President Mohammed Morsi’s Speech at Cairo
University After Taking the Oath of Office
(June 30, 2012)
Source:
Ikhwanweb
In the name of God,
Most Merciful, Most Gracious.
O great Egyptian
people, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, with my deep appreciation
and timeless greetings I salute you all.
God’s peace, mercy
and blessings be on you.
First,
let me apologize to my children, Cairo University students, who
have had their exams postponed today. I realize they are only students of the
Faculties of Law and the Arts, and will take the exam in the evening. Please
accept my apologies for that.
I welcome all of
you, to Cairo University, which witnessed my first steps in higher education.
Indeed, I had the honor of belonging to this university as a student, a
lecturer and a teaching assistant, before I set off on my journey of
post-graduate studies.
As
we together start a new phase in Egypt’s history, we turn a dark page and start
a new one illuminated with God’s blessings. Together, we are making history
that connects us to glorious times past, times of Egyptian bliss and prosperity
we are proud of and so are millions of Arabs and Muslims. We will endeavor not
to go back to loathsome times of repression and tyranny. Egypt will not turn
back.
Ladies and
gentlemen, the Egyptian people have made great accomplishments through the
sacrifices of the honorable martyrs, great achievements we will safeguard and
never relinquish, because the people suffered so much for so long, with
hundreds of innocent lives lost and thousands of citizens maimed and wounded.
The
Egyptian people have imposed their will and exercised their inherent
sovereignty, and for the first time in Egypt’s modern history, the people have
mastered their full powers. They have elected their representatives for the
People’s Assembly and the Shura Council [the two houses of the Egyptian
parliament] in free and fair elections that reflected a true representation of
all components of the Egyptian society. The elected parliament then selected
the Constituent Assembly that will draft a new constitution for Egypt. This
Assembly has already started its work; and will use, I’m certain, Egyptian
experts in all fields, from across the Egyptian political and social spectra,
to author a constitution expressive of national consensus, and thereby laying
the foundations for a national constitutional democracy, preserving the
identity of the nation and the basic components of society, while safeguarding
public and private liberties.
The new
constitution will be based on truth, justice, and rule of law. It will protect
the independence of the judiciary, and will promote and enhance freedoms of
thought, expression, association, and creativity. It will also achieve social
justice, taking Egypt to the ranks of modern states in which the ruler is in
fact the nation’s employee, a servant of the people.
My
first task is to be an arbiter between the authorities, a patron of the
Constitution and the law, after the people have placed their trust and
confidence in me, in free and fair elections supervised by the great judges of
Egypt and guarded by the honorable army and police, with its fair results
announced by the most senior of Egyptian judiciary.
All
you sons and daughters of Egypt, I pledge to God and I pledge to you, and I
swear by the almighty God, to uphold the Republican system and respect the
Constitution and law, and safeguard the interests of the people fully, to
preserve the homeland’s independence and territorial integrity.
To
fully preserve the country’s independence and territorial integrity, it is
necessary to keep up the Armed Forces, police and judiciary, and to protect all
the people of Egypt.
Ladies and
gentlemen, I will do my best to maintain our national security and protect the
borders of this country with the Armed Forces, the shield and sword of the
nation, which deter all those who may be tempted to attack Egypt or threaten
its national security. I pledge to God that I will preserve this institution
and safeguard its members, recruits and commanders, and to enhance and elevate
its status, and to boost it by all means possible to make it stronger than ever
before and continue to be steadfast, with the people’s support in all it does.
I pledge to God and
I pledge to you, and the whole world bears witness, that the country’s security
and stability will be foremost in mind, and that it will be my responsibility,
with our loyal, patriotic police forces who have dedicated themselves to
protect lives, facilities and public and private property, and that the rule of
law is above all else, so every Egyptian can get his or her right fully.
The Supreme Council
of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has honored its promise and pledge not to be a
substitute for popular will. Elected institutions will return to perform their
roles and the great Egyptian army will once again devote itself to its vital
mission of protecting homeland security and borders, and working with other
state institutions within the framework of the Constitution and the law. I
salute them for their wonderful effort.
The advancement of
Egypt is the responsibility of all of us together. And there is no time to
waste. Egypt is in dire need of every hand to build a bright future. Nations
cannot achieve a real renaissance except with the participation of all its sons
and daughters, and with fruitful cooperation between the people and state
institutions. On this basis, we will open new horizons in the coming period to
empower society with all its components and categories, and to expand the role
of civil society to participate actively in all national issues.
I pledge to all
Egyptians that the state will fully bear its responsibilities towards society
and towards the people of Egypt at home and abroad, will safeguard the homeland’s
security, stability and safety, and will adequately care for all segments of
society. I will try my utmost best to foster cooperation and love among all the
spectra of Egyptian society and activate the concept of citizenship among all
Egyptians.
We urgently need to
remove the debris after past chaos in all fields, especially in the economic
sphere; chaos that the former regime caused over the past decades. We must
achieve social justice in its comprehensive sense, in order to achieve stability
and security in the Egyptian society.
Ladies
and gentlemen, the Egyptian nation, throughout its history, has played the role
of guardian of the state. Whenever the regime strayed from the historic path of
civilization, the people have been capable of correcting it. Here is the
honorable Egyptian people, which came out in revolt in the iconic squares of
pride and dignity, in the squares of martyrs, in Tahrir Square and all
liberation squares of Egypt, this people succeeded in correcting the path of power,
toppling an unjust repressive regime in a peaceful civilized manner, giving the
finest examples ever seen in the whole world in popular societal oversight of
the ruling regime.
In this context, I
say to those who have lingering concerns about the Egyptian state changing
paths: the people have chosen me to march on the path of civilization of the
modern Egyptian state, and the people will not accept, and I would not want
them to accept, any deviation from that path.
I pledge to God and
I pledge to you to do my very best to maintain and reform the Egyptian state,
making its institutions more reflective of the Egyptian people, and making its
various State apparatuses work to protect and care for the interests of
citizens at home and abroad, as the Egyptian citizen is the focus of its
service and the backbone of the overall development.
O great Egyptian
people, the former regime neglected the national security of Egypt, and dwarfed
the role of this country on international and regional levels. But today we
undertake building a strong Egypt and reshape its national security system in a
manner consistent with the capabilities of Egypt and its real weight in the
Arab, Islamic, African and international circles.
We carry a message
of peace to the world, and carry with it a message of truth and justice. As
always, we affirm our respect for the commitments of the Egyptian state as per
international treaties and conventions. I declare here that Egypt, its people
and government and the presidential institution stand firmly with the
Palestinian people until they regain all their legitimate rights. We will work
to complete national reconciliation efforts of the Palestinian people, so they
would close ranks and reclaim their land and sovereignty.
We are not
exporting the revolution. Egyptians do not export the revolution. We do not
interfere in anyone’s affairs.
