of channels. Every so often they go to Egypt and its all doom and gloom.
A coup, the army are back in power, a disaster, worst possible result,
chaos, death toll, intolerable, a democracy should not be overthrown by
its own military. Talking heads, news presenters and politicians taking it in
turns to highlight how bad things are.
In fact there are only a handful of places where anyone is attempting a
thoughtful consideration, a few reporters and presenters are making
the effort to ask why it happened rather than join the doom and gloom
chorus.
How many of your watched the Sky News Presenter and that helpful
young man with good spoken English who I presume was a Muslim
brotherhood person stand either side of the man holding something
and harass him.
You saw it, you saw this, you were a witness, you were there, and
you saw it happen. On and on went the Sky News man.
Yes he was there, he saw everything, he saw it, and he is telling
the truth. Over and over came the translations often before the
“Witness”had even spoken.
A demonstrator blown to bits, his bones shattered and the man who
saw it was holding one of those fragments.
The man standing between the reporter and the translator looked a
little bemused and confused to me and yet as far as Sky News was
concerned his unsubstantiated and somewhat bizarre claim was the
most important thing in the world and worthy of a great deal of air time.
A clear sign to the Middle East that democracy does not work I
have heard in various forms from various speakers.
Oddly I think the exact opposite. I see it as a clear sign that democracy and
the will of the majority does work. I see it that when an elected leader starts
to turn into yet another Tyrant or Theocrat they can be overthrown by
people who do not want a 10:00 PM curfew imposed on a city renowned for its
night life just so everyone can get some sleep before the first Muslim call to
prayers in the early morning.
When you get to the point where your elected government is talking about
having religious police arresting you for being on the streets after the
curfew that has been imposed for religious reasons means you are only
a very small step from religious police arresting you because they do not like
the way you look or act or speak.
This is an extract from a speech by Tony Blair. It is very rare that I will ever
quote him but what he said is very appropriate to events that happened
only a few weeks after he spoke.
Democracy is not just a way of voting but a way of thinking. It isn’t simply
about how the majority takes power, but about how the majority then
treats the minority. It is pluralistic in nature. It means treating all people
equally, irrespective of race or faith. It means treating men and women equally.
It means the rule of law in which citizens know judges are impartial and free
from political pressure. It means religion in its proper place with a voice but
not a veto.
Tony Blair addresses the 5th Israeli Presidential Conference in
Jerusalem Wednesday, Jun 19, 2013
To watch the establishment of a democracy in Egypt, to vote in a government
made up of the Muslim Brotherhood and to then stand back and watch
while the Egyptian constitution is written to follow much of Sharia law is to
send the wrong message to Extremists, to tyrants and to those who would impose a
theocracy.
To watch the economy crash while members of the ruling Muslim brotherhood
talk of destroying the Pyramids to smash what little is left of the tourist trade
which brings in the money that put bread on peoples tables.
To turn a blind eye to assigning a new Governor to Luxor, a tourist region which
brings in critical income, who was so publicly involved in the murder of those same
tourists.
To stand back and do nothing because the government was elected even while it
moves towards crushing minorities, throwing out human rights, and ignoring laws
and protections that should apply to all, that is to send the wrong message to
Extremists, to tyrants and to those who would impose a theocracy.
To ignore the risk that gays would face death under Sharia.
To ignore that those considered Apostate (those who choose to follow a religion other
than being automatically considered to be a Muslim because they were born to a Muslim
family) would face death under the extremist Salafist agenda.
To ignore that the Agnostic would face death because to deny the existence of God is a
crime under Sharia.
To ignore that the same people who so publicly murdered a young man in Syria for
telling a joke would be the people in charge of Egypt sends the wrong message to
Extremists, to tyrants and to those who would impose a theocracy.
To do all of this is to send a message that says the western idea of democracy can
be used as a route to establishing tyrannical government in a way that the west
will accept. It says that the west will bend over backwards to ignore the barbaric
and savage abuses of man, woman or child as long as it is done by an elected
government.
If you are a lesbian, gay or transgender is it right for the government you voted
for to execute you?
If you are a humanist, agnostic or anyone with a questioning mind who asks
“does god exist” is it right for the government you voted for to execute you?
Is it right for you to watch your nation collapse, for your children to starve, for
your freedoms to vanish in the wind and for your hopes burn to ash because
you voted for the government that is doing all of those thing?
Is it right to wait until all of this has happened before you speak out and to join
others in protest?
This is a matter for the people of Egypt. This cannot be decided or controlled
from Britain or Europe or America. Every talking head and politician who
preaches doom and gloom strengthens the hand of the tyrants and weakens
the resolve of those who listen to the voices of the west.
Can we please allow the people of Egypt the time to find democracy for themselves.