222577531400193
This strong connection clearly transcends borders, as thousands have tweeted in solidarity with their fellow Syrians.
you are in your country .
we treat you as citizens and we love you very much .
if land cant carry you , we are ready to put you on our heads .#السوريين_منورين_مصر— Moawia Elzahaby (@MoawiaElzahaby) June 10, 2019
We are brothers ❤️#السوريين_منورين_مصر
— Mohamed Sobhy (@Mohamedsobhy_14) June 10, 2019
I had almost forgotten that Egyptians and Syrians belong to two different countries.. It's the beautiful yet strong bond that we had among the years.. 💛✨ You can't be a refugee in your own homeland 💕 we support you always.#السوريين_منورين_مصر
— امـنـيـه 🍓 (@xmniyaa) June 10, 2019
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