Meanwhile, we do
not allow anyone to interfere in our affairs. While we now endeavor to build
our new modern Egypt, we do not isolate ourselves from our Arab and Muslim
nation; and we do not antagonize anyone anywhere in the world.
We, as Egyptians,
always support people in obtaining their freedom, their self-determination, and
self-governing rights. These are general principles that all the people in the
world believe in.
Today,
Egypt supports the Palestinian people and also the Syrian people. The shedding
of the Syrian people’s blood must stop. We will do our best to stop the
bloodshed in the near future. We will work with all seriousness in order to
activate the joint Arab action framework and all that it requires of developing
the Arab League and Arab joint defense agreement and the Arab common market.
All Arab countries
need this and are keen on it. Egypt is always in the lead. If it advances, all
the Arabs will. In its new era, Egypt will not accept any violation of the Arab
national security; and will always be on the side of fair and comprehensive
peace. Egypt will never resort to policies of aggression. But we will stand
strong in the face of challenges and dangers that threaten our homeland.
Ladies and
gentlemen, dear citizens everywhere: Egypt has always been destined to lead.
With the vigor and vitality of its men and women, in all fields of work and
production, [Egypt] will be able to realize its fate.
We
will work together to encourage investment in all sectors, and restore the role
of tourism for the benefit of the Egyptian economy and every citizen in Egypt.
Together we will plot a brighter future for our children and grandchildren,
Muslims and Christians, so Egypt would once again be strong and proud, so it
would achieve the remaining objectives of its revolution, and so we together
would attain freedom, justice, and human dignity.
I pledge never to
betray my homeland or my people. I will meet your expectations, your demands,
wishes, and your will.
I reiterate that
the blood of the martyrs and the hundreds of wounded, maimed and injured are a
huge responsibility that I proudly carry on my shoulders until I exact just
retribution for them.
Now, let us look
forward, and not look back. Let us go to work and build. Soon, we shall make it
all a reality.
President-elect Mohammed Morsi’s Speech in
Tahrir Square (June
29, 2012)
Source:
Ikhwanweb
In the name of God,
Most Merciful, Most Gracious.
O great people of
Egypt, dear citizens standing here in the Revolution square, in freedom square,
in Tahrir Square, in martyrs’ square, and all citizens standing in all liberty
squares across the homeland, Egypt, in villages, towns and cities, in all
governorates of Egypt.
O great citizens
watching us at home, O free world, Arabs, brothers and sisters, sons and
daughters, Egyptian Muslims and Christians, all citizens wherever you are,
inside Egypt and abroad.
You are all my
family, my friends. We are here today to tell the whole world: these are the
Egyptians; these are the revolutionaries, who made this epic, this revolution.
First, I remind you
of the words that came out from my heart to you, last Sunday, when the
elections committee announced your decision to entrust me with being the
president of the Arab Republic of Egypt. That is certainly a great honor, an
assignment I certainly cherish, and a responsibility I solemnly carry on my
shoulders.
I spoke to all the
Egyptian people that evening, and I mentioned almost all the governorates of
Egypt and many categories of Egyptian society, but I did forget, without
meaning to, some of the governorates of Egypt and some important categories of
my beloved people that I greatly respect.
I pay tribute to
all Egyptians, including those I forgot—the provinces of Behera, Damietta,
Cairo, and Giza. These all are my family and friends, like the rest of
provinces I mentioned on Sunday. I extend my greetings to all the Egyptian
people without exception, and I assure my respect and my love for the people of
creativity, art, culture and media, loyal to Egypt, and all citizens facing up
to challenging disabilities.
Special
tribute is due to tourism workers. I reiterate and emphasize that I am
determined to help them advance and progress. I also stand here with you today,
in this our iconic square of freedom and revolution; and we all stand together
in all liberty squares of Egypt, and in particular Tahrir Square which saw the
rebirth of Egypt, free and dignified Egypt of the real renaissance and the
rights that will not be lost. We stand together today to celebrate all of you.
I salute all the revolutionaries in all Egypt’s freedom squares. Above all, I
salute the honorable martyrs who have made a great sacrifice and with their
pure blood have watered the tree of liberty.
When we mention the
martyrs, we also look at history to know that the tree of liberty was planted
by honorable men decades ago, since the beginning of last century, and after
suffering the dark decades of injustice and repression for so long, on January
25, 2011, the martyrs of this revolution achieved a major victory.
I salute all the
injured of the revolution and their families and all those who generously gave
their homeland all they could and sacrificed for the sake of rebuilding and
advancing their country.
Let
us remain steadfast, men of the revolution, boys and girls, men and women. I am
one of you—that is how I was; I still am; and will always be. During the
revolution, in this place, we used to say that the revolution is led by its own
objectives. Well, the revolution continues to achieve its objectives. It is
reshaping to reflect the free will the Egyptian people, with an elected
president steering the ship home, leading this revolution, standing in front of
patriotic revolutionaries, leading them on the path to full democracy, and
doing all he can to achieve all the objectives of the great revolution.
I
came to talk to you today, because I believe that you are the source of power
and legitimacy. There is no person, party, institution, or authority over or
above the will of the people. The nation is the source of all power; it grants
and withdraws power.
I say to everyone
now; to all the people, the ministries and the government, the army and police
of Egypt, men and women, at home and abroad; I say it with full force, ‘No
authority is over or above this power.’ You are the source of power. You are
the owners of the will. You grant power to whomsoever you choose, and you
withdraw power from whomsoever you choose.
I come to you,
today, my beloved Egyptian people, and I wear no bullet-proof vest, because I
am confident, as I trust God and I trust you, and I fear only God. And I will
always be fully accountable to you.
I
come today to Tahrir Square, after it placed this responsibility on my
shoulders, to renew my pledge to you; to remind you that you alone are always,
always the first station for me to call. I say to all the Egyptian people that,
with God’s help, I seek their support and their assistance. Are you ready? Will
you stand by me to fully regain our rights? No creature will take the rights of
the people again so long as it is their will to preserve their rights.
I
stand here with you, O great people of Egypt, before the usual formal
proceedings, and I say to all honorable Egyptians—those who elected me and
those who did no—I’m for all of you, at the same distance from all. I will
never subtract form the rights of those they told me ‘No,’ nor will I subtract
from the rights of those who said to me ‘Yes.’ This is democracy. And that is
how we set on our journey to rebuild our homeland.
‘I pledge to God
and I pledge to you—I swear by the almighty God to uphold the republican
system; to respect the Constitution and law; to look after the interests of the
people fully; and to safeguard the stability and territorial integrity of the
homeland.’ [Oath of Office]
I pledge to God and
I pledge to you, the honorable people of Egypt, to fulfill my promises. I
pledge to work with you in order to bolster our unity and our strength. I stress
my rejection of any attempt to blackmail the people’s power.
I confirm that I,
as president of the Egyptian people, after the legal formal proceedings, which
I respect, will endeavor to overcome all obstacles. I reiterate my rejection of
any attempt to wrest the power of the people, because I am the decision-maker—with
your will.
