Voices from the Arab press: A shameful Egyptian deal
A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.
By COMPILEDTHE MEDIA LINEANTI-GOVERNMENT protesters perform the Friday weekly prayers during a rally to demand the ouster of Yemen’s president Ali Abdullah Saleh in the southern city of Taiz in 2011(photo credit: REUTERS/KHALED ABDULLAH)A SHAMEFUL EGYPTIAN DEAL Al-Masry al-Youm, Egypt, February 21 Two weeks ago, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi stood proudly at the inauguration ceremony of Egypt’s offshore Zohr gas field and declared that Cairo is now entering the “age of energy self-sufficiency.” The people of Egypt celebrated this announcement together with the president, thrilled at the prospect of their country overcoming its financial hardships and political turmoil.This celebration, sadly, lasted only a few days. Last week, on a bright, quiet morning, Egyptians woke to the news that their government has agreed to purchase gas from Israel for a period of 10 years. The deal, totaling over $15 billion, was announced by none other than the Israeli prime minister, who hailed the fact that revenue would flow from Egyptian hands into the Israeli Treasury, thereby funding the Israeli military and its continuous occupation of Palestine.To the Israelis, this deal is nothing short of a strategic milestone. It allows Tel Aviv to assert dominance over Cairo and threaten the entire Egyptian nation with the loss of power at the turn of a switch. Under this so-called era of energy “self-sufficiency,” Egypt is actually becoming energy-dependent, held hostage by the Israeli regime. This deal is a crime against the Egyptian people.Even more shameful is that the Israeli field from which the gas originates is located in disputed territorial waters that historically belonged to Egypt. Instead of strengthening our country and restoring its leadership role in the region, the Egyptian government has further weakened the nation. It ceded control over a valuable resource and strengthened our enemies at the expense of our allies. This is a disgraceful deal for Egypt and for the entire Arab world. – Emira Abd al-Fateh AFGHANISTAN: BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE Al-Mada, Iraq, February 22Last January, the White House put a freeze on $1 billion in aid to Pakistan, in response to what US President Donald Trump described as Islamabad’s failure to assist American counterterrorism efforts in the Middle East. In a tweet posted at the time, Trump accused Pakistan of giving the US “nothing but lies and deception.”The suspension of aid dramatically affected Pakistan, as Islamabad has historically relied on the assistance to train its military and police personnel as well as to provide legitimacy to, and thus ensure the stability of, the government.However, Islamabad has also been supporting the Taliban and its affiliates operating across the border in Afghanistan. This has led to a situation in which US aid has been used to undermine American interests in the region. But Pakistan is not alone. Iran, too, has been a staunch supporter of armed groups in Afghanistan, sending the Taliban both munitions and cash.Ever since the US withdrew most of its forces from Afghanistan in 2014, Kabul has worked hard to restore stability to the country. However, the Afghan government’s chief struggle has been combating terrorist groups such as the Taliban, which has increased its attacks in recent months. Just last week more than 20 Afghan soldiers were killed in a series of attacks carried out by the Taliban in the capital.It seems as though Afghanistan, which has endured so many foreign invasions throughout its history, is once again becoming a playground for foreign powers. Caught between Pakistani and Iranian aggression, and barely supported by the current US administration, Afghanistan has once again been left alone to battle for survival.The Taliban understands this dynamic very well and is therefore taking advantage of the opportunity to resurface and win over the support of the masses. It is doing so pretty successfully, while the White House looks the other way.– Hadaa al-Husseini WHY THE IRAQI ELECTIONS MUST BE POSTPONED Asharq al-Awsat, London, February 23 Nearly 15 years after Saddam Hussein was removed from power in Iraq, it remains clear beyond any doubt that the Iraqi people were given a real chance to build a better future for themselves, thanks to American support.One can certainly argue that democratic rule cannot be imposed upon a people through the use of force; however, military means can surely be used to remove the barriers to democracy. This was the case with the American intervention in Iraq. Thus, the country can, for many reasons, be celebrated as a democratic success story.For instance, ever since Hussein’s regime was toppled in 2003, the Iraqi people have chosen their leaders in free and fair elections. To observers in the Western world, this might not seem like a serious matter; but to those who for centuries were treated by cruel despots as mere subjects, this is a true achievement.Sadly, free and fair elections alone will not sufficiently ensure Iraq’s stability in the long run. As the country’s May 12 vote approaches, it has become clearer and clearer that Iraq is still not ready to go to the ballot box. Many of Iraq’s regions have only recently been liberated from Islamic State, making it difficult to ensure that the infrastructure necessary for holding elections is in place. This includes not only physical polling stations but also the infrastructure to campaign, rally, and register voters.Furthermore, the Kurdish referendum held just six months ago has left many of Iraq’s ethnic groups at odds with one another. Sending them to vote right now is not a good idea.Finally, Iraqis are beginning to see past their differences and come together as one people, viewing their victory over ISIS as an Iraqi, rather than sectarian, win. This should not be undermined or sabotaged by holding divisive elections.The United States, more than any other country, should understand this fragile dynamic and work to postpone the vote. US President Donald Trump is believed to have ordered the ramping up of American activity in Iraq and the deployment of more troops to the country. He surely understands that such an effort will require coordination with the newly elected Iraqi government. It would thus appear contrary to American interests to force the people of Iraq to vote at this moment, effectively ushering in Washington’s next ally in an abrupt and hasty manner.– Amir Taheri WHY THE POLITICIZATION OF ISLAM IS COSTING US DEARLY Al-Mustaqbal, Lebanon, February 20 In order for us to begin tackling the threats originating from within our societies, most notably the rise of terrorism and violence, we must first take a step back and look at ourselves critically.How has Islam, a religion of tolerance and peace, been turned into a political agenda that fuels fundamentalist worldviews? Since the dawn of time, Islam has embraced the values of love, kindness, forgiveness and justice – but these values have, unfortunately, been distorted by a few. A minority of fundamentalists that has risen from among us falsely asserts that the Koran was meant to serve as our political constitution. In reality, however, the holy book focuses on the relationship between human beings, not between state institutions. It is concerned with ethical and behavioral dilemmas, not with issues of government.The attempt to politicize Islam and transform it into a political movement has no parallel in the history of our religion. The effort began in the 20th century, as people grew increasingly disillusioned with their governments and sought to find meaning in religion. In doing so, they started propagating the belief that there is only one, single truth and one, single interpretation of religious texts. More importantly, they undermined the fundamental relationship between a government and its people.Don’t misinterpret my words: Islam should serve as a guiding principle in our lives and the conduct of our state. But it should not be turned into a political agenda that gives rise to dangerous ideas. The only way for us to move forward is by restoring Islam as a religion by separating it from political processes. Only then will we be able to address the radical ideologies in our very own societies, which claim to speak on behalf of our entire religion. – Ali al-Amin
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