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Fraudulently Elected Parliamentarian Talks to Coptic Community in N. VA

Dr. Mostafa El Fiky—Fraudulently Elected Parliamentarian Tells Coptic Community in Washington He Wouldn’t “Mind” a Coptic Prime Minister (no such luck for a Coptic president), and Accuses me of Being a Traitor (apparently still sore over his dishonorable mention in the Washington Post)

Tonight was indeed a memorable night. A delegation comprised of a few co-opted parliamentarians, headed by Dr. Mostafa El Fiky, the chair of the foreign affairs committee in the Egyptian parliament, visited the Coptic church of Fairfax, VA to engage with the Coptic community. This visit was undoubtedly an attempt to diffuse anger over rising sectarian violence in Egypt, particularly in anticipation of a visit by President Mubarak in August where “embarrassing scenes”—such as those of an Egyptian American community angry over the deterioration of their homeland on all fronts at the hands of a corrupt government staging a protest—are to be avoided at all costs.

Mona Zulfikar's Talk in Washington DC

On March 16, 2009, Dr. Mona Zulfikar, attorney at the Shalakany law firm in Egypt and self-proclaimed women’s rights and civil society activist, delivered another numbing, hackneyed speech on human rights and democratic reform in Egypt.Dr. Zulfikar addressed the many “accomplishments” of the National Council for Human Rights, with which she is affiliated, discussing electoral reforms as well as certain advancements in personal status laws affecting women, and the criminalizing in 2008 of female genital mutilation (FGM). Dr. Zulfikar contended that Egypt had in fact initiated political reform and is well on a path toward democratization.

Egyptian Embassy Delegation Says "There is no demand for democracy in Egypt"

In a session held at t he Egyptian embassy in Washington D.C. on January 9, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs delegation told its expatriate audience that there is “no demand for democracy in Egypt,” in response to a series of audience questions.The six man delegation—literally all Muslim and all male, lacking the token presence of a female or Copt—deflected questions from the audience regarding the purpose of their unprecedented visit; their outreach was part of an overall effort from the Ministry, they said, to connect with Egyptian expatriate communities all over the world, and their mission was a “consular” and administrative one, not a political one, namely to diffuse tensions in anticipation of a possible Mubarak visit to the U.S. Never mind that Wa’el Abulmagd, Deputy Minister of Human Rights, was part of the panel and delegation and the fact that Abulmagd’s position, and his presence in Washington, could not be more “political.”