These latter tend to be fulfilled. The former wishes involve “material” usually transient gains such as: I will lose 30 Lbs of weight or I will have a face lift that would make me look younger and more beautiful, we will move to bigger house, acquire a new boat, purchase a new dress, make more money, have a job that pays more, eat healthier … and the list goes. Most of the material wish-lists prove to represent wishful thinking that can be postponed to a following year and very few prove to be achievable goals.
I was watching documentaries showing what Egypt used to look like more than sixty years ago and caused me to marvel at her past glory. It brought to my memory years that I spent at the university where we played sports together, studied together, laughed together, listened to classic music together and partied together. Among us were Muslims, Christians and Jews, Greeks, Armenians and Arabs; rich and poor; those who came from families of privilege and others from poor backgrounds …. At least fifteen couples in my class of 150 married from the same or another class and yes some of those of us who married were from a different religious sect, and never occurred to us to ask “How Come”? We took it for granted that that was their own decision and none of our business.
This beautiful tapestry of many colors is what we loved about the country where I was born and grew up. Call it nostalgia that represents looking back, but we are now looking forward to the future. I realize that we are much more ruled by autocrats and lately by theocrats who destroyed the country. There are hardly any Jews left, the Greeks and Armenians as well as the Lebanese, Italians and the others left, the influence of religion has become more pervasive and some of it more virulent, the colors in the national tapestry became more pale and the country has become less educated and more violent. I realize there is no magic wand that can alter these multiple ills quickly.
However, the West must understand that Egypt cannot implement western type democracy overnight. Yes, Egypt is blessed by its location, history, culture, beautiful beaches, demography and above all scholars and successful businessmen. Furthermore, its youth has become fearless, enthusiastic and determined. However they lack the necessary discipline, respect for the law, or the experience. Also, let me ask the West: is it possible to implement (electoral) democracy when one third of the population cannot read or write, previous elections were rigged, the poor are plentiful, the real increase in productivity is in reproduction, women are treated in shameful ways, violent religion is rampant and predominates some media, conspiracy theories and falsehoods spread like wild fire, many official news outlets propagate irrational rumors, the country is void of mature parties or think tanks and has been ruled, until very recently, by power grabbers and profiteers?
Furthermore, the only way of expression became violent demonstrations in public squares, and weapons found their way to the Egyptian street from Libya, Hamas, Sanai and other places. What irks me the most is that many Western news outlets refer to Mohammed Morsi, until now, as “the first democratically elected President of Egypt” or “the only freely elected President of Egypt,” which is factually wrong and as if the future of Egypt had to rest in the hands of an incompetent, irrational, ideology-driven, divisive megalomaniac tyrant? And that when the Egyptians said enough is enough, the West rallied to punish Egypt.
The present Government in Egypt is on the right track, and General El-Sisi is still very popular. However Egyptians grew to demand to see results right away, and have become leary of any new government– and I don’t blame them. The first thing that the General should do –after he is duly elected as president- is to grant more freedoms to the non-violent Egyptians. The government has to inform the public regularly about the bright spots in Egypt and about its progress. The rich have to pay their fair share to decrease the level of poverty and the West has to be duly informed that Egypt is marching towards real democracy, which will take time to achieve. We have to accept the hand we have before we can build the future we deserve.
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Lotfy Basta MD, FRCP, FRCPE, FACP, FACC, FCCP, FAHA…