Reuters photo
By
Ahmed Tharwat
Bob Woodward’s new book, Fear, doesn’t really throw any new punches. The Mullah of American investigative reporting, his book, wasn’t earth shuttering or breaking news; Trump is an idiot, but most people know that, even his supporters and his staff in the White House. The clown is running the political circus, along with the media, politicians and even Mr. Woodward himself on the book tour circuit; almost a 1 million copies of the book sold before it hits the stores or Amazon.
Bob Woodward’s reporting is like Thomas Friedman on steroids. If Mr. Friedman is the man of big ideas with little investigations, Woodward is the man of small ideas with lots of investigations. As someone once said, “Bob Woodward brings the truth out of boredom.” The most telling in Woodward’s new book, that didn’t get enough coverage here nor did it raise any debate in this town was when Trump reported branded Egyptian president, el-Sisi “a fucking killer.” Mr. Woodward wrote that while Trump was talking to the Egyptian dictator on the release of Aya Hijazi, an American Egyptian who was detained in Egypt for years, “…remember who I’m talking to. The guy (el-Sisi) is a fucking killer. This guy’s (a) fucking killer… I’m getting it done. He’ll make you sweat on the phone,” Trump added.
Trump as usual took credit for everything and anything. He released the American victim from the mouth of a “fucking killer.” Trump insults everyone, women, gay, Mexicans, immigrants, Muslims, and calls people derogatory names, the president of North Korea the little Rocket Man, Animal Assad, Elizabeth Warren Pocahontas and of course Al Franken was Al Frankenstien. However, calling el-Sisi a fucking killer, which didn’t get enough attention here, sparked a huge debate in Egypt, social media, talk shows, TV pundits, and officials.
It all mounted to two camps. First, the anti el Sisi camp looked at it as a huge insult, though the second, the pro el-Sisi camp looked at it as a complement to el-Sisi, “fucking killer“ becoming a strong fighter. On social media the #sisi-fucking-killer got the highest trend, people in both camps starting the #fucking fight. “Obama called Mubarak “Son of a bitch”- now Trump calls the pimp (el-Sisi) a “fucking killer”. What upsets me is how America knows these things before us” it was sarcastically tweeted. Another tweet “Oh, Balahah – al Sisi derogatory given name, now you are thrilled your name is mentioned in English #Sisi-fucking-killer.”
The debate whether or not Trump branding el-Sisi a fucking killer is an insult or a complement we will never know, however, knowing the history of Trump and how he was raised, following his father’s advice, “be a killer or a king.” What is missing to most Egyptians is the fact that Trump, in his mobster language, being a killer is a good thing. The debate in Egypt was really about the “fucking” part, which in our vernacular is casually used for emphasis, “fucking smart”, “fucking good lawyer”, “you fucked up”, … so calling el-Sisi a fucking killer, means that el-Sisi is monster killer. El-Sisi committed the biggest massacre in modern Egyptian history. Historically American presidents always supported Arab killers and Arab dictators as long as they provided stability in the region. Trump himself referred to el-Sisi during his visit to Washington, “he is a fantastic guy.”
Trump seems to be fascinated with strong leaders like Putin and other dictators in the Middle East. To understand General el-Sisi, Mr. Trump knows the importance of names, the man puts his name on anything and anywhere. The fucking killer name given by Trump wasn’t the only name that el-Sisi has earned during his first term in office. Egyptians put many names on their dictator. Egyptians, if they can’t change their dictators, the least they can do is change the dictators’ names.
Nasser was just called the “Leader” on a good day and the “Catastrophe” on a bad day, Sadat went from Mr. “Yes” to the “faithful leader”, then became the “Traitor”. Mubarak was called “La vache qui rit,” the “laughing cow”, a famous brand of French cheese in Egypt. However, no Egyptian leader has triggered so many names in such a short period of time like General el-Sisi.
El-Sisi’s tenure started very well and promising, so the names that were given to him at first were positive and hyper-nationalistic, but then it went downhill from there, and all hell broke loose. Right after the military coup and crackdown on the Muslim brotherhood in the Rabaa massacre. First el-Sisi was a hero for many Egyptians, they banked on him and decorated him with all sort of names, like, “Lion” projecting power and vitality; “our father”, “the Prophet” a god sent to save Egypt from the evil doers (brotherhood). Then el-Sisi got cocky, consolidated his power, and demanded people only listen to him, calling himself the “Philosophe”, “Savior”. El-Sisi started acting irrationally and trusted no one other than the military. So he was given the names he deserves, names that are degrading and culturally inferior. A name like “Candy”, a name that is reserved for an uncouth woman, “Date”, a name usually given to insult and belittle people, then the most culturally degrading name, “the Pimp”.
Egyptians started to disown him, calling him “Son of a Jew”, for his blatant support of the Israelis against Palestine, in particular, taking part in the suffocation of the people of Gaza. El-Sisi, like Mubarak and Sadat before him, earned the name “Traitor”. Then came the name that hits him in the heart of his religious pretence, “the Infidel”, “Thief” for his Ponzi schemes to collect money for fake projects, under the banner “Long Live Egypt”, which also earned him the names “Beggar” and “Con artist”. “SOB” is a name degrading more to his mother, “Psychopath”, after committing the biggest massacre of Egyptian history at Rabaa and the Nahda sit-in. But finally here is my favorite, “Awaad”, a name of a folkloric figure, of a farmer who sold the family’s land to indulge in his own lifestyle. He earned this name after returning (selling) two Egyptian islands to Saudi Arabia. “My mother taught me to never take what belongs to others,” he pathetically explained.
So Mr. Trump, when you give a name to el-Sisi, check with the Egyptians first, they are more resourceful and more thoughtful too. This is the fucking end!!
Ahmed Tharwat
Ahmed Tharwat is the Producer and Host of the Arab-American TV show BelAhdan. His articles are published in national and international publications. He blogs at Notes from America, www.ahmediatv.com and his articles appear in national and international publications. Follow him on Twitter @AhmediaTV.