Egyptian billionaire and businessman Naguib Sawiris launched an attack on the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918-1970), whose 105th birthday marked yesterday, Sunday, January 15, 2023.

Sawiris criticized what he called "the disappearance of freedom in the era of Abdel Nasser," asking, "Where was Egypt's dignity when Abdel Nasser imprisoned and tortured opponents? And where was Egypt's dignity in his adventures and defeats in Yemen, and the disaster of 67 when we lost Sinai and our army returned broken?"

Where was Egypt's dignity when he imprisoned and tortured dissidents?

Where was the dignity of Egypt in its adventures and defeats in Yemen and the disaster of 67 when we lost Sinai and our army returned broken from Sinai?

Where was Egypt's dignity and freedom disappeared during his reign?

And the socialist system proved its abject failure in the whole world, and communism fell in Russia https://t.co/am7DIQvN0P

- Naguib Sawiris (@NaguibSawiris) January 15, 2023

Sawiris' attack on Abdel Nasser aroused the ire of the journalist and member of Parliament, Mustafa Bakri, who is known for his Nasserist orientation, calling on Sawiris to a televised debate during which he refutes "lies and allegations about Abdel Nasser," as he put it.

Engineer Naguib Sawiris has the right to criticize the late leader Gamal Abdel Nasser as he pleases, and he has the right to vent his hatred on every occasion.

He came out again on the anniversary of the late leader's birthday to re-publish his lies about Abdel Nasser, and instead of gossip, I invite him to a TV interview on any channel he chooses to discuss about

- Mustafa Bakry (@BakryMP) January 16, 2023

His claims, and I announce my readiness from today for this debate. What do you think, engineer? If you agree, I think that you are convinced of what you say and you have the evidence and the information. But if you do not agree, then I will consider what you say as mere fanfare that does not deserve a response!!!

- Mustafa Bakry (@BakryMP) January 16, 2023

The media exchange between Sawiris and Bakri came after a tweet by Hassan Nafaa, a professor of political science at Cairo University, in which he asked about the reasons for Abdel Nasser's strong presence in the conscience of Egyptians, despite his great defeat in the 1967 war and the passage of more than a century since his birth.

Nafaa attributed the reasons for this to "the purity of the late president's hand, his bias towards the poor and the middle class, and his concern for Egypt's dignity and prestige."

Today marks the anniversary of Abdel Nasser's birth, and despite the passage of more than a century since his birth, and more than half a century since his departure, and despite his great defeat in 67, the man is still strongly present in the hearts of Egyptians.

So why?

I think it is purity of hand, siding with the poor and the middle class, and keenness on Egypt's dignity and prestige.

what do you think

- Hassan Nafaa (@hassanafaa) January 15, 2023

On December 29, 2022, a verbal exchange took place between Sawiris and Egyptian media figures, including Amr Adeeb and Mustafa Bakri, as he described them as "drumpers", referring to their absolute support for the regime, which aroused their anger and clashed with him in a verbal battle on the communication sites.

We did not gain from drumming as much as you gained from drumming you, Naguib. It is possible that our drumming had sounds, but your drumming had towers and dollars.

- Amr Adib (@Amradib) December 29, 2022

Brother Naguib Sawiris accuses me and others of drumming for the state, and I do not know what is the concept of drumming for the engineer, for example, is pride in our great army considered drumming?

- Mustafa Bakry (@BakryMP) December 30, 2022

Jamal Abdulnasser

Gamal Abdel Nasser was born on January 15, 1918, in the Bacchus neighborhood of Alexandria, to a family of common people whose roots go back to the town of Bani Mur in the Assiut Governorate, in southern Egypt.

He grew up and learned in Alexandria and Cairo, joined the Military College in 1937, and graduated as an officer in 1938. He was appointed to the infantry in Assiut and Alexandria, and worked in Sudan before being appointed as a teacher at the Staff College.

Abdel Nasser participated in the Palestine War in 1948, when his squad was besieged in the Fallujah area.

He believed in Arab nationalism and worked to promote the principles of Arab unity.

After Major General Muhammad Naguib, the first president of Egypt after the revolution, was dismissed and placed under house arrest in 1954, Abdel Nasser assumed the premiership, then was chosen president of the republic on June 25, 1956, and in the same year he announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal, and he managed to achieve unity between Egypt and Syria in 1956. 1958, but soon her contract broke up in 1961.

His reign was characterized by the absence of political pluralism and his collision with multiple political currents, the most important of which was the Muslim Brotherhood, whom he accused of conspiring against him, and considered them a prohibited entity and imprisoned, tortured and executed many of their leaders.

During his rule, Egypt suffered a setback on June 5, 1967, after which Israel seized the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip, which was under Egyptian rule, and the West Bank, which belonged to Jordan, and the Syrian Golan.

Abdel Nasser died on September 28, 1970 in Cairo, after 18 years in power, to be ruled by his deputy, Muhammad Anwar Sadat.