Egypt's former despot Hosni Mubarak passes away : A Day recap

Egypt's former president Mohmed Hosni Mubarak passed away reportedly earlier Tuesday in Cairo according to family and officials.

The day started like another day with a rumor spreading like the fire that Hosni Mubarak passed away and his lawyer Fareed Deeb denying the rumor in Al-Watan yet after one hour it was confirmed that the 92-years old despot passed away.

The long time despot who was ousted on 11 February 2011 died after a struggle with illness. It seems that he suffered from some sort of cancer.
Mubarak underwent two surgeries since late January including one from a couple of days ago.
Yes, the excellent medical care made survive all those years but he was too old to survive two surgeries in a short time

According to sources from here and there, the initial plan was to have a short funeral at New Cairo’s Field Marshal Tantawy’s Mosque complex and to be buried on Tuesday on the same day.

Mubarak in one of the recent photos at trial "Reuters"

It was unclear what kind of funeral the long time president would have because simply he and his sons were convicted of corruption and public funds embezzlement in the trial commonly known by “The presidential Palaces” trial in May 2015. That court ruling was upheld in January 2016 by the court of cassation.

The Mubaraks also requested to reinstate political rights stripped after their conviction in a corruption case in 2015 but Egypt’s court of cassation rejected their plea officially in September 2018.

Officially in September 2018, the 1928-born Mounfia born was Egypt’s first president and ruler to be convicted in the modern history of the country since the 19th century.

According to this court ruling, this conviction deprives him and his sons Gamal and Alaa of their political rights, presidential benefits and military honors because that convection and the crime are related to honor.

This is the Egyptian law. 

This was also the only time Mubarak was convicted for something he and his family done in all those 30 years.

This small piece of fact was erased from Mubarak and his trials’ Wikipedia pages FYI.

It was mentioned once in the Egyptian State TV coverage as well as in Al-Masry Al-Youm’s report on why he may not get a military funeral before it was removed too.

But by mid-day, things began to change especially with the news coming from Gulf capitals declaring the national mourning for the Egyptian president who had long special relations with the Gulf states except for Qatar.

For Kuwaitis for example, Mubarak was the man who sent the Egyptian army to help in liberating their country when it was invaded by Iraq in 1990.

Needless to say and despite many Egyptians including myself look to the decision to liberate Kuwait was the right because this what Egypt should do to help other sister Arab countries, Mubarak did not do it for free or for the sake of Arabhood.

Back to the Egyptian Capital, the tide began to change and Egyptians found themselves in front two statements, one from the Egyptian Presidency and the other from the Egyptian armed forces mourning him with “great sorrow” as a military commander of the Egyptian air forces during the 6 October war aka Yom Kippur war.

Mubarak and his regime used to use his role in the 6 October war to validate his rule in his 30-years of war.
Then sources began to speak that he would be granted a military funeral in New Cairo on Wednesday and I guess not only Sisi will attend but other guests from the Gulf will attend too.

New Cairo exits and entrances highways are going to be blocked because of Mubarak’s funeral on Wednesday.

Ironically Hosni Mubarak’s car parade used to paralyze districts in Cairo, some habits do not die as it seems !!

The mainstream media is torn between praising the former president and highlighting his corruption that the country as a “semi-state with no infrastructure”

It is like what political sarcastic commenter Sameh Samir said on his Facebook page on Tuesday

“The summary of the official position as I have understood it : Mubarak was a great military commander as well as devoted to his country and patriot who corrupted the country and turned it in to a semi-state thus the great mind-absent people revolted against him in a great revolution that could have destroyed the nation.

Yes, he was a despot

Yes, Mohamed Hosni Mubarak was not only a ruler but a despot. Yes, he made some good things and achievements but he also committed sins we are paying its price whether locally or economically or diplomatically or politically.

Mubarak had the opportunity to turn Egypt into a bright example like South Korea in those 30 years with no wars and the resources we had had but we all know how it went.

He had a golden opportunity but he did not waste it only but he made sure of creating a legacy with his semi-statehood and corruption that we are paying its price till now

It is enough that he emptied the Egyptian political life when he had the opportunity to fix it after Nasser and Sadat.

Unfortunately due to the current circumstances, some people believe that his days were better because of that margin of freedom that his regime allowed in the country. I totally understand this but you can’t whitewash what he did.

Hell, he stayed 30 years in rule, what kind of president that would not be corrupted after all those years.

I am from the generation which lived nearly 30 years under his rule and we know how it was.

This is not the end of my talk about Mubarak, more to come inshallah.