Egyptian Notebooks - December 2021
contents
Introduction
The Political Notebook
The economic notebook
The legislative book
The intellectual and cultural notebook
Information book
Introduction
The “Egyptian Notebooks” report, for the month of December 2021, includes the most prominent events that Egypt witnessed at the end of the year at various levels.
On the political level, the report reviews the criticisms that the ruling Egyptian regime was subjected to from several Western countries because of the human rights file, and the regime's relations with the Zionist entity and its impact on Egyptian mediation in the Palestinian cause. After the Dutch recognition that the current regime was a “coup d’état” and “came in an undemocratic way,” the Egyptian authorities were criticized by Washington and Berlin for the violations against the Egyptian citizen. Rome also returned the file of the murder of the researcher “Regeni” to the fore after a parliamentary committee declared responsibility. Egyptian security services for his torture and killing. At a time when criticism continues because of his human rights record, the Egyptian regime continues to consolidate its relations with the Zionist entity that it supports in the West, which affects its role as a mediator in the Palestinian cause.
On the economic level, the report presents a picture of the performance of the Egyptian economy at the end of 2021, with a focus on two important issues, namely spending on education, and the financing crisis that Egypt is going through, because of their repercussions on the developmental future of Egyptian society.
As for the legislative book, it monitors the most important laws and draft laws approved by the House of Representatives, which covered many areas, including the necessary measures to confront the Corona pandemic, amending the laws of the Egyptian Authority to Ensure the Quality of Education and Accreditation, the value-added tax, the New and Renewable Energy Development and Use Authority, and the Law Organizing the Academy of Arts, in addition to legalizing the transfer of a percentage of the balances of private funds to the public treasury.
If we turn to the intellectual and cultural notebook, we will find that it sheds light on the Zionists' theft of Egyptian antiquities, in light of the Zionist entity's return of some smuggled pieces to Egypt. It also draws attention to the danger behind the Western cultural invasion that targets the moral system in our societies, after the attempts to overthrow this system under the guise of freedom, tolerance and acceptance of the other have increased.
Finally, the media book contains three topics, the first of which revolves around the security directives of the Egyptian media in its dealings with the issue of the leaks of Sisi's advisors. The second revolves around the speech of the President of the Supreme Council for Media on the issue of media transgressions and the unforgiveness of those who commit them. The third revolves around the discussion of the Culture, Media, Tourism and Antiquities Committee in the Senate for the Media Strategy 2030.
It seems that the Egyptian regime's attempts to beautify its face in front of the West were not enough for the Western regimes, which feel embarrassed in front of their human rights organizations that monitor Sisi's continuous violations of rights and freedoms on the one hand, and fear an Egyptian popular explosion that would endanger their interests on the other hand. For this, Cairo was criticized by several countries, including the United States and Germany, and the file of the Italian citizen “Regeni” who was “killed as if he was an Egyptian” was reopened by the security forces in Egypt. The greater the Western pressure on the Egyptian regime, the more Sisi will fall into the arms of the Zionists who support him in the West, and consider him a strategic treasure that cannot be abandoned for them, which affects the neutrality of the Egyptian mediator in the Palestinian issue.
During the past month, the Egyptian regime was criticized by many Western capitals because of its human rights file, which began in Washington, in early December, when the “Human Rights Caucus in Egypt” in the US Congress issued a statement calling for the administration The U.S. Department of Defense immediately investigates possible misuse of U.S. aid by Egypt in practices that constitute human rights violations.
The bloc relied in its statement on what was published by the “Disclose” website, citing French military documents, that the Egyptian Air Force carried out precise air strikes against suspected smugglers in the Western Desert, where smuggling of cigarettes and basic commodities is common, describing This is a "serious violation of international law, and of the terms of the contract that prohibit the use of American equipment in human rights violations."
The statement added that what was stated in Disclose's report is shocking, but it is consistent with previous reports indicating a systematic strategy by the Egyptian army to open fire, recalling the killing of 12 tourists and the wounding of Americans in an Apache attack provided by the United States to Egypt in 2015, to become clear after that. All the victims are tourists[1].
The bloc's deputies had demanded, in a letter addressed to the Appropriations Committee in the House of Representatives, that the Egyptian regime be deprived of some of the aid allocated to it for its lack of respect for human rights, and they said: “We do not believe that the best guarantee for the interests of the United States is to provide military assistance to a government whose repression is a reason fundamental to extremism and terrorism.
In their letter, the deputies noted that “this year marks a decade since Egyptians overthrew security forces notorious for corruption, torture, and violent repression of peaceful dissent, and that, unfortunately, Egyptians today find themselves living under an even more repressive military-led government.” [2].
On December 20, the US State Department commented on the issuance of a judicial ruling by an Egyptian court to imprison an Egyptian activist and others after convicting him of spreading false news, and said, "Washington is disappointed." The US State Department spokesman, Ned Price, said that Washington had informed Cairo that relations between the two countries could be improved if progress was made in the field of human rights[3].
For its part, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry responded to the American position with a cautious statement, avoiding using sharp or offensive language, desiring not to widen the scope of the dispute between the Egyptian regime and the American administration over the human rights file, and contented itself with saying that “it is not appropriate at all to comment in any way or form.” Addressing judgments issued by the judiciary, in implementation of laws, and based on compelling and conclusive evidence and grounds, within the framework of a fair, impartial and independent judicial process.”[4]
Contrary to its position on Washington, Cairo's response to Berlin in the same regard was sharp and firm, as it rejected the statement issued by the German government on December 18, in which it demanded fair trials for the accused, and the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it "considers This method, which involves unacceptable excesses, is a blatant and unjustified interference in Egyptian internal affairs.”
It is surprising that the German government demands respect for the law, and at the same time calls for intervention and influence on the rulings of the lofty Egyptian judiciary, which is known for its independence, impartiality, and integrity, with which we monitor double standards,” the statement continued.
The Foreign Ministry’s statement stressed that Cairo “reaffirms its complete rejection of interference in internal affairs, the necessity of respecting the rule of law and the constitution of the Egyptian state, and that assuming a specific outcome is rejected altogether and in detail, as this represents a waste of justice and justice, and the principles of the rule of law, and what it stipulates.” The constitution requires the separation of powers.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry concluded its statement by saying that “it is more appropriate for the German government to pay attention to its internal challenges rather than imposing its tutelage on others”[5].
The former German chancellor, Angela Merkel, had sparked a state of controversy and resentment after she agreed, just one day before her departure from power, to an arms deal for the Egyptian regime, which was revealed by a letter from the former German Minister of Economy, Peter Altmaier. , addressed to the President of the German Parliament, dated 7 December, and contains details of permits from the Merkel government for the export of sensitive weapons to Egypt, shortly before the change of government.
In this regard, Katja Koel, who holds the position of Minister of State in the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated, "I cannot imagine that the new government would have authorized this sale."
The new German Ministry of Economy, which is the ministry entrusted with controlling arms exports, confirmed that the matter is related to decisions of the previous government for which it bears full responsibility, and that the new government intends to deal more restrictively with arms exports,” referring to linking the agreement to arms deals. The mission with the Egyptian regime in the human rights file[6].
It is noteworthy that a wave of controversy has been raised since last year regarding arms sales permits to Egypt due to criticism of Cairo for human rights violations.
In Italy, after two years of investigations, an Italian parliamentary committee confirmed in a report published on December 1 that the Egyptian security services were responsible for the torture and murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni in 2016 in Cairo.
