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Following are excerpts from two interviews with Egyptian author and businessman Tarek Heggy, which aired on Sada Al-Balad TV on November 1 and on Sky News Arabia on October 16, 2013:
Sky News Arabia, October 16, 2013
Tarek Heggy: U.S.-Egypt relations in the days of Abd Al-Nasser were based on confrontation, and that was a mistake. But in the days of President Sadat, these relations were based on subordination, which was a worse mistake. In the days of President Mubarak, they were based on humiliating subordination, which was an even graver mistake. In the days of Morsi, these relations were based on an alliance, which was shameful for both sides. We are not here to discuss that alliance.
Egypt now needs to reexamine its relations with the U.S. I believe that Egypt will be on the right path when it rejects American aid altogether. Nations with honor do not accept aid that is provided in such a manner. In addition, this aid benefits the U.S. much more than it benefits Egypt.
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This is an historic moment. America is the weakest it has ever been. It is talking about "exceptionalism," but in fact, its economic, financial, and international position is weak, and it is led by a president who is the epitome of weakness. This is an opportunity for Egypt to delineate the boundaries of new relations, in keeping with what Napoleon said 200 years ago: "Egypt is not just a country. It is The country." As Napoleon said, Egypt is the most important name on the map of the world.
If we resign ourselves to American superficiality, we will get nothing but condescending cowboy language, which they use to demand that Egypt become democratic. Who are you to make it conditional on Egypt becoming democratic?! That's nonsense.
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America is incapable of understanding the role played by Egypt. America, which struck an alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood, cannot possibly support Egypt. We want to reexamine the partnership with that cowboy, who does not want to learn and become civilized.
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Sada Al-Balad, November 1, 2013
If you are Egyptian, you must believe in all earnestness that Egypt is in a state of war.
Interviewer: A state of war?
Tarek Heggy: Absolutely. It is at war with a group that wants to steal the Egyptian identity, to obliterate Egypt's historical pluralism, and to erase the Egyptian spirit, which is the progeny of geography and history.
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Liberalism does not mean lawlessness. Absolutely not. It means that the law should be just, but still be firmly enforced. When, in America... In England, David Cameron once said that human rights are all well and good, but when they run counter to British national security, the latter gains the upper hand.
Do I hope that the military will run Egypt? Is this a reasonable thing for an intellectual to hope for? But if you push me up against the wall and ask me this, I will tell you that it was the armed forces that saved me from the darkness of the Middle Ages.
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This is not the ideal choice, but there are no ideal choices. I fully believe that any civilian president to be elected in the next year or two will be removed from power by the people within a year or two.
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