Egypt Between Gulf Estrangement And Iranian Courtship
07 February 2013
By Dr. Hamad Al-Majid
Iran's policy in the region is like a harmful virus
that only spreads in a contaminated climate
Egyptian-Gulf relations were polluted somewhat after
the victory of the Islamists in the Egyptian
presidential elections, and the Gulf governments' fear
that the revolution would be exported to their
countries, and so the Iranian virus has emerged, this
time through the visit of Iran's Foreign Minister [Ali
Akbar Salehi] to Egypt. Hamas' relations with the Gulf
were contaminated because of the repercussions of
successive Gulf crises and the Gulf's preference for
dealing with Fatah, and so the Iranian virus spread
within the Palestinian body. The Lebanese environment
has been contaminated by its sectarian conflicts and
hence the most dangerous strains of the virus extended
into southern Lebanon. Finally, the air between some
Islamist trends and their governments has also become
contaminated, for example with the Ennahda movement in
Tunisia and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt during the
Mubarak era, and thus Iran, with its Shiite ideology,
has tried to penetrate both states where the Muslim
community is 100 percent Sunni.
Just as a virus may weaken in cleaner air and become
benign, the same goes for Iran's policy, whereby it
has been marred and weakened as a result of the Syrian
revolution. The brave, popular Syrian revolution has
become the strongest sterilizer; lethal to all germs
created by the Iranian virus, like the germs of
"resistance", "victory for the suppressed",
"sectarianism" and "Islamic unity". Yet because of
this powerful blow dealt to the Iranian virus, Iran's
policy has found a new opportunity for growth
reproduction in the polluted atmosphere between Cairo
and some Gulf states. However, the opportunity this
time is much smaller, as the Syrian revolution, with
its strong sterilization dose, has made the Iranian
virus appear weak as it moves to new ground. The virus
is being spread by the Iranian Foreign Minister, who
is primarily responsible for its extension and
multiplication, from the presidential palace in Cairo
to al-Azhar. Yet even from the Sheikh of al-Azhar,
Salehi is finding resistance he did not encounter
before. He is being told in explicit, diplomatic
language about the suffering of the Sunnis in Iran,
the Shiite proselytizing in Egypt; a country with a
harmonious sectarian fabric, and the need to
criminalize the Iranian government for insulting the
prophet.
The Iranian virus, as I pointed out earlier,
strengthens or weakens in accordance with a
contaminated or clean environment, and this means that
it can become active at any moment. Here I will say
that in the Gulf, certain categories are working,
albeit unintentionally, to create an appropriate
environment for the multiplication of Iranian virus
and all the disease it creates, through aggravating
relations with a pivotal and influential state such as
Egypt. Some Gulf media outlets are attempting to cloud
the atmosphere inside Egypt under the pretext of
weakening it politically and economically so it
becomes preoccupied with its internal problems, which
in turn will create the rotten environment required
for Iranian virus. Instead, the Gulf governments and
their media must build on President Mursi's policy of
spurning Iran's advances, rather than doubting it.
The visit of the Iranian Foreign Minister Salehi to
Egypt proves that this is the new breeding ground for
Iranian virus. Even though President Mursi scolded the
Iranians' policy towards Syria in their own back yard,
renounced the legitimacy of Bashar al-Assad,
condemning his brutal crimes, and stressed that the
security of the Gulf is a red line, the Iranians have
repressed their anger. They have forgotten President
Mursi's remarks and instead have embarked on
diplomatic activities to create a foothold for Iranian
influence, which has been severely damaged by the
Syrian revolution. When the Gulf abandoned Hamas the
air was filled with Iranian virus, so do not abandon
Egypt and leave it to the same fate.
Dr. Hamad Al-Majid is a journalist and former member
of the official Saudi National Organization for Human
Rights. Al-Majid is a graduate of Imam Muhammad Bin
Saud Islamic University in Riyadh and holds an M.A.
from California and a Doctorate from the University of
Hull in the United Kingdom.
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