Egypt’s “Cold War” With the U.S.

Ashraf Ramelah’s latest essay concerns the brewing cold war between the United States and Egypt. In one of those strange world-turned-upside-down moments, the president of Egypt opposes the Muslim Brotherhood, while the president of the United States supports it.

Dr. Ramelah’s essay was written before Mr. Kerry’s most recent ceasefire proposal was rejected by Israel.

Egypt’s “cold war” with the U.S.
by Ashraf Ramelah

An unusual security search at the entrance of the Egyptian presidential palace in Cairo took place two days ago as reported by Egyptian newspapers and the Italian RAI 24 news. John Kerry and his staff were asked to go through a metal detector, and one staff member was asked to show the contents of his pockets before visiting President Al-Sisi. This humiliating reversal of protocol was a sign of mistrust towards the U.S. by an Egypt never shy about expressing hostility for America’s support of the Morsi regime. Kerry’s visit to Egypt was for the purpose of brokering peace between Israel and Gaza (the Hamas terrorist organization).

However, was President Al-Sisi merely reflecting the animosity of the Egyptian people towards the Obama administration and posturing to score points with Egyptians? Or was Al-Sisi’s motive to emphasize Egypt’s sovereignty to an Obama administration for America’s egregious error in backing the former terrorist-backed president, Morsi — not standing for and with the Egyptian pro-democracy majority? Al-Sisi’s coldness counters a U.S. State Department unwilling to let go of America’s glaringly wrong position. Western media’s “military-coup general” is turning out to be Egypt’s best prospect for human rights and democratic ideals up to this point.

Egyptian pro-democracy freedom fighters who backed Al-Sisi for president, have been icy and caustic towards the U.S. since lobbing tomatoes at Hilary back when she visited Egypt in support of the Muslim Brotherhood “freedom-fighters.” That was the moment the Western media reversed the facts in Egypt’s revolution saga. Referring to the MB as freedom-seekers, this “fact” became the premise underlying all reports to date.

After three and a half years (with two interim governments and two elected presidents) and the brutality of the Morsi MB-backed regime gone, the U.S. and the Western media stick to their narrative that characterizes the current popular president, Al-Sisi, as undesirable. But according to ordinary Egyptians yearning for a better economy and the freedoms and rights of Western democracy, President Al-Sisi is their only option. So far, only the Muslim Brotherhood and its sympathizers are afraid of Al-Sisi. Looking back to day one of Morsi’s presidency, Egyptians had only suspicion at first followed by contempt then dread. The populace was cowed; whereas today’s Egyptians have relevance and strength.

While Kerry and his staff came under scrutiny during security measures at the presidential palace, the Arabic Al Hayat news was reporting that President Al-Sisi declined President Obama’s invitation to participate in the African summit next week in the U.S. Egypt had not been invited to the earlier African summit held on its own continent this year at a time when Egypt’s interim government held power upon the fall of the Morsi regime. The U.S. sponsors overlooked Egypt for this important summit held in Egypt’s backyard when the ignoring of anti-Morsi, anti-Brotherhood leaders was of key importance to the U.S. administration on behalf of the corrupted Morsi regime.

Dr. Ashraf Ramelah is founder and president of Voice of the Copts, a human rights organization, and a board member of Stop Islamization of Nations (SION). For his previous articles, see the Ashraf Ramelah Archives.

9 thoughts on “Egypt’s “Cold War” With the U.S.

  1. If even the Egyptians can see the moral and political decay that is now representative of the current American administration, what then must the Israeli’s really think?

    Here now is a golden opportunity for Egypt and Israel to become firm allies in fighting against fundamentalist Islamic expansionism through political intrigue and militant aggression.

    Will the opportunity be taken up?

  2. The US support for President Morsi still leaves me confused. I understand that the MSM got carried away with its own rhetoric about the Facebook Revolution and the Arab Spring, but there must be serious, sober, informed analysts in the State Dept, NSA, etc who could have sounded cautionary warnings that, based on his history and associations, the US should be very wary about supporting Morsi. I can’t recall the exact sum but within days of Morsi supporters attacking the US embassy in Cairo, the US gave Egypt a top-up of annual aid of something like $500 or 600 million!

    Far more people voted for Al-Sisi than ever did for Morsi, ie his mandate was much more durable, but did the Al-Sisi government receive a similar aid top-up? One would have thought an avowedly anti-Muslim Brotherhood government would be warmly and firmly supported. Who then can blame Al-Sisi for treating Obama’s government with chilly reserve.

    • It seems like everyone in our administration who might know or suspect the truth is hunkering down so his career will survive until the next administration.

      It would be hell to have to actually go out and get one of those private sector jobs that pays peanuts compared to government work, with no job security, and have to sign up the family for Obamacare and all.

      Soebarkah, Valerie Jarrett, and crew are currently staffing up the security services, the Pentagon, the FBI, etc. with their loyalists, including MB members.

      Truthspeakers aren’t going to last anywhere around there for very long.

    • “One would have thought an avowedly anti-Muslim Brotherhood government would be warmly and firmly supported.”

      It is fairly obvious that Obama is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

  3. Next time Egypt should do a 24 hour thorough body cavity search on all Obama administration people. They are traitors anyway.

    • I hope they checked Kerry’s [nether orifice] (wreckedum; if you insist Baron!) at least, the place from which emanates the majority of his wisdom.

  4. “Egyptian pro-democracy freedom fighters who backed Al-Sisi for president”

    I doubt there are any of those, other than a certain number of non-Muslim Egyptians.

    • The meaning of democracy in Islam is that the Muslim majority imposes Sharia Law on everyone….

      “Like many Muslim publics surveyed around the world, a majority of Egyptian Muslims (74%) want sharia, or Islamic law, enshrined as the official law of the land. However, Egypt is one of the few countries where a clear majority (74%) of sharia supporters say both Muslims and non-Muslims in their country should be subject to Islamic law. Worldwide, a median of 39% of Muslims who favor enshrining Islamic law say sharia should apply to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

      “Egyptian Muslims also back criminalizing apostasy, or leaving Islam for another religion. An overwhelming majority of Egyptian Muslims (88%), say converting away from Islam should be punishable by death. Among the 37 countries where the question was asked, a median of 28% of Muslims say apostates should be subject to the death penalty.”

      Here’s the real kicker: Egyptian Muslims are MORE strict than most Muslims in the world – and even Egyptian Muslims kicked out the Muslim Brotherhood….

Comments are closed.