I
will not tolerate any curbing of the powers of the President of the Republic. I
have no right to give up presidential powers and functions on the basis of
which you chose me. This is a contract between you and me. That is the concept
of the modern state.
This
does not in any way mean we do not respect the law, the constitution, or
relevant state institutions. There is no contradiction between this and that.
Furthermore, I will
not give up the rights of our martyrs and wounded. Fair retribution for them is
my responsibility, from which I will not shirk.
I will work with
you in every moment of my presidential term. I will always put the higher
interests of the country above all else, determined to establish the principles
of freedom and social justice, and to remove all forms of injustice,
corruption, and discrimination.
I
will work on rejuvenating the economy and alleviate the suffering of millions
of Egyptians seeking a decent dignified life. I will connect with everyone; and
my doors will remain open for all. I will always welcome you; and I will always
be in touch with you.
[All the masses in
Tahrir Square chanted with President Morsi: “Revolutionaries, Free, We will
complete the journey.”]
We
will complete the journey in a civil constitutional modern state, without
disrupting production nor traffic; without violating any private or public
freedoms, and without clashes or confrontation or distrust.
O citizens of Egypt
everywhere, in all cities, in the east and west, the north and south: we are
united as one, we are all one hand. I will not differentiate between supporters
and opponents. I ask for your advice, and for God’s help, and all the people of
Egypt’s support.
I
will work with you to restore Egypt’s status as a leader in creativity and
culture, education and industry, production and agriculture. We must be
partners in national action.
I will endeavor to
regain Egypt’s free will in its foreign relations. I will abolish all subordination
to any outside power. Egypt is free in all its actions and discourses.
We
will not commit any acts of aggression against anyone; but we are all able to
prevent any aggression against us. Together we will introduce a new concept of
international relations. And I warn everyone, no matter who they are, of
attempting to undermine Egypt’s dignity or pride, or of even thinking of
assaulting the dignity of its people or its president, whomever he may be.
I emphasize the
concept of national security in perspectives pertaining to the depths of
Africa, the Arab world, the Muslim world, and the rest of the world. We will
not relinquish our rights; we will not relinquish the right of any Egyptian
abroad. Our regime will drive our own discourse in our foreign relations.
I will always be
the first supporter of the revolution, so it should continue everywhere in the
farthest corners of the homeland. I want these voices to continue be heard
announcing that we are always free, revolutionaries, and we’re going to
continue the march, complete the journey.
We will continue to
chant, expressing our love for our homeland. Because love for Egypt is our
duty. We will continue to chant for freedom and dignity.O great Egyptian
people, I will do my best to free all detainees, including the blind sheikh,
Omar Abdel Rahman. This is their right onto me, and my duty towards them.
2012 Electoral Program of Freedom and
Justice Party Candidate Mohammed Morsi
(April 28, 2012)
Source:
Ikhwanweb
It is a great honor
that, thanks to the great Egyptian revolution and the honorable martyrs who
sacrificed their lives for freedom, we have this opportunity to offer our noble
people, our great brothers and sisters in this homeland, Dr. Morsi’s electoral
platform, “The Egyptian Nahda (Renaissance) Project.”
This
project and program is the result of a tremendous effort and hard work that
lasted well over fifteen years. It aims to re-build the Egyptian person, the
Egyptian society, and the Egyptian nation, with an Islamic reference and a
modern cultural identity for the enlightened, noble people of Egypt.
General
Features of Nahda (Renaissance) Project
Nahda Project is based on empowering the people and
placing their destinies in their own hands, rather than the hands of a corrupt
clique or a ruthless unscrupulous bureaucracy.
The project aims at
bringing forth Egyptian individuals who feel at peace with themselves, their
family, work, environment, and society at large.
It
also aims to build a society whose will is not defeated by that of a brutal
state, corrupt regime, or foreign power—a society that occupies its rightful
ranking among the world’s nations, a society endowed with lofty values, science
and thought in these times of information and knowledge economy and age of
creativity and innovation.
The project finally
aims to build a state that provides people access to education, healthcare,
jobs, investment, and business building opportunities; and protects their
rights and dignity within and outside the country.
The project is
proposed by the Muslim Brotherhood, which strived throughout eighty years to
preserve the identity of this nation, build its strength, and entrench the
values of moderation, balance, and tolerance in its thought.
Indeed,
the Brotherhood believes in upbringing as the methodology of change and work as
a means for achievement. It is no wonder that it occupies a special place in
the heart of society and is closely connected with the people; aware of their
concerns, suffering, and dreams; and adopts their legitimate ambitions for a
dignified life in the shade of its tolerant religious beliefs and moral values.
We present this
program with firm resolve to restore the positive, pristine image of Egypt
whose national, Arab, and international roles were lost under despotism, repression,
and corruption; whose economy failed due to the oppression and absence of
justice; whose sons and daughters lost most of their freedoms upon the collapse
of the rights and liberties framework in its entirety; and whose people had no
hope for essential equal opportunities due to the corruption that had permeated
its body.
We are determined
to restore Egypt’s bright image and rightful status that every honorable
Egyptian citizen, dreaming of Egypt as a pioneering nation, prides; the Egypt
that was once and will sure become again the civilizational front-runner among
nations.
The project favors
true democracy and national belonging, with Islam as a reference; and sets out
with impartible Egyptian pride.
We are fully aware
that the rejuvenation of a nation cannot be achieved by any single party,
sector, group, or trend no matter how powerful it is, and that the way to the
desired real renaissance is our unity of ranks and determination to achieve
comprehensive revitalization and to be ready and willing to bear its heavy
burdens and endure its toils and privations. If political gravitations have
created big or small distances between us, the pioneering Nahda (Renaissance)
Project can bring us back together and unite our efforts.
Believing that he
who dedicates himself to public service must clarify his visions and policies
to the people, we present to you the following features of the Egyptian Nahda Project with hope
that Egyptians of all segments of society will contribute to its evaluation,
discussion, and formation—so that it becomes the torch that lights our path
towards Modern Egypt.
—The Nahda Project Team
A Vision for
Building the Egyptian Nation
The Nahda project revolves
around three principle stakeholders in Egyptian society: the state, civil society,
and the private sector. With the permeation of Egyptian state control and
influence in the civil and private sectors, the project establishes reformation
mechanisms at the strategic and executive levels, so as to achieve the desired
balance between the three stakeholders and their institutions.
The project vision
is divided into three levels, according to values and objectives concerning the
Egyptian individual, society, and state:
The Value and
Thought level describes what Egyptians want or wish for in their daily lives,
in terms of values, rights, qualities, and duties, and what they expect from
Egyptian society’s various institutions and principal players.
In
doing so, this level relies on a vast collection of experiences, specialized
and societal studies on laying down an integrated vision for the remaining
levels to pursue with the aim of advancing the people civilizationally and
curing society from the corruption that has afflicted it throughout the
previous time periods.
