ETSC: Update on the situation in Egypt
Unique experience
Imagine yourself standing among around 3 million people in a square roaring with one voice, “Morsi, Go…Go…Go!” or: “Oh Lord…Oh Lord…Oh Lord.” This was just a small part of a larger picture where around 33 million were demonstrating in many other large squares in Cairo and in almost all the 27 Egyptian provinces. This was a unique experience which words can hardly describe. I had the honor to participate in all four days of these demonstrations until the army responded positively to the people’s cries to save them from this fascist regime, or the “Muslim Brotherhood Occupation,” as some Egyptian thinkers love to describe it.
Some observations about the demonstrations:
- In spite of the massive participation of people in the demonstrations, things were very peaceful and people were caring for each other until yesterday, when the followers of Islamist political parties started to attack peaceful demonstrators, several churches, and some strategic premises across the country.
- Demonstrators were shouting for the army to remove the corrupt dictator regime, to restore the stolen Egypt, and to reclaim the hijacked revolution.
- It is untrue to depict Egyptians as divided into two groups: one for Morsi and the other anti-Morsi; it is rather a whole nation standing against one group which includes the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies.
- The depiction of the army’s position as a “military coup” is misleading and unfair for several reasons:
- The army responded to the nation’s requests to save them from a president who breached his authority and broke his oath to protect his people and homeland, and who undermined all authorities that might have secured a complete democratic transition such as the judicial system, the media, constitution, etc.
- On the 3rd of July, after gathering representatives of different political powers, including the youth who led the 30 June demonstrations, in addition to religious leaders representing al-Azhar and the Church, the army issued a statement drawing up a road map for a way forward.
- The army’s statement does not include any special role or gain for the Egyptian armed forces or any of its leaders. The statement shifted the presidency temporarily to the head of the Supreme Court, according to the constitution. A civilian national cabinet will be formed very soon to lead the transitional period. A committee of law experts will be formed to re-write a constitution that meets the ambitions and dreams of Egyptians for a democratic, civil and modern state.
- Yesterday (Friday, July 5), the Muslim Brotherhood started acting on the threats from Morsi’s final speech, and they were encouraged and spurred on in this by the Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood during his fiery speech to his followers.
Continue helping us by:
- Praying for the country to get settled soon, especially after the dangerous aggravation and violence that Islamists have started to practice since 5 July.
- For those of you who have access to the public media, please correct the wrong perception that what is happening is a military coup. It is not!
- We hope the foreign policy decision makers give us room to plan out draw our future without supporting certain polices in a way that might jeopardize our future as Christians and as a nation.
*Dr. Gendy is President of the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo.