Had Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, known that his invention would be used by some for deceiving minds he would not have invented it in the first place. Also, had Napoleon Bonaparte, who brought along a printing press when he invaded Egypt, known that the Egyptian press would reach such a level of undermining its readers' intelligence he would not have invaded Egypt in the first place. Had this happened, we would not have read such pollution for the eye and the mind in such a dishonorable way. I wish I was not a reporter, but rather a simple viewer who just gets impressed by what he sees and hears on satellite television. I wish I was not disappointed in certain personalities and pens that I once respected so much. I wish I did not see my idols collapse before my eyes. I am not defending myself for the interview I made with President Barack Obama in the presence of six other reporters, including an Israeli, for my professional conviction is stronger than any defense. It is a pity that success should be a crime that we must pay for every morning. Mohamed Hassanein Heikal once told me: "The more successful you get in the Egyptian press, the more you would be attacked." It is a pity that I get criticized by my colleagues instead of them congratulating me. After all, I was not interviewing the US President in Tel Aviv, but rather in Cairo University. Also the Palestinian newspaper that took part in the interview does not belong to the Likud Party. Moreover, my esteemed Saudi colleague, Jamal Khashoggi, editor of 'Al-Watan' newspaper, also took part, yet no one accused him of normalization with Israel. It is a pity that the Saudis are more understanding than us here with our narrow minds and evil hearts.
What is normalization? This is the question that we must answer with courage instead of making it a charge for settling personal accounts. After all, the General Assembly of the Journalists Union does not consider such an interview as an act of normalization otherwise I would have personally turned myself in. And it is not enough for that journalist to apologize after long hesitation and consultation with some of his colleagues. I was invited to attend the speech in my capacity as Chief Editor of Al-Masry Al-Youm, and it is not in my interest to claim some false glory at the expense of the readers. Aren't we all for normalization with Israel? If not, why did those journalists attend the speech in the presence of the Israeli ambassador and not the interview in the presence of Arab and Muslim reporters, with just one Israeli? I must say here that I respect Hamdin Sabahi and Mustafa Bakri for refusing to attend both events, for they have no double standards. Yes, I am for normalization. But all other Egyptian journalists are just like me because they attend numerous interviews with the president and in the presence of Israeli journalists. So are all journalist of Al-Ahram newspaper who made a full page interview with Sharon, the man who personally killed thousands of Egyptians and Palestinians. They also made many other interviews with the Israeli minister of agriculture. Yes, I am for normalization. But so are the members of the Egyptian and the Arab Publishers Unions who attend regular meetings and exhibitions in the presence of members of the Israeli Publishers Union. Look at the Frankfurt Book Fair, where the Egyptian books are on display side by side with the Israeli books. So pelt them with stones, too. Gentlemen, yes I made an interview with President Barack Obama. And those colleagues of mine who got angry with this must know that I am an independent journalist and not a politician. As to the angry readers, I say that I should be praised if I did right and condemned if I did wrong.
