Many have come and gone, that is the reality of life. Some will come and they will stay, those are referred to as men. Praiseworthy is the life of one who lived for a purpose. Especially when the purpose is to serve Allah and cater for the wellbeing of humanity. Mohamed Morsi lived for people, if not, a lecturer of his calibre in the United States won’t return home to a third world country to live.
As a foreigner, I tasted the true meaning of freedom in Egypt, the one ruled by the legitimately elected president. A free man who lived in the free world he tried to create. Many are beautiful ways of life that we read in books, only few lived them.
In many parts of the world, when you see a police officer, you are expected to be scared (maybe that was what killed George Floyd in the US, when he tried to challenge the nature forced upon us by ourselves) but that was not Egypt during the time of Dr Morsi. His rule defined freedom and peace, and that no one should be scared of expressing his opinion on issues. Though many misused that but he was patient. He was a leader.
I will never forget the night I was returning from an evening class from Darrasa. The vehicle I was in broke down before I got to my destination. I really do not like waiting for buses in the middle of the road so I began trekking. Getting closer to Golf, a police vehicle parked by my side and asked: “Where are you coming from and headed?” I responded with a smile: “I am headed to Qatamiyyah“. He asked me to hop in and got me home. I was not scared or in doubt that he would try to harm me in any way since I was a foreigner. That was the type of country Morsi created. The indepth meaning of this could only be perceived by anyone who knows what Rijalul Amn means in Egypt.
Some Egyptians would not like to be treated the same way as foreigners, this happens everywhere in the world. The truth is that, where things are operated the way they should, no one will have to suffer to the extent of placing himself above others no matter what. In hospitals, schools, malls, public transport, accommodation and many other social amenities, nothing varied from one person to another. We all loved the country we were living in. Even haters commended him for his efforts. The Arab would say: ‘Truthfulness is what enemies commend.’
Some people tried using religious attack to defame him claiming he only cares about the Muslims. I had a Christian neighbour who would always defend him saying they even had added advantages and opportunities than Muslims because they are minority. The type of country Morsi lived for, was the one that will not differentiate between the Muslims and non-Muslims in their fundamental rights. Humanity comes first, not neglecting the ideal and moral character of the young and old. That is actually not too strange to me because he was a scholar who understood the jurisprudence of the Deen. I have another Christian friend with whom I worked on several graphic design projects, Shayma, she would say: “I wish Morsi should at least be my uncle if not father”. We can say that about only few people.
Back in my country, I know when a president or governor would pass through a particular route, there would be a blockade infringung on the masses right of way just so that the president or governor would go through seamlessly, I don’t want to believe it is all to make them free from traffic, they could have used a chopper. The regime of Morsi was just a normal life for everybody in the country, no blockade, no wait. A president who was always straight and open to the masses. Even when we knew him as a president, he still lived a normal life within his community and when he travels abroad. My respect for him doubled the day I met him in person.
Many who pray close to his house said they always see him during Fajr, they prayed together. Myself and Sheikh Habeeb (a friend) went to pray in Masjid Hamd in Nasr City on a Friday. Unexpectedly to the masses and myself inclusive, Morsi showed up during Khutbah, nothing paused. It was after the solah someone noticed him and started hailing him. Many greeted him and waved, even some gave him a piece of advice and he was noting them all. But as a Nigerian, (we don’t come last) I must be noticed too, so I struggled to get to him in the middle of the crowd and I made sure I shook the gentle and soft hand of President Morsi. It was like a dream.
He was a man who wanted all to be free and live like human beings. His love was felt by all. His kindness touched different souls and the root of what he was planting germinated in time that many had already began harvesting it. But enemies of peace, thieves, selfish fellows won’t like such a mind. They hated him because children loved him, the elderly loved him, the middle class and the poor were friendly with him. He never molested the rich while students always wanted to meet him.
The poor were happy, the sick could smile, orphans felt they had a father, widows were catered for, artisans felt like kings, farmers really felt they owned the world, doctors experienced dignity, politicians worked like laborers but happily, intellectuals and lecturers could speak and contribute to the country’s growth, liars hated lawyers, engineers were busy, the ministry of youth was another world and the Minister of Agriculture was just as famous as the president and everyone felt they were living their full potentials. All these happened just within a year. Everything I just listed and more was what Mursi lived for.
When education was getting better, health care looking great as many Egyptian doctors in foreign lands were returning home volunteering to save their country; when the economy was shooting up like a rain ready to fall; exactly when the Egyptian hope was getting brighter, the evil ones killed the hope of the masses embodied in President Morsi. All those goodness were imprisoned.
The foreign exploiters, some Salafy sect, the church figureheads and the local champions of the anti-goodness campaign took over the government via a coup, shedding the blood of thousands to attain power. They did not stop killing until they finally killed president Morsi last year, June 17, 2019.
It seemed though that last year was when President Morsi was reborn. His campaign for bringing humanity to its feet, the war in Syria was already waving bye to this world, the unreasonable killing in Iran of the Sunni, the neglect of some set of people in the community and more unjust and ill treatment of the citizens because of their social class; all these became history since then but have returned even in a worse shape since the emergence of the coup. All Egyptians are praying for now more than ever, is just to witness again, a year like the year of Morsi. But the question remains; this is Morsi’s legacy but when will Morsi return?
Ibraheem Ahmad writes for Muslim News Nigeria