According to the report, “the responsibility for kidnapping, torturing and killing Regeni lies directly with the security apparatus in the Arab Republic of Egypt, and in particular with the elements of the National Security, as the investigation conducted by the Public Prosecution in Rome accurately showed”[7].
It is worth noting that the Dutch government issued a report last November condemning the Egyptian regime, describing it as a military coup that led to undemocratic elections.
The Dutch report stated that the Egyptian government was guilty of killing 1,150 demonstrators in Rabaa al-Adawiya and al-Nahda squares. The report described Sisi's election in May 2014 as an "undemocratic process" that came in the context of "suppressing opponents," adding that in 2018 Sisi was re-elected in "elections in which his only opponent expressed his support for the current president, Sisi." The report indicated that constitutional amendments were put in place in 2019 that led to more concentration of power and allowed Sisi to remain in office until 2030.
The report indicated that there is currently no significant political opposition in Egypt, because any dissenting opinions can lead to criminal prosecution and even imprisonment, and civil liberties such as freedom of the press and freedom of assembly are restricted.
The Zionist entity's foreign minister, Yair Lapid, visited Cairo on December 9, his first visit to Egypt since he assumed the foreign ministry portfolio last June.
Lapid's visit to Egypt comes about three months after Sisi received Israeli Prime Minister "Naftali Bennett" in the Sharm el-Sheikh resort, in a visit that was the first on this level in ten years.
The Israeli media stated that the purpose of the visit is to deepen the Israeli-Egyptian relations, and to discuss the Palestinian issue and the situation in the Gaza Strip, with a focus on the issue of Palestinian prisoners and missing persons.
According to the statement of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the meeting between Lapid and the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, discussed a number of issues of bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation in areas of priority for the two countries and the importance of working to revive the course of negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian sides at the earliest opportunity [8] .
For his part, Lapid thanked Al-Sisi for his “generous hospitality,” and said, “Egypt is a particularly important strategic partner for Israel, and my goal is to strengthen our security, diplomatic, and economic relations with Egypt, and it is important to continue working on peace between our two countries.” In his statement, Lapid indicated that he discussed with Sisi “the situation in the Gaza Strip,” and presented him with the program “Economy for Security, and the steps taken by the Israeli government with regard to the Palestinian cause.” He stated that they also touched on “Iran's attempts to become a country with nuclear military capabilities[9].
It should be noted here that the Zionist entity insists on linking the process of reconstruction in the Gaza Strip to the completion of the prisoner deal and reaching a long-term truce, through a plan announced by Lapid last September, and it is based on “improving the living conditions of the Palestinians in Gaza, on the condition that Hamas militants stop their attacks against Israel.” The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated at the time that this plan “does not amount to being an official policy of the government,” which is consistent with the vision of the new government, which does not wish to engage in a real peace process with the Palestinians, and rejects the two-state solution.
However, the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” sets conditions for any possible exchange deal with the Zionist entity, including the release of women, children, the sick, the elderly, and those who have been in prison for more than thirty years, in addition to the six prisoners who were able to Taking their freedom from Gilboa prison, as well as the re-arrested prisoners after they were released in the Shalit deal.
Prior to Lapid's visit to Cairo, the Palestinian resistance factions held the Zionist entity responsible for the repercussions of the delay in lifting the siege on the Gaza Strip and the delay in reconstruction. A senior Hamas source stated that the political and military leaderships of the movement are studying options for escalation with Israel, in light of the continued blockade of the Gaza Strip, the slowdown in reconstruction and the exacerbation of humanitarian crises.
The source expressed the movement's deep dissatisfaction with Egypt's behavior, which is lagging behind in implementing its promises towards Gaza and has not, until now, committed itself to what it has pledged to the movement and the Palestinian factions with regard to reconstruction. He also made it clear that Egypt “continues to trouble the Palestinian travelers to the Gaza Strip,” accusing it of preventing thousands from traveling from the Strip without justification. The leading source in Hamas said that Egypt's behavior is a relinquishment of its pledge to force Israel in return for the resistance's commitment to calm[10].
Sources from "Hamas" had stated that the movement was surprised more than once by an Egyptian position that obstructed the understandings that took place at different times with Hamas, and that Cairo was more stringent than the Israeli position on some issues, especially reconstruction, after other mediators conveyed The movement has Israel's positions in this regard, and that Hamas has given more than one deadline to the Egyptian mediator to move forward with the understandings with the Israeli occupation and to start rebuilding what was destroyed by this occupation in the Strip according to the Egyptian grant that was covered by the Emirates and its value is $500 million, but on the ground no work has begun. true after[11].
In his comment on the position of the Egyptian mediator, the Palestinian writer and researcher, Mustafa Al-Sawaf, said that the Egyptian side does not play the role of mediator in the Palestinian file, but rather the role of pressure on the Palestinians and the resistance factions. Al-Sawaf indicated that none of the promises made by the Egyptian side after the recent Israeli war on the Gaza Strip were fulfilled[12].
In a related context, an Egyptian security delegation visited the Gaza Strip on December 19, and informed sources confirmed that the delegation met with the leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and that the meetings focused on 3 important issues, which are the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, Breaking the Israeli blockade of the Strip, and Palestinian reconciliation. The sources pointed out that the Palestinian factions confirmed that reconciliation is the best option for the Palestinian people to solve all problems[13].
In a statement to the Russian agency "Sputnik", a member of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, Mushir al-Masry, said that the visit of the Egyptian delegation came within the framework of relations with the brothers from Egypt, and that Egypt's role was discussed regarding the reconstruction file, and the demand for the need to speed up To accomplish it, and that what is required of Egypt is to fulfill its promises, given that the brothers in Egypt are mediators in the truce file, and they realize that the state of slowness and delay practiced by the Zionist enemy and other parties in the matter of reconstruction is pushing matters towards the abyss. Al-Masry stated that the resistance received a number of promises from the brothers in Egypt, and that it hopes to speed up their implementation, especially in terms of reconstruction and the smooth flow of human and commercial movement[14].
Egypt ends the year 2021, and its economy suffers from the same major problems, for which it has not found a radical remedy for years. The reality of development is not applied in Egypt. Development is based on capital accumulation and technological progress, while Egypt focuses a lot in its media discourse on economic affairs. On a different performance, such as the establishment of infrastructure projects that are not linked to a development plan, such as the expansion of the construction and implementation of bridges, tunnels, and roads, without reference to planning for the targeted urban communities, industrial areas, or agricultural projects on the banks of this infrastructure.
The talk about furnished housing units, implemented by the government, or road projects extending between the governorates, or the import of railway or metro trains, are all based on a wrong perception of development. Leaving the localization of technology, or its local production, is a contribution to the continuation of Egypt as an economically backward country, especially in light of this population growth, just as wasting the available local financing in real estate projects or unnecessary infrastructure is the essence of economic backwardness. There are successful experiences that have focused largely on benefiting from local savings, and investing them well, to help build a strong domestic product, based on a productive base in the sectors of agriculture, industry, education and technology.
As Egypt welcomes the year 2022, its governments have not answered the major questions related to achieving a successful model for development, and among those questions are when to get rid of the debt crisis, and the possibility of achieving adequate financing for development in Egypt that depends on investment and not external or domestic borrowing. .
Unfortunately, with regard to the Egyptian industry, there is a state of insistence on proceeding with the liquidation of public business sector companies[15], or privatization, without thinking about reforming the faltering ones. Rather, profitable companies are sold as well, and all of this is done without There will be an alternative or substitution by the government or the private sector for these industries, whose existence represents a development necessity for the Egyptian economy.
