Following are excerpts from an interview with former UN secretary-general Boutros Boutros-Ghali, which aired on Al-Nahar TV on February 20, 2012.
Interviewer: "The Egyptian revolution has neglected Egypt's international role, right?"
Boutros Boutros-Ghali: "Undoubtedly. Egypt's image abroad these days... At first, everybody was talking about the 'Arab Spring,' and so on, but very soon it became evident that this revolution has led to bankruptcy.
"There is economic bankruptcy. Factories have shut down, and Egyptian laborers are not wanted abroad."
Interviewer: "Why?"
Boutros Boutros-Ghali: "Because [employers] fear that these laborers might be rebels, who would wage coups. All of a sudden, they prefer to import workers from Bangladesh or Africa. In France, for instance, they prefer French-speaking workers from North Africa. All the chauffeurs in Geneva, Switzerland, are from South Africa."
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Interviewer: "A year has passed since the January 25 revolution. What is your analysis?"
Boutros Boutros-Ghali: "Unfortunately, we have not found a leader who could benefit from this revolution.
"I would like to show you how Egyptian culture, or rather, the Egyptian intellectual elite, still leans towards Europe, rather than towards the culture of the East - whether African culture or Asian culture.
"There is a much more serious example. In our ID cards, only three religions are recognized: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Three-quarters of the world's religions are non-monotheistic."
Interviewer: "You mean Buddhism, Confucianism, and so on..."
Boutros Boutros-Ghali: "And all the African religions too... They tell you that these are not religions, and we do not recognize them. Dear God! Sir, I have read the constitution. It states that there is no difference between a religion and a creed. If you don't want to recognize them as religions, call them creeds. Why can't we open up to the world? [...]
"Can you open a Shi'ite mosque here, in Egypt? How about an Ahmadi mosque? It is forbidden. You can get thrown into prison. Our lack of openness is not limited to commerce or culture. It includes religion as well."
Russia Today, November 30, 2011:
Boutros Boutros-Ghali: "The Arab-Israeli conflict will be resolved by demography. In 30 years, the Palestinians living in Israel and holding Israeli citizenship will comprise 40-50% of the population of Israel. Demographic change will lead to a resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli issue." [...]
