By: Saif Eldin Hamdan
As tension escalates and debates heat up over the “legitimate and conspirer” or between “dictatorship supporters and free forces”, the attacks on the media mount.
The attacks are not limited to verbal ones, but include direct attacks on journalists who are just doing their jobs.
Recently, there was more than one attack on colleagues, who were doing their jobs, but were viewed by their attackers as conspiring against them and defaming their image and the image of those who they represent.
Husseiny Abu al-Deef, a colleague whom I did not know, lies at a hospital now between life and death, for doing his job. The amount of birdshots found in his head only suggests that the attack was deliberate.
On Friday, another journalist in Alexandria was stabbed with a knife in the face as he documented a raid on the city council building.
When I called him to ask how he is, he surprised me saying, “I am good, going to work today.”
Did you hear that, attacker? He is “going to work today”. You did not weaken our sons.
Over and over, we have told our sons in the field, “No news story is worth your life. Do not risk your lives.”
But our sons are brave; they are after the truth, the truth that makes a journalist. A successful journalist cannot reach success without allying himself with the truth, and nothing else.
Some journalists who rise at the expense of regimes or parties… remain on top for a while. But sooner or later, they fall. Look what happened to Mubarak-era journalists – without mentioning names.
On the other hand, those who attack journalists, men and women, should be aware that basic logic suggests that there is no need for conspirers to reveal themselves. Readers who receive the complete truth will have clear visions.
When you silence people, you only expose your truth... as an enemy of civilization and democracy. As someone who fears the truth.
The truth is bigger than you, more precious and longer-lasting. It will be revealed - if after a while.
Chapeau to the soldiers of truth… to Egyptian journalists.