When it comes to Freedom of expression and freedom of press in Egypt in the new era of President Morsi after the new constitution , you only have to expect the worse because not only newspapers and TV channels can not be closed by court rule and journalists can be imprisoned but it is the most restrictive constitution when it comes to Freedoms and rights as Sheikh Yasser El Borhamy brags !!
We have to expect the worst when more and more journalists and TV hosts are being reported for the new prosecutor general accused of insulting the President.
Today famous TV host Bassem Youssef today was reported to the public prosecutor by some lawyer called Ramdan El Uxory who accused him of insulting President Morsi in his sarcastic show “Al Bernameg” !! Oh yes El Uxory believes that Youssef insulted Morsi when he mocked him and showed his picture printed on some pillow from two weeks ago !!
Here is a clip where Bassem Youssef says that his baby girl Nadia is sleeping on Morsi’s pillow and that Morsi’s speeches made Nadia stands up ; an achievement in its own !!
Now El Uxory is claiming that in his report he filed that Youssef is not only mocking the head of the State but he is affecting his image showing him as a weak man whether in Egypt or outside it !!
You must know that Youssef is facing hell now after his brave episode last Friday when he criticized the radical hypocrite Sheikhs supporting Morsi from Salafists.
Bassem Youssef is not the last TV host to face this charge but popular TV host Mahmoud Saad is also facing the same change and he is not alone. Saad and his guest Dr. Manal Omar , the famous psychiatrist are accused of insulting Morsi by the Presidency itself !! Ironically both Saad and Omar used to support Morsi against Shafik in the presidential race.
From few weeks ago Dr. Manal Omar presented a psychological analysis for inmates , political inmates like Morsi and the presidency did not like it. Ironically Islamists especially the Muslim brotherhood loved for analysis for Shafik’s personality. Man, you can not imagine how Manal Omar made Morsi earn votes with her analysis for real.
Moving from TV we got for columnists, now columnist Ola El Shafaei of Youm 7 website and newspaper found herself accused of insulting the president because she dared and criticized Morsi after the presidential palace clashes.
These are the latest incidents in the past three weeks , of course there are other important incidents like for instance how columnists find their op-eds criticizing MB are no longer published in Al Akhbar Newspaper that is being controlled totally by Islamists. You will find news coming from National TV about reporters being punished for speaking the Truth against MB or TV hosts for hosting guests the MB minister of information does not approve !!
I had enough from news similar to this in addition to the attacks on journalists and reporters on the field. I had enough. I do not feel optimistic about the future of freedom of press or expression in this country. I feel that soon enough I will be accused of insulting the president’s Holiness. I will not speak about how depressing to see this happening after the revolution because it will sound naive. I do not know if we were naive but I know we were romantic revolutionaries.
I am so depressed.