Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Fahmi Huwaidi
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Who is really harming the Egyptian regime?
When the head of military justice tried to defend the article in the new Egyptian constitution that allows civilians to be tried before military courts, he included any person who attacks military installations “and the like”. This applies to all of the army’s economic interests including petrol stations, hospitals,...
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Two historical narratives to the Egyptian crisis
Last Saturday, an Egyptian government fact-finding committee met to discuss the events that took place during the June 30th coup. At the same time, a group of human rights activists held a conference on violence and injustice at the journalist’s association. The committee decided to begin with files pertaining...
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When the people become the problem
I have two observations on the current campaign against the result of the constitutional referendum led by loud voices among the political class; one on its form and the other on the subject. In terms of form, as I understand it, when 77% of the voters support the proposed...
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Before the courts of history
The latter is no longer immortalised or mentioned in his country, despite his dramatic decision in the mid-1970s to turn his back on Moscow and face toward Washington. In addition to the policy of openness toward the West which he pursued, he went on to sign a peace treaty...
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A comprehensive interview with Recep Tayyip Erdogan: "Turkey will face up to Israeli arrogance" - Part 1
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGANPART 1 When Recep Tayyip Erdogan talks everyone listens carefully, especially now that Turkey’s Prime Minister has become the most outspoken, most credible and most respected amongst leaders in the Middle East and his government is a key regional player. He has a say in...
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An attempt to understand what we have done to ourselves
It is important for us to know what others scheme for our revolutions, and we should not be surprised if they attempt to hijack or abort them. But what is more important is to know what we have done to ourselves, because it is truly strange and surprising. From the...
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Free, but confusing, Libya
No one can deny that Gaddafi-free Libya has to be a better place in all respects, but a Libya protected by NATO troops and under UN trusteeship is not what we hoped for post-Colonel Nightmare. Replacing evil with evil was not on the agenda, nor was getting rid of...
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From Tunisia, to whom it may concern
Events in Tunisia carry several important messages for us. When the results of the Tunisian election came through, many were surprised that the An-Nahda Party had done so well, taking 90 of the 217 seats in the Constituent Assembly, around 41%. Officials in the country had predicted a maximum of...
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Partners not guardians
One of the dilemmas of Egyptian politics is that the feuding parties are acting as guardians and not partners, even though no one has given them a mandate to be either. The party of which we see and hear the most in the media is made up of the elites...
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Letter from Tunisia
As the Tunisian Constituent Assembly holds its first meeting to start the process of handing over authority to the civilian revolutionary forces, the people of Tunisia can claim success where the Egyptian revolution has failed to-date. I am talking about a meeting in which the election of a President for...
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An apology to the Syrian people
We owe the Syrian people an apology for every day that they were slaughtered before our eyes during the past eleven months. The Arab people have let them down and have watched on from the side-lines as if the “the heart of Arabism” has become surrounded by Arabs with...
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The Muslim Brotherhood must reassure everyone
Revolutionary Egypt is at a crossroads, with the revolution itself under threat, requiring all factions to reconsider their positions, especially the Muslim Brotherhood. The Islamic group must be alert, ready to mobilise its supporters and prepared for self-denial. Let’s not forget, though, that Egypt is on the coat-tails of an...
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Call for disengagement between peace and complicity with Israel
Post-revolutionary Egypt should make a distinction between the peace treaty with Israel on the one hand, and partnership and complicity with it against the Palestinians on the other. We understand the first through necessity but consider the second a disgrace that should be disowned. When Gaza’s Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh,...
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Morsi in Beijing and Tehran
It is an exaggeration to say that President Mohamed Morsi’s proposed visits to China and Iran are a turning point, but we hope so. They could pave the way for a qualitative shift in Egypt’s international relations and foreign policy, presenting an opportunity for a positive impact if the...
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Egypt's billions are looted
Researchers from the BBC spent six months on the trail of the money looted from Egypt; on the day that the resultant documentary was broadcast, the Guardian newspaper published an investigation into its findings. Combined, the BBC and Guardian exposés were revealing: the leaders of six Arab states looted...
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The mysterious decision to destroy the tunnels
Neither I nor anyone I know understands why Egypt has decided to demolish the tunnels connecting Gaza and Northern Sinai; not even the Mubarak regime resorted to this. I know that the spokesman for the armed forces told a press conference that the step was taken for security reasons;...
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Against Morsi, not Israel
Within the past two weeks, Cairo has received two messages of special significance. The first was from Washington and the other was from Tel Aviv. During his election campaign, US President Barack Obama made a point of saying that Israel is a “red line” for America regarding its relationship with...
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Why is dialogue not accepted by Egypt's opposition?
Is the opposition in Egypt really interested in reaching a national consensus or not? This is the obvious question following recent statements from some opposition leaders signalling their refusal to get involved in, or imposing impossible conditions for, dialogue with the government. This suggests to me that the revolutionary...
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The propaganda machine
There is, today, nothing louder than the voices of sabotage, destruction, and incitement in the Egyptian media. There has been a determined attempt to aggravate the relationship between the regime and the army. In recent weeks, there have been rumours of complaint and anger amongst the armed forces, as...
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Salutations from Samer Al-Issawi
Samer Al-Issawi has been on hunger strike for almost 220 days, and he is still determined to continue, making his protest the longest in history. As much as he embodies the determination of the Palestinians to defend their dignity and freedom, he also exposes the ruthlessness of the Israeli...
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Demonisation of Palestinians continues in Egypt thanks to the old regime
The past week has seen a lot of media speculation about seven Palestinians who were taken into custody as they tried to enter Egypt and their subsequent release. Was their treatment merely coincidental or the last shout of a phase of Egyptian history that the nation rejected and revolted...
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A profession in danger
A group of young journalists, men and women, visited me recently to complain about the pressure that is exerted on them by their editors, particularly in the privately-owned newspapers. They say that they have been asked to favour one party over another in their coverage of events in Egypt....
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No more sacred cows
Is a British newspaper report of violations against protesters in a military hospital in Cairo defamatory of the Egyptian Armed Forces, justifying hostile official statements? Does it play down the role of the Armed Forces and their role in protecting the revolution in Egypt? I have more questions of...
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The revival of the old regime and the crisis of the revolution
Surprising things happened in Egypt this week, reminding us that we were on the verge of forgetting about the revolution and opening our eyes to one or two things. At the beginning of the week, former president Hosni Mubarak resurfaced to attend his retrial. He looked as if he had...