Freedom of expression in Egypt - Amjad Bashir MEP

UKIP MEPs

24 Jul 201402:41

Summary

TLDRThe speaker recounts a visit to Egypt before the Arab Spring, noting the stark contrast with the current state of unrest. They express concern over the military's role in suppressing peaceful demonstrations for democracy and freedom, resulting in deaths and detentions. The speaker calls for respect for the people's will and urges the British Foreign Minister to condemn the treatment of innocent Egyptians engaged in peaceful protests, emphasizing the importance of democratic principles like freedom of expression and the right to assemble.

Takeaways

🌍 The speaker and their spouse visited Egypt before the Arab Spring, experiencing a time of happiness and safety among the Egyptian people.
📉 The situation in Egypt has deteriorated since the Arab Spring, with a decline in the quality of life for ordinary citizens.
🗣️ The Arab Spring brought forth peaceful demonstrations in Tahrir Square, expressing desires for democracy and freedom.
🛡️ The military dictatorship in Egypt has suppressed these democratic aspirations, resulting in significant loss of life and mass detentions.
🏛️ The role of the army, as per the speaker, should be to protect the nation, not to harm its own people.
🏢 Recent legal actions have seen harsh sentences, including life imprisonment and death sentences, handed down to protesters.
🗳️ The speaker emphasizes the importance of respecting the will of the people and criticizes instances where democratic outcomes have been ignored.
🇪🇺 The speaker cites examples of democratic decisions being overridden, such as the Danish referendum on the Maastricht Treaty and the rejections of the EU constitution by France and the Netherlands.
📬 The speaker intends to address the British Foreign Minister, urging strong condemnation of the treatment of peaceful Egyptian protesters.
🌟 The speaker hopes this will be an early achievement for the new minister, highlighting the importance of democratic principles, especially freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.
🕊️ The closing remarks by the speaker advocate for respect for democratic principles and peaceful protest, ending with a note of admiration for the courage of the Egyptian people.

Q & A

What was the speaker's experience in Egypt before the Arab Spring?
-The speaker and their spouse visited Egypt before the Arab Spring and had a wonderful time, noting that the people seemed happy and content, and they were able to travel safely.
How has the situation in Egypt changed since the Arab Spring according to the speaker?
-The situation in Egypt has changed for the worse, with the speaker highlighting that ordinary Egyptians are now denied the opportunity to earn a decent living.
What freedoms were expressed during the peaceful demonstrations in Tahrir Square?
-The freedoms expressed during the peaceful demonstrations in Tahrir Square were democracy and freedom.
How did the military dictatorship respond to the peaceful demonstrations for democracy and freedom?
-The military dictatorship crushed the hopes of the demonstrators, killing almost 72 people in a single day and leading to thousands of detentions.
What is the speaker's view on the role of the army in relation to its citizens?
-The speaker believes that the role of the army is to defend the nation, not to kill its own citizens.
What recent legal actions were mentioned in the script regarding the treatment of protesters?
-The script mentions that 46 life sentences and 10 death sentences were handed down, with several more court cases pending.
What was the outcome for the supporters of the previously democratically elected government?
-Supporters of the previously democratically elected government were sentenced to three years each of imprisonment.
What is the speaker's stance on respecting the will of the people?
-The speaker emphasizes the importance of respecting the will of the people, knowing that Parliament does not always support democracy.
Can you provide an example of when the Parliament did not support democracy as mentioned by the speaker?
-The speaker cites the Danish referendum on the Maastricht Treaty being ignored and the French and Dutch rejections of the EU constitution being swept aside as examples of Parliament not supporting democracy.
What action does the speaker intend to take regarding the treatment of Egyptians engaged in peaceful demonstrations?
-The speaker intends to write to the British Foreign Minister to urge him to express the strongest terms of disgust at the treatment of innocent Egyptians engaged in peaceful demonstrations.
What democratic principles does the speaker hope will be respected in the treatment of protesters?
-The speaker hopes that democratic principles, especially freedom of expression and the right to assemble peacefully, will be respected.