The Strategy level
comprises seven paths aiming to achieve the desired change through complex
development plans whose roles are distributed among the stakeholders of the
Egyptian nation.
The Executive level
transforms these plans into specific groups of projects, reforms, and operational
policies divided over three time periods, as an initial step on the road
towards the Egyptian Nahda, or comprehensive rejuvenation.
The Strategic
Level
With the
cooperation of a number of research institutions, experts, and both Egyptian
and non-Egyptian university professors, development plans were laid out for
each strategic path.
Under each
objective are a number of projects and executive programs, some of which have
entered the implementation phase and others are still under preparation. The
following is a brief review of a few aspects of the major paths:
The Strategic
Paths
*
Building the political system
*
Transforming into a developmental economy
* Societal
empowerment
*
Comprehensive human resource development
* Building a
safety and security system
* Achieving
regional and international leadership
* Files
under focus
Building the
Political System
1.
From completion of the political system, all the way to the deep restructuring
of the Egyptian state, transforming it from a dominant state to a state of
empowered institutions with clearly marked pillars and specific powers to be
respected, and not exceeded.
This
process includes establishing the concept of the executive, legislative, and
judicial authorities complementing one another while emphasizing each authority’s
independent performance of its roles.
2.
Building a comprehensive network system for fighting corruption, with
oversight, legislative and executive powers, recognizing citizens’ right to
obtain government information.
3. Approving
mechanisms for public monitoring of government performance to guarantee a
higher level of transparency and integrity in performance.
4. Enabling all
Egyptians to participate in national and political activities rather than
limiting this activity to the economic and social elite of Egypt.
5. Reforming laws,
legislations, and regulations governing the relationship between atate
institutions and mechanisms of their management to clarify the
responsibilities, powers, and competences of each institution and to enhance
the state’s ability to facilitate government service for citizens.
6. Applying the
principle of participation rather than domination in forming a coalition
government representing all political players and stakeholders in Egyptian society
to enable us to work together on building the future of Egypt without excluding
any principal political party.
7.
Activating the role of youth in the political process, beginning with lowering
the qualifying age for public office and considering the factors of competence,
ability, and desire to work in public service as the major qualification
criteria for political jobs.
Transforming
Into a Developmental Economy
1. Rapid and
comprehensive transformation from an income or rentier economy to a productive
or value-added economy, within the boundaries of an information and production
society, through 100 national projects (each exceeding one billion dollars)
guaranteeing the multiplication of gross domestic product in five years at an
annual growth rate of 6.5 to 7 percent.
2.
Reforming the banking system to ensure it performs its principal role in
supporting the national economy at different levels, while providing
developmentally appropriate monetary tools to ensure the effective
participation of the banking sector in development projects and to ensure its
focus on priorities.
3.
Developing a program to support small and medium scale enterprises to provide a
suitable environment for the advancement and sufficient activation of this
economic segment by:
a. Providing
necessary technical support for selecting, developing, and managing these
projects.
b. Providing a
training and certification program for the required management and technical
cadres.
c. Providing the
financial studies and tools necessary and appropriate for these projects.
d. Providing a
legislative climate that guarantees small-scale businesses’ access to full
opportunities of fair competition.
e. Creating
societies and syndicates to support this.
f. Providing
marketing opportunities and permanent exhibitions.
Societal
Empowerment
1. Strengthening
and enabling the civil society and institutions to safeguard democracy and
preserve Egyptians’ energy so that they never allow the return of state control
over this sector. This would be achieved through acknowledgement of the
judiciary as the governing reference for this sector.
2.
Restoring the role of endowments and direct and indirect contributions from
citizens to ensure financial independence of civil society and to limit the
role of the state in coordinating and supporting the different components of
this sector. This also includes encouraging and supporting our people, who for
long have been deprived of volunteering, through their time or money, in
activities for public good.
3. Quick and
intensive efforts to save the Egyptian family and encourage civil society to
support the family’s mission and educate family members about the present
challenges and future requirements.
4.
Advancing the media system, codifying the state’s role in the media sector, and
unleashing freedom of expression guided by genuine Egyptian values.
Comprehensive
Human Development
1. Supporting a
life that allows for continuous learning, multi-directional production and
satisfactory consumption of basic human needs, and that realizes human dignity.
2.
Structuring a comprehensive social justice system that will provide the
different social classes with equal opportunities in residence, work, medical
treatment, and in exercising their political rights.
3. Adopting a clear
project with a time frame to overcome illiteracy and school dropout in
cooperation with the state’s civil and private sectors.
4. Dealing with
open and masked unemployment and weak competency of the workforce by launching
qualitative and quantitative development programs for workers and by applying
positive pressure on training, research and scientific institutions in Egypt to
nurture development with the needed capacities to reduce the rate of
unemployment by 5 percent every year.
5. Restructuring
the Egyptian educational system with three objectives in mind:
a. Egyptian
development map 2025.
b. Needs
and expectations of the workforce.
c. Aspirations
and concerns of youth and students.
The
educational system must be completely redesigned around the student; thus shifting
the educational strategy from the student’s mere competence in knowledge
acquisition to a quality and flexible educational process that provides greater
opportunities for Egyptians, and meets the needs of the job market. Such a
strategy requires an increase in the educational budget of the state (from 3.3
percent to the regional ratio of 5.2 percent of GDP).
Building the
Safety and Security System
1. Achieving security and regulating its institutions
and structuring the police apparatus to maintain domestic security, support
Egyptians rights, and protect their possessions.
2. Changing the
security doctrine of principal institutions in the security sector by
supporting the concept of loyalty and belonging to the Egyptian citizen and his
safety and security, not to the ruling regime.
3. Increasing the
competence, abilities, and strengths of the Egyptian army to protect Egyptian
interests at the regional and international levels, and to enable Egypt to
restore its regional weight.
Achieving
Regional and International Leadership
1. Restoring Egypt’s
leading role in the region and strengthening international treaties and
agreements that will protect the interests of Egyptians internally and
externally.
2. Protecting Arab
national and Gulf security and pushing Arab-Islamic cooperation to new horizons
that would serve the interests of Egypt.
3. Establishing
relations with all international parties based on equal footing and common
interests, and diversifying the international relations network with African,
Asian, and Western ties to help achieve balance in the protection of Egyptian
interests in the international arena.
4. Establishing the
foundations of equal treatment and codes for Egyptians’ rights outside Egypt
and utilizing the potential of Egyptian embassies and their political relations
to ease the difficulties and obstacles facing them, from protecting their
rights and dignity to being safe havens for them, if needed, while away from
the homeland.
Files Under
Focus
1. Supporting and
empowering the Egyptian woman and paving the way for her participation in
society, politics, and priorities of national development. This springs from
our belief that woman is equal to man in terms of status and that she
complements him in his work and tasks.
a. We seek to
empower the Egyptian woman by removing the hindrances that face her fruitful
participation in all fields of life in a way that helps the woman achieve a
balance between her home and society.
b. Protection of
the Egyptian woman from harassments on Egyptian streets and from all forms of
discrimination when applying for public or private job positions.
c. Give special
support to women doing economic activities such as small businesses, and
encourage pioneer women managing their own private enterprises.
d.
