• 00:00
  • Thursday ,09 January 2014
العربية

In the name of the people…who speaks to them?

By-AKRAM EL-QASSAS

Pope Shenouda Article

00:01

Thursday ,09 January 2014

In the name of the people…who speaks to them?

Those who speak in the name of the people do this more than they speak with people. They also believe that they know what is best for people, although they repeatedly accuse people of not knowing their best interest or what they want.

If you observe those who took the lead of the political scene over the past three years, you will notice that they say whatever they want under the guise of “this is people’s choice, it is what they want” when in fact they are implying and imposing what they want and what they say to people.
 
People are very simple to the extent of complication, as the silent majority is not a fad or an idiosyncrasy of Egyptian people; it is seen in many people worldwide.
 
The silent majority has very simple demands and dreams, dreams like not being in need, being stable and acquiring justice after many years of marginalization and injustice.
 
This majority does not run for elections, but it has demands, they discuss politics with each other without practicing it, and they listen more than analyze and talk. This majority has been subject to misleading and contradictory opinions for months, they voted in referendums and elections relying on beliefs, or based on pressure of other beliefs; beliefs of those who people thought understand and know more than they do.
 
We previously mentioned that people have other options other than the ones that some people try to force on them, for example choosing between Mubarak and Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood or the National Democratic Party.
 
Those who present themselves as official spokespersons on behalf of the revolution or people and those who practice public work must accept criticism. They also must know that not every critic is allying against the revolution, which does not belong to anyone; it is everybody’s property.
 
They should know that criticizing them does not mean that whoever criticized them is an enemy. Criticism comes from impatience after months of confusion, impatience after stiff, repetitive speeches that do not have the smallest degree of hope. A fundamental condition necessary to succeed in changing something is that you have to give people hope and fight back despair.
 
Those leaders never answered an important question; why can’t they gather people for elections while they can gather them for protests? Why don’t those stars who took lead of the scene reach a position of leadership?
 
They give them excuses for not being in charge, they never answered yet another question; why did they lose their popularity and why did people lose their faith in them? There have always been people who support the revolution, but those need persuasion and dialogue to convince them to come on board and not remain as spectators only.
 
People are not just one block, they are factions and have different interests, interests that contradict with other people’s interests in power, authority and money. People’s demands are pretty clear, sometimes these demands are clearer than “repeated parrot demands.”
 
It is obvious that those who speak on behalf of the people know nothing about them, while people need someone to speak with them, not for them.