My dear FRIEND General Omar Soleiman,
I allow myself to address you as my friend today, neither out of disrespect, nor because I want to give the impression that we actually know each other. Make no mistake, I really mean no disrespect (I'm not THAT stupid) and I have never actually had the pleasure. I choose to address you as such today, because I have the very strong feeling that you want to convince me that you are MY FRIEND. So, as friends do, I will spill my guts out to you, and like I have been forced to listen to you those last 10 days, I hope you will find it in you to listen to me for a change for the next 15 minutes.
I will not make any assumptions based on what I heard about you, nor will I label you according to what I read are your past accomplishments. This might be to your disadvantage, as you seem to have convinced many people through your record of achievements that you are a decent human being, or to your advantage, as many people see you as the mastermind of Egypt's security over the last decade(s), and therefore see in you a bigger threat than our present dictator. So, as friends do, I will judge you ONLY based on your behaviour since we "became" friends. Fair enough?
Our friendship started with the picture of you making an oath and swearing loyalty to a man who has been my ennemy for 30 years. I saw you reading out of a folded piece of paper, then stepping forward, head lowered in awe, humbly shaking the hand of what looked to me like your boss. So let's agree that it is safe to assume that you work for my ennemy.
Our friendship continued with your first speech to me personally, where you promised to take care of me. You looked me straight in the eyes and said that you will protect me. You had such a sincere calm tone that I was hypnotized into belief. The next day I died in front of your very eyes, and you were nowhere around to even try to catch me as I was falling. This can only mean that either you can't or do not want to protect me. As I cannot imagine a friend lying to me, let us agree that it is safe to assume that you cannot protect me.
After that, dear friend, you spoke to me again and assured me that you had listened to my demands and that you are already working on making sure they are fulfilled. Again your deep reassuring firm tone convinced me that you would deliver beyond the shadow of a doubt. Ten days later I am reviewing my list of demands, and out of 7 demands you have actually delivered ZERO. Wait let me rub my eyes and check again. Yes ZERO. Of course I cannot deny seeing you talking to important people and giving important interviews nor can I lie and pretend like you didn't do anything. So you are doing "stuff" and issuing orders and forming committees and talking to people, BUT you are not doing any of the things I demanded. Since I do not dare be as disrespectful as to imagine that you didn't understand what I demanded, I must conclude that I didn't express myself properly. In both cases let's agree that is safe to assume we (YOU and me) have a serious communication problem.
The last couple of days, dear Friend, I see you talking to people day in day out, who claim they are negotiating on my behalf. You sit at a nice big round table and look like you're discussing something important. Then, you and them come out and make statements about results, which seem to make you all happy and hopeful that we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I listen in complete disbelief, as you claim you have reached an agreement with your friends about my future. Funny, but what you say afterwards has nothing to do with my future, because friends do not impose anything on each other. And although some keep saying I do not know what I want, I can swear to you that I have no uncertainty about what I DON'T WANT. So let's agree that it is safe to assume that we both do not want the same thing.
Finally i hear you making plans about our friendship which you seem to think will last forever, although i insist on not making vows I cannot keep. Loyalty is a two way street and although you may feel that I must sign in with my blood, all I'm asking is to show me some trust. Yet I watch your TV and read your newspapers and I cannot find in any of them any bridges to build that trust. Like lovers or friends do, I think "we need to talk" my friend. You see, I am not like you. I am frail and I am sensitive. I get hurt when someone accuses me of being a traitor. I get hurt when someone calls me a fool. I get hurt when someone claims I am lost and can be driven by anybody. I get hurt when someone looks down on me. And I also get hurt when that same someone tries to insult my intelligence by suddenly calling me a hero. I am none of these things and I demand that you call me by my name. My name is on the cover of my passport. My name is EGYPTIAN and I'm beginning to realize that it is safe to assume you do not really know me.
Because of all the above Mr General, I am hereby asking you to review our friendship and tell me what YOU think I should do. I do not resign my friendships easily nor do I give up on friends when we disagree. BUT if all the above doesn't clearly show me that something is wrong between the both of us, then maybe I do DESERVE to be your friend.