Changing the negative stance of Egyptian culture regarding women’s political
participation by presenting successful role models and figures.
2. Restoring the
leading role of Azhar as a beacon of the moderate Islamic school of thought and
supporting its scientific, educational, managerial, and financial independence
and strengthening its ability as a world university attracting the best youth
of the Islamic world and as one of Egypt’s external leading wings.
3.
Fulfilling all our fellow Copts’ rights of citizenship and realizing their full
legal equality as Egyptian citizens while maintaining their right to appeal to
their religious strictures on matters pertaining to personal status and their
religious affairs.
This
program includes other items concerning, for example, shifting the licensing
procedures for church buildings and worship houses from the presidential
institution to the Urban Planning Authority to protect these rights from
political abuse by the state.
4.
Incorporating an integrative bundle of laws and legislations for protection of
the environment as well as the environmental rights of Egyptians into all
industrial, agricultural, productive, and urban planning sectors and
infrastructural projects, so as to restore the required balance between human consumption
and the environment’s natural ability to restore its vitality. This file also
deals with a number of reform programs, from environmental impact
monitoring and assessment mechanisms to incorporating material
concerned with environmental awareness into the Egyptian educational curricula.
5. Providing
financial and urban incentives to encourage Egyptian families living in the
slums to make their own decision to move out under no coercion from the state.
The first step
begins with codifying the legal situation of slum inhabitants, i.e. their legal
ownership of buildings they live in, and hence their ability to trade its sale
value with an alternative one in the real estate market.
This
will require incentives suitable for each area’s residents, from offering
moving alternatives, through facilitating home ownership, to providing
infrastructure services ahead in new residential areas.
In sum, the
project relies on respecting the dignity of the Egyptian citizen and the right
to own residential property.
Document for Basic Freedoms
Issued by Ahmed El-Tayyeb, Grand Sheikh of
Al-Azhar
(January 8, 2012)
Source:
Office of Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar
After the
revolutions that made freedom and equality spring up and paved a way for the
ideas of comprehensive reform and development in all the sections of society,
it’s logical for Egyptians, Arabs and Muslim World to start yearning for an
initiative through which the scholars and intellectuals would define the
relationship between the general principles of the Islamic sharia and the set of
basic freedoms that are adopted by all international conventions and created by
the civilization and experience of the Egyptian people.
In
defining such a relationship, scholars shall establish the foundations and
principles of those basic freedoms and determine the conditions that protect
the development and open up the horizons of the future. These are the freedom
of belief, the freedom of expression, the freedom of scientific research, and
the freedom of literary and artistic creativity. All these freedoms should have
their roots in serving the objectives of the shari`ah
and grasping the spirit of modern constitutional
legislation and the requirements of human knowledge advance.
This
relationship shall turn the spiritual energies of the nation into fuel and
motivate for development and progress and a means to achieving both spiritual
and material advance. To this end, ongoing efforts shall be made where wise
cultural rhetoric goes in harmony with enlightened religious rhetoric and both
proceed in a fruitful path to the future, on which the goals agreed by all
shall be clear.
Hence, the group of
Al-Azhar scholars and the Egyptian intellectuals—who issued the first document
under the auspices of Al-Azhar and then issued a statement in support of the
Arab uprisings—have resumed their meetings and discussed the common
intellectual denominators in the set of freedoms and human rights.
The
conclusion they have reached is to approve a collection of principles and
regulations that govern the ideas of freedom and equality, taking into
consideration the requirements of the current historic moment and the need to
safeguard social harmony and the public interests in the phase of democratic
transition, during which the country shall build its constitutional
institutions in a secure and proper manner and with help from Almighty Allah.
It is believed that
this will also block the spread of some prejudiced calls, under the pretext of
commanding the right and forbidding the wrong, to interfere in public and
personal freedoms. Indeed, this is incompatible with both the civilization and
social development of modern Egypt at a time the country needs unity and
moderate approach to religion; this is the religious message and responsibility
of Al-Azhar towards the society and nation.
First: Freedom
of Belief
Freedom of belief
and the associated right of full citizenship for all—which is based on complete
equality in rights and duties—is regarded as the cornerstone in the modern
social structure. This freedom is guaranteed by the authentic conclusive
religious texts and the clear constitutional and legal principles. Almighty
Allah says,
There shall be no
compulsion in the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong…
(Al-Baqarah 2: 256)
And He also says,
So
whoever wills—let him believe; and whoever wills—let him disbelieve… (Al-Kahf
18: 29)
Accordingly, any
aspect of compulsion, persecution, or discrimination on the basis of religion
is prohibited. Everybody in society has the right to embrace any ideas he
chooses, without encroaching upon the right of society to the maintenance of
divine faiths, in light of sanctity accorded to all the three Abrahamic faiths;
so, everyone is free to perform his rituals, and none should hurt the other’s feelings
or violate the sanctity of his rites whether by words or deeds, and without
breaching the public order.
As the Arab region
is the land blessed with the heavenly divine revelations, it therefore has a
great commitment to protect the sacredness of all these revealed faiths, as
well as respecting their rituals, and guaranteeing the rights of their
believers to freedom, dignity, and brotherliness.
As a result of
this, there should be acceptance of the legitimacy of plurality, maintenance of
the right to difference, and the obligation that every citizen should consider
the feelings of others and that equality should prevail among all citizens on
the firm basis of citizenship, partnership, and equal opportunities in terms of
all rights and duties.
Also
based on the respect for the freedom of belief is the rejection of trends that
exclude others, condemn their beliefs and label them as disbelievers amid
attempts to examine the inner thoughts of those who hold those beliefs. Such
rejection rests on the well-established constitutional systems and, even before
that, on the clear and categorical rules set by the Islamic sharia. An example is the Prophetic hadith that
says: “Would you inspect his heart?” This rule was also well expressed by the
Imam Malik, and other Imams, when he (Malik) said, “If a person says something
that most probably denotes disbelief, yet still there is a remote possibility
it does not, it should not be taken to denote disbelief.”
The
scholars of ijtihad
[jurisprudence] and legislation have attached great significance to the mind in
Islam and left us a golden rule that says: “If the mind and the text are
apparently conflicting, the mind should be given precedence and the text
reinterpreted.” This is to maintain the considered legal interests and serve
the objectives of the shari`ah.
Second: Freedom of
Opinion and Expression
Freedom
of opinion is the mother of all freedoms, and it is most manifest in the free
expression of opinion by all different means, including writing, oratory,
artistic production, digital communication. Indeed, it is the manifestation of
social freedoms, which go beyond individuals to include, among other
activities, the formation of parties and civil society institutions, the
freedom of the press and the media, whether in audio, visual, or digital form,
and the freedom to access the information needed for expression of opinion.