Despite the importance of the issue of education in any society that wants to advance developmentally and civilized, it is noted that the recommendations mentioned by many studies and research, regarding the importance of linking education to the needs of industry, or to the needs of the labor market, are not applicable, but rather clear to all, is Education levels have declined in all its stages, and this is evidenced by Egypt's ranking on the education quality index, at the Arab and international levels. By the end of 2021, the government did not present any vision for the advancement of the education sector, considering it a cornerstone of the development issue.
The issue of relying on abroad to provide food, especially in strategic commodities, such as wheat, sugar, and edible oils. The government's media discourse often talks about land reclamation, but no results have yet been achieved for this talk on the ground, in order to reduce the food import bill. In addition to the absence of a strategy to rely on Egypt’s relative self-sufficiency in food, as it is an issue related to Egyptian national security, especially in light of the fluctuations in the international food market, and the rise in prices, after the Corona crises, and what supply chains are exposed to, and the high costs of transportation, freight, and insurance for the movement of trade. international.
One of the most prominent events that took place in 2021, and its role is expected to increase, is the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, where many of Egypt’s exploited or unexploited capital assets are controlled by virtue of the fund’s establishment law, which gives the president the right to transfer ownership of the assets to the fund, After the presentation by the Prime Minister and the competent minister regarding the unexploited assets, or the presentation by the Prime Minister and the competent minister, and coordination with the Minister of Finance regarding the exploited assets. There are many question marks about this fund since its inception, and the issuance of its law, related to the issue of monitoring the fund’s money and its actions, in addition to the fact that the surpluses of this fund do not devolve into the state’s general budget at the end of each fiscal year, but are carried over to the coming years, in addition to legal and judicial immunity. For the fund's actions with regard to capital assets owned by the state, whether by selling, renting or operating.
Perhaps one of the most important issues and pressing questions to which the Egyptian government has not prepared an answer is what is related to hot money and the losses incurred by the Egyptian economy. One wonders that the government is proud of the high balance of these funds in Egypt, as they are estimated at nearly $22 billion[16]. It is no secret that the government is keen on these funds, in order to support the exchange rate of the pound, as well as support the foreign exchange reserves to remain above 40 billion dollars, and the government does not give importance to the interest incurred by the general budget in Egypt on hot money, which is only looking for higher interest rate, regardless of any other considerations.
The agenda, which represents deficiencies in the performance of the Egyptian economy, may expand during the past period, and talk about the performance of the Egyptian economy may fit between two years, a year ago and a new year, in which a vision and programs can be held accountable, with a democratic government and an alert civil society. He is held accountable and monitored, and oversight institutions and bodies have independence that enables them to hold the government accountable and combat corruption, but the reality in Egypt is far from this completely, as the government is not afraid of accountability or oversight, in light of the nature of the security stick by which the country is run, and neither the popular and governmental oversight institutions play their role.
And there remains a final and very important feature - related to the social repercussions of the economic policies implemented by the Egyptian government - which is the people's reaction and their objections to those policies, and the harm they have suffered that affects their standard of living, and the decline of their levels to below the poverty line. Calls and pleas through social media reflect this state of boredom among not a few segments in Egypt. Perhaps the negative reaction published by some media outlets to Al-Sisi and the Minister of Supply’s talk about lifting subsidies on a loaf of bread or not granting a ration card to newly married couples, and indicating that the security services have submitted reports warning against taking such steps, is evidence that these steps were taken before. The government does not receive sufficient study and research, neither on the economic and social level, nor on the political level.
The actions of the Egyptian government during the last period, especially in 2021, have shown to undermine what is known as the social contract, and it is expected that these actions will continue during the year 2022, and beyond - if Sisi's regime continues - then Sisi and the government are acting, as if the idea of the social contract is not It already exists, as the authority acts unilaterally, without any regard for society and its institutions, and this can be evidenced by only two witnesses, among the many evidences that Sisi and the government have squandered the idea of the social contract. The first witness is related to Sisi’s actions in managing major projects, whether With regard to estimating its cost or its outsourcing operations, this was demonstrated greatly through the model of “Hajj Saeed”, who was assigned a road in the “Dashna” area during a general conference, in violation of all laws governing the outsourcing of public projects.
The second witness relates to the financial situation and the nature of government spending, as Sisi often talks to the people, as if the state's resources come away from taxes or public sector institutions and public bodies. During the era of Sisi, tax revenues were more than tripled, which places the government and Sisi as the head of the executive authority under the control of the legislative authority and civil society, to a large extent. and the rest of its facilities.
Perhaps it is appropriate to dedicate some lines of this book to two important issues that are at the forefront of the Egyptian society's agenda, because of their repercussions on its developmental future. coming.
All the experiences of economic advancement and the success of development projects were done by focusing on education, from the early days of development plans, and this is what happened in Japan, as well as in the rest of the Southeast Asian countries. Perhaps the experience of China is the best example of the importance of education, and the technology struggle with America shows us the importance of education.
However, it is noted on the performance of the Egyptian government, as well as on Sisi’s statements, that education is not a priority for them. Rather, Sisi has made statements more than once confirming that he has completely abandoned education, such as “What will education do in a lost homeland,” or that he wants to focus on Educating a limited group of Egyptian children, with a qualitative education, and they will be responsible for progress in Egypt.
These statements reflect the absence of recommendations from many studies conducted by research centers and universities on the necessity of training in the various stages of education, and the importance of linking education to the needs of the labor market, as well as linking education to the needs of the Egyptian industry. Without education, Egypt loses one of the most important characteristics of the labor market, which is the skilled workforce, whether for local requirements or attracting foreign investment. You can imagine that the illiteracy rate in Egypt is close to 25 percent of those over the age of 15.
At a time when the Ministry of Pre-University Education is complaining about a teacher shortage of about 320,000 teachers, as well as a classroom deficit of about 250,000[17], it tends to call for high school exams via the “tablet”, which is the experience Which did not succeed, due to the lack of the necessary technological infrastructure to conduct such exams, which exposed the ministry to embarrassment, and schools resorted to conducting the exams manually.
Within the framework of the financial deficit experienced by the Ministry of Pre-University Education, teachers were invited to enroll in teaching without pay, as volunteers, a call that was derided by a large segment of Egyptian society, in light of the ongoing economic and social pressures since 2013.
In general, educational institutions in Egypt suffer from a low level of quality, especially in public educational institutions, where students and students are overcrowded, teachers' salaries are low, and many teachers resort to private lessons, in addition to that the government, in dealing with the crisis of private lessons, considers it Only within the framework of holding these teachers accountable with taxes, regardless of the negative repercussions of the phenomenon, whether on the level of students, or its cost on the budget of Egyptian families?
The 2014 constitution stipulated adherence to certain percentages of government spending on education, including at least 4 percent of GDP for pre-university education, 2 percent for university education, and 1 percent for scientific research. The government is fraudulently calculating the proportions of spending on education to comply with the ratios set by the constitution, despite giving them an opportunity for a transitional period that lasted 3 years. Referring to the World Bank’s rule, it was found that the global average of the percentage of spending on education as a percentage of government spending amounted to 13.8 percent[18], while we find this percentage in Egypt around 9.5 percent.
How can a country rise when it has an illiteracy rate close to 25 percent? In addition to the low efficiency of education, in all educational stages. And at a time when the Ministry of Education complains about a shortage of teachers and a shortage of classrooms, we find that the government is building many prisons, until the number of prisons has doubled from what it was in 2013. Egypt now has more than 80 prisons, while the number of Prisons in 2014 amounted to 43 prisons, and the media shows the extent of the development that has occurred in the construction of prisons, and the extent to which they meet the conditions and standards of human rights, while social media publishes the reality of Egyptian schools in many places without seats for children in the classrooms.
