Egypt--Between its "Hardware" and "Software"

Is there really an intention / will / vision for Egypt to become a modern civil state, with the relationship of the state and the constitution, laws and rights therein based solely on "citizenship" and absolute equality of all citizens in rights and duties?  I do not give myself the right to examine the hearts and minds of human beings, including the leaders of society.  But when I look at the general scene, I find contradictions that are either exacerbated or limited.  I look at the public scene and hear repeated calls for the modernization / renewal of religious discourse.  Yet apart from this “call”, I do not see any positive development.  Rather, I see reactionary/atavistic forces stubbornly rejecting and defying the demand for a modernization/renewal of religious discourse.

In parallel, the curricula of public and Azhar education remain far from being refined and dedicated to the service of contemporary human values.  Then comes the "disaster", by which I mean the claims of Hisbah and the prosecution of intellectuals such as Islam Beheiri (and we all know who was behind his prosecution and imprisonment) and, as is happening now, with Khaled Montaser.  Also absent are the voices of intellectuals such as Ibrahim Essa and the preference of a media space which does not deserve 5% of these intellectuals.

It is true that there is a persistent and systematic action against the state of July 3, 2013, and the channels that broadcast from Turkey with a monstrosity like Mehmet Ali reflect its manifestations.  But confronting this tireless and systematic work against the "reality of the post-state-Muslim Brotherhood" can only be accomplished with high-level media and cultural elements, not media professionals without any intellectual weight, knowledge and moral credibility.  

The achievements in the areas of infrastructure, roads, cities and urban dwellings for slum dwellers, which is what I have repeatedly called the "Hardware of Egypt", are undeniable. But this does not eliminate the necessity of achieving similar gains in all areas of the "Software of Egypt", such as removing impurities in the concept of citizenship, updating religious discourse to reflect the state and society of Egypt as a modern civil society, and the elimination of the crime of contempt of religions. The crime of contempt of religions that has been employed is concerned only with the protection (useless) of a certain section of society, namely the religious numerical majority.  All these steps can be achieved only when the state protects all Egyptian human groups from any and all aggression against lives, property or places of worship. 

I know that tackling the imbalances within the "Software of Egypt" is much harder than facing the flaws in the "Hardware of Egypt." But without a doubt, making a better future for Egypt and for the Egyptians requires critical self analysis.

Written in Arabic by Tarek Heggy/translated into English by Sharon Bussell