Outlines

00:00

😔 The Impact of the Arab Spring on Egypt

The speaker reflects on a personal experience of visiting Egypt before the Arab Spring, noting the stark contrast to the current situation. The Arab Spring brought hope for democracy and freedom, as demonstrated by the peaceful protests in Tahrir Square. However, these aspirations were crushed by a military dictatorship, resulting in the tragic loss of life and mass detentions. The speaker emphasizes the importance of respecting the will of the people and criticizes the role of the army in suppressing its own citizens.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Arab Spring

The Arab Spring refers to a series of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It is a critical term in the video as it sets the historical context for the changes in Egypt, leading to the current situation described by the speaker.

💡Egypt

Egypt is a country in the northeastern corner of Africa, and it is central to the video's narrative as the place where the speaker and his wife once visited and experienced happiness, but which has since undergone significant political turmoil due to the Arab Spring.

💡Tahrir Square

Tahrir Square is a public town square in Cairo, Egypt, and became the focal point of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. In the video, it symbolizes the peaceful demonstrations for democracy and freedom that were later met with violence.

💡Military dictatorship

A military dictatorship is a form of government where the military wields ultimate authority over the state. In the context of the video, it represents the oppressive regime that the speaker claims has suppressed the aspirations of the Egyptian people post-Arab Spring.

💡Democracy

Democracy is a system of government where the citizens exercise power by voting. The video discusses the aspirations of the Egyptian people for democracy, which were expressed during the Arab Spring and subsequently crushed by the military dictatorship.

💡Freedom of expression

Freedom of expression is the political right to hold opinions and to express them freely without fear of retaliation. The video emphasizes the importance of this right, which the speaker believes has been violated in Egypt.

💡Peaceful demonstrations

Peaceful demonstrations refer to protests or gatherings where participants advocate for change without resorting to violence. The script mentions such demonstrations in Tahrir Square and the subsequent violent response from the authorities.

💡Detentions

Detentions in the context of the video refer to the arrests made by the Egyptian authorities following the demonstrations. The speaker mentions thousands of detentions, indicating a widespread crackdown on protesters.

💡Death sentences

Death sentences are legal penalties of death imposed as punishment upon a person convicted of a serious crime. The video discusses the handing down of 46 life sentences and 10 death sentences, highlighting the severity of the government's response to the protests.

💡Parliament

A parliament is a legislative body of government. The speaker mentions the European Parliament's disregard for democratic principles, such as the Danish referendum on the Maastricht Treaty, to emphasize the broader theme of democratic institutions not always supporting democracy.

💡British Foreign Minister

The British Foreign Minister is a key political figure responsible for the United Kingdom's foreign relations. The speaker intends to address this individual to express the UK's stance against the treatment of Egyptians involved in peaceful demonstrations.

Highlights

Visit to Egypt before the Arab Spring, describing it as a cradle of civilization and a safe travel experience.

Change in the situation in Egypt post-Arab Spring, with a decline in the quality of life for ordinary Egyptians.

Expression of the Arab Spring's impact on Egypt, the heart of the Arab world, and the peaceful demonstrations in Tahrir Square.

Militaristic response to the democratic aspirations of the Egyptian people, leading to the crushing of hopes and loss of life.

The tragic event where 72 people were killed in a single day and the subsequent mass detentions.

The inappropriate role of the army in killing its own citizens, rather than defending the nation.

Recent harsh sentences including life imprisonment and death sentences, with more cases pending.

Supporters of the democratically elected government receiving lengthy prison sentences.

The importance of respecting the will of the people and the challenges faced by Parliament in supporting democracy.

Examples of democratic decisions being ignored, such as the Danish referendum on the Maastricht Treaty.

The disregard for the rejections of the EU constitution by France and the Netherlands in the pursuit of the EU project.

The intention to address the British Foreign Minister regarding the treatment of Egyptians in peaceful demonstrations.

Hope for the new minister to uphold democratic principles, especially freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.

The mention of 'salmon rice respectin temple de Barbier, atif adore me not' which seems to be a misheard or misspoken phrase.