The financing crisis in Egypt can be viewed through two important indicators: the total deficit indicator in the state's general budget, and the way to deal with it, through the debt mechanism, and the problems that follow. As well as the deficit index between exports and imports of goods and services.
In the first indicator, the figures for the financial statement of the state budget for the fiscal year 2021/2022 show that the total deficit in the budget is around EGP 475 billion, and debt interest in the budget is also around EGP 579 billion[19], and if the burdens of debt installments are added to the total liabilities financing, we are facing 1.06 trillion pounds, which the government needs during the fiscal year 2021/2022, of which 990 billion pounds are from the local market, and 78 billion are from the external market, according to the estimates of the financial statement of the budget for the year 2021/2022[20].
Through these numbers, we find that the financial space available to the government to implement real development projects is not available, and therefore when we say that Egypt does not witness the existence of a development project, we have the most important of these evidences represented in the absence of financing. However, it is unfortunate that when the government borrows from inside or outside the country, it over-allocates these funds on current rather than investment items, or in aspects that do not have a return of good added value, which helps to pay off debt burdens in terms of installments and interest, and therefore debt burdens accumulate, and obligations increase. The government every year, and it has no solution but to recycle the debt, or consume the new from it with the old.
We will find the government in the next year's budget 2022/2023 suffering from the same indebtedness crisis, in terms of an increase in the value of debts, as well as an increase in the interest values required to be paid, and thus the continuation of the total deficit crisis in the budget, which leads to the government's continued demand for new debts that exceed what I got it in the fiscal year 2021/2022. Domestic debts amounted to 4.7 trillion pounds in June 2021, and foreign debts, on the same date, amounted to 137 billion dollars[21].
Managing the debt crisis, by replacing treasury bills with bonds in their place, or replacing short-term debts with long-term ones, is not a solution, but the government is required to have a strategy, so that public debt is less than 60 percent of GDP. On the other hand, the most important thing is that the debts are used and invested in investment activities through which all the burdens arising from these debts can be paid.
It is necessary for the government to be held accountable for using the funds that were borrowed during the past years, whether from home or abroad, so that the political and economic responsibility does not end by placing it on future generations. The regime's control over the management of oversight institutions, in addition to the thick stick of security, may prevent the realization of this requirement. It is very important to mention this requirement, in order to preserve the right of future generations to live a life free of burdens that were not the cause of it.
The legislative book for the month of December 2021 dealt with the draft laws approved by the House of Representatives during its sessions throughout the month, as follows:
Prime Minister’s Decree No. 3400 of 2021 regarding the necessary measures to confront the novel coronavirus pandemic[22], and a draft law amending some provisions of Law No. 82 of 2006 establishing the Egyptian Authority for Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation, and a draft law A law submitted by the government amending some provisions of the value-added tax law, and postponing discussion of the draft law submitted by the government amending some provisions of the stamp tax law promulgated by Law No. 111 of 1980, and a draft law submitted by the government regarding devolving a percentage of the balances of funds, special accounts, units of a special nature, and surpluses Public bodies to the state treasury, and a draft law submitted by the government to amend some provisions of Law No. 102 of 1986 establishing the Authority for the Development and Use of New and Renewable Energy, in addition to approving the amendment of the law regulating the Academy of Arts.
The Supreme Committee for Epidemics and Health Pandemic Crisis Management, chaired by the Prime Minister, had issued a number of decisions regarding dealing with the Corona virus recently, especially after the emergence of the new variant (Omicron), which required countries to take a number of precautionary measures.
The decision stipulates that “all or some of the following measures shall be taken to confront the threat of the spread of the Corona virus epidemic, in a manner that preserves public health and safety, and the Supreme Committee for the Management of Epidemics and Health Pandemics is responsible for issuing and taking the necessary measures to implement any of these measures, in light of what results.” Follow-up on the health situation and its evaluation of the outbreak of the Corona virus, provided that this decision is valid for a year from the date of its implementation, with all the measures contained in it being subject to follow-up to assess the situation.
The procedures also included prohibiting or restricting the provision of some products or services that have an impact on the exacerbation of the epidemiological situation, and organizing exhibitions, cultural festivals, cinemas, theaters, and cultural houses.
According to the law on combating epidemics and health pandemics, which was approved by the Council in November 2021, the Prime Minister has the right to take about 25 measures to confront epidemics and health pandemics to confront dangers in a manner that preserves public safety.
The law stipulated in Article 2 the formation of a supreme committee called the “Supreme Committee for the Management of Epidemics and Health Pandemics,” headed by the Prime Minister, and the membership of a number of specialized ministers. By the decision of the Prime Minister referred to in Article 1 of this law, in light of the results of the follow-up of the health situation and its evaluation of the outbreak of epidemics or pandemics.
A law was issued in the year 2006 to establish the Egyptian Authority for Quality Assurance of Education and Accreditation, which guaranteed it a public legal personality and its enjoyment of independence, provided that it reports to the Prime Minister. Educational institutions to ensure access to an integrated system of standards and rules for development comparisons and performance measurement mechanisms guided by international standards, while supporting the self-capabilities of educational institutions to carry out self-evaluation, and laying down guiding principles and mechanisms for these institutions to carry out self-evaluation.
The amendment to the law touches on increasing the fees included in the current law, which are equivalent to the actual expenses incurred by the authority for review teams that undertake visits to educational institutions of all kinds, as they were determined more than ten years ago. According to the law, the costs of these visits have increased significantly, and the fees paid by the institutions have become insufficient to meet these expenses.
While the content, which is the most important in the issue of “quality of education,” is considered empty, and it has not achieved many of its objectives, since 2006 to date, the quality of education in Egypt has been at a low stage, which requires reviewing the law in accordance with the objectives that the authority is working on. Egyptian Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation.
The report of the Education Committee in the House of Representatives indicated that the issue of developing technical, technical and vocational education and training occupies a prominent place among the state’s priorities, given the important role that the technical and vocational education and training system can play[25].
While MP Diaa El-Din Dawood referred to the issue of the state's neglect of the law in terms of its main objective, which is to improve the quality of education. The deputy criticized discussing such laws in the absence of the Minister of Education, which sparked great controversy, and pointed out that the original pre-amendment law was issued years ago, without resulting in real feasibility.
The law aims to subject e-commerce transactions to tax through the application of a simplified registration and collection system, in line with international standards and requirements of foreign companies, and consistent with e-commerce applications, in addition to defining some tax exemptions that affect vital sectors such as the Suez Canal Authority and providing benefits For economic zones of a special nature to support national industries and attract investments, without placing additional burdens on the shoulders of the Egyptian citizen[27].
This was a response to the pressure the council faced due to objections due to the size of taxes that burden the citizen in all fields, as taxes were added to all sectors without an increase in income commensurate with these increases.
The first article specified the percentages that will be transferred to the state’s public treasury from the balances of funds, special accounts, and units of a special nature on 6/30/2021, for one time, as follows:
5 percent of the balances amounting to (5) million pounds and not exceeding (7.5) million pounds
10 percent of the balances that exceed (7.5) million pounds, and do not exceed (15) million pounds
15 percent of the balances that exceed (15) million pounds
The draft law stated that due to the issuance of Law No. 74 of 2021 linking the state’s general budget for the fiscal year 2021/2022 as of 1/7/2021, and in light of the revenue estimates included in this law to meet the approved expenditures, the draft law was prepared by Gradual percentages of the balances of funds, special accounts, units of a special nature, and surpluses of public bodies on 6/30/2021 to the state’s public treasury to support the resources of the state’s general budget.