This freedom should be guaranteed by constitutional provisions so as to
transcend ordinary laws, which are subject to change.
The Supreme Constitutional
Court in Egypt has decided to broaden the concept of free speech to encompass
constructive criticism, even if toughly worded. The court has stipulated: “It
is not appropriate to restrict the freedom of expression regarding the public
issues by limits not to be exceeded; rather, it should be tolerated.”
It is necessary,
however, to note that the beliefs of the three divine religions and their
rituals must be respected, as this is very serious for the national cohesion
and security. No one has the right to incite sectarian strife and doctrinal
feud in the name of free speech. This said, the right to present an independent
scholarly opinion, supported by the relevant evidence and within the
specialized circles, and away from incitement, shall be guaranteed.
The attendees state
that the freedom of opinion and expression is the true manifestation of
democracy, and they call for educating the new generations the culture of
freedom, the right to difference, and to show respect for others. They also
appeal to those working in the field of religious, cultural, and political
rhetoric over the media to pay attention to this important dimension in their
practices and to seek a wise approach that helps form a public opinion marked
by tolerance, broad-mindedness, resort to dialogue, and rejection of
fanaticism.
To achieve this, we
have to recall the classical civilizations and traditions of the Islamic
thought, whose great imams would say, “I hold that my opinion is right, yet may
be wrong, and that the opinion of others is wrong, yet may be right.” Hence,
there is no way to reinforce free speech but through the approach to confront
an argument with another one, according to the ethics of dialogue and the
civilized customs that are deeply rooted in the advanced societies.
Third: Freedom
of Scientific Research
Serious
scientific research in humanities, physics, mathematics, etc., is the driver of
human progress and the means to discovering the laws of the universe so as to
use them for the goodness of humankind. Such research cannot be conducted and
yield its theoretical and practical fruits without the dedication of the
energies of the nation and the mobilization of its capabilities for it.
Numerous Koranic verses urge us to contemplate, deduce, conduct analogical reasoning,
and ponder the human and universal phenomena with a view to discovering their
laws. In fact, these verses paved the way for the biggest scientific
renaissance the East has even known. This renaissance presented scientific
achievements that brought welfare to humanity. And it was subsequently carried
by the Muslim scholars to the West, sparking the age of renaissance there, as
it is well known and established.
If
thinking in general is an Islamic duty in all branches of knowledge and arts,
as held by the scholars of ijtihad,
theoretical and experimental scientific research is the instrument for the
discharge of this duty. And the most important among its requirements is that
research institutions and specialized scholars should enjoy full academic freedom
to perform experiments and put forth hypotheses, and to test them according to
accurate scientific criteria.
Such institutions
also have the right to possess the creative imagination as well as the adequate
expertise needed for reaching new results that contribute to human knowledge.
They should not be directed in that respect except by the ethics, methods, and
unchanging principles of science.
Great
Muslim scholars, such as Al-Razi, Ibn Al-Haytham, Ibn Al-Nafis, were the
leaders and pioneers of knowledge in the East and the West for many centuries.
It is time now for the Arab and Muslim world to make a comeback to the race of
power and the age of scientific knowledge. Science has come to be the source of
military and economic power and the cause of progress, development, and
prosperity.
Free scientific
research is the basis for the development of education, the supremacy of
scientific thought, and the prosperity of production centers, for which big
budgets should be allocated, work teams formed, and major projects proposed.
All these require the highest ceiling of human and scientific research. The
West had almost put its hand on every scientific advance and secured a monopoly
on the path of science. But the rise of Japan, China, India, and Southeast Asia
gave vivid examples for the capability of the East to break that monopoly,
entering the age of knowledge through a wide open door. The time has come for
the Egyptians and the Arabs and Muslims to get into the arena of civilized and
scientific competition. Indeed, they have the adequate potentials—spiritual,
material, human, etc.—that qualify them for such advance in a world that shows
no respect for the weak and those lagging behind.
Fourth: Freedom of
Literary and Artistic Creativity
There
are two types of creativity. One type is scientific creativity, which has been
previously tackled. The other is literary and artistic creativity, which
comprises different genres of literature, such as lyric and dramatic poetry,
stories and novels, theatre, biographies, and visual plastic arts, and
cinematic, television, and musical arts, in addition to other forms newly
introduced to all these genres.
In
general, literature and arts seek to raise awareness of reality, activate
imagination, elevate aesthetic sense, educate people and expand their mental
faculties, and deepen human experience with life and society. Moreover, they
sometimes view society with a critical eye, envisaging a better one. All these
are lofty roles that in reality serve to enrich the language and culture,
stimulate imagination, and improve intellectual capabilities, while observing
the sublime religious values and moral virtues.
Arabic language had
been distinguished by its literary richness and eloquence. Then the noble Koran
came with the climax of eloquence and inimitability, adding to the beauty of
the language and manifesting its genius, and feeding the arts of poetry, prose,
and wisdom. And thus, the talents and creativity of poets and writers—from
different nationalities which embraced Islam and learned Arabic—were released
without restrictions in all fields of arts over the ages. Furthermore, many
scholars, sheikhs, and imams in Islamic heritage were narrators of poetry and
stories of all kinds.
However, the basic
rule that governs the limits of the freedom of creativity is the preparedness
of society, on the one hand, and its ability to absorb the elements of heritage
and renewal in literary and artistic creativity, on the other hand. So, freedom
of creativity should be respected so long as it does not hurt religious
feelings or run counter to the established moral values. The fact remains that
literary and artistic creativity is one of the most important signs of the
prosperity of the set of basic freedoms, and it is the most effective in reviving
the awareness of society and enriching its conscience.
The more the
reasonable freedom is entrenched in society, the clearer the proof of its
civilization. Literature and arts are the mirror of the consciences of
societies and the true expression of their variables and invariables. They
paint a bright picture of their aspirations for a better future. We implore
Almighty Allah to guide us to that which is good and right.
Select Communiqués and Facebook Messages of the
Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF)
Communiqué No.
1 (February
10, 2011)
Based
on the responsibility of the Armed Forces and commitment to the protection of
the people and the people’s interest and safety, and out of our keenness for
the safety of the nation and the citizens, and the possessions of the great
Egyptian people, and out of endorsement for the people’s rightful/legitimate
demands, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces held a meeting on Thursday
February 10, 2011, to study the current situation and how it develops. The
council has decided to continue meeting regularly to study the options and
procedures and measures to keep the safety of the nation and the ambitions of
the great Egyptian people.
Message No. 1
of 2011, SCAF Official Facebook Page (February 17, 2011)
A message to the
great Egyptian people:
The great Egypt can
accommodate all opinions and freedoms that lead to the nation’s prosperity and
goals.
As the Armed Forces
believes in the right of the Egyptian people to demonstrate peacefully, without
vandalism or clashes; we urge you not to violate the law in tomorrow’s
demonstrations and to preserve the real image and value of January 25
revolution.
