7 situations firm leader’s humanitarian side dominated

CAIRO – 18 June 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, who has placed terrorism combat with ‘brutal’ force on top of his priorities, did not keep his merciful side concealed. Instead, some humanitarian situations for Sisi have left many of his regular critics speechless.

Releasing debtors

President Sisi announced Friday that he has ordered the Interior Ministry to release all imprisoned debtors after paying all their debts through Tahya Misr fund, asserting the importance of spending Eid Al-Fitr with their families.

“We will always strive to uphold the human dignity and implement the necessary measures to preserve social protection to reduce such phenomena that negatively affect social stability,” Sisi said on his official Facebook account on Friday.

A total of 690 debtors, as part of a presidential initiative called “Prisons with Debtors” aiming to release all debtors landing behind bars by paying off their debts (LE 30 million= $1.685 million) through Tahya Misr (Long Live