By Salama A Salama Death sentences have become common in Egypt of late, no doubt because of the incredible rise in violence. Crimes of corruption have not only increased, but have branched out into mayhem of unbelievable proportions. It used to be that violence was the vice of the poor, but what we've seen in recent years is the emergence of new strains of violence that transcend class and education. There is an evil drama in which power and money combine to produce a series of horrible deeds. We've had gangs that steal land, including state- owned land, for a while. But only recently did their crimes escalate into a brand that deserves the death sentence. Some of the crimes we've seen of late have been linked to scandals with businessmen engaged in sexual relations with Egyptian, Lebanese and Moroccan artists. The poor and rich seem to have become more violent. Not long ago, two girls were killed in the western suburbs of Cairo by a manual labourer. One has to ask if these death sentences will curb the rising wave of crime that has taken Egyptian society by surprise in recent years. Vendettas are still common in the countryside, but recently I believe they got worse. Everywhere you look, there is an insatiable greed for money, land and power, a blend that is to blame for much of the horrors that have become common of late. The quest for power has opened a Pandora's box of corruption. With nepotism infiltrating the country's political apparatus, the very institutions that were supposed to uphold our checks-and-balances have been stretched to the limit. We're at the point where it is hard to conceive of an end to the tide of corruption. We've been compromised from the top echelons of power to the lowest levels of the professional ladder. In poor societies, it is common for corruption to lead to other forms of crime. Right now, corruption is fast becoming the common denominator across all social classes. And the web of corruption is becoming more intricate as time goes by. I often hear people saying that corruption exists in every country. But this is not an excuse. Without an effective system of checks and balances there is no hope of ever moving forward. Without accountability and punishment, we're all accomplices in corruption. In recent years, Egypt has been introduced to a particularly venomous strain of corruption. It started among the top businessmen before branching out into the community of artists, socialites, and high-flyers in general. Film stars, singers and other show business people are often implicated. Wealth has become the aphrodisiac that brings together power, sex and fame in a self- destructive cycle, one that -- if we are not careful -- may engulf the judiciary as well. In countries such as China, the state never hesitates to use the death sentence against top officials within the party and the government. And as market economy brought a measure of prosperity to the country, punishment for corruption was stiffened. It seems that so far the death sentence is the best deterrent many societies have against corruption and crime. I know some European countries and human rights groups oppose death sentences. But the values instilled and education levels attained in Europe are not matched in other countries across the world. We cannot, for this reason, abandon the death sentence. Even in America, legislators still have use for it.
