What Do Egyptians call their dictator!
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah elSisi is coming to visit the US first week of April, No, this is not an April Fool’s but it is the meeting of fools. The visit is the first official state visit for the Egyptian general at the invitation of president Trump, reported the Egyptian Al-Ahram newspaper. Trump seems to be fascinated with strong leaders like Putin and other dictators in the Middle East. To understand General elSisi, Mr. Trump who knows the importance of names, (the man puts his name on anything and anywhere;) needs to understand what names Egyptian put on their dictator. In fact people living under dictatorial regimes have no political choices, and can’t exercise freedom of expression, where change is hard to come by, Arab regimes are like catholic marriage, you live with it, until death do you apart. When people tried to change their regimes in Arab Spring and it turned out ugly. Therefore, Egyptians if they can’t change their dictators, the least Egyptians can do is change the dedicators names. Names are giving to us at birth to legitimize our existence, but they can also be giving later in life to challenge out existence. The same is true with dictators. Nasser was just called the “Leader” on a good day and the “Catastrophe” on a bad day, Sadat went from Mr. “Yes” to the faithful leader, then became the Traitor. Mubarak was called “La vache qui rit,” the laughing cow, a famous brand of French cheese in Egypt.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends during signing of agreements ceremony with Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir (unseen) at the El-Thadiya presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt October 5, 2016. Picture taken October 5, 2016. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
However, no Egyptian leader has triggered so many names in such short period of time like General Abdelfattah elSisi. General elSisi was elected after a military coup that ousted the elected president Dr. Morsi and a year after committing the biggest massacre in Egyptian history. After much hysterical propaganda to inflate the general’s ability and achievements, the general had three disastrous years in power. Now the general is looking for alliances, he is trying to position himself to the West as their trusted man in the Middle East, the man they can count on for the so-called “war on terrorism.” General el-Sisi has become irrelevant at home and abroad. So, now he is coming to reinstate his relevance. “We need to export our war on terrorism expertise to the world” bragged one of elSisi advisor. This is the Egyptian general, who has no vision and no political party except the Army has turned Egypt into a police state. But before turning elSisi to a great hero, like what the West done with Sadat. Decorated him with Noble Peace Prize, and giving him monikers like a man of courage, a man of peace. Ignoring what Egyptian actually called their dictator is a grave mistake. Trump needs to understand what Egyptian call elSisi now and why. The first thing Egyptian dictators do when they take power; besides putting a praying mark on their forehead, is they put the name of the prophet –Mohamed- in front of their names. So Anwar el-Sadat, became President Mohamed Anwar el-Sadat, and Mubarak became Mohamed Hosni Mubarak. However, elSisi didn’t have to add the name of the prophet to his name, he see himself as the Prophet himself, he is going to save Islam and Muslims from themselves. el-Sisi’s tenure started very well and promising; so the names that were giving to him at first were positive and hyper-nationalistic, but then went downhill from there, and all hell broke loose. Right after the military coup and cracking down on the Muslim brotherhood in Rabaa massacre, elSisi was a hero for many Egyptians. They banked on him and decorated him with all sort of names, like, Lion ( اسد) projecting power and vitality; our father, the Prophet(نبي) a god sent to save Egypt from the evildoers (brotherhood). Then elSisi got cocky, consolidated his power, and demand of people to only listen to him, calling himself the Philosopher (فيلسوف), Savior (منقذ). El-Sisi started acting irrationally and trust no one other than the military. Started mega fake projects that were never finished, to extort money from the gulf states and Egyptians. The Egyptian dictator started acting above the law, politicizing the justice system, the police, the media and the military. Arresting thousands of Egyptians without trials, and getting rid of any opponents! So Egyptians started wondering about their new hero, who they couldn’t protest against or muster any opposition to. So they started changing his names with names he deserves, names that are degrading and culturally inferior. A Name like Candy (حلاوه), a name that is reserve for an uncouth woman, Date (بلحه,) name usually giving to insult and belittle people, then the most culturally degrading name, the Pimp, (معرص).
This for his willingness to say anything to anyone for getting what he wants, using his socially inferior speaking style, saying something and doing something else. Egyptians have started disowning him, calling him Son of a Jew, (يهوديه ابن) for his blatant support for the Israelis against the Palestinians, Particular, taking part in the suffocation of the people of Gaza. elSisi like Mubarak and Sadat before him he earned the name Traitor (خاين). Then came the name that hits him in the heart of his religious pretense; the Infidel ( كافر), Thief (حرامي) for his Ponzi schemes to collect money for his henchmen under the banner “Long Live Egypt” box, which also earned him the name Beggar (شحات) and Con artist (نصاب). SOB (وسخة ابن)is name degrading more to his mother, Psychopath (سفاح), after committing the biggest massacre of Egyptian history at Rabaa and Nahda sit-in. But finally here is my favorite one, Awaad; (عواد ) a name of a folkloric figure, of a farmer who sold family’s land to indulge on his own lifestyle. He earned this name after a failed attempt to return some say sell two Egyptian islands to Saudi Arabia. “My mother taught me to never take what belong to others” he pathetically explained.
This is not by any means inclusive …, the list goes on, as Egyptians are very resourceful! So Mr. Trump, be careful what you call your guest when he comes to visit the White House. Maybe you can put your own name on him… the Trump of Egypt!
Ahmed Tharwat
TV Producer/Host
Ahmedia TV
Blogs at Notes From America
www.ahmediaTV.com
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