My bet is 5 million this time, and I will announce final directions for the demonstration on September 19
My movement comes based on economic and other crises linked to the Renaissance Dam and the demolition of Egyptian homes
There is a state of ferment within the Egyptian army over Sisi's actions
If the people go down on September 20, Sisi will be out of power
There is no communication between me and the opposition factions inside or outside Egypt
Actor Mohamed Ali stuck to his new call to demonstrate on September 20, stressing that Egyptians going out to the streets would bring down President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
In his interview with Al-Jazeera Net, Muhammad Ali reveals the reasons for his repetition of the call to demonstrate against Sisi, which caused a stir on the same day last year, and resulted in a widespread campaign of arrests.
He stressed that he is moving according to several crises that sparked the anger of the Egyptians, the first of which is economic, the second is linked to the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and the third is the law of reconciliation in building violations, and said that "there is very great hope for the exit of the Egyptian people in the September 20 demonstrations" next Sunday.
He pointed out that there has been an escalating movement in Egypt for days, and also the spread of hashtags demanding Al-Sisi to leave, calling on Egyptians to go out in the streets and not return until after Sisi has gone.
He explained that he would announce what must be done a day before the demonstrations, adding, "If 5 million went to the streets, no one would be arrested at all. Last time, the demonstrators returned to their homes, which made it easier for the regime to arrest them."
The following is the text of the interview:
You have previously announced your retirement from the political scene after the failure of calling for demonstrations on the last anniversary of the January revolution. Does this not make you lose the credibility of the new return, which some see as unclear?
Looking at last January 25, you will find a clear confusion on the part of the regime, as it brought forward the date of the police ceremony and gathered thousands of people in Cairo Stadium and brought singers to disrupt the call for demonstrations, and the police distributed sweets to citizens for fear of demonstrations.
But the attempts to suppress and intimidate the people, made some fear control him, and my withdrawal from the scene came to the end of the role, and I refused to continue appearing, because I am not a media person who appears to offer advice or publish what is happening.
My appearance again and the return to the scene came due to an economic crisis that occurred in the world following the repercussions of the Corona virus, and I saw how the regime dealt with the crisis of the spread of the virus, and I found that Sisi and his regime were killing the people while claiming to take precautionary measures.
I had to go out and tell him no, you are killing people like this.
On September 20 of last year, thousands took to the streets, so I call to demonstrate on the same day, in order to renew the vow on this day and not call for a different day.
Is there a clear plan for the upcoming September 20 demonstrations?
I will announce the day before the demonstrations what the demonstrators should do, but there is no detailed plan to take to the streets, for the demonstrators who went out in the Mansheya area in Alexandria several days ago, no one has drawn up a plan for them to demonstrate, which also happened in several areas.
Also, the demonstrations of September 20 last year did not have a plan, but as soon as they went to the street, the demonstrators moved according to their vision of the situation, there is no such thing as plans for a popular movement, so I am not convinced of this, and I did not succeed when I tried to do it in the last January 25 demonstrations. .
Are you not afraid of the failure of the call to demonstrate again?
I am not worried this time that the people will not respond to my call. I tell the demonstrators, when you go down and find your numbers are large, move and do not allow the security to arrest any of you.
What if Muhammad Ali's call to demonstrate failed?
I will not lose, I am a citizen sad for his homeland, and the next is worse and we will continue and see, but I will remain with the people and I will continue to resist until God permits to spend my life. I will also play with the system, and it is possible for me to disappear and appear again based on the requirements of each stage.
Isn't Muhammad Ali afraid that it may be the cause of the increase in the number of detainees in Egypt?
Absolutely, last time the demonstrators returned to their homes, which made it easier for the regime to arrest them, but if the people go down this time, they will not return to their homes except with the departure of Sisi and his regime, if only 5 million come down, no one will be able to stop the people, but if the people do not respond, they will come down. The army is on the street, imposes curfews, and implements demolition and removal decisions, and everyone fears friction between the people and the army, which will lead to the collapse of the army, and this is what the officers confirm to me again and again.
What are the goals of your call this time, is the departure of the system only?
My call this year differs from the previous one, as last year I did not imagine that the people would respond and take part in massive demonstrations, so it was random and the protesters returned to their homes, which made it easier for the security authorities to arrest this large number, with the aim of spreading fear of descending again, and therefore What is different this time is that the demonstrators went out on September 20 and did not return to their homes until the departure of Sisi and his regime.
Is there a clear plan if Sisi is gone?
Yes, the post-Sisi plan exists and was announced before the demonstrations of last January 25, and I repeat that the people are the decision-makers, choosing a government and parliament that truly represents the people, and then electing the president of the republic. Nothing.
