There was a joke told in Communist Russia that when an American and a Soviet citizen met, the American praised the freedom of expression he had by saying that he could stand in front of the White House and shout ?The President of the United States in an idiot!? and no harm would come to him. The Soviet answered, ?So what? I, too, can safely go to the Kremlin and shout that the President of the United States is an idiot!?
In Egypt, apparently, this joke could just as easily apply. While generally filled with effervescent praise for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the press in the North African state is less kind to United States President George W. Bush. The Hadith al-Madina newspaper, on April 23, carried an ?analysis? of the American president by Dr. ?Adel Sadeq in which the author wrote, among other comments, ?you stupid idiot, you basest man in the world.? This Dr. Sadeq, it should be noted, is the Chairman of the Arab Psychiatrists Association, head of the Department of Psychiatry at 'Ein Shams University in Cairo and was the recipient of the 1990 Egyptian State Prize.
Dr. Sadeq began his ?scholarly? article with the thrust of his thesis: ??you are stupid and understand nothing about what is happening in the world? and if you don't like the word 'stupid,' you are an evil person with an ugly soul.? Later, Dr. Sadeq drew on his personal experience in Egyptian clinics and wrote, ?I do not want to exaggerate by saying that your case is similar to cases I see at the clinic for the mentally retarded. But the truth is, without exaggeration, that your IQ is limited?. According to my personal judgment, and based on my 35 years of experience as a psychiatrist, your IQ is 110, and I challenge anyone who thinks otherwise.? The Egyptian columnist also praised his own prescience in the matter, writing, ?I knew you were stupid long before it became known to the entire world, and before your cronies admitted it.?
The Egyptian psychiatrist detailed the ?evidence? for his conclusion regarding Mr. Bush. ?Your stupidity is reflected in your facial features,? the good doctor relates, ?Your face reminds me of the face of those who frequent a clinic for the mentally retarded. Your gaze is mindless and unfocused. Your eyes are misleading. Your facial expressions are incompatible with the matter [being discussed], and your tone of voice is completely disconnected from the content of your words - a salient characteristic of the mentally retarded.?
Turning to American foreign policy, Dr. Sadeq presented a series of questions to the US President: ?Don't you understand, stupid, that Israel does not want peace? Don't you understand, stupid, that Sharon is a criminal murderer? Don't you understand, stupid, that the interests of your country are in great danger because of your complete bias in favor of Israel? Don't you understand, stupid, that the entire world is now standing against you and the policy of your administration?? This leading Egyptian psychiatrist also praised suicide murderers, although further confirmed his own limp grasp of logic, by writing, ?Don't you understand, stupid, that when a girl of 18 springs blows herself up, this means that her cause is right, and that her people will be victorious sooner or later??
?I don't imagine, stupid, that you understood anything from my article,? concluded the Egyptian psychiatrist, ?as your advisors hide things and thoughts of this kind from you so you will go on thinking you are smart This means that class isn't over yet, you stupid idiot, you basest man in the world.?
[With thanks to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)]
In Egypt, apparently, this joke could just as easily apply. While generally filled with effervescent praise for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the press in the North African state is less kind to United States President George W. Bush. The Hadith al-Madina newspaper, on April 23, carried an ?analysis? of the American president by Dr. ?Adel Sadeq in which the author wrote, among other comments, ?you stupid idiot, you basest man in the world.? This Dr. Sadeq, it should be noted, is the Chairman of the Arab Psychiatrists Association, head of the Department of Psychiatry at 'Ein Shams University in Cairo and was the recipient of the 1990 Egyptian State Prize.
Dr. Sadeq began his ?scholarly? article with the thrust of his thesis: ??you are stupid and understand nothing about what is happening in the world? and if you don't like the word 'stupid,' you are an evil person with an ugly soul.? Later, Dr. Sadeq drew on his personal experience in Egyptian clinics and wrote, ?I do not want to exaggerate by saying that your case is similar to cases I see at the clinic for the mentally retarded. But the truth is, without exaggeration, that your IQ is limited?. According to my personal judgment, and based on my 35 years of experience as a psychiatrist, your IQ is 110, and I challenge anyone who thinks otherwise.? The Egyptian columnist also praised his own prescience in the matter, writing, ?I knew you were stupid long before it became known to the entire world, and before your cronies admitted it.?
The Egyptian psychiatrist detailed the ?evidence? for his conclusion regarding Mr. Bush. ?Your stupidity is reflected in your facial features,? the good doctor relates, ?Your face reminds me of the face of those who frequent a clinic for the mentally retarded. Your gaze is mindless and unfocused. Your eyes are misleading. Your facial expressions are incompatible with the matter [being discussed], and your tone of voice is completely disconnected from the content of your words - a salient characteristic of the mentally retarded.?
Turning to American foreign policy, Dr. Sadeq presented a series of questions to the US President: ?Don't you understand, stupid, that Israel does not want peace? Don't you understand, stupid, that Sharon is a criminal murderer? Don't you understand, stupid, that the interests of your country are in great danger because of your complete bias in favor of Israel? Don't you understand, stupid, that the entire world is now standing against you and the policy of your administration?? This leading Egyptian psychiatrist also praised suicide murderers, although further confirmed his own limp grasp of logic, by writing, ?Don't you understand, stupid, that when a girl of 18 springs blows herself up, this means that her cause is right, and that her people will be victorious sooner or later??
?I don't imagine, stupid, that you understood anything from my article,? concluded the Egyptian psychiatrist, ?as your advisors hide things and thoughts of this kind from you so you will go on thinking you are smart This means that class isn't over yet, you stupid idiot, you basest man in the world.?
[With thanks to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)]