It is expected that this ratio will be achieved from 2.5 billion pounds to 3 billion pounds from the surplus carried over from these balances, which amounts to about 36 billion pounds for 7000 funds and special accounts[29].
Article Two stipulated that a proportion of (10 percent) of the surplus balances transferred to the service, economic and national public bodies on 6/30/2021 be transferred to the state’s public treasury for one time, as an exception to the provisions of the laws and decisions regulating these bodies that provide for the transfer of their surpluses from one fiscal year to another.
Article 3 excluded the devolution of the balances and surpluses stipulated in Articles 1 and 2 to the public treasury, in whole or in part, by a decision issued by the Prime Minister based on the request of the competent authority and the proposal of the Minister of Finance.
Article 4 obligates the authorities referred to in Articles 1 and 2 of the draft law to transfer the stipulated percentages, within a maximum of thirty days from the date this law comes into force, to the account opened to support the state’s general budget resources at the Central Bank of Egypt.
The committee's report stated that the law submitted by the government authorized the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources to contract with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and Dragon Oil Egypt Holding 2 Limited to search for, develop and exploit oil in the East Tanka Marine Development Zone in the Gulf of Suez (A.E.) , achieves some gains, including: obtaining many non-refundable grants, giving priority to meeting the needs of the local market for oil and gas, and the contractor training the authority’s employees in the amount of 100 thousand US dollars paid for each fiscal year throughout the validity of the agreement.
Since there are no large and new hydroelectric projects of economic feasibility that can be implemented in Egypt, the philosophy of the project came to abolish the Authority for Executing Hydropower Projects to Generate Electricity and devolve its assets to the New and Renewable Energy Development and Use Authority established by Law No. 102 of 1986.
Since all the large watersheds on the Nile River and its branches have already been exploited, leaving only small water capacities or pumping and storage projects, in addition to the Authority achieving large losses, and accordingly it has become appropriate to integrate the activity of the Authority for Executing Water Stations Projects within energy activities Renewable energy that is being implemented and developed by the New and Renewable Energy Development and Use Authority.
MP Doria Sharaf El-Din, head of the Culture, Media and Antiquities Committee in the House of Representatives, reviewed the philosophy of the draft amendment to the Academy of Arts Law submitted by the government.
The committee's report indicated that after more than 35 years have passed since the issuance of Law No. 158 of 1981 regulating the Academy of Arts without any amendments, and since the practical necessity was when the law was applied, it necessitated amending some of its provisions to keep pace with developments in the current situation.
He added that Article 82 of the current law limited the appointment of full-time professors to those who reach retirement age and have the rank of professor only without the rest of the ranks of the faculty members, which are the degrees of assistant professor and teacher, continuing: “In light of the academy’s need for the experience of its members of The teaching staff, and given their scarcity in their field of specialization and the length of their preparation period, this article must be amended to allow the appointment of all grades of faculty members as professors, assistant professors, or full-time teachers, as is the case in the Universities Regulation Law in its Article No. (121).”
The proposed article also permitted the assignment and secondment of professors, assistant professors, or full-time teachers, provided that this be according to controls set by the Academy Council, taking into account the proper workflow.
In the session of December 14, 2021, the House of Representatives approved two Republican decisions with two international agreements, as follows:
The Zionist entity returned to Egypt some of the stolen and illegally smuggled artifacts, in a move said to be to honor the head of the regime, Sisi. This event opened a door that the Egyptian regime wanted to keep closed, which is to recover the antiquities stolen by the Zionists during the occupation of Sinai , which they admit to stealing, despite international law standing by Egypt if it demands the recovery of these antiquities.
From the theft of antiquities, which is the first topic, we move on to the second topic, which is cultural invasion, or Westernization, where our morals derived from religion and linked to our eastern human values are subjected to a systematic Western campaign aimed at establishing a different moral system that allows malicious practices, such as homosexuality. .
Cairo announced on December 9 that it had recovered 95 Egyptian artifacts stolen from the Zionist entity. The media reported that the Israeli Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, carried the artifacts with him on the plane that took him to Cairo, and that he handed them over to the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, as a good gesture towards Egypt[33].
According to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, the stolen Egyptian artifacts include parts of hieroglyphic stone inscriptions, part of a wooden sarcophagus with Egyptian inscriptions, inscriptions on papyrus, as well as statues of ancient Egyptian gods. The website of the Hebrew newspaper stated that the first batch of these artifacts was confiscated in March 2013, after an attempt to smuggle them into the Zionist entity was thwarted, while another batch was confiscated in August of the same year. The Israeli website added that the Antiquities Authority notified the Egyptian authorities of these artifacts through Interpol, stressing that, at the request of the Egyptian authorities, the Israeli Antiquities Authority opened an investigation, as a result of which the artifacts were confiscated.
As usual, the Egyptian media took advantage of the news to promote the regime, and to show it in the guise of an interest in recovering Egypt's antiquities abroad, to the extent that Al-Akhbar newspaper headlined the news with a poorly titled, denoting false arrogance, in which it says: “Egypt will not lose its right As if the Egyptian authorities returned the smuggled antiquities. The truth is what was announced by the Hebrew media, which said that the Zionist regime was the one that seized the smuggled antiquities, and informed the Egyptian side, and that the Israeli minister plans to make a gesture of honoring Sisi, as the Zionist entity will return to him Egyptian artifacts that were illegally smuggled, and which have been preserved so far from by Israeli antiquities officials[34]. That is, it is nothing more than a courtesy between two allies.
The newspaper did not tell us how these antiquities left Egypt until they reached the Zionist entity? And who stands behind the theft of Egyptian antiquities from archaeological stores and sites and helps to remove them from the Egyptian crossings? Why did Egypt not stipulate the return of the looted antiquities in the peace agreement with the Zionists? And why has the government failed so far to file a complaint with the Zionist entity in UNESCO to demand that the occupying power return the stolen antiquities?
None of the officials in the Egyptian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Antiquities mentioned anything about the antiquities of Egypt that the Zionist entity stole from the Sinai Peninsula after its occupation in 1956 and 1967? Will Cairo claim those antiquities that are still there and are displayed by Israeli museums in light of the close relations between the coup and Zionist regimes, or not?
The Hebrew newspaper, Maariv, reported in September 2020 that the former Israeli Defense Minister, Moshe Dayan, had been stealing Egyptian antiquities in Sinai, after he personally supervised excavations to uncover antiquities in Sinai. The Israeli journalist, Ido Dissentik, stated that his father, Aryeh, who was the editor of the Maariv newspaper, caught Moshe Dayan stealing antiquities in the Sinai Peninsula while serving in the reserve forces, and that he was supervising excavations to uncover antiquities. He sent it to his home in Tel Aviv, via his private helicopter.
The Hebrew newspaper attached pictures of Moshe Dayan's house, which is full of Pharaonic antiquities stolen from Sinai. She pointed out that Dayan excavated in search of antiquities in the archaeological area of "Sarabit al-Khadim", which is located in southwest Sinai, and he used to land his private helicopter in the Egyptian regions, and hid the antiquities in bags in preparation for transporting them to his home. The Hebrew newspaper pointed out that the Israeli media, published in Hebrew, especially Maariv newspaper itself, did not write about Dayan's antiquities thefts until 1981, after his retirement from politics[35].
