The Good Civilian

Last week the head of Egypt’s Military academy said a very important statement that reveals a lot when it comes to the Egyptian Military Mindset.
In an interview with Daily Al-Masry Al-Youm , Major General Esmat Mourad spoke about the graduation of students from the Military academy answering a question about the students’ qualification to join directly the Egyptian armed forces. Here is what the man said.

Within days the Military academy graduates a student that knows how to differentiate between humanity , compassion , work and commitment “!!” , that student like other 100,000 fighters graduated from the Military academy in the past 40 years. Everybody works and follow the orders. The students of Military academy know very well that they will be the leaders of the future from ministers, governors , ambassadors , Presidents and managers thanks to their sacrifices and their serious work. 

The Major General forgot the most important job for those graduates that they have to know  , their main job to be precise is to protect Egypt as military officers  before becoming ministers, governors, ambassadors, presidents and managers. He forgot to say they would be Egypt’s professional fighters and defenders in the first place before they would presidents, ministers, governors.
Realistically speaking the Egyptian Military academy did graduate most of Egypt’s presidents, governors, Public sector companies managers, ambassadors and ministers in the past 60 years. We had three civilian presidents in those 60 and something years, two of them were interim and the third was ousted by the army.
Of course, the graduates are appointed in those positions for security reasons as we all know and because Egypt’s rulers prefer trustworthy over experience.
That quote of Major General Mourad reveals a lot.


At the same time we find PM Ibrahim Mahlab saying in a TV interview that University graduates should not seek jobs in the government or the public sector and they should work any job even as Toktok drivers or carpenters.   You can imagine how the two statements made many people angry.  The cabinet Spokesperson later said that the PM did not mean any disrespect to the University graduates and that he only meant that they should start work anything and not to wait for the government to find them jobs.
Unfortunately both the PM and his Spox ignore the fact that the University graduates do work as toktok drivers , carpenters and plumbers due to poverty and unemployment.
Amazingly I do not recall reading any statements for Egyptian officials predicting or speaking about how the future political leaders of this country will be from university graduates !!
Anyhow, if you think that quote was controversial then you have to read what the head of Suez Canal Authority and former Egyptian Navy forces Commander Mohab Mamish said in media statements on Sunday.

Mamish added in his statements on Sunday that it was the

first time for him to deal and work  with Civilian Youth at the New Suez canal project and he found them extremely brave and disciplined in field !!

Wow , after all that time he suddenly realized that the civilian youth were brave and can be relied on !! Not to mention that he is speaking about civilians as if they were alien race or as if they come from another country, not his fellow Egyptians whom he actually serves and used to get paid for most of his life from their taxes !!!!

Former Vice Admiral Mamish with all boys and civilian band
Wama today

The most dangerous part in that quote is that Vice Admiral Mamish discovered for the first time that there are courageous civilian youth as if this is something strange or unexpected !!
I do not know what to say for real !!!  The army and military live in the same country, in the same society  and they do not live in a Ghetto.
Mamish is a star now in the media frenzy about the inauguration of the new Suez Canal .
Indeed, it is a civilian state.