The right to
demonstrate is granted but without reference to non-Egyptian cultures, like
wearing black during the demonstration.
The Armed Forces
will perform its admirable role of protecting demonstrators from all
backgrounds as an obligation toward what has started recently.
Message No. 52
of 2011, SCAF Official Facebook Page (May 17, 2011)
Summary of Speech by SCAF Chairman Mohammed Hussein Tantawi at Police
Academy
During the
celebration of the Ministry of Interior, with the graduation of a new class of
the sons of the great Egyptian people from the police academy, the chief of
SCAF assured the following:
Great appreciation
to the January 25 revolution and the revolutionaries.
Since it started,
the Armed Forces took the side of the revolution, and refused—as all SCAF
members agreed—to use arms against the sons of this great people.
The importance of
overcoming the past, not to forget the police, and to work hard on regaining
security for Egypt.
The biggest
problems that keep the January 25 [revolution] from achieving its goals are the
following:
a. Absence
of security and vandalism; and the importance of cooperation between the
people, the police, the army, and judiciary to crack down this phenomenon.
b. We
have economic hardships due to the absence of security and due to protests.
Tourism, which provides 14 billion dollars and employs a workforce of 2 million
people, has stopped. Egypt has resources that enable it to have a powerful and
quick launch that fits the aspirations of this great people.
We will never allow
sectarian conflict to happen, and will crack down on whomever tries to raise
[such conflict] or damage the destiny of this nation.
The
media has to care for Egypt. Most media people are honorable, and what we need
it truthful media.
SCAF is totally
sure of the awareness of this great people, and the youth of the revolution,
about the dangers of this phase, and their cooperation with the army, the
police, and the judiciary to regain security; to push the production wheel so
that the revolution achieves its goals and launches Egypt towards a brighter
future and attains its rightful place in the world. This will not happen
without sincere efforts and prioritizing the country interests to all other
personal ones.
Message No. 4 of 2012, SCAF Official Facebook Page (February 6, 2012)
SCAF
discussed in today’s meeting the domestic situation and current incidents that
reflect the deteriorated security situation that affects honorable citizens,
and negatively affects the achievements of the great January 25 revolution. It
concluded the following:
1. Total
assurance of implementing the previously announced plan of handing over power
to an elected civilian power, in a democratic and transparent way.
2. Our
feeling that citizens are still worried about the current security situation,
obliging to continue the support of the Armed Forces to police forces, to
preserve the nation and guarantee a feeling of security and serenity.
3. The
Armed Forces always seek to resolve the crises and problems that face citizens.
We assure that we will do all possible efforts in this regard, and the
necessity of everybody’s efforts to face and prevent such crisis in order to
not burden the nation’s stability.
4. The
absolute importance of ignoring rumors and fake accusations against the Armed
Forces, which aim at disturbing the rock-solid relationship between the people
and their Armed Forces. We continuously assure the stability of this
relationship based upon our support to the demands of the Egyptian people, and
that was clear in our complete alliance to the great January 25 revolution.
5. We
always assure our respect to the independence of the judiciary, and its
patriotic role of supporting the values of justice and law. We hope everybody
understands that, and we in turn realize that absolute justice is a goal that
everybody looks up to.
SCAF urges the
Egyptian people, who amazed the world with their revolution, to do all possible
efforts to preserve the earnings of the revolution and prevent all
conspiratorial elements that aim at weakening the state.
Summary of Amended Egyptian Constitutional
Declaration by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
(June, 18, 2012)
Source:
Ahram Online
The following
amendments went into effect immediately:
Article 30: In a situation
that parliament is dissolved the president will be vowed into office in front
of High Constitutional Court’s General Assembly.
Article 53: The incumbent SCAF members are responsible
for deciding on all issues related to the armed forces including appointing its
leaders and extending the terms in office of the aforesaid leaders. The
current head of the SCAF is to act as commander-in-chief of the armed forces
and minister of defense until a new constitution is drafted.
Article 53/1: The president can
only declare war after the approval of the SCAF.
Article 53/2: If the country faces internal unrest which
requires the intervention of the Armed Forces, the president can issue a
decision to commission the armed forces—with the approval of the SCAF—to
maintain security and defend public properties. Current Egyptian law stipulates
the powers of the armed forces and its authorities in cases where the military
can use force, arrest or detain.
Article 56 B: The SCAF will
assume the authorities set out in sub-article 1 of Article 56 as written in the
March 30, 2011, Constitutional Declaration until a new parliament is elected.
Article 60 B: If the constituent assembly
encounters an obstacle that would prevent it from completing its work, the SCAF
within a week will form a new constituent assembly- to author a new
constitution within three months from the day of the new assembly’s formation.
The newly drafted constitution will be put forward after 15 days of the day it
is completed, for approval by the people through a national referendum. The
parliamentary elections will take place one month from the day the new
constitution is approved by the national referendum.
Article 60 B1: If the president, the head of SCAF, the
prime minister, the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, or a fifth of the
constituent assembly find that the new constitution contains an article or more
which conflict with the revolution’s goals and its main principles or which
conflict with any principle agreed upon in all of Egypt’s former constitutions,
any of the aforementioned bodies may demand that the constituent assembly
revises this specific article within 15 days. Should the constituent assembly
object to revising the contentious article, the article will be referred to the
High Constitutional Court (HCC), which will then be obliged to give its verdict
within seven days. The HCC’s decision is final and will be published in the
official gazette within three days from the date of issuance.
Article 38 of the March 30, 2011, Constitutional
Declaration will be replaced with: “The parliamentary elections will be
conducted in accordance to the law.”
President Hosni Mubarak’s Final Address
(February 10, 2011)
Source: BBC
I am addressing the
youth of Egypt today in Tahrir Square and across the country. I am addressing
you all from the heart, a father’s dialogue with his sons and daughters. I am
proud of you as the new Egyptian generation calling for a change to the better,
dreaming and making the future.
First
and foremost, I am telling you that the blood of your martyrs and injured will
not go in vain. I assure you that I will not relent in harshly punishing those
responsible. I will hold those who persecuted our youth accountable with the
maximum deterrent sentences. I tell the families of those innocent victims that
I suffered plenty for them, as much as they did. My heart was in pain because
of what happened to them, as much as it pained their hearts.
I
am telling you that heeding to your voice, your message and demands is an
irretraceable commitment. I am determined to live up to my promises with all
firmness and honesty and I am totally determined to implement (them), without
hesitation or reconsideration. This commitment springs from a strong conviction
that your intentions are honest and pure and your action. Your demands are just
and legitimate demands.
The mistakes can be
made in any political system and in any state. But, the most important is to
recognize them and correct them as soon as possible and bring to account those
who have committed them.
I am telling you
that as a president I find no shame in listening to my country’s youth and
interacting with them. The big shame and embarrassment, which I have not done
and never will do, would be listening to foreign dictations whatever may be the
source or pretext.
