Faisal's Tobril

Al-Masry Al-Youm, the Arabic Egyptian daily paper, ran a front page headline story (English Version) on the Egyptian Minister of Industry and Trade, Rasheed Mohammed Rasheed, and his recent visit to Germany where he commented on the on-going German Companies bribery scandal (an issue that has been occupying front page news in Cairo for sometime).

In remarks he made, the Minister actually said (Al-Masry Al-Youam has this as a direct quote): “The problem is not the presence of corruption, but the taking of a clear position which would deter violators”.

Well, Minister, it’s quite obvious that your methods of deterrance are not working. The country is rife with corruption. It absolutely stinks with the stench of it.

It seems that the poor violators are not connected well enough to escape the wrath of the powers that be now that their little secret has been exposed for all.

According to Al-Masry Al-Youm, the Minister also said that “Corruption is in all countries, and the cases in question are clear evidence of this, in addition to the existence of corruption cases in which big German companies are involved”

I’ve noticed that our government’s new method of deterring any international criticism is by proclaiming that everyone else has whatever problem seems to be discussed as well. When steel magnate, millionaire, Minister and Member of Parliament Ahmed Ezz was interviewed on CNN, he specifically said to Christian Amanpour that Egypt’s Emergency Law was our version of the US PATRIOT ACT which Egypt would do away with as soon as the security situation in the Middle East will allow!  He said it in a tone which clearly implied: don’t you dare accuse us of anything if you have that.

Christian Amanpour’s reaction was (and this is on youtube): Oh my Godness!

So corruption is not the problem, eh Minister?