Egyptian TV Host and Journalist Ibrahim Issa: The Londoners Elected a Muslim Mayor, But There Isn't a Single Christian Governor in Egypt

In a May 8 monologue on his Al-Kahera Wal-Nas TV talk show, journalist Ibrahim Issa criticized what he called the "parrot-like" anti-Western sentiment in his country, saying: "The Londoners elected a Muslim candidate from the Labour Party as their mayor," whereas "there isn't a single Christian governor in any district in Egypt." Issa went on to ask: "Which of these two countries respects the notion of citizenship? Which of these two countries respects freedom of belief?" "This is precisely the difference between a pseudo-state and a true state," he concluded.

Following are excerpts

Ibrahim Issa: We should all ask ourselves the following question: Are we really willing to reexamine our parrot-like views and demagoguery, which have endlessly plagued the Arab and Egyptian culture over the years? These views include the notion - planted in our minds by political Islam - that the West is hostile towards Islam. Note that new minarets are erected on a daily basis in the West, that there are millions of Muslims living in the West, and that the Muslim emigrants fleeing civil wars in their countries are seeking refuge in the West, flocking towards its borders. The West builds refugee camps for them, provides them with money, food, and drink, and builds homes and schools for these Muslim refugees. Despite all this, the mental notion of Western hostility towards Islam prevails.

The Muslim, then, is supposed to fight the West, because the West is supposedly hostile towards Islam. It's not ISIS, Jabhat Al-Nusra, or the Muslim Brotherhood that are hostile towards Islam - not all those groups that tear our lands and peoples to pieces, by sowing fitna and sectarianism, and by dividing us into Sunnis and Shiites, and into secular and religious, and call to attack and kill... No! It is the West that fights [Islam]... The West undoubtedly has its interests, which it strives to achieve. The West is reasonable. But look how the West treats its Muslim citizens. A few days ago, a British Muslim citizen was elected Mayor of London, the capital of the United Kingdom.

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The Londoners elected a Muslim candidate from the Labour Party as their mayor, whereas the people [of Qena] barricaded the railway tracks [in 2011], because a Christian governor was appointed there. There isn't a single Christian governor in any district in Egypt. Which of these two countries respects the notion of citizenship? Which of these two countries respects freedom of belief? Which of these two countries judges a person by his qualifications, not his religion? Us?! This is precisely the difference between a pseudo-state and a true state. A true state cares about citizenship, about one's qualifications, about equality, and about justice. It does not care about a man's religious creed or denomination.

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