Dr. Hossam Badrawi writes: Where is the battle for Egypt’s future?

Dr. Hossam Badrawi writes: Where is the battle for Egypt’s future?

There is still a lot to learn about extremism, as I have not seen enough research that sheds light on the different psychological paths that can lead people to adopt extremist religious or political work.

Even after the 2011 revolution, I have not seen research on the type of youth who were in Tahrir in the early days and their relationship with those who were present in the last days.. I have not seen an analysis of the chants, the times they were broadcast, nor the type of youth present, nor their level of education. I believe, for example, that the heart of the 2013 revolution was the middle class in Egypt called (the couch party), which is unconventional in revolutions throughout history, but I have not read a scientific analysis that confirms my belief, nor a social or statistical research on who was in the Rabaa gathering and why?? In order not to exaggerate or dwarf events with the aim of creating false impressions that are entrenched in the collective memory of society..
We need to follow a scientific approach based on social research to understand the origins of extremism and not be led by opinions that may be important but may not statistically reflect a scientific fact stemming from extensive research over a number of years..
I believe that those who find it difficult to adapt to new and changing intellectual requirements or circumstances tend to adopt more severe ideological and doctrinal views on politics, nationalism and religion and are more inflexible and willing to support violence.
In fourth and fifth generation wars, the one who has the tools of influence and is able to control the minds and consciences of others wins. These are internal and global wars as well, and their impact depends on the ignorance of the recipients on the one hand and the stupidity of the country’s administration on the other. Ignorance does not allow citizens to differentiate between the true and the fabricated, nor does it lead them to search for the truth, but rather to believe what has no reference, by repeating it and pushing it into people’s minds, and the stupidity of the people’s administration that does not leave society a legitimate means to freely express the opinion of citizens and sometimes their anger…

Science has proven that the impression that others may create, after a while becomes a reality that does not need proof, but some defend it, revolt and fight for it, and it is created by groups seeking political control or intelligence agencies or media directed to goals, and it may lead nations to failure and collapse, and even eliminate identity, and push it to reject its present and kill hope in its future.

Creating and feeding extremism in Egypt is a type of fourth and fifth generation wars to fragment the stability of society, and return Egyptian society from modernity that had begun before all the countries of the region at the beginning of the twentieth century, to backwardness, and from civilization that respects freedom of belief and respect for difference and diversity to religious extremism with a single thought, and political extremism that sees no way to change except through violence and destruction. The absence of the Egyptian influence with its soft and smart powers on the region is in the interest of those who want to dominate the capabilities of the Middle East militarily, economically and culturally.

First, let us think, who are Egypt’s competitors in civilizational influence? They are Israel, Iran, Turkey and the rising Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. If we do not form an alliance and find the basis of an agreement between Egypt and its choices for this alliance, “and I see the closest of them is Saudi Arabia”, Egypt’s leadership will unfortunately decline, despite it being the historical and future backbone of enlightenment and modernity even for them…

Second: We must realize that only thought can resist thought, and this is the task of intellectuals and community leaders. Unfortunately, over the past decades, this battle has been the task of the security services only, not only because of the laziness of civil society, but also because these services do not trust it and do not allow it to interfere in what they consider to be an exclusive security mission. The battle was clearly against the society, which led to a political collapse in 2011, through which the Muslim Brotherhood hijacked the youth revolution and even ruled the country, which is the same mistake that a country might make politically, when any ruling regime sees that there is no alternative to it, and that the stability of the country depends on its existence, and that freedom and change lead to chaos, although experience has proven that the circulation of civil political power is the basis for the sustainability of the country’s stability and modernity. I observe a modernization movement in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, I salute it, but without Egypt it will become an easy target for fourth and fifth generation wars. Egypt should not boast about its role in the past that supported these countries, nor should the Gulf be arrogant and conceited towards Egypt due to the reality of a historical moment in which its economic capabilities and political influences have shrunk. The opportunity is still before us together with mutual respect to make the reality of the leadership of enlightenment and modernity impose itself on the conspiracies that are woven, and the plans that are built, to plunder the wealth and cause discord between the peoples and the rulers and between these nations and each other..
Extremism and terrorism are based on the failure to manage great countries like Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Sudan politically and its fuel is mostly the youth, many of whom are educated and graduates of the most prestigious colleges because we did not realize the importance and vitality of building the conscience and building the foundations of sustainable human development, so they fell into the abyss of extremism and violence despite the beauty of these peoples and their wealth..
Neither wealth protects peoples, nor does taking shelter under the umbrella of the United States and Europe..
History lesson…
As for Egypt, the conservative, reactionary Salafist thought that has crept into the conscience of society has not disappeared after June 30, but I see it spreading more and more, and it is clearly evident in the reactions of social media to the privacy of members of society and the continuation of laws such as contempt for religions, and defining citizens by their religion and not their affiliation with Egypt on their national ID cards. In fact, the official Dar al-Ifta issued a fatwa on the form of women’s clothing in Egypt and what it reveals and what it hides, in a precedent that has never happened before.. The only time I saw a video of it about that was in a public speech by Gamal Abdel Nasser after the July Revolution, in which he says that the Muslim Brotherhood’s guide asked him to veil women in Egypt, and the citizens’ reaction was laughter as if it were a joke, due to Abdel Nasser’s smart reaction, and here we are, seventy years later, fulfilling the very political request of the Muslim Brotherhood’s guide.