And before that, the Israeli “Local” website affiliated with occupied Jerusalem stated that the Israel Museum opened an exhibition of Egyptian antiquities, in March 2016. According to the Hebrew report, the Israeli exhibition contained Pharaonic antiquities, dating back to the period of the rule of the ancient Egyptian empire of "The Land of Canaan". The Hebrew report indicated that the antiquities show for the first time the history of the period of Egyptian rule over the land of Palestine, or the land of Canaan.
Hebrew reports mention that the “Israeli Museum” in Tel Aviv displays many Egyptian antiquities, which are necklaces and statues made of pure gold, located in a corner dedicated to Egyptian antiquities that includes 700 artifacts. These ruins date back to the twelfth, thirteenth, and nineteenth centuries BC. Among these relics is the sword of the Pharaonic king, Tutankhamun, known as the sickle sword.
This is in addition to the many Egyptian press reports that stated that the Israelis formed committees of archaeologists during the occupation of Sinai, conducted an archaeological survey of the Mediterranean coast, and excavated many sites, including Sheikh Mohsen, the Prophet Saleh, Wadi Firan, a cave, Serabit al-Khadim, And the Monument Valley, and a graduate in South Sinai, and they discovered many antiquities, which was recognized by the Israeli archaeologist, Oren, in 1994, in one of his books.
The Israelis' successive confessions of stealing Egyptian antiquities and displaying them in the museums of the Zionist entity did not move the Egyptian regime, which has close relations and an unprecedented alliance with the Zionists. Complete disregard was the master of the situation at the official and media levels, so that the international media was more interested in these thefts than The directed Egyptian media, which cannot harm the regime's relations with the Zionist entity.
On the possibility of recovering the Egyptian antiquities stolen by the Zionist entity, the former head of the Egyptian antiquities sector, Dr. "Mohammed Abd al-Maqsoud", believes that Cairo can recover these antiquities, based on the Hague Convention of 1899 and 1907, especially since the theft took place from archaeological sites. Fixed and well-known, it fell under occupation, and was stolen during the war. Abdel Maqsoud confirms that the Israeli confessions document this theft, and that what strengthens Egypt's position is that one of the most important people involved in the theft of antiquities is Moshe Dayan, and he was officially responsible at the time of the theft, which places the responsibility on the shoulders of the Israeli government[36] .
It is worth noting that the Egyptian government had announced that it had recovered about 1,800 boxes containing antiquities from the Zionist entity after bilateral negotiations between them, between 1992 and 1996, but Egyptian experts accuse the antiquities officials of deceiving the Egyptian people when they said that we recovered the stolen antiquities from The Zionist entity, because most of them are pottery shards, smashed wood, and samples of dust and rocks, which are things that have no archaeological or historical value, compared to what the Israelis reveal from time to time in terms of valuable artifacts.
Renewed in the past period the controversy about the seriousness of Western efforts to impose its moral system on our eastern societies, and its dissemination of a manifestation of this system, which is homosexuality, under the umbrella of freedoms, human rights and acceptance of the different other, and the promotion of this through activities that enter our homes and are seen by our children, such as matches Football and artwork watched by large segments of viewers, and even cartoon films that children watch, and affect the formation of their personality.
The Sheikh of Al-Azhar, “Ahmed Al-Tayyib”, gave his role in this matter, was the latest manifestation of this controversy, after he warned, in his meeting with the Ambassador of India in Cairo, “I replied to Gupte”, on December 19, that “what We are witnessing it now from a western cultural invasion of our eastern societies, which came upon us like dark black clouds with claims of rights and freedoms; To legalize homosexuality, sexual transformation, and other ideas that are not accepted in the East, religiously, or humanely; It is a robbery of the right of humanity and life to continue as God wanted them, and a double interpretation of human rights, and an infringement on the right of the East to follow religion, and considering it an original reference for rejecting this flood of deviant ideas.”[37]
The Sheikh attributed what is happening in this field to the “Western cultural invasion,” or what is known as Westernization, that term that imposed itself on our Islamic world after the movement of communication between East and West in our modern era, which is “an attempt to change concepts in the Arab and Islamic world and separate between the nation and its past and its values, and working to destroy these values by questioning them and raising suspicions about religion, language, history, landmarks of thought, and concepts of opinions and beliefs all.” those who supervise it. It is an episode of a broad scheme to confirm and support colonialism, based on a far-reaching intellectual colonial action, intended to eliminate the features of the personality of this nation and transform it into an image of strange features, to rid it of the values, ideals and heritage that is related to it and that was a factor in its formation during the long generations.”.
Westernization moves in many paths, and works at different levels to obliterate the features of the Islamic personality, and its effects appear in all areas of life in the Islamic world, in culture, politics, economics, education, morals, behaviors, and … etc.
The Westernization of morals and behaviors is one of the most dangerous aspects of Westernization, as its movement centers around the transfer of Western morals and behaviors to Muslim lands, and for this reason they “brought to these lands their clothed and naked women, their wines, their theatres, their discotheques and their nightclubs, their stories and their newspapers, their novels and their fantasies, their absurdity and their immorality, and they permitted In it there are crimes that they did not allow in their homes, and they adorned this noisy and vain world, which is rife with sin and overflowing with immorality, in the eyes of the simple, deceitful Muslims of the rich, those with opinion about them, and the people of the place and the Sultan”[40].
The traces of imitation of Western behaviors appear in the homes of many of the nation's sons, where you only see European appearances, Western customs, a foreign language, servants who do not belong to Egypt and do not belong to it by lineage, and boys and girls whose identity and morals are formed in a Western environment. Even if they do not leave their country, and these are the ones who will lead the country in its future, and the eyes of the imitators of the rest of the people look at them.
In order to warn against this systematic alienation campaign against our moral system, Al-Azhar International Center for Electronic Fatwa alerted of these campaigns that are behind international organizations that own media, promotional and singing programs, and electronic platforms, and employ famous personalities to publicize their goals. The Center strongly denounced these satanic schemes and what they aim to destroy the system of moral and social values of the family institution, distort the identity of its members, and tamper with the security and stability of societies.
The center indicated that attempts to impose a culture of homosexuality on the Islamic world under the pretext of accepting the other, and guaranteeing rights and freedoms, is a kind of manipulation of words, denial of religion, instinct and human values, and a return to the eras of intellectual domination in times of colonialism and the imposition of guardianship on peoples and nations; Stressing the need to respect the cultures of countries and societies, and the importance of Islamic and Arab societies adhering to their identity, values, and the teachings of their true religion.
Despite that, estrangement from the West is not the solution, but rather the solution lies in recognizing the differences between the Western and Eastern civilizations in terms of origins and values, adhering to and preserving the elements of strength in our societies, and benefiting from the strengths of Western civilization.
The first thing we should realize in the field of values, morals and behaviors is that the Western system focuses on pleasure, independence and absolute freedom, hence the idea of individualism, which expresses that tendency of the individual, and encourages him to rebel against values, because it considers values relative, and believes that Principles are nothing more than the agreement of a certain group of people, and it is possible for any agreement to endorse the values and principles that the group is satisfied with[41].
Since the source of morals in the modern Western siege is the limited human mind, or what people agree upon in the “custom” society, then values and morals change from one society to another and from one thinker to another, and in the event of agreement, malicious matters can be approved and called for as values or Ethics agreed upon by the group.
As for the Islamic system, it considers morals as something fixed, because their source is revelation, and therefore they are values and ideals that are suitable for every person regardless of his gender, time, place and gender.
Accordingly, not everything that entities deviating from the ranks of instinct and human values consider to be a value is, in fact, such that these entities may see some behaviors as good and it is in the balance of religions, and the eastern civilizational values, in the extreme badness and ugliness [42] .
