Fairuz is giving a concert in Montréal in a couple of weeks. Attending the concert is like one of my life time dreams coming true. I do not know what I will do in the concert if she sings “Aho dah elli sar” (This is what happened!) by the legendary Said Darwish, words by Badie Kheiri. My favorite lines are:
تلوم عليّ إزاي يا سيدنا
و خير بلادنا مش في ايدنا
“Sir, how can you blame me if all the goods of our country are not in our hands?”
When I was in Cairo, I used to have tedious discussions with one of my co-workers about whether the problem lies in the Egyptian element or in the conditions surrounding the Egyptian element. She debated that the problem lies in us, Egyptians. I furiously debated that the problem lies in the conditions not in the element. I believe and will always believe that we are lacking two things: ownership and the role model.
We need to know that this is our country not the country of the people in power. This is our work not the guy sitting in a comfy chair in the end of the hallway. This is our money not the money of people taking bank loans and not repaying them. This is our bus not the government bus. This is our street not the street of the ministers. Unfortunately, we are now lacking this sense of ownership because the whole country is being ripped off by a small portion of opportunists who are being protected by the government.
Corruption has unfortunately become a common trait in all government levels. Who will care about doing his or her job if he or she knows that the boss is stealing and the boss’s boss is covering up and taking a commission? And who will correct this if the whole system is affected by the fatal virus. The pure hard working element is disappearing because he or she feels as a stranger in this new world created by corruption and cover up.
Nothing will correct this sad situation except a freely elected government that works for the benefit of the country and its citizens; a government that is keen to earn their trust and vote.
If only we regained our trust that this is our country and if only we had someone who would lead us, the Egyptian element will deliver.
And please do not blame me!
تلوم عليّ إزاي يا سيدنا
و خير بلادنا مش في ايدنا
“Sir, how can you blame me if all the goods of our country are not in our hands?”
When I was in Cairo, I used to have tedious discussions with one of my co-workers about whether the problem lies in the Egyptian element or in the conditions surrounding the Egyptian element. She debated that the problem lies in us, Egyptians. I furiously debated that the problem lies in the conditions not in the element. I believe and will always believe that we are lacking two things: ownership and the role model.
We need to know that this is our country not the country of the people in power. This is our work not the guy sitting in a comfy chair in the end of the hallway. This is our money not the money of people taking bank loans and not repaying them. This is our bus not the government bus. This is our street not the street of the ministers. Unfortunately, we are now lacking this sense of ownership because the whole country is being ripped off by a small portion of opportunists who are being protected by the government.
Corruption has unfortunately become a common trait in all government levels. Who will care about doing his or her job if he or she knows that the boss is stealing and the boss’s boss is covering up and taking a commission? And who will correct this if the whole system is affected by the fatal virus. The pure hard working element is disappearing because he or she feels as a stranger in this new world created by corruption and cover up.
Nothing will correct this sad situation except a freely elected government that works for the benefit of the country and its citizens; a government that is keen to earn their trust and vote.
If only we regained our trust that this is our country and if only we had someone who would lead us, the Egyptian element will deliver.
And please do not blame me!
