By Sherif Abdel Ghaffar
I read an article for an expat who used to live in Egypt from 2002 till 2014, this writer apparently also started an English-speaking magazine in Egypt when she lived there. The article in so many words was bashing up the new capital city project in Egypt. I was filled with mixed emotions and probably outrage when I read the following: “For the eighteen days of the occupation (Referring to our 18 day-sit in in Tahrir square in the 25th of Jan revolution) I could lean out my balcony and see the crowds marching down Kasr El Aini Street to Midan Tahrir. I went there many times, making my way through the strangely quiet streets”. This woman obviously was a spectator in an event not only I took part in, but I was also exposed to a life-threatening situation in when I was shot by police shot gun being lucky enough to get hit in the leg rather the face like some of my peers in the midst of the chaos to enable our brothers and sisters enter Tahrir square to do this sit in she was spectating joyfully! Her being a spectator writing about her experience was not what really outraged me but it was more what she said when she wrote: “Sisi has ruled the country since 2014, when he led a coup that deposed President Mohamed Morsi, a leader in the Muslim Brotherhood who was narrowly elected after the spectacular uprising that ended the 30-year reign of Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak.” So, this spectator has the audacity to call the president that I proudly elected among millions of other Egyptians who were dancing by the polls as they were voting him after risking my life for the second time in in the grandeur revolution of 30th of June “a coup leader”!!
I don’t know if “audacity” is even an accurate description of what this spectator said. I don’t think I am going too far when I say it’s plain rudeness to reward the people who hosted her for 12 years by pissing on their dreams in the 30th of June Revolution which rose against the theocratic state of the Brotherhood, a revolution that by far had greater numbers than the Jan revolution she has proudly witnessed and calls spectacular uprising! Maybe she needed to take her eyeshades off to see how more spectacular the crowds were in 30th of Jun 2013. For an expat who lived in Egypt I am sure she doesn’t lack the resources to get the viewpoint of those who she was spectating as they were risking their lives for their country instead of forcing her ill-educated opinion to dilute English readers taking advantage of the majority of the Egyptians who do not speak English. At least this is what I think the foundation of professional journalism is. As for the rest of her article here are some facts about the new capital city of Egypt she might be interested to educate herself with.
Yes, we are building our new capital and we will populate it with more than 5 million people. It is true that the city is in the desert but so was 6th of October city and New Cairo city and we populated them. It is true that the city lacks local water sources except for wells that you failed to mention in your article but it is also true that the main water supply will be from the red see pipe line (Seawater desalination) in addition to two fresh water pipelines from the 10th of Ramadan and new Cairo city. It is true that the project will require more than 45 Billion dollars and our economy is troubled but we are doing it on three phases not one, first phase is 40 thousand feddans, second 47 thousand feddans and third 97 thousand feddan. Of the first phase the priority is for 12 thousand feddans with a high priority of 3000 feddans which already started (30% of services finished). We are aiming to raise about 50 billion pounds by selling priority land plots after servicing them. One thing the writer didn’t culturally grasp in the 12 years she has lived in Egypt , or she probably overlooked motivated by her political un recognition of the 30th of June revolution is that when lands are serviced by roads and utilities they appreciate in value, especially when you create anchors like an airport, government buildings, hospitals, universities, hotels and markets to (which is currently in the process). So this so called desert land is targeted to be auctioned after service for 3500 L.E to 5000 L.E per meter. Finally regarding your claims that the government is fixated on a fantasy of building deserts instead of developing preexisting poor areas in old cities (ashwaiyat) maybe you need to understand that Egyptians are currently living on less than 7% of their country and we need to spread our congestion, maybe you should also google Al Asmarat project that was built by Tahia Masr fund as a substitution for ashwaiyat donated by the same people who you think will not endorse their new capital or relocate to it. I have news for you, Egypt is changing, you are just not there anymore to look from your balcony!
