The Olympics are over, and while many look back fondly on the accomplishments of their countrymen/women, others aren’t so happy. Perhaps the saltiest of all is the Egyptian head honcho – Hosni Mubarak ordered the formation of a fact-finding committee to investigate why Egypt didn’t do better in Beijing!
Egypt sent 177 athletes to the 2008 Olympics, 26 of them women. The only medalist was Hesham Mesbah who walked away with a bronze for his judo performance. In Athens, 106 Egyptian athletes managed to scoop up 5 medals. Since it began competing back in 1912, the Arab world’s most populous nation has managed to amass a total of 21 Olympic medals (7 gold, 6 silver, and 8 bronze). I’ve done the math and can’t understand why Mubarak’s got his panties in a bunch this time around.
The new (unneeded) investigative committee will be headed by the Minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; he’s already struggling with his portfolio. Its members will be holding their first meeting soon. They are tasked with identifying those responsible for Egypt’s “poor performance” and holding them accountable (obviously, the last word will be with Hosni). I didn’t get a chance to watch as much of the games as I would have liked, but it seems Egypt’s athletes were ultimately responsible for their successes and failures… lets not forget those coaches and trainers.
Call me crazy, but doesn’t Egypt’s government have a lot more to worry about than punishing it’s Olympians (or whoever else they deem worthy)? What about human rights, press and religious freedoms? What about the problems related to sexism and the mistreatment of women? What about record inflation and the rising cost of living? What about corruption and the rampant poverty it causes? (Cairo receives over $2.2 billion in US aid each year, third only to Baghdad and Tel Aviv.) What about water, infrastructure, pollution, and all those other pesky problems governments have to contend with?
Ironically, Mubarak’s stranglehold on the Brotherhood contibutes significantly to their popularity. Like Hamas, they also provide social services to the needy and neglected. I’m not a fan, but it’s no wonder they’re so popular in Egypt. Many can relate to them since they also feel Hosni’s grip. Ask an average Egyptian in a busy Cairo street what he thinks about his president and he’s far more likely to be tacit or shower him with praise than he is to speak the truth. Egypt deserves better (as do all other countries in the Middle-East). Rabbena ysahel. Whether or not he lives another three years, Mubarak’s days are numbered. His son Gamal is likely to succeed him and that would surely result in a significant backlash. In the unlikely event that the state of emergency is lifted between now and then, it would surely be re-introduced. With a rapidly rising population on lock down and the growing gap between the rich and poor, the future doesn’t look good. Instead of whining about Egypt’s Olympic achievements, Mubarak and company would do better by finding some way to avoid the country slipping into chaos… that is if they truly care about their people. Personally, I’m happy for Hesham and all the other Egyptians who competed in Beijing. Sure I would have liked to see them do better… but they didn’t. Life goes on.
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Hi guys long time reader of kabobfest
i am looking for an opportunity to go work for an ngo in palestine or the camps in lebanon, syria, or jordan i have heard that i can get credit for this at my uni, can anyone advise?
Thanks
Posted by Ahmed | August 26, 2008, 2:44 amWell, the dismal performance of Egypts delegation, as well as most other Arab ones, speaks volumes to to the state of general faliuer these nations are living. While Infrastruictures, freedomes, democracy, and well-being are all in dire need of improvement in these contries, it would have been nice to see more better Arab representation at the olympics. The reason our nations’ men and women are upset is because the of the reminder this performance offers in terms of our living standards and of what our governments do for us. And because such representation is good for international image, case in point, China.
Oh, and since Arab regiems, especially Egypt’s, rely on sports as a primary means of distracting the masses, they better pretend they care about the performance. It’s a small gesture to absorb some of the anger in the street, which will go away soon, since the population is too starved, drugged up, destracted with sports, and robbed of any self-esteem to rise up.
Get ready for President Gamal Hosni Mubarak.
Posted by Fayyad | August 26, 2008, 7:14 amSpectacular post! I’m in agreement with everything you wrote, but feel ify when it comes to the Brotherhood.
While I’d like to see democracy reign in Egypt, I’d also like to see the Brotherhood eradicated. They’re a social cancer — and, to me at least, more troubling than Hosni himself.
Though it’s probably true, it’s scary to think that they’d sweep any fair election.
Of all Hosni’s faults, perhaps this is his worst: inadvertently popularizing the Brotherhood — for they’ll be the downfall of Misr.
Posted by Programmer Buydatti | August 26, 2008, 7:58 amAssholishness and corruption are necessarily attributes of the current paradigm.
It’s these systems, these modes of thinking of ours — not the man that needs to change. When we realize this about the U.S. as well, we’ll stop spending all of our energy hating the George Bushes and Bill Clintons we elect to “represent” us.
