Egypt is my mother
Her Nile is in my blood
Her sun is in my tan
Her face is in my features
Even my color is that of wheat
The color of your harvest, Egypt
These are not my words, but those of a song known to every Egyptian around my age. We all know it well and probably sang it at school at some point. It has always brought filled us with enthusiasm to make this country the best place on earth.
A couple of weeks ago, I walked into a bookstore famous for its good choice of what to put on its shelves. I found a book that I have seen standing in the same place of the display for months. It’s titled “Egypt is not my mother, … she’s my stepmother.” I knew that the author was using the song I told you about and he was sure that everyone would recognize it. I didn’t quite understand what he meant by the stepmother part or by the picture he chose for the front cover.
I bought the book. It’s a collection of short articles which the author decided to compile in one book. After reading a couple of them, I started to understand why he realized that Egypt was his stepmother.
Last Thursday, I was driving my cousins home late in the evening. There was a traffic jam in an unusual spot of the city. When I approached the end of the street I saw that the reason was a ‘lagna’ – literally means a committee or a checkpoint and Egyptians call it a ‘kamiin’ –ambush. In the traffic world of Egypt, it means that a couple of middle or high ranked traffic police officers and a number of soldiers have parked their cars to do one of two things: 1- to comb the area looking for a suspect, or 2- to check everyone’s licenses (!) which should be OK.
It was a kamiin of the second type.
I approached the soldier and he asked for both the car and my driver’s license. I handed them to him and, seeing that they were fine, he kept them and walked to the front of my car and bent over to check whatever.
He handed the licenses to the officer who was already holding enough of them. Because Egypt is my mother, she’s taught me what to do in these situations. I parked the car and walked over to the officer.
“Kheir? Hope things are OK. Can I have the licenses back?”
“No.”
“What’s wrong with them?”
“Obliteration of numbers on the plate.”
I didn’t respond. I left him surrounded by the many motorists who were begging him to get their licenses back. I walked to my car and did as the soldier did earlier. Numbers on the plate perfectly readable if you are standing a month away. The plate is bent at the bottom due to driving on the blessed bumpy streets of Cairo.
“There’s nothing wrong with the plate.”
“We don’t think the same.”
Okay. Now I understand. Ramadan is almost there and they need some money to go grocery shopping. Egypt, my mother, also taught me this and told me that if I argue with this officer I might end up being beaten up at some point or maybe go home with a smashed car and still with no licenses in hand.
“What do I need to do?”
“Pay 150 pound now or we keep the license and you collect them later from the traffic department.”
“I’ll pay now.”
I got the money and waited for my turn to pay.
Despite all the hatred my heart has for Egyptian police officers, I found myself looking at his face trying to have eye contact with him. I wanted to tell him what my mouth couldn’t utter. I wanted to ask him when the last time he had a good night’s sleep was or if ever ate food bought with blessed money. I wanted to tell him that he would be another reason why I want to leave this country although I love it more that he did. I wanted him to see the cold anger that was boiling inside me.
He never lifted his eyes off the receipt book. He handed me my receipt, both licenses, and the change.
“Thank you,” he said and I was now sure that he was not fully an Egyptian police officer yet. There was a trace of conscience somewhere between his ribs, which was not enough, though, to stop him from turning a deaf ear to all the voices around him.
Back in the car I looked at the receipt and it read:
(.. and they paid the minimum fine for ‘changing the shape of the plate’). Oh, great. He didn’t even have that trace.
And yes, I now think that Egypt to him is definitely a mother who, to me, has started to feel like a inhumane stepmother.
10 comments:
Hello,
I could feel your every word. And although I'm not Egyption, my blood started to boil. I pity him, sincerely. I thought, ok maybe he desperately needs this to feed his family. But how about all those poor people having to pay a fine ?
I guess this type of bribery is going to become more intense in the few days before Ramadan. How un-religious.