There are those who seek to discourage the demonstrators and frighten them from the stage after the departure of Sisi, whether the Brotherhood returns to power, or the military takeover again to rule the country, but the Egyptian people have learned the people from their previous experiences, and they will not accept to go back again.
Do you really expect the regime to leave, or are you only trying to embarrass and embarrass it in front of the world?
The Sisi regime will leave the people going to the street, and if the people respond to the September 20 call, Sisi will not be in power on September 21, especially since there is congestion within the army, and this I announced more than once, and officers from within the army contacted me, but fear controls them. Because Sisi is the supreme leader, and the major leaderships hear his words, and if the officers act alone, their move will be like a military coup, so what new have we done?
But when the people go to the street, and the people's demand is that Sisi should leave, then the army intervenes to fulfill the people's call and does not turn militarily, and thus the scene in front of the world is real and not fabricated.
What changed after a year for Muhammad Ali to repeat his call?
The situation differed from last year, especially in two main points, namely the collapse of the economy and the Renaissance Dam crisis, which represents the greatest danger to Egypt, and indeed this is what happened as the economy continues to collapse, especially since Sisi increases foreign debts for the sake of fake projects, and the people have not seen any return from them. For 7 years.
Also, Ethiopia has completed the first phase of the Renaissance Dam and started filling the reservoir without waiting for the conclusion of negotiations, so where is Sisi and his regime from the Renaissance Dam?
No one talks about the crisis. Rather, the regime seeks to occupy the people with side matters.
Also, the government issued a law of reconciliation and removal of the homes of people, especially the poor, which proves that Sisi is only seeking to drain the pockets of Egyptians.
This is what invited me to address the people, as conditions in the country have deteriorated considerably from last year.
In your opinion, what prevents the Egyptians from leaving massively despite the escalation of their complaints?
What has prevented the people from going out in recent years is the oppression and intimidation practiced by the Sisi regime using the police, but Sisi has a sense of the collapse of the police, especially with the scenes of people confronting the security forces while trying to demolish homes, so Sisi preempted the matter and threatened the army to take to the streets to implement his plan to remove violations Construction, indicating government confusion.
There are reports issued by the General and Military Intelligence and the Military Intelligence, as well as the Ministry of the Interior, explaining to Sisi the extent of the anger in the street, and Sisi himself has repeatedly announced his follow-up to communication sites that reflect popular tension, and the prime minister went out more than once in the past days, to try to ease this tension and absorb the anger. Al-Shaabi, emphasizing on reducing the value of reconciliation and reviewing the law and procedures.
There is very great hope that the Egyptian people will exit the demonstrations of September 20, especially with the escalation of the movement during the past days, and the spread of opposition hashtags.
There were your disagreements with some of the opposition factions last year. Do they still exist or have the situation changed, and is there serious communication between you?
These differences are a very healthy phenomenon, especially with the exchange of different points of view, and all the opposition factions have all the respect and appreciation, and my relationship with them all ended as soon as I got out of the scene.
And now I am addressing the Egyptian people alone, and the opposition appeared on January 25, and on the anniversary of June 30, when Sisi dismantled the opposition and arrested those inside, so there is no real party with masses in the Egyptian street now.
Are you communicating with the Brotherhood now, and do you expect them to respond to your invitation?
During the current period, there is no contact between me and the opposition leaders, whether inside or outside Egypt, but last year I got to know them and spoke to some of them, but after I got out of the scene, I did not contact anyone.
Everyone is supposed to respond to my call to demonstrate on September 20, with the Brotherhood’s supporters at heart, as the prisons are filled with thousands of opponents, and the Brotherhood has more than 60,000 detainees in prisons, and it is certain that they are trying to get them out.
Is your move now linked to the Egyptian regime's attempts to extradite you via Interpol?
Calling me to demonstrate will not stop my claims for my extradition to Interpol, and whether or not my appearance will change the case, but the September 20 movement, if it succeeds, then surely no one will be able to touch me.
And the Spanish government knows how to enter the country legally, and it is a country that respects human rights, and all I asked for was a lawyer in order to carry out legal procedures with the Spanish government, and indeed I contracted with the largest law firms.
What is your expectation of the regime's reaction towards you, your family, and supporters of your invitation?
The regime has been imprisoned in the past and will be imprisoned again, but it is very confused and is trying to give any housing to the people so that the demonstrations do not go out, and then resume repression and intimidation again, so the only solution for all of us to get relief from this nightmare is to go to the street to remove this system and get out of the prisons Our life and country will become better.
Finally, do you have a message for the Egyptian people?
Oh Lord, we break the fear inside us and join together and unite together in order to break this nightmare, so the people’s descent on September 20 will be written in history to help Egypt.