Mubarak Family Values

There is a thread that connects these three recent stories on Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and his son (and possible successor) Gamal. Try to figure it out:

1. Mubarak to Nominate Himself for Elections, Rejects Constitutional Changes - via ArabicNews.com:

"[Mubarak] has renewed his rejection for the demands set by the Egyptian opposition to amend the constitution to choose the President of the Republic by direct elections among more than one candidate."

2. Egyptian Jailed after Calling for Open Elections - via Seattle Times:

An opposition lawmaker who had called for democratic elections in Egypt to put an end to decades of unopposed rule by President Hosni Mubarak was sent to jail yesterday for 45 days, hours before the start of a long-awaited "national dialogue" on Egypt's political future. The abrupt arrest of Ayman Nour on forgery charges comes amid a mounting debate over Mubarak's seemingly open-ended run as president, along with a fresh discontent sparked by speculation that the president hopes to pass the job to his son someday.

As head of the al-Ghad (Tomorrow) party, which was formed last fall, Nour had pushed for constitutional reform, an open election to replace the yes-no referendums that have repeatedly sent an unopposed Mubarak back to office, and a freer debate. The government has accused Nour of faking all but 14 of the thousands of signatures he collected to win permission to form his party.

The 45-year-old lawmaker's parliamentary immunity was lifted over the weekend, and security officers raided his home, seizing computers and files. He told the judge yesterday that his arrest would "hinder the democratic process and reform in Egypt." He told an Egyptian rights group that he had been beaten during his arrest.

3. Gamal Mubarak Slams U.S. over Democracy at World Economic Forum in Davos - via Reuters:

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's influential son, Gamal, supported calls for reform, multi-party democracy and a more open society in the Arab world, including his own country. But he said Washington's failure to tackle the Palestinian issue undermined Arab reformers. "The core problem in the Middle East is the Arab-Israeli problem, the Palestinian problem. We are being accused these days of using it as an excuse to delay reform. But you are not helping reformers across the Arab world, in Egypt and any other countries, if this issue is relegated to a secondary priority."

LET'S BEGIN TO COUNT THE IRONIES HERE: (1) While Gamal calls for supporting reformers in Davos, his father arrests reformers in Cairo. (2) If the Palestinian issue were resolved tomorrow, Ayman Nour would still remain in jail. (3) Hosni Mubarak has no opponents to beat in the election, but his security forces beat Ayman Nour in jail.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS: (1) Simply criticizing Mubarak directly and publicly in Egypt can get you thrown in jail. (2) Gamal Mubarak is insulting his audiences in Davos if he thinks they are stupid enough to buy his line while back home his father is jailing dissidents. (3) Middle East dictators constantly try to distract attention from their own repressive rule by pointing the finger at Israel - both to domestic and foreign audiences. (4) The crowd at Davos probably did buy Gamal's line. (5) Sounds like an episode of the Sopranos.

Comments

[Mohamed]

It is not mubarak problem. it is ours because we still cant say "no". Our problem is that we want to live in the illusion of life.

[Hexxor]

Lets not forget some facts,
Egypt receives military aid from USA and training also.
USA give military aid to Israel also.

[Hexxor]

USA is the master tamer, it feeds both a dog and a cat and keeps them passive, under control in non-violent conformity. Gamal Mubarak cares less for the palestinians than we care smashing out a fly. In other words it is sheer hypocrisy coming out of the mouth of Gamal Mubarak.

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