With all due respect
Egyptian
I allow myself to address you as my friend today, neither out of disrespect, nor because I want to give the impression that we actually know each other. Make no mistake, I really mean no disrespect (I'm not THAT stupid) and I have never actually had the pleasure. I choose to address you as such today, because I have the very strong feeling that you want to convince me that you are MY FRIEND. So, as friends do, I will spill my guts out to you, and like I have been forced to listen to you those last 10 days, I hope you will find it in you to listen to me for a change for the next 15 minutes.
I will not make any assumptions based on what I heard about you, nor will I label you according to what I read are your past accomplishments. This might be to your disadvantage, as you seem to have convinced many people through your record of achievements that you are a decent human being, or to your advantage, as many people see you as the mastermind of Egypt's security over the last decade(s), and therefore see in you a bigger threat than our present dictator. So, as friends do, I will judge you ONLY based on your behaviour since we "became" friends. Fair enough?
Our friendship started with the picture of you making an oath and swearing loyalty to a man who has been my ennemy for 30 years. I saw you reading out of a folded piece of paper, then stepping forward, head lowered in awe, humbly shaking the hand of what looked to me like your boss. So let's agree that it is safe to assume that you work for my ennemy.
Our friendship continued with your first speech to me personally, where you promised to take care of me. You looked me straight in the eyes and said that you will protect me. You had such a sincere calm tone that I was hypnotized into belief. The next day I died in front of your very eyes, and you were nowhere around to even try to catch me as I was falling. This can only mean that either you can't or do not want to protect me. As I cannot imagine a friend lying to me, let us agree that it is safe to assume that you cannot protect me.
After that, dear friend, you spoke to me again and assured me that you had listened to my demands and that you are already working on making sure they are fulfilled. Again your deep reassuring firm tone convinced me that you would deliver beyond the shadow of a doubt. Ten days later I am reviewing my list of demands, and out of 7 demands you have actually delivered ZERO. Wait let me rub my eyes and check again. Yes ZERO. Of course I cannot deny seeing you talking to important people and giving important interviews nor can I lie and pretend like you didn't do anything. So you are doing "stuff" and issuing orders and forming committees and talking to people, BUT you are not doing any of the things I demanded. Since I do not dare be as disrespectful as to imagine that you didn't understand what I demanded, I must conclude that I didn't express myself properly. In both cases let's agree that is safe to assume we (YOU and me) have a serious communication problem.
The last couple of days, dear Friend, I see you talking to people day in day out, who claim they are negotiating on my behalf. You sit at a nice big round table and look like you're discussing something important. Then, you and them come out and make statements about results, which seem to make you all happy and hopeful that we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I listen in complete disbelief, as you claim you have reached an agreement with your friends about my future. Funny, but what you say afterwards has nothing to do with my future, because friends do not impose anything on each other. And although some keep saying I do not know what I want, I can swear to you that I have no uncertainty about what I DON'T WANT. So let's agree that it is safe to assume that we both do not want the same thing.
Finally i hear you making plans about our friendship which you seem to think will last forever, although i insist on not making vows I cannot keep. Loyalty is a two way street and although you may feel that I must sign in with my blood, all I'm asking is to show me some trust. Yet I watch your TV and read your newspapers and I cannot find in any of them any bridges to build that trust. Like lovers or friends do, I think "we need to talk" my friend. You see, I am not like you. I am frail and I am sensitive. I get hurt when someone accuses me of being a traitor. I get hurt when someone calls me a fool. I get hurt when someone claims I am lost and can be driven by anybody. I get hurt when someone looks down on me. And I also get hurt when that same someone tries to insult my intelligence by suddenly calling me a hero. I am none of these things and I demand that you call me by my name. My name is on the cover of my passport. My name is EGYPTIAN and I'm beginning to realize that it is safe to assume you do not really know me.
Because of all the above Mr General, I am hereby asking you to review our friendship and tell me what YOU think I should do. I do not resign my friendships easily nor do I give up on friends when we disagree. BUT if all the above doesn't clearly show me that something is wrong between the both of us, then maybe I do DESERVE to be your friend.
With all due respect
Egyptian
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