The Curse of Terrorism and the Efficiency of Egyptian Police Officers

Published in October 24, 2017

Written by: Othman Ali

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

  Days ago, 53 Egyptian policemen died (may God rest their souls and have mercy upon them) within a terrorist attack near Bahariya oasis, in Giza Governorate. As per news of this terrorist attack, the survivors among policemen said that the terrorists attacked them suddenly in the desert and destroyed their armored vehicles and at gun point, the terrorists forced them to give up their weapons, and they killed and injured some and took some as hostages to negotiate over them with the Egyptian State. This provokes a pivotal question: what can we say about the combat efficiency of Egyptian policemen and police officers? Before answering this question, let's recall the fact that armed terrorism is a fact in Egypt since mid-1970s with the emergence of the terrorist group named (Takfeer wa Al-Hijrah) (in English literally: the group of 'immigration' and fighting 'infidels'!) led by the terrorist MB member Shukry Mustafa. And then, Wahabi terrorists managed to assassinate Sadat; days later, they tried to 'occupy' Asyut Governorate. For decades, Wahabi terrorists attacked Copts and Coptic churches as well as tourists in Egypt. Terrorists attack now areas in Sinai and the West Desert now, as well as scattered regions inside Egypt that suffered terrorist operations. Within this struggle between policemen and security forces on the one hand and Wahabi terrorists on the other hand, one has to admit that terrorists excel and outdo Egyptian policemen and security forces; terrorists have killed many of them and destroyed their vehicles and weapons in several operations. Out of love and loyalty for Egypt, my country of origin, and my desire to protect Egypt and the lives of Egyptians, I pose this question: is the level of combat efficiency of Egyptian policemen and police officers high enough to face terrorism? The answer is no. Why is this level low despite all means provided for policemen and police officers to qualify them? There are several reasons, but here, I discuss only the main one among them, with perfect transparency, directness, and frankness; the main reason is as follows: the way of choosing those who are appointed as policemen and police officers in Egypt.

  Since Mubarak took office as president in Oct. 1981, this bad habit has begun and goes on until now; young men of the affluent classes are chosen by nepotism, mediators, and bribes to join the police academy. Thus, policemen are sons and relatives of high-rank police officers, judges, ministers, businessmen, parliament members, etc., and there are hardly (if any) policemen and police officers from ordinary, common Egyptians among middle classes and poorer classes. Thus, the vast majority of policemen and police officers belong to the affluent classes; they are typically spendthrift, pampered and spoilt, as all their wishes come true by their families, and they are seldom able to bear responsibilities and they lack problem—solving skills. This is why these affluent policemen and police officers cannot feel the suffering, crises, burdens of Egyptian citizens. These affluent policemen and police officers are busy competing for more luxuries of life and never care about ordinary or impecunious Egyptians. Those pampered affluent young men have families that pave the way for them, in getting education certificates by cheating and getting high-rank jobs with highest salaries, within corruption, mediators, and bribes. This is why these affluent, highly-connected, arrogant, and powerful policemen and police officers look down on ordinary citizens; they feel as if citizens were slaves and policemen and police officers were their masters! Some policemen and police officers are accused of torturing citizens in police stations and detention rooms and to typically get confessions under duress from innocent people. These affluent policemen and police officers are never cultured nor qualified; they cannot differentiate between innocent people and guilty ones, as both have no rights to be respected in the first place. This is why these affluent policemen and police officers cannot face armed terrorists and get killed easily. The reason: they lack efficiency and abilities that make them take immediate decisions and engage into combat against armed terrorists while avoiding human losses as much as they can. Affluent policemen and police officers have been pampered and spoilt within an environment of corruption and luxury and they commit crimes of torture while enjoying impunity! They feel as masters controlling their slaves! What is the solution to improve the level of efficiency and abilities of Egyptian policemen and police officers to make  them able to defeat terrorists? The solution is to choose many young men who enroll in the police academy from the middle and poorer classes in the first place; these young men are typically self-reliant, patient, strong-willed, and hardworking and they get used to bear many responsibilities. Of course, the police academy people are to choose those who are excellent in their high-school studies and physically fit and teach them problem-solving skills, facing crises, and how to take decisions quickly, among other skills and abilities that qualify them to do their job in the best way. They must be taught how to deal politely and respectfully with all citizens without the terrible class distinction. Thus, Egypt will have strong, reliable policemen and police officers who are highly qualified and efficient enough to do their job within scientific methodology and plans to eliminate terrorism and crime; they will even be able to prevent crimes before they take place. They will del respectfully and politely with citizens because these policemen and police officers will be among the citizens and they feel they are like their folks and relatives. Those policemen and police officers will be taught NEVER to humiliate, verbally abuse, or torture any citizens (guilty criminals, suspects, or otherwise), when detained or interrogated, within equality and citizenry values in the Egyptian constitution. They will outsmart terrorists, killers, and murders and face them with flare and aptitude, taking the initiative to capture and/or liquidate terrorists and to always protect the police units, stations, or ambushes all over Egypt while they are keen on protecting all citizens against terrorists. The current, affluent policemen and police officers must be retaught and retrained; they must take Egyptian heroes in the Olympics (and other sports competitions) as role-models, because those heroes are chosen as per efficiency, talent, and abilities NOT as per their social classes. These heroes are mostly from poor and middle classes and not the affluent classes, and this rule must apply to choosing policemen and police officers from now on. Of course, it is wrong to generalize, as there are few excellent policemen and police officers now in Egypt, but the corrupt way of choosing those who enroll into the police academy must be stopped at once. We hope Egyptian authorities take heed of my article and pay attention to it. All of us are to remember that God helps those who change themselves to the better: "...God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves..." (13:11). All of us must remember this Quranic warning against the affluent, corrupt ones that bring about destruction and ruin to their societies: "When We decide to destroy a town, We command its affluent ones, they transgress in it, so the word becomes justified against it, and We destroy it completely. " (17:16). We implore Almighty God to save and protect our beloved Egypt and to guide authorities there to choose the best qualified and efficient men in the police and all of the other sectors within the Egyptian State.