The media book for the month of December 2021 deals with security directives for the media in Egypt, through the way the Egyptian media dealt with the issue of leaks by Sisi’s advisors, in addition to the speech of the head of the Supreme Media Council, “Karam Jabr”, on the issue of media abuses and lack of Forgiving those who do it, and ending with a discussion by the Senate Culture, Media, Tourism and Antiquities Committee of the Media Strategy 2030.
The Egyptian journalist and YouTuber, Abdullah Al-Sharif, raised public opinion and media circles in Egypt during the month of December, through leaks of his presentation containing scandals to advisers in the Republican Palace, while they were talking about huge sums that were collected by non-official methods.
The audio recording shows what appears to be a phone conversation between two people, during which they said, “They are advisors to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and that one of them is a major general called Farouk al-Qadi, and he is coordinating bribes of millions of pounds with a woman named Mervat Muhammad Ali.”
Informal media, “Social Media,” interacted greatly with this matter, both in criticism and in support, through public and private pages, and talk shows broadcast on YouTube channels and other various social media platforms.
As for the Egyptian media, through newspapers and private and governmental satellite channels as well, it never interacted at first with the leaks of Abdullah Al-Sharif, in a state of neglect that raises many questions, as it is not normal for all the media to remain silent about commenting on a very important topic. The danger of such leaks.
However, the matter was not just a matter of “ignoring” what Abdullah Al-Sharif proposed by the Egyptian media. Within a few hours or days, and after the Ministry of Interior commented with an official statement denying the information leaked by “Sisi’s advisors”, all the media scrambled In a state of media fluidity to comment on what was mentioned in these leaks after a state of absolute silence, during which the media echoed the information provided by the Ministry of Interior, in addition to dealing with the person of Abdullah Al-Sharif with criticism, criticism and treason.
The media coverage showed the security direction of media institutions significantly, when compared to the uncensored “free” comments that people made on social media, from discussions even to the statement of the Ministry of Interior itself, and showing its defects or lack of seriousness in proving Abdullah Al-Sharif lied, between support and rejection, and between the campaigns carried out by the media aimed at character assassination, as has been the practice since 2013.
Which prompts him to say that there is direct guidance in the state's dealings with media outlets, without leaving any space for freedom to deal with various topics except within the limits decided by the state and its various agencies, and perhaps this is not the first incident in which the extent of commitment appears. The Egyptian media, in all its channels, follows government instructions without any deviation from them for fear of deportation, as is followed by the regime in Egypt.
Since 2013, and the military coup in Egypt, feelings of apprehension and suspicion have prevailed in media circles, after dreams of developing and liberating the profession, after the revolution of the twenty-fifth of January, when the stage of political openness coincided with the birth of many media platforms.
In a study published by Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, on the role of the media after the events of June 30, it was stated that the reason for these feelings of apprehension and lack of freedom in the media circles is due to the ruling elite, as it is apprehensive of free media or that is not under full control of the media. Contrary to the Mubarak regime, which thought that its security grip would triumph over freedoms at a time of conflict of interests[43].
This apprehension continues despite the hostility of the private media to the Muslim Brotherhood at the time of their rule - with the exception of the media funded by the Islamic movement - and its semi-coordination of media discourse against the Brotherhood's rule and policies. In one of its causes, the apprehension is due to a kind of hidden competition over the state's resources between some businessmen and the regime, which puts economic interests in conflict.
The gradual closure of the public sphere was followed by a mechanism similar to the concept of centrifugation derived from the natural sciences, in a way that led to the establishment of economically small media platforms far from the center that are characterized by flexibility and speed of media performance, including “Plus 18” or “January Gate” or “The Platform”. Mada Masr accepted them, and the departure of a number of media cadres with different affiliations from the official current of the Egyptian media system to the types of media emigrating outside Egypt with interest in Egyptian affairs[44].
The relationship between the press and the authorities in Egypt has undergone attempts to “seduce”, as one of the journalists told France 24: “There was often a perception that the media was part of the loophole that led to January 25 (2011) that overthrew former President Hosni. Mubarak”[45].
And he continues, there is an awareness of this expressed by Sisi during a private meeting with the officers, when he said: “We need to make media arms for us.” He added, “The stage of searching for arms was broad and loose, and several means were used, such as enticement and alliance, given that the media contributed to the extent of partnership (with the regime) in the June 30 protests.”
The Supreme Council for Media, headed by the journalist writer Karam Jabr, declared its respect for freedom of opinion and expression guaranteed in accordance with the constitution, with the need for “the adherence of the various media outlets to the laws, media codes, and media codes of honor, which value preserving Egyptian symbols and not insulting, contempting, or belittling them.” Or to attribute to them fragmented statements or extracted from their context”[46].
The council appreciated the “national role played by the Egyptian media towards “national issues” and its standing united with the Egyptian state in all the challenges it faces, and its prominent role that cannot be questioned in standing as a strong line of defense in the back of the Egyptian state and defending national issues.” And confronting the media that tries to distort or undermine it.”[47].
It is noted in the council’s statement that there is a confusion between defending the Egyptian state and defending the Egyptian regime, as the Egyptian media has complete freedom to assassinate figures opposed to the regime and remain silent about the violations that are taking place against them, while the Supreme Media Council prosecutes any media outlet if it attacks a figure. official in the state.
The council supported, in its statement, what it called "the role of trade unions in setting the necessary controls for practicing the profession professionally, either by virtue of membership in the trade union or based on a permit issued by it as approved by the law and the relevant organizing regulations."
Recently, a crisis appeared on the Egyptian scene that was covered by the media with a lot of interest and interaction, as the issue of suspending popular singers or festivals singers was repeated by the Syndicate of Musical Professions headed by “Hani Shaker”, in the context of dealing with people and the content that is presented. And its consistency in the custom of Egyptian society.
The issue of consistency with “public taste” was also used by the Egyptian media as an umbrella for exercising the role of a “security man” and not the role of the media person who deals with issues through societal discussion. The media because of one of his words he said at a festival, which was interpreted as an insult to Egypt.
The same role extended to professional syndicates. What the Syndicate of Musical Professions did with popular singers during this period is an extension of the comprehensive role that characterized the state in all its institutions. There are many mechanisms, otherwise the issue of prevention in light of the digital world in which we live is ineffective and will not work in preventing content that has become popular in an unprecedented way.
Continuing the Council's statement, it announced at the end of its meeting that an investigation had been opened with channels that exceeded media coverage during the past period that did not comply with media codes and media codes of honor, according to the complaints submitted to the Council and the follow-ups of the Council's monitoring devices.
The Culture, Media, Tourism and Antiquities Committee in the Senate, chaired by writer Mahmoud Musallam, discussed the 2030 media strategy, in the presence of journalist writer Karam Jaber, head of the Supreme Media Council.
The Chairman of the Supreme Council for Media reviewed, before the committee, the most important axes and objectives of the media strategy during the coming period and its most prominent challenges, stressing the importance of the meeting that deals with media problems that present themselves from time to time.
Karam Gabr referred to an important event that must be prepared for, which is the International Climate Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, which will make Egypt a major leap in many fields, he said. He added that the characteristics of Egypt as a “big country” must emerge during this great event, in which 126 heads of state and 30,000 participants will participate, and it is an important conference on all levels[48].
Karam Jabr talked about the role that must be paid attention to during the presence of these countries in Egypt, saying that the coming period will witness rumors from a specific group - referring to the Muslim Brotherhood - preparing for the event, and this is not divination, and we must prepare for a quick response to Those rumors expected.
