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Nov 06, 2013
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Water Hurled as Egyptian TV Political Debate Turns Ugly

#4041 | 06:24
Source: Mehwar TV (Egypt)

Following are excerpts from a debate on the political situation in Egypt, which aired on Mihwar TV on November 6, 2013:


Egyptian Islamist lawyer Muntasir Al-Zayyat: I received your initiation to come here and talk about public affairs and present my views about the future. Two things made me accept this invitation. One is my esteem for you personally.


Moderator: Thank you.


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: In general, I do not agree to appear on TV channels that support the coup. The second reason I agreed was that I heard that my dear friend Abdel-Halim Qandil would be here. He is a respected patriotic figure, whom I hold in esteem.


[...]


Egyptian journalist Abdel-Halim Qandil: The inflated Rabia Al-Adawiya casualty toll has turned into a Jewish-style Holocaust. All kinds of idiots with doctorates appeared on Al-Jazeera TV, saying that 15,000 people were killed at Rabaa Al-Adawiya. The MB did not send more than 5,000 people to demonstrate, but [Al-Jazeera commentator] Muhammad Al-Gawady blew it up to 15,000.


This insanity is an attempt to create a guilt complex, like the Jews did to the Western world, when they claimed that six million Jews died [in the Holocaust]. The total number of Jews did not reach six million, so how can they talk about six million killed in Nazi gas chambers? The [MB] talks about 15,000 dead, while there were only 3,000 people there.


[...]


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: Is anyone really going to prosecute the thousands thrown into prison, or was it a political decision to arrest all members of the MB...


Moderator: Okay... Go on...


Al-Zayyat removes his microphone and gets up


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: Don't want to.


Moderator: Mr. Muntasir...


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: I did not come here for this farce...


Al-Zayyat leaves the studio


Abdel-Halim Qandil: Did anyone say something wrong to him?


Moderator: Okay, let us continue just with you.


[...]


Abdel-Halim Qandil: There is a clear distinction between the legal meaning...


Al-Zayyat returns to the studio


Moderator: Muntasir is back. Please, have a seat.


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: As soon as I left the studio, you wrote on the screen: "Muntasir Al-Zayyat withdrew from the show." I will not withdraw even before twenty like you.


Abdel-Halim Qandil: Did I write it?


Moderator: Please have a seat...


Abdel-Halim Qandil: I had nothing to do with that.


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: I came to this show out of respect for you and your producer, and then, when I leave the studio, you write that I "withdrew"?! Me, withdraw?! You're talking to a warrior, Abdel-Halim.


[...]


Moderator: Let me just say that our channel supports the will of the people, and we listen to all sides, and that's why you are here.


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: Riham, you have stifled the freedom of speech.


[...]


You've made us invisible, Riham.


Moderator: Nobody made you invisible, or anything. We are honored to have you here.


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: How long has it been since June 30? You ignore us, and when we go to be interviewed on Al-Jazeera, you call us collaborators, traitors, and sons of bitches.


Abdel-Halim Qandil: You and the Muslim Brotherhood rebelled against the will of the people.


Moderator: We are talking to you, and we are honored to have you here. Your presence here proves the opposite of what you are saying. Just don't mention Al-Jazeera TV again, if you don't mind.


Abdel-Halim Qandil: Let him go to Al-Jazeera. No problem.


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: On Al-Jazeera, they present both sides.


[...]


Abdel-Halim Qandil: According to all legal norms, the modern state has a monopoly on the use of force. Any group that uses violence must be eliminated. Any dialogue with a violent group represents collusion against the state. That's what Morsi did as president...


Mustasir Al-Zayyat: Sinai is an exception...


Abdel-Halim Qandil: There are no exceptions. Sinai is part of Egypt.


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: Sinai has been in a bad state since the days of Mubarak, not Morsi.


Abdel-Halim Qandil: Both Mubarak and Morsi are traitors.


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: Violence in Sinai began in the days of Hosni Mubarak. The Dahab and the Sharm Al-Sheikh bombings occurred in Mubarak's time. The people of Sinai were tortured.


[...]


Abdel-Halim Qandil: I am against both torture and terrorism. Whoever engaged in dialogue with the terrorists, defended the terrorists, or accepted the pay of a terrorist group under any pretext is a terrorist just like them. The terrorism in east Sinai was sponsored by the Muslim Brotherhood, and Mohaed Beltagy, that crooked takfiri...


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: What you say is not true, you resentful man. You are full of hatred. You are full of hatred.


Abdel-Halim Qandil: Hatred towards whom?


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: Towards any religious Muslim.


Abdel-Halim Qandil: You have excommunicated yourselves. You have betrayed Islam.


Al-Zayyat throws the contents of his mug at Qandil


You are traitors to Islam.


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: Watch your language.


Abdel-Halim Qandil: Just because you grow a beard does not make you a Muslim. You were accused of working for state security.


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: You are insolent.


[...]


Moderator: I thank you both...


Abdel-Halim Qandil: Just let me repay his salutation...


Qandil proceeds to throw the contents of his mug at Al-Zayyat


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: Okay, let's finish this. Enough.


Abdel-Halim Qandil: I wanted to repay his salutation in order to teach him that he should use only his tongue in an argument, if he has something to say.


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: I do use my tongue...


Abdel-Halim Qandil: That's it.


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: By God, I regret coming here.


Moderator: We apologize to Mr. Muntasir, to Mr. Qandil, and to the viewers. I am really sorry about this.


Abdel-Halim Qandil: It was aggression... He attacks me and then whines. This is the Muslim Brotherhood way of lying.


Muntasir Al-Zayyat: I didn't start it. But enough, you retaliated.


[...]

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