#TheMurdererIsInLondon: Twitter hammers Sisi UK visit
Blog: As Egypt is flooded by deadly rains and terrorist attacks continue, Egypt's online community has come down hard on the Egyptian president as he arrived in the UK.
3 min read
04 Nov, 2015
British opposition leaders and human rights groups have condemned the visit [Twitter]
Social media users in Egypt have harshly criticised President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as he touched down in London on Wednesday for a controversial three-day visit to the UK to meet with his British counterpart to discuss security cooperation between the two countries.
As Sisi landed in London, heavy rains hit northern Egypt, killing nine people in the province of al-Beheira and flooding the country's second-largest city, Alexandria, for a second time this year.
Also on Wednesday, a suicide bomber targeted a police club in Sinai killing six police officers in an attack claimed by the local Islamic State group affiliate.
Some Twitter users lashed out at the Egyptian president for leaving the country as the bad weather again put the country's out of date infrastructure to the test, after flash floods killed five people in Alexandria just over a week ago.
"Nine people have died in Beheira from the flooding, three of which were electrocuted to death - and the president has gone on holiday and left the country to drown," said Ghada Salem.
"General Sisi is visiting London while people's homes in the northern provinces are flooding from heavy rains," said Middle East Studies professor Khalil al-ِِAnani.
"Where are the loans and grants Egypt has received from the Gulf states? Where and on what have they spent it on? The state's infrastructure is in tatters and behind the times," said one Twitter user.
Other social media users focused on Sisi's poor human rights record - and attacked the British government for inviting Sisi to the UK, using the Arabic-language hashtag #TheMurdererIsInLondon.
"Mr Cameron should tell his wife and children the story of Amal Mohammad – a mother left by prison authorities to rot to death from cancer," said opposition media personality Wael Kandil.
Former political prisoner Mohammad Soltan wrote an article in The Guardian highly critical of the state visit.
"Sisi's visit to the UK will not only undermine the values and principles of the modern world, but also threaten the security, economic and political interests of the UK and the dominant players investing in the future of Egypt," said Soltan.
"Cameron shouldn't have invited Sisi to visit London! This is against Britain's values," said another Twitter user.
The Stop Sisi campaign hosted a protest outside 10 Downing Street on Wednesday evening and set up a website to raise awareness within the UK about human rights abuses in Egypt.
Earlier this week, images of a weeping young photojournalist in front of judge as her pre-trial detention was extended for the tenth time prompted a massive backlash on social media against the government and Sisi.
As Sisi landed in London, heavy rains hit northern Egypt, killing nine people in the province of al-Beheira and flooding the country's second-largest city, Alexandria, for a second time this year.
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| The Stop Sisi campaign has called for protests [Getty] |
Some Twitter users lashed out at the Egyptian president for leaving the country as the bad weather again put the country's out of date infrastructure to the test, after flash floods killed five people in Alexandria just over a week ago.
"Nine people have died in Beheira from the flooding, three of which were electrocuted to death - and the president has gone on holiday and left the country to drown," said Ghada Salem.
"General Sisi is visiting London while people's homes in the northern provinces are flooding from heavy rains," said Middle East Studies professor Khalil al-ِِAnani.
"Where are the loans and grants Egypt has received from the Gulf states? Where and on what have they spent it on? The state's infrastructure is in tatters and behind the times," said one Twitter user.
Other social media users focused on Sisi's poor human rights record - and attacked the British government for inviting Sisi to the UK, using the Arabic-language hashtag #TheMurdererIsInLondon.
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| Northern Egypt has seen heavy rains [AAAJ] |
Former political prisoner Mohammad Soltan wrote an article in The Guardian highly critical of the state visit.
"Sisi's visit to the UK will not only undermine the values and principles of the modern world, but also threaten the security, economic and political interests of the UK and the dominant players investing in the future of Egypt," said Soltan.
"Cameron shouldn't have invited Sisi to visit London! This is against Britain's values," said another Twitter user.
The Stop Sisi campaign hosted a protest outside 10 Downing Street on Wednesday evening and set up a website to raise awareness within the UK about human rights abuses in Egypt.
Earlier this week, images of a weeping young photojournalist in front of judge as her pre-trial detention was extended for the tenth time prompted a massive backlash on social media against the government and Sisi.
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