Karam Jabr continued, about what he meant by “rumors that the group will launch,” saying that the area that the rumors will cover is the field of human rights, as they limit the matter to “prisons and freedom of expression without looking at the rest of the rights provided by Masar.”
He added, “Egypt is advancing in the human rights file, and there are no violations, and we are not in awe, explaining that the state has made unprecedented achievements, including the National Strategy for Human Rights”[49].
It is noticeable in Karam Jabr’s speech that he completely ignored the reality of the state’s violations against its opponents, the latest of which was in a field that harms the reputation of the media and the Egyptian state, by arresting the father of the Egyptian opposition journalist Abdullah Al-Sharif, after he broadcasted the leaks of “Sisi’s advisors.” to press it to undo.
At a time when Karam Jabr talked about progress in the field of human rights and the role that the Egyptian media should play in improving the image of the coup regime, Dr. Mahmoud Ezzat, the deputy general guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, appeared a few days ago, in a way that showed the number of violations. to which he was subjected, and in his speech before the court, he spoke about the extremely difficult and complex conditions of his detention.
[1] Marsad, a US parliamentary bloc calling for an investigation into “Egypt’s misuse of aid,” December 2, 2021, https://bit.ly/32tYh0f
[2] Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, American lawmakers demand an investigation into allegations that Egypt used aid to kill civilians, December 3, 2021, https://bit.ly/3JleRQE
[3] Sputnik Arabic, The US State Department comments on the issuance of a prison sentence against an Egyptian activist, December 20, 2021, https://bit.ly/3FwMpc9
[4] Al-Ahram Newspaper, Ambassador Ahmed Hafez in response to the US State Department: It is not at all appropriate to comment or address rulings issued by the judiciary, December 21, 2021, https://bit.ly/3HhYRN8
[5] Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper, “Unacceptable transgressions.” The Foreign Ministry announces its rejection of Germany’s blatant interference in Egyptian affairs, December 18, 2021, https://bit.ly/3etbCIE
[6] TRT Arabic, Merkel held her before her departure.. Discontent in Germany after the disclosure of an arms deal to Egypt, December 17, 2021, https://bit.ly/3JoJLHU
[7] France 24, Italian Parliamentary Committee Holds Egyptian Security Responsible for the Killing of Student Giulio Regeni in Cairo, December 1, 2021, https://bit.ly/3FDITgg
[8] Al-Ahram newspaper, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reveals the details of Shukri's meeting with his Israeli counterpart, December 9, 2021, https://bit.ly/3eymhBz
[9] France 24, The Israeli Foreign Minister is on a visit to Egypt to strengthen relations between the two countries, December 9, 2021, https://bit.ly/3z0HePh
[10] Al-Jazeera, Hamas is studying options for escalation with Israel, and the resistance factions are calling on the mediators to assume their responsibilities before it is too late, December 7, 2021, https://bit.ly/3ewzR8A
[11] Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Tension between “Hamas” and Cairo: Criticism of the Egyptian delay towards Gaza and threats of escalation, December 8, 2021, https://bit.ly/3FxGp2O
[12] The previous source.
[13] Sawa News, Exclusive Sawa: Details of the Egyptian delegation's meetings with the factions' leaders in Gaza, December 19, 2021, https://bit.ly/3euO1Hk
[14] Sputnik Arabic, Hamas reveals to Sputnik what it discussed with the Egyptian delegation, December 20, 2021, https://bit.ly/3eshlOL
[15] The government has liquidated companies important to the Egyptian industry, claiming that it has made losses, such as the National Cement Company and the Iron and Steel Company, and is on its way to liquidating other companies.
[16] Masrawy, Foreign investments in treasury bills are declining from the highest level during the Corona pandemic, December 29, 2021, https://bit.ly/3nbeONJ
[17] The Seventh Day, Deputy Minister of Education for “Representatives,” We have a deficit of 250,000 classes and 320,000 teachers, November 25, 2021, https://bit.ly/3FdnjOt
[18] World Bank Database, Education Expenditure Index, Total (as a percentage of government expenditure),
https://data.albankaldawli.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GB.ZS
[19] The Egyptian Ministry of Finance, the financial statement for the fiscal year 2021/2022 budget, pg. 90.
[20] The previous source, p. 64.
[21] Central Bank of Egypt, Monthly Statistical Bulletin, November 2021, pp. 95, 109.
[22] Al-Youm Al-Sabaa, Representatives approve the Prime Minister’s decision regarding precautionary measures to confront Corona, December 12, 2021, https://bit.ly/3FpJSQI
[23] The previous source.
[24] Al-Shorouk, Representatives finally approve the draft law establishing the Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation Authority, December 14, 2021, https://bit.ly/3J5HqRL
[25] The previous source.
[26] Al-Youm Al-Sabaa, Parliament approves the amendment of the value-added tax law, December 14, 2021, https://bit.ly/3qDZudy
[27] Money, Parliament harvest during the period from 12 to 14 December 2021, https://bit.ly/3qMk2Ai
[28] Al-Youm Al-Sabea, Representatives agree to devolve Nasaba, December 26, 2021, https://bit.ly/3mQwGNL
[29] Masrawy, Representatives agree to transfer it to the state treasury, December 26, 2021, https://bit.ly/3FRhUxK
[30] Akhbar Al-Youm Portal, Representatives authorize the search for oil in the East Tankah Marine Development Zone, December 26, 2021, https://bit.ly/3eNWhCB
[31] The previous source.
[32] The same source.
[33] Al-Ahram Newspaper, Foreign Minister receives 95 smuggled artifacts from his Israeli counterpart, December 10, 2021, https://bit.ly/3ssuYG2
[34] Rasd Network, Hebrew channel: “Israel” is considering honoring Sisi during Lapid’s visit to Cairo this week, December 6, 2021, https://bit.ly/3mFwnoG
[35] Sputnik Arabic, a Hebrew newspaper reveals how Israel stole Egyptian antiquities in Sinai, September 27, 2021, https://bit.ly/3FoiUJn
[36] Arabi 21, An Israeli confession of stealing Sinai antiquities.. Why is Egypt silent?, September 28, 2020, https://bit.ly/3JqdK1S
[37] Cairo 24, Sheikh Al-Azhar criticizes Western calls to legalize homosexuality and sexual transformation, December 19, 2021, https://bit.ly/32pi1C1
[38] Al-Jundi, Anwar. The Westernization of the East, The Platform of Islam, Issue 6, The Twenty-Second Year, Jumada al-Akhira 1384 AH, p. 94.
[39] The previous source, p. 93.
[40] The same source, p. 151.
[41] The Iraqi League, A Comparison between the Islamic and Western Intellectual System, May 1, 2015, https://bit.ly/2HDPN5H
[42] Akhbar Al-Youm portal, “Al-Azhar” warns against media materials that target the normalization of homosexuality, December 4, 2021, https://bit.ly/3HqlT4K
[43] Al-Ahram Center for Studies, The role of media in Egypt after 2013, June 5, 2017, https://bit.ly/3HG19pU
[44] The previous source.
[45] France 24, The Egyptian media during the era of Sisi, between encouragement and intimidation, March 22, 2018, https://bit.ly/3qUyd6N
[46] Al-Youm Al-Sabea, “The Supreme Council for Media”: An investigation was opened with the channels for bypassing media coverage, December 8, 2021, https://bit.ly/3HAgEzx
[47] The previous source.
[48] Masrawy, Karam Jabr: The coming period will witness rumors from a specific group..and “It is not on our head with a bump,” January 2, 2022, https://bit.ly/3n0x10h
[49] The previous source.