I was wondering, what if you had looked at the receipt before and insisted on the spot to have him write down: 1. the exact amount paid, 2. his name, rank and ID police number, 3. the exact description of the problem. And then take a picture of your plate, and then go complain. I know it would be useless, but if there was enough people complaining, they couldn't do that as often. There ould be a movement (like a root NGO for organised actions like this against corruption).
Egypt can still be a mother. Unfortunately, she's locked in and kept silent by a tough husband.
Well, sounds like a good plan. It could only work if I wanted to post an entry on how they will treat me when I go complain.
Police stations here are more unsafe than streets. I am serious. I wouldn't go there unless it's a matter of life or death.
You were wondering what if I had looked at the receipt and "insisted on the spot to have him write down ..." This is next to impossible. You can't HAVE an officer do what you want. You will be provoking something you can't deal with unless you have an acquaintance who is of a higher rank and can support you later.
Long story, no?
Lawyers ? Don't they exist ? On the spot, it amounts to the policeman stealing. Or he could also be anybody with a police hat posing as a policeman. Even in Egypt, I believe there are laws. The police officer do not count on anyone protesting or making a fuss, they count on people shutting up, and on intimidation.
I'm trying to account for realities, and being realistic.
Here's a probale sequence. At any moment do not forget that YOU HAVE THE LAW ON YOUR SIDE, and don't appear intimidated. Do not escalate, watch your language, and if possible start recording the conversation. Here's how it could go.
Believe me, the first resistance they encounter, they will start to be puzzle about whether it's worth losing their job over it, next you'll see the people around the scene taking your side, next you grab your telephone, and threaten to call a lawyer on the spot (really, have a number ready, someone specialized in anti-corruption activism, from an NGO).
You threaten to have the legitimacy of his ID checked by an internal affairs department called by the lawyer.
You take very clearly a note of his badge number on a notepad, and any visible identification of his rank or name on his shirt, note time and exact place.
You do this, and I GUARANTEE he'll start backing off already, and you have broken no rule, nor insulted him.
Make sure there are people around, watching, stay on the phone, with a real lawyer (better) or pretending to be with him.
At this stage, he'll either: back off his demand for bribe and ask you to leave, or he will comply with your demand to have his ID clearly written on the receipt, along with the exact amount asked for and the description of the problem.
If he does so (which he won't), then you tell him you're going right away to an authority to show your car and make sure he's actually right, otherwise you'll file a complait against him.
Again; you may not believe me now, but the bribery system, anywhere, relies on INTIMIDATION only. It's a bluff. Since you have the law on your side, you have the better cards. Bribery loves people who bow their heads and want no fuss, no exposition. As long as you keep things out in the open, and clear and loud, he will back off.
Their weak point is also that THEY fear losing their precious job, and being exposed.
Think it over.
Thank you for the plan. I am sorry to tell you that this is impossible to work out.
First, what I paid was not a bribe. A bribe would have been 50 pounds going to his pocket. I took a receipt which means all the money he collected should go into the safe of the police department.
Secondly, who is going to judge if the numbers on my plate were not clear? Someone who is eligible to judge = a police officer. If I got half the population on my side saying that the plate was ok, he would still be the one to decide and ask me to pay the fine.
Thirdly, the whole NGO lawyer and him feeling threatened thing, I'm sorry to tell you, happen only in American movies. They might happen here if it were a matter of national security of if I got assaulted by an officer, but not for wrongly accusing me of changing the form of a car plate.
The LAW on my side?? Which law? The one they excute? I told you. Egypt is his mother and not mine.
Ana Masry kaman, and I'm telling you: IT CAN WORK. It's like poker, like chess, it's all about bluffing and intimidation. As long as you refuse to take the offensive side, you'll pay, forever. Try once, and it might work. You have nothing to lose. Change the rule of the game, and he'll be unsettled. At least try.
"it might work.
You have nothing to lose.
Change the rule of the game, and he'll be unsettled.
At least try."
I would have loved to believe you are Masry :))
I don't think this is what you would tell your sistr, wife, gf, or mom to do.
