Don't Accept Farouq's Resignation
I used the words 'fired' and 'sacked' in the headlines when I blogged Minister of Culture Hosni Farouq's departure yesterday evening because I presume he has been asked to hand in his resignation. I don't know if his resignation has been accepted, last evening it was not. Listen to what Farouq is saying:
- I take the political responsibility but I am certainly not the only one to blame. That is a modest bow to the people who have criticized him and to the president. A grand move.
- I have caused embarrassment to the regime. That is again bowing to the people and to the president. Grand - we should have more people in the government like that, not less.
- He complains about 'hateful exaggerations' and he is right to do so. Inflamed speeches that only serve to shot at a regime you hate don’t take us anywhere; it is the kind of rhetoric we are asking others to refrain from. People are dead and in times of grieving our feelings run high. It is ok, but it is not ok to turn our grief into public hate.
“He should have shot himself,” “you are a killer,” is that kind of cheap-shot inflammatory hate rallying I didn’t expect from otherwise sensible commentators.
Paper décor around the walls took fire and blocked the exits. The fire was started by a candle light. The building was not supposed to be a theatre. Whoever decided to make that building into a makeshift theatre and ask for public grants is responsible too. Whoever allowed candle lights on the stage is also responsible. Whoever thought it was safe to surround the walls with paper décor is responsible. Whoever staged the show, admitting the public in, knowing the building was not suitable, is responsible. Whoever managed the doors, whoever managed the non-existent or insufficient water buckets and fire extinguishers is responsible. All those who thought this is what we have, we make the best of the situation, are ultimately responsible.
The correct action would have been to say ‘for security reasons we cannot stage the show, this is due to under funding, our government should resign.’ They did not. As always in Egypt, they choose to participate in the system. They played along. They lit a candle.
- I take the political responsibility but I am certainly not the only one to blame. That is a modest bow to the people who have criticized him and to the president. A grand move.
- I have caused embarrassment to the regime. That is again bowing to the people and to the president. Grand - we should have more people in the government like that, not less.
- He complains about 'hateful exaggerations' and he is right to do so. Inflamed speeches that only serve to shot at a regime you hate don’t take us anywhere; it is the kind of rhetoric we are asking others to refrain from. People are dead and in times of grieving our feelings run high. It is ok, but it is not ok to turn our grief into public hate.
“He should have shot himself,” “you are a killer,” is that kind of cheap-shot inflammatory hate rallying I didn’t expect from otherwise sensible commentators.
Paper décor around the walls took fire and blocked the exits. The fire was started by a candle light. The building was not supposed to be a theatre. Whoever decided to make that building into a makeshift theatre and ask for public grants is responsible too. Whoever allowed candle lights on the stage is also responsible. Whoever thought it was safe to surround the walls with paper décor is responsible. Whoever staged the show, admitting the public in, knowing the building was not suitable, is responsible. Whoever managed the doors, whoever managed the non-existent or insufficient water buckets and fire extinguishers is responsible. All those who thought this is what we have, we make the best of the situation, are ultimately responsible.
The correct action would have been to say ‘for security reasons we cannot stage the show, this is due to under funding, our government should resign.’ They did not. As always in Egypt, they choose to participate in the system. They played along. They lit a candle.
posted by ritzy @ 11:41 am
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