That’s my only critique of this otherwise great post.
Posted by Bonty | August 26, 2008, 10:02 amAhmed, there’s lots of work to do in the U.S. or wherever it is your uni is. Those places ain’t as perfect as we’d like to think.
I don’t know if you’re American or European, but you’re sounding like one. Like one who seeking a visit to a Disneyland of the oppressed, probably to go “save” them, right?
Doubtful they can use your “help” in any of these places unless you have medical training or something useful that won’t take anyone away from their work in order to be your tour guide.
Posted by Anonymous | August 26, 2008, 10:11 amDo you think i am a war tourist?
i am in Australia but i will be in the mideast soon to visit relations regardless and i am willing to spend time as an unpaid intern
if my name didnt give it away, i have mideast origins, have been before and can easily find my own way around and have family there to help out should i fall short,
rud be ishi mufeed ow tdal sakit law smahat
wa kaman shi wahad badu
yasa3ed wa anta bedoon ta3rif ishi aleeh btebtedi bal manyaka
shija3a mitl tba3tak allah khaleek khabee
Ahmed
Posted by Ahmed | August 26, 2008, 11:54 amNow that’s not nice, Ahmed.
Posted by Anonymous | August 26, 2008, 12:04 pmBonty- you’re right: that mindset does need to change. It’s a vicious cycle where the stagnant political situation feeds complacency and apathy in the streets. Also, the skewed perceptions of loyalty and national pride we suffer from give strength to the despots, leading to rampant corruption. An open political process would be a small but significant start at improving things.
PB- I too am no fan of the MB. While I don’t see them being eradicated anytime soon, the only way to deal with them (minimize their influence) is to ease the choke on them, gradually. Again, the political process needs to be open. Let them and other groups be involved. Sure they may dominate at first, but that would not last. I agree they are probably worse than Mubarak (at least as bad, but in a different way). I’m sure Egyptians would realize that soon enough.
Fayyad- Egyptians are a proud people (with good reason). What’s sad is that their inability to rise up is due in large part to the shortcomings of the ruling party. It’s sad that they have to resort to such patronizing tactics to alleviate anger. People may very well be upset about the Olympics, but I believe any real anger to be a mere reflection of how Egyptians feel about life in general. What other Arab country is there where such a high percentage of adults are college educated and languishing in unemployment? Hopefully there is some way to avoid Gamal (and the Brotherhood). I can’t pretend to be an expert on the situation…
Posted by Kalash | August 26, 2008, 12:04 pmAhmed,
Why don’t you just check with your university? Surely they can tell you what you can and can’t get credit for. Then you can decide how to proceed (and seek advice accordingly if need be).
Posted by Kalash | August 26, 2008, 12:08 pmAnonymous said…
Now that’s not nice, Ahmed.
hey you (or your namesake) started it with those insinuations
Kalash
certainly i will check with them, but i would be interested to know other people’s experience with this also the university credit is really a secondary issue as i will go ahead with it regardless of university views if i find something
Posted by Ahmed | August 26, 2008, 12:17 pmThe only way to deal with them (minimize their influence) is to ease the choke on them, gradually. Let them and other groups be involved. Sure they may dominate at first, but that would not last.
Hahaha! Like that has not been tried with Hizballah and Hamas? Show me ONE case where Islamist extremists have been cajoled into moderating their agenda by way of including them in the political process. Just ONE example, Kalash.
How many Islamic revolutionary groups is it going to take for you people to understand there is only one way to deal with them?! And the funny thing is that, as soon as these Islamists take over, you Commies and your notions of “freedom” will be the first thing they exterminate, as they always have.
On the other hand, we have plenty of examples of extremists being exterminated and never bothering anyone ever again.
Posted by Anonymous | August 26, 2008, 12:22 pmThe odd prodigy aside, success in any sport seems to be proportional to what the state spends on it. If Egypt did not do well the fault is at the top.
Posted by xoggoth | August 26, 2008, 12:48 pmUhm, Hezbollah has moderated itself quite well when it came into the public fold of Lebanon.
I mean aside from removing the clause in their agenda about “creating an Islamic government,” they’ve also gone a long way in trying to appeal to Lebanese people outside of their traditional Shia base.
As for Hamas, I still don’t see them forcing women to wear Burkas even though they have a measure of control over the Gaza strip (Israel, obviously really controls the strip).
You can’t judge all Islamist groups as the same. Each one is radically different from the other. The Taliban and Hezbollah for example, are radically opposite groups with radically different kinds of thinking.
Bombing them will only make the situation worse as we have seen in Afghanistan and now again in Somalia.
Posted by Super Sayyin | December 17, 2008, 7:18 pm