Blog 8: Terrorist Groups and Political Leaders in Egypt

After losing interest in the topic and missing a few blog posts, I decided to write this one late and talk about an article that has some controversy surrounding it. I cannot speak on the validity of the website the article came from or how reputable a source it is, but I figured it would be interesting and different to view a biased opinion.

The article writes about the changing political climate in Egypt and how terrorism has affected it. The author seems to take the side of newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who up until the end of March was serving as Egypt's military Commander-in-Chief. The author makes a few off handed remarks that paint blame on the widely-labeled "terrorist" organization the Muslim Brotherhood that played a role in the self-defined rebellion in Egypt in 2012-13. It was only late last year that the Egyptian government labeled the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization after a large attack on a police precinct in Mansoura.

Some of the questionably unbiased remarks made by the author include:
"Terrorist attacks by Islamist militants have left hundreds of security forces dead or injured in just a few months. Many activists and critics blame the government and Sisi personally for the escalation of violence."
"there will always remain a sufficient number of suicidal hard-liners who would wage a war of attrition against the state."
"but even if its leaders conclude it is in the organization's best interest to return to the political process — either accepting or pretending to accept the new ground rules — there will always remain a sufficient number of suicidal hard-liners who would wage a war of attrition against the state."

And user-commenters are quick to claim misportrayal and outright denial of some of the statements made by the author. They say that the Muslim Brotherhood are trying to bring forth a truly honest government and that those who deny them are only doing so because they are trying to better their own political careers and setting back the citizens of Egypt.

You may ask why this is a global social problem, and to that I would say look at the commenters. Then reread the article. Everything there, while still containing facts, are littered with opinions. Because in reality, no situation like this, or for any rebellion / revolution that has left the country wanting a new system for that matter, can have one objectively correct side. It just doesn't work like that. Each of the sides wants their side to be right, and wants others to think the same. So they paint their opposition as inhumane or stupid or negative in some other way. It just shows some of the nature of humans and I thought it was very interesting.

Article:
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/04/sisi-terrorism-egypt.html#