Nagwa Al-Haggar Nagwa Al-Haggar: Eternal honour “Martyrs do not choose martyrdom, but God Almighty selects whoever He grants that eternal honour,” Brigadier General Nagwa Al-Haggar had said about facing terrorism at the Supreme Centre of Culture on Egyptian Women's Day. The centre had given her an award together with a group of Egyptian women for their achievements. The mother of a martyred officer herself, Al-Haggar became the first female martyr in the police. She was killed in the Palm Sunday terrorist bombing of St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria. The Palm Sunday bombings in Alexandria and Tanta left more than 120 killed or severely injured. Al-Haggar's husband and other son work in the police as well. “Only 100 days separate the crime of Cairo's St Peter Church bombing from Tanta's St George Church bombing. The culprit is the same: a hardline and extremist person who thinks that through such bombings he will go to heaven! The main issue that no one is willing to seriously tackle is the heritage that categorically refuses the principle of citizenship and divides people according to their sect or religion. Such books have spread the idea that non-Muslims are infidels and those who kill them should not be punished. Security forces will do their best and will be able to know the culprits of that horrible crime. However, we will all wait for another crime as long as there are people who believe in those books and teach them. If we wish to deal with that issue, we should launch a campaign against these books and implement the law that deals with extremist thinking.” Emad Gad, Al-Watan US air strike Same old story “If people think that the US air strike will end the suffering of the Syrian people, that is a mistake. Let's try to remember a similar situation 15 years ago when similar pictures were in the media and similar phrases were uttered at the Security Council. Thus, it is another war by proxy through which we will lose Syria as we lost Iraq. Before we bring on more destruction, let's first ask what will Erdogan gain from the fall of Syria? Who paid the $50 million needed for the air strike? Trump may be crazy but he is not stupid.” Amr Gad, Al-Youm Al-Sabei Omar Al-Bashir Another axis “The Sudan-Qatar-Ethiopia axis is moving in a fishy way. Sheikha Moza visited Khartoum, then President Omar Al-Bashir declared on his visit to Ethiopia that any threat to Ethiopian security is a threat to Sudanese security. Today, the Qatari emir will arrive in Addis Ababa and he is expected to tell officials that any threat to the Ethiopian security is a threat to Qatar. That is a tripartite axis against Egypt.” Abdel-Kader Mohamed Ali, Al-Akhbar IS “Launched an air strike against Syria for you… Will send you more chemical weapons to replace the lost ones...” Mohamed Abdel-Latif, Al-Youm Al-Sabei What Egypt won “The president's visit to the US came at a good time so that the Egyptian leadership can meet with the new US leadership in order to find common ground and avoid differences. Egyptian-US relations largely depend on each party's assessment of the importance of the other in boosting peace, security and development on the regional and international levels. Relations had been stagnant since 30 June [2013] because Obama failed to understand that development. But now another US president is in power and that is why the visit came at an early stage of his term — so that the two leaders can draw a map for future relations on a basis of clarity and openness.” Gamaleddin Bayoumi, Al-Ahram Al-Iqtisadi “The New York Times wrote that President Al-Sisi won in the six minutes that he appeared with Trump before the US media what Egypt has not won in the [past] six years. Egypt won the support of the biggest world state and this ends any controversy regarding 30 June [revolution]. Regarding Egypt's war on terrorism, in the next few months, Egypt will receive sophisticated weapons that will help it, without a doubt, to conclude that war in Sinai especially after Cairo gained full control of Gabal Al-Halal — the safe haven for terrorists. The visit has definitely given Egypt and the president a renewed feeling of trust that will help them in the difficult phase they are going through.” Salah Montasser, Al-Ahram The Syrian crisis Egyptian Essence: 12 million displaced “The Syrian crisis left more than 12 million persons displaced either inside or outside the country. In addition it left some 465,000 dead, 100,000 of whom are civilians.” Al-Watan Facebook “When palm fronds in the hands of children are smeared with their blood and remains, when pain silences their laughter, nothing can be said.” Hani Shukrallah “The state protects the Salafist current and helps it to spread. In return, the Salafis protect the regime from the alleged danger of the MB. The conflict between the two teams (the religious and the military) is igniting. And the people are the victims. That explains the deficiency of the state in facing or stopping attacks on churches.” Tarek Kamal Moustafa Twitter Senator Jeb Sanford @JebSanford ISIS strikes yet again killing 43 people in a church bombing in Egypt. We must stand firm in our faith! Bishop Don Kettler @BishopKettler On this #PalmSunday, we pray for the church bombing victims in #Egypt. As they embrace the cross, may they see the hope of the resurrection? Maria Abi-Habib @Abihabib Palm Sunday in my village. Saddened by the church bombing in Egypt. Glad we can ring our church bells loudly in Lebanon, church beside mosque. Owen Duffy @owen_duffy Always struck by how little attention events like today's church bombing in Egypt get in European/American media.
