CAIRO - Scores of Egyptians expressed mixed reactions to media reports that former president Hosni Mubarak will apologise to the nation and plead for amnesty, three months after he was overthrown by a popular uprising on February 11. The local media claims that Mubarak, who is under arrest in a hospital in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for alleged graft charges, has assigned a veteran journalist to help him write a speech, that will be broadcast by the TV channels to apologise for himself and his family for any wrongdoing they have had made to the Egyptians during his 30-year-rule. The speech may also contain an apology for any wrong policy he may have adopted based on misleading information he has received from his senior aides, or advisors, alleged media reports. He is purportedly ready to hand over his assets to the state in a bid to have amnesty ‘within an acceptable legal framework'. However, feelings of anger or forgiveness by some Cairo residents appear to be growing in lockstep with Mubarak's preparations for the alleged speech. While some residents have warned that forgiving Mubarak could trigger unpredictable and dangerous reactions, others said that they agreed to pardon him only if he handed over his assets to the Egyptians. “Aggression against Mubarak is an aggression against the Egyptians,” said newspaper vendor Ashraf Moustafa, who sympathises with the former president. Moustafa said that Islamic and Egyptian values did not allow the humiliation of an old man or did old woman like Mubarak and his wife Suzanne. Ahmed Hanafi, a university graduate, agreed, saying that he saw not point in imprisoning Mubarak. “Look, the former president promised he would return all the money he had taken to the State coffers. Egypt, which is facing an acute credit crunch, needs the money more than Mubarak,” Hanafi said. But, Redda Hassan, a coffee shop attendant, said that he opposed any bid to forgive Mubarak, or accept his apology because the ex-president has had done more harm to Egypt than good during the past 30 years. “Forgiving Mubarak will only reinforce the people's frustration at Army's impotence and the desire for letting him, his family members, and the corrupt ministers go unpunished for the crimes the had committed against the Egyptians,” Hassan said. Mubarak and each one of his gang should pay for these crimes, he insisted. Aida el-Sakhawi, a Cairo University Political Sociology Professor, accused Mubarak of manoeuvring to fool the Egyptians and win their hearts so that he could escape legal punishment for whatever crimes he had committed. “Mubarak should be held responsible for his crimes and the wrong policies he applied during the past period. The people should not accept his apology or the claim that he adopted wrong policies because his aided had misguided him, or gave him wrong information,” el-Sakhawi said. She added that it was Mubarak, who appointed these incompetent aides, advisors and ministers and that was a crime in itself because they destroyed the country and its people, who became ignorant, unemployed and poor during his corrupt rule. “Think about the peaceful and young protesters, whom Mubarak and his police forces have killed simply because they revolted against his wrong policies, or just wanted to practise their right of expression during the January 25 Revolution,” Mervat George, a Government employee, said. “If the parents of these martyrs accept Mubarak's apology, then I will accept it too. But, this will never happen,” she said. Magdi Eid Hussein, another coffee shop attendant, said that he would demonstrate in Al Tahrir Square if the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) pardoned Mubarak or prodded the Government drop all legal charges against him, or his family members if they handed over the money they had stolen to the State. “If this happens, then any rapist would renounce his wrong doing, apologise to his victim and give hers some money to forgive his horrible crime against her and her family's honour and name. As an Egyptian, I believe that dignity is more important than all the money of the world,” Hussein said. He also accused Mubarak and his cronies of masterminding attacks against churches and sponsoring a counter revolution to foil the goals of the people's uprising and hamper the efforts of the present Government to serve the people. “Forgiving Mubarak leaves ample opportunity for other dangers against the January 25 Revolution,” Hussein said. Ahmed Fawzi, a Cairo University law professor, said that the Army had to deal with public opinion in Egypt, which would face a hell of a problem if Mubarak went unpunished “for his crimes”. “This is very dangerous, the Army or the Government should stand against the whole weight of popular opinion,” Professor Fawzi said. Government employee Sabri Mohamed Ahmed has made clear that he does not want any legal action against Mubarak, whom he described a war hero,who has done many good things for the country and its people. “I oppose a legal action against Mubarak because he offered to return the assets to the Government, and there is no point in sending him to prison,” Ahmed said. Ahmed Khalid Ibrahim, a law student, said that the planned Mubarak speech was a way of fooling people and try win their heart to forget whatever crimes Mubarak has committed against them. Ibrahim said that any moves to arrest and bring Mubarak to justice will help efforts to end internal strife taking place now in Egypt. However, Lamia Saeed, a housewife, said that if the Government arrested and prosecuted Mubarak, chaos would prevail. “If Mubrak were arrested, tried and imprisoned, there would be an increase in anarchy,” she said. But, Karim Khalid, a university student, said that charging Mubarak for the hideous crimes he has committed shows that no one is above the law in Egypt anymore.
