During his historic visit to Egypt in 1946, the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia King Abdulaziz Al Saud was received with unprecedented warmth by the people, monarch, politicians and intellectuals of Egypt. King Abduaziz concluded that visit with a speech he addressed to the people of Saudi Arabia about the reception the Egyptian people had given him. “My dear people, no words can accurately describe how I have been met. My pride is that I felt that the Arab army of Egypt is your army, and your army is that of Egypt; that the Egyptian civilization is your civilization and your civilization is that of Egypt; and that the two armies and civilizations are the soldiers of Arabs.” (A Brief Biography of King Abdulaziz by Khairuddin Zarkali. P. 308)
A few days ago, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, who of all his brothers most resembles founder King Abdulaziz according to Saudi historian Fahd Al-Mareq, addressed Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi by telling him that his country’s “position towards Egypt and its stability and security is firm and will not change,” and that what links the two countries is “an example of strategic relations and common destiny.”
In comments carried by the state-owned Saudi Press Agency (SPA) King Salman sent a clear and explicit message to those who spread rumors and tried to sow seeds of discord between Egypt and Saudi Arabia by saying that this “special and established relationship is bigger than any attempt to muddy it.”
As for Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, he was as clear and decisive as we have come to expect when he also reaffirmed the Emirates’ backing of the leadership and people of Egypt to President Sisi. He said that the UAE will maintain its course because it realizes the pivotal status and historical role of Egypt. A similar position was expressed by the King of Bahrain and the Emir of Kuwait: namely that the Arab Gulf’s backing and support for Egypt, which survived the disastrous Muslim Brotherhood era, will continue and increase.
These stances are not emotional, but rather based on a refined political and strategic vision. Egypt is the pride of Arabs; therefore, it should not be left to drown during this time of Arab turmoil.
Those stances are not meant to be for the sake of President Sisi, nor are they made in the interest of any particular political party. Individuals are open to discussion but Egypt and its security are not subject to debate or hesitation. Egypt was in danger of losing its security and identity under the rule of the Brotherhood.
Why did the Brotherhood pose a risk to Egypt? Because they are an underground group that panders to religious emotions and promotes troubling conceptions of history and memory in the hopes of assuming power and control under the cover of religious puritanism. In fact they failed to safeguard or promote religion or the value of human life. They are as dangerous to Egypt’s political, intellectual and cultural life as nuclear radiation is to biological life in general. They want to topple and replace governments in all countries in order to monopolize power. They claim to be the ambassadors of Providence and have the exclusive right to speak in the name of true Islam in spite of the beliefs of everyone else.
Therefore, they justify for themselves everything, even lying, by claiming that “war is deceit,” and that using any weapon is justified if it is used in the name of God.
Their attempts to drive a wedge between Egypt and Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries by leaking minutes of a meeting between Sisi and aides have failed—this time. But they will not stop there and will repeat such attempts, and each time they will be greeted by those those who cheer for them either out of ignorance, ambition or fear.