Why did the Muslim Brotherhood block the gutters?
Comment: Egypt is being ruled by superstition as the regime invests in political sorcery and ignorance to create a military heaven or happy hell for its citizens, says Wael Kandil.
4 min read
30 Oct, 2015
Alexandria drowned, and the Brotherhood was blamed [Anadolu]
Close your eyes and travel two years and four months back in time.
Imagine that Alexandria had drowned in floods during the rule of former Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi. What would the reactions of the Egyptian mainstream and social media be?
The headline would read: "Morsi get out!"
The claims would look like this: "You are a jinxer," "if you are not up to the responsibility, don't assume it," and "as long as the Egyptian blood is cheap, down with every president".
Strategic experts and beginners fresh from graduating would give lessons about management and how only specific people could rule, and that the fish rots from its head, and how the dismissal of this or that government minister or governor would not be fair - as the problem emanates from the head of state.
Perhaps you would find the Ittihadiya presidential palace aflame after being stormed by protesters who would call for a sit-in until the fall of the regime.
Perhaps you would witness civil disobedience until the "jinx" president leaves and hands the presidency over to those who know how to manage the country, those who belong to a single story, those who know control and discipline, the gentlemen, yes, the officers.
I have previously written a sarcastic commentary saying that I hold the Muslim Brotherhood responsible for the bad weather. I wrote it to point out to the Egyptian regime's sorrowful approach by which it treats the citizens as fools.
But what I imagined to be sarcasm that belonged to the impossible, turned into reality a few hours later - when a story spread that the Muslim Brotherhood had blocked the gutters in Alexandria in order to generate a disaster.
They even went further to curse whoever denies the conspiracy theory that a secretive "Supreme Council of the World" that uses weaponised natural disasters was created specifically to target and harm Egypt and prevent it from moving forward.
Alexandria drowned. So they decided to appoint a brand-new general as its governor; a new Major General to be added to the other eight who control its neighbourhoods and public institutions.
The slogan has become: "The General mourns for his people and appoints new generals." The excuse is that the disaster happened because the governor of Alexandria was a civilian. The solution? The whole city should be militarised.
Fourteen months ago, I wrote that Sisi was "the leader who inspires the mythical state", who rules Egypt solely with "iron and fire" - or even with a wand and a broomstick.
Yes, it is now the era in which Egypt is being ruled by myths. It started before 30 June 2013, when the lies and illusions started to boil in a cauldron fed by a massive army of intellectuals who had claimed they were the knights of enlightenment and who - after June 30 - proved to be fighters in the armies of superstition and myth.
This regime capitalises on returns from political sorcery and investment in ignorance. Its branches are busy eradicating awareness among Egyptian citizens, by ridding the country of critical or opposing minds and different voices, whether through forced exile or by suppressing these voices and preventing them from being heard or read - and at the same time by empowering a national project to promote ignorance, humiliation and mass hallucination.
It was no surprise then that a decision was made to reduce the salaries of university professors - on no constitutional or legal grounds - at a time when generous spending goes to the military rulers and media.
Beware: Anyone who criticises this regime will be forced out of this military heaven, this happy hell that was created by the leader.
Wael Kandil is editor-in-chief of al-Araby al-Jadeed's Arabic edition. Follow him on Twitter: @waiel65
This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.
Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of al-Araby al-Jadeed, its editorial board or staff.
Imagine that Alexandria had drowned in floods during the rule of former Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi. What would the reactions of the Egyptian mainstream and social media be?
The headline would read: "Morsi get out!"
The claims would look like this: "You are a jinxer," "if you are not up to the responsibility, don't assume it," and "as long as the Egyptian blood is cheap, down with every president".
Strategic experts and beginners fresh from graduating would give lessons about management and how only specific people could rule, and that the fish rots from its head, and how the dismissal of this or that government minister or governor would not be fair - as the problem emanates from the head of state.
Perhaps you would find the Ittihadiya presidential palace aflame after being stormed by protesters who would call for a sit-in until the fall of the regime.
Perhaps you would witness civil disobedience until the "jinx" president leaves and hands the presidency over to those who know how to manage the country, those who belong to a single story, those who know control and discipline, the gentlemen, yes, the officers.
I have previously written a sarcastic commentary saying that I hold the Muslim Brotherhood responsible for the bad weather. I wrote it to point out to the Egyptian regime's sorrowful approach by which it treats the citizens as fools.
But what I imagined to be sarcasm that belonged to the impossible, turned into reality a few hours later - when a story spread that the Muslim Brotherhood had blocked the gutters in Alexandria in order to generate a disaster.
They even went further to curse whoever denies the conspiracy theory that a secretive "Supreme Council of the World" that uses weaponised natural disasters was created specifically to target and harm Egypt and prevent it from moving forward.
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Alexandria drowned. So they decided to appoint a brand-new general as its governor |
Alexandria drowned. So they decided to appoint a brand-new general as its governor; a new Major General to be added to the other eight who control its neighbourhoods and public institutions.
The slogan has become: "The General mourns for his people and appoints new generals." The excuse is that the disaster happened because the governor of Alexandria was a civilian. The solution? The whole city should be militarised.
Fourteen months ago, I wrote that Sisi was "the leader who inspires the mythical state", who rules Egypt solely with "iron and fire" - or even with a wand and a broomstick.
Yes, it is now the era in which Egypt is being ruled by myths. It started before 30 June 2013, when the lies and illusions started to boil in a cauldron fed by a massive army of intellectuals who had claimed they were the knights of enlightenment and who - after June 30 - proved to be fighters in the armies of superstition and myth.
This regime capitalises on returns from political sorcery and investment in ignorance. Its branches are busy eradicating awareness among Egyptian citizens, by ridding the country of critical or opposing minds and different voices, whether through forced exile or by suppressing these voices and preventing them from being heard or read - and at the same time by empowering a national project to promote ignorance, humiliation and mass hallucination.
It was no surprise then that a decision was made to reduce the salaries of university professors - on no constitutional or legal grounds - at a time when generous spending goes to the military rulers and media.
Beware: Anyone who criticises this regime will be forced out of this military heaven, this happy hell that was created by the leader.
Wael Kandil is editor-in-chief of al-Araby al-Jadeed's Arabic edition. Follow him on Twitter: @waiel65
This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.
Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of al-Araby al-Jadeed, its editorial board or staff.
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