“Europe said that the army and the Egyptian government killed civilians. We will go to Europe to explain what really happened. Egypt's security forces were protecting the people from the international terrorism that started in Afghanistan,” said Fouad Riad, an international law professor, at a press conference a day before he left for Switzerland as part of a popular diplomacy delegation. “The delegation aims to explain what has been happening in Egypt since 30 June and to confront the unjust campaign launched against Egypt. It also aspires to emphasise that Egypt is fighting a war against terrorism and that what took place on 30 June was a popular revolution,” said Tahani Al-Gebali, a lawyer and the founder and head of the delegation organised by the group Move to Protect the Republic. The delegation, which concludes its two-day visit to Switzerland today, aims to present a true picture of the political situation in Egypt to European civil society and human rights organisations. The visit was organised by Move to Protect the Republic and the National Initiative for Positive Interaction, a campaign group. Mervat Al-Tellawi, former chairperson of the National Council for Women, headed the delegation, which included Mohamed Salmawy, president of the Egyptian Writers Union, Amir Salem, a human rights activist, Ali Al-Ghateet, an expert on international law, and Naguib Abadeer from the Free Egyptians Party, among others. Another popular diplomacy delegation concluded a visit to Brussels last week, where it aimed to meet Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign affairs head, as well as other senior officials to explain the political situation in Egypt ahead of the EU foreign ministers meeting held on 21 August. The delegation emphasised the right of Egyptians to build their own state institutions, explaining the anger that had been felt in the country at European failure to respect their will to build a democratic state and implement the roadmap agreed upon with the interim government. The delegation included Salmawy, Saadeddin Ibrahim, founder of the Ibn Khaldun Centre for Development Studies, businessman Naguib Sawiris and legal activist Mona Zul-Faqar. Although the EU foreign ministers meeting made strong recommendations regarding the situation in Egypt, the delegation managed to present a clearer picture of the political situation in Egypt and how the government was working towards implementing the roadmap. The EU has called on the Egyptian government to exercise restraint, condemned acts of terrorism such as the murder of policemen in Sinai, the destruction of churches and the targeting of the Coptic community, and attacks on government buildings and museums. It has called on all Egyptians to halt the cycle of violence and to refrain from actions that could incite further violence, including provocations and hate speech. It has urged all the country's political parties to engage in real and inclusive dialogue in order to restore a democratic process that will respond to the legitimate demands and aspirations of the Egyptian people. Some external parties have nevertheless been trying to picture the army and post-30 June government as the oppressors of the Muslim Brotherhood or other political Islam parties, according to one diplomat who preferred to remain anonymous. Official diplomacy together with popular diplomacy could play complementary roles in proving otherwise, he said. “It was the practices of the Brotherhood that prompted the people to launch a revolution against them and call for the end of their rule. It was the army that bowed to the will of the people and ousted the president,” he added. Official diplomacy has been making concerted efforts to reveal the true face of the political situation in Egypt. In his presentation of the roadmap a few days after coming to office, Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmi said that the country's foreign policy would work on three axes — “protecting and supporting the revolution, regaining Egypt's status on the Arab, African and Mediterranean levels, and setting the scene for a balanced foreign policy in the future.” Fahmi began visits to Sudan and South Sudan last week, and this week he has visited Jordan and the Palestinian Territories. Both the latter states supported Egypt after the 30 June Revolution. During his visit to Ramallah, Fahmi met with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and delivered a letter from interim President Adli Mansour in which the latter expressed Egypt's appreciation for Palestinian support after the 30 June Revolution. Fahmi emphasised during the visit that Egypt supported Palestinian rights in establishing an independent Palestinian state in the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The visit was a chance for Fahmi to meet his Norwegian counterpart, Espen Barth Eide, who was also in Ramallah. The meeting came within the framework of Egypt's desire to maintain balanced relations with the European states. During his visit to Jordan, Fahmi met with King Abdallah, Prime Minister Abdallah Al-Nosour and Foreign Minister Nasser Gouda. The visit aimed at improving bilateral relations and cooperation on resolving the Palestinian issue. Fahmi also discussed the political situation in Egypt with his US and Australian counterparts and the steps taken so far in implementing the roadmap, including the 10-member committee that will choose articles to be amended in the constitution. Fahmi's efforts were backed by the activities of Egypt's missions abroad. Ambassadors and senior officials in embassies in the Philippines, Cyprus, Ukraine, Eritrea, and Italy contacted senior officials in these countries to shed light on the political situation in Egypt and efforts exerted by the Egyptian government to implement the road map. These efforts have started to bear fruit, according to Prime Minister Hazem Al-Beblawi. In a statement on Sunday, Al-Beblawi said that foreign views of Egypt were changing. The EU was becoming more understanding and the US needed more time, he said. Al-Beblawi hailed the support Egypt had received from the Arab world, adding that time and adherence to the road map would guarantee that regional and international parties showed greater support for Egypt in its quest for democracy.
