Egyptian politics: immoral bastards play the immorality card against the opposition

Anti-Baradei activists on the Facebook group "Those who have honour are dead: the secrets of the Baradei family" posted this photo of pro-democracy activist, former IAEA director and Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Mohammed El-Baradei's daughter Leila El-Baradei in a swimsuit. The aim: to discredit the Baradei family as "not Muslim enough" and "not in conformity with culture and tradition" to politically-oppose the regime. As if Leila is the first or only lady in Egypt to don a swimsuit.

Different rumours - true or not - accompanied this and other photos. Some photos claimed, rightly or not, that Leila El-Baradei drinks alcohol, socialises in places with wine and spirits, wears bikinis and is married to a British, Christian man. Mohammed El-Baradei accused the regime and its security apparatus of promulgating these rumours, distributing these photos and dishonouring his daughter.

I have never been a supporter of El-Baradei, and I despise him and his reform plans - especially the obscure and pretentious "7-Point Manifesto". But I cannot hide my disgust at the filth and lowness of this new anti-Baradei campaign.

Some of the group's claims against Leila were proven false by witness accounts. One such claim was her marriage to a Christian Briton in contradiction with Muslim law which prohibits a Muslim woman from marrying a non-Muslim man. Photos of Leila's wedding in the Egyptian Embassy in Vienna with its Viennese artwork were used to substantiate this seemingly-false claim. However, an Egyptian diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed that Leila El-Baradei's marriage was held in accordance to Islamic law and witnessed by her father, then-IAEA director, and the Egyptian Ambassador in Vienna in 2006 and is documented in the Egyptian diplomatic and civil records.

Her photos any no more revealing nor are they any less 'modest' than what one encounters at most Egyptian beach resorts or what most upper-middle and upper class Egyptians wear on the beach in Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurgada, Ein Sokhna or Marina on the North Coast! And whether or not Leila 'consumes alcohol' should most certainly not be part of public debate. Not to mention that, as the daughter of a diplomat and a former IAEA Director and an expatriate who spent most of her life between Vienna and other European capitals, it's only understandable that Leila socialises in places where alcohol is served and consumed - assuming she doesn't herself consume it.

After all, providing guests with alcoholic beverages is part of the Egyptian diplomatic protocol despite the fact that Egyptian culture frowns upon the consumption or mere presence of alcohol!

But whether or not Leila is a respectful lady is not my issue here and should not be part of public debate... The issue was certainly not meant to be one of morality - but one of electoral politics.

Who are they fooling?

A handful of filthy anti-Baradei activists saw an opportunity in making these photos public and promulgate these rumours to assure low support for Baradei amongst Egypt's conservative lower classes and rural constituency - the ones that are kept in the dark from the corruption of the ruling business oligarchy and the traditions and norms of Egypt's upper-middle and upper classes, including those in diplomatic positions or official posts.

Some tweeters reported earlier that the photos might be fake... I have never met Leila in person and have no way of confirming or denying the validity of these photos. But the fact remains: someone out there played the morality card to discredit El-Baradei in a country where things like this will most certainly matter.

But, I wonder, if these photos are proven to be false: how much publicity will given to the negation of the validity of these photos? And what would the reaction have been had these photos been of one of the respectful ladies from the "Holy family" or from an influential business or political family? Will this disgusting attack against the Baradeis be given the same reaction Sadat gave Sheikh Kishk when he called the then-First Lady Jihan Sadat a prostitute?

What shocks me even more - as usual - were comments posted by the members of the aforementioned Facebook Group. The comments can be read under the photo here. But below are some of the more striking one:

Ahmad Faid (06/09/2010 @ 02:32):

بس بصراحه بعيدا عن كل ذلك هيه بالمايوه وزه ... يعني ممكن اروح انتخبه عشان بنته

يا جدعان حرام عليكم , ده لو اخر واحد م هرشحه اللي يسيب بنته تتجوز مسيحي و خمر و زنا

ده مسخره امال هيعمل فينا ايه؟