My sons, the youth
of Egypt, brother citizens, I have unequivocally declared that I will not run
for president in the next elections, satisfied with what I’ve offered my
country in over sixty years during war and peace. I declared my commitment to
that, as well as my equal commitment to carrying out my responsibility in
protecting the constitution and the people’s interests until power and
responsibility are handed over to whoever is elected in next September,
following free and candid elections with guarantees of freedom and candor. This
is the oath I took before God and my country and one which I will keep until we
take Egypt and its people to a safe harbor.
I
have set a defined vision to come out of this crisis and to carry out what the
citizens and the youth have called for in a way which would respect the
constitutional legitimacy and not undermine it. It will be carried out in a way
that would bring stability to our society and achieve the demands of its youth,
and, at the same time, propose an agreed-upon framework for a peaceful transfer
of power through responsible dialogue with all factions of society and with
utmost sincerity and transparency.
I
presented this vision, committed to my responsibility in getting the nation out
of these difficult times and continuing to achieve it first, hour by hour,
anticipating the support and assistance of all those who are concerned about
Egypt and its people, so that we succeed in transforming it [the vision] into
to a tangible reality, according to a broad and national agreement with a large
base, with the courageous military forces guaranteeing its implementation.
We have started
indeed building a constructive national dialogue, including the Egyptian youths
who led the calls for change, and all political forces. This dialogue has
resulted in a tentative agreement of opinions and positions, putting our feet
at the start of the right track to get out of the crisis and must continue to
take it from the broad lines on what has been agreed upon to a clear road map
and with a fixed agenda.
From now to next
September, day after day, we’ll see the peaceful transition of power. This
national dialogue has focused on the setting up of a constitutional committee
that will look into the required amendments of the constitution and the needed
legislative reforms. It (the dialogue) also met about the setting up of a follow-up
committee expected to follow up the sincere implementation of the promises that
I have made before the people. I have made sure that the composition of the two
committees is made of Egyptian figures that are known for their independence
and experience, experts in constitutional law and judges.
In addition to
that, the loss of the martyrs of the sons of Egypt in sad and tragic events has
hurt our hearts and shaken the homeland’s conscience. I immediately issued my
instructions to complete the investigation about last week’s events (the
clashes between pro- and anti-Mubarak demonstrators) and submit its results
immediately to the general prosecutor for him to take the necessary legal
deterrent measures.
Yesterday, I got
the first report on the top priority constitutional amendments proposed by the
committee of justice system and law experts and that I have set up to look into
the required constitutional and legislative amendments. In response to the
proposals in the committee’s report, and in compliance with the prerogatives of
the president of the republic, in conformity with Article 189 of the
constitution, I have submitted a request today asking for the amendment of six
constitutional clauses: 76, 77, 88, 93 and 189, in addition to the annulment of
clause 179.
Moreover, I am
asserting my readiness to submit, at a later time, an (additional) request to
change any other clauses referred to me by the constitutional committee,
according to the needs and justifications it sees fit. These top-priority
amendments aim to ease the conditions for presidential nominations, and the
fixing of limited terms of presidency to ensure the rotation of power, and the
strengthening of the regulations of elections oversight to guarantee their
freedom and fairness.
It is in the judiciary’s
prerogative to decide about the validity and membership of MPs and amend the
conditions and measures on the amendment of the constitution. The proposal to
delete Article 179 from the constitution aims to achieve the required balance
between the protection of the nation from the dangers of terrorism and
safeguarding the civil rights and freedoms of the citizens which opens the door
to the lifting of the Emergency Law following the return of calm and stability
and the presence of suitable conditions to lift the state of emergency.
Brother citizens,
the priority now is to bring back trust between Egyptians, trust in our economy
and our international reputation, and trust in protecting the change and
movement that we have started from turning back or retreating.
Egypt is going
through difficult times which it is not right for us to allow continuing, as it
will continue to cause us and our economy harm and losses, day after day, which
will end in circumstances which those youths who called for change and reform
will become the first to be harmed by. The current moment is not to do with
myself, it is not to do with Hosni Mubarak, but is to do with Egypt, its
present and the future of its children.
All Egyptians are
in one trench now, and it is on us to continue the national dialogue which we
have started, with a team spirit, not one of division, and far from
disagreement and infighting so that we can get Egypt past its current crisis,
and to restore trust in our economy, and tranquility and peace to our citizens,
and return the Egyptian street to its normal everyday life.
I was as young as
Egypt’s youth today, when I learned the Egyptian military honor, allegiance,
and sacrifice for my country. I have spent a lifetime defending its soil and
sovereignty. I witnessed its wars, with its defeats and victories. I lived the
days of defeat and occupation; I also lived the days of the (Suez) crossing,
victory and liberation. It was the happiest day of my life when I raised the
flag of Egypt over Sinai. I faced death many times as a pilot, in Addis Ababa,
and numerous other times. I never succumbed to foreign pressure or dictations.
I kept the peace. I worked towards the stability and security of Egypt. I
worked hard for its revival and for its people.
I never sought
power or fake popularity. I trust that the overwhelming majority of the people
know who Hosni Mubarak is. It pains me to see how some of my countrymen are
treating me today. In any case, I am completely aware of the seriousness of the
current hard turn of events as I am convinced that Egypt is crossing a landmark
point in its history which imposes on all of all to weigh in the higher
interests of our country and to put Egypt first above any and all
considerations.
I saw fit to
delegate presidential jurisdictions to the vice president as defined by the
constitution. I am certain that Egypt will overcome its crisis. The will of its
people will not break. It will be back on its feet with the honesty and loyalty
of its people, all its people. It will return the machinations and glee of
those who were gleeful and machinated against it.
We, Egyptians, will
prove our ability to achieve the demands of the people with civilized and
mature dialogue. We will prove that we are no-one’s servants, that we do not
take instructions from anyone, and that only the demands of the citizens and
the pulse of the street take our decisions.
We will prove all
this with the spirit and tenacity of Egyptians, through the unity and cohesion
of the people, and through our commitment to Egypt’s dignity as well as its
unique and immortal identity, for it is the essence and the base of our
presence for more than 7,000 years.
This spirit will
continue to live within us for as long as Egypt and its people are present. It
will live in every one of our peasants, workers, and intellectuals. It will
remain in the hearts of our old men, our youth and our children, Muslims and
Christians. It will remain in the minds and conscience of all those yet unborn.
I say again that I
lived for the sake of this country, preserving its responsibility and trust.
Egypt will remain above all and above everyone. It will remain so until I hand
over this trust and pole. This is the goal, the objective, the responsibility
and the duty. It is the beginning of life, its journey, and its end. It will
remain a country dear to my heart. It will not part with me and I will not part
with it until my passing. Egypt will remain immortal with its dignified people
with their heads held high.
May God preserve
the safety of Egypt and watch over its people. May peace be upon you.
Compiled by Maha El-Kady