You know it and you said it "might" work.
You know I have a lot to lose. I'd lose my dignity, for example, if I try to argue with this officer. A high possibility is me and my family being called names and nothing still would change.
I am not as negative as I might sound to you. I just know the reality of the situation.
Things that work the way you have suggested are very few. A couple of police officers got suspended for violating human rights and torturing a suspect at a police station. This was only possible because they were stupid enough to video record the whole thing. Unless you have a case that strong, you gain nothing but humiliation for yourself and your family.
Point taken. I am masry at heart, at least :)) But: maybe if you try with a man with you, you'll feel safer, and the idea is to make it loud, obvious to the crowd, never crossing the dignity barrier, never to use foul language, and always stick to the written rule. The only one who actually loses their dignity is the police officer if they use foul language, and if they abuse the law.
If you actually have to pay a fine, because your licence plate is damaged, so be it, but at least you did everything right.
I'm pretty sure of these asumptions, and that if you do apply a minimum of resistance, some of the abusive policemen may back down. Maybe not all of them. And I tend to think that the fact you're a woman is an advantage rather than an inconvenience: a policeman will be less prone to insult you.
I know you don't believe me right now, but this is the way to deal with corrupt policemen. It takes very little, and can be very polite. All they rely upon is people's compliance.
I can feel you are Masry at heart and you care for Masr.
The discussion we have had makes me nothing but more frustrated. This is because the right things seems so obvious to everyone but can't be done.
You think I don't know what you're talking about? Well, I do.
It would take the two of us to search for a police 'kamiin' and try what you're saying. Unfortunately, I am not willing to do this becuase I know that what you're saying is the beautiful theory and what we experience here on the streets is the reality.
The issue is much more than just a policeman. It's a whole corrupt system, which will take a whole blog dedicated to the stories of this corruption. So let's not ...
I'm sorry and a bit sad to hear that. But you think because I'm not Masry I don't know what I'm talking about, or have no valid point to make. And you assume that because you're Masreyya you do not need to hear a different point of view.
Believe me I have some experience of corrupt systems, in countries where it's always expected of you to pay, especially if you are a foreigner (Egypt is like that too), otherwise you won't get your stamp/paper, etc.
Bottom line: there are always two ways to react. To pay or to TRY not to pay.
This does not depend which country you are from. Here's the ballad of John, Bill and Ahmad.
Ahmad the Egyptian may consider that it's worth trying to stop perpetuating the system. TRYING. Avoiding being at risk too.
The same discussion always happens among foreigners: John refuses to pay and will try every possible thing to make the theft from a policeman as difficult as possible. It may work, OR NOT. But he'll try.
When it does not work, and John has to pay anyways, his American friend Bill comes to him: "Look, I told you: this is the way it works here, just pay. This is Egypt"
Then Ahmad the Egyptian friend comes in, and he says: "No, do NOT pay, because this is NOT how Egypt is meant to be, it's my country and we actually also have standards. Egyptians have the same right as Americans or Europeans to live in a less corrupt system than that, we are no different than you, and as worthy. We can be empowered too, and some of us refuse to pay without asking for all the proper certificates to file a complaint. Even if it works only after 10, 20 times, it's amatter of principle and one day it will work. Bill, when you pay, you fuel the system, and you make it easy for them to continue asking for more: you're not helping Egypt either, and you have a very low opinion of what our standards are, and what we want for this country".
John: "Bill you say you know this country better than me, but in fact you don't love it, you think it deserves less than our country... That's really not nice :)"
Egypt is your country just as it is mine.
I never said you have no valid point. I am saying you're mixing two issues here.
I don't encourage bribery. This is what I fight. If the police officer had asked me to pay a $200 fine (or give him LE 100 bribe) I would have still paid the fine and got a receipt.
The situation I had is different: a policeman wrongly accuses me of changing the plate and no one but him can decide.
This is what I am telling you can't be fixed. The whole system supports him as the decision maker, whether he's right or wrong.
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