An Open Letter to President Obama from the Center for Egyptian American Relations (CEAR)

An Open Letter to President Obama from the Center for
Egyptian American Relations (CEAR) June 5th 2014

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Dear Mr. President:

On behalf of the Board and the members of the Center of Egyptian American Relations (CEAR),
we write to you to express our serious concern about your administration’s policy towards Egypt.

The White House statement, which was issued on June 4th
 2014, regarding the presidential
election in Egypt has alarmed many of us since it implied that Washington is now willing to deal
normally with General Sisi’s regime. Not only do we believe that he came to power through a
military coup, but Mr. Sisi has ruthlessly excluded the largest political party in that country,
namely the Muslim Brotherhood, from participating in the political process. You previously
criticized Dr. Morsi’s government, and we sided with you then, as we all pointed to his failure in
including other political factions. However, Sisi’s regime is certainly repeating the same mistake,
but in a more brutal way. As a result, he has failed to receive a clear mandate from the Egyptians,
as most voters boycotted what they considered an illegitimate election. In fact, the majority of
the youth in particular, displayed noticeable disinterest and persistent distrust of the so-called
“Road Map”.

As you know, the Egyptians have witnessed since the military coup on July 3rd
 2013, thousands
of deaths, tens of thousands of political detainees, and more than 50,000 injured victims. If this
new regime launches another massacre or continues its escalating violence against individuals or
groups who differ with their policies, we Egyptian Americans, and the whole free world will put
the blame on each government that openly supported, or subtly tolerated General Sisi’s regime,
including our United States of America administration. We are certain that under the current
polarized situation in the region, an iron fist approach will lead to instability and could minimize
any chance for Egypt to continue as a reliable strategic ally for us or an effective peace partner
for Israel. On the other hand, we commend the USA’s demand for transparency and
accountability from General Sisi, but we believe it is not enough. He has yet to commit his
regime to a clear agenda that focuses on priorities like national reconciliation, human rights, or
transitional justice, all of which are essential prerequisites for social peace in the immediate
future.

Under your leadership, we always expect from our government to protect the American vital
interests around the world, while simultaneously ensure that our foreign policies and actions
display the most principled position. Considering the complex nature of the current crisis in
Egypt, this matter is doubly significant. Therefore, we urge you to side with the values of
democracy and to honor the popular will of the people of Egypt who are seeking the basics of
social justice and freedom. The history books show clearly that all these legitimate aspirations
were not achieved under an authoritarian regime or a dictatorial government that violates and
abuses all human rights values.
 0845 Ring Dove Lane, Columbia, MD 21044 Tel: 806-535-8549
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Although we do not claim that we represent all the members of the Egyptian American
community, but we tried our best to express in this letter a major spectrum of their views and
concerns. Finally, we trust that you will use your good office to ensure that tangible and essential
steps are taken in Egypt towards national reconciliation, human rights, and transitional justice,
before normalizing the USA relations with this or any future regime in that country.

Sincerely,

The Board of the Center for Egyptian American Relations (CEAR)

Safei-Eldin Hamed, Ph.D. (Chair)
Ashraf Elsheikh, PT, DPT (Vice-Chair)
Amin Mahmoud, Ph. D. (Treasurer)
Ahmed Saleh, Ph.D. (Secretary)
Hamed Elfeki, MD (Development Officer)
Ahmed Ghobashi, DDS. (Finance Officer)
Mohamed Ibrahim, Ph.D. (Communication Officer)
Mohamed Badran, CPA (Public Relations Officer)
Magdy Hussein, Ph.D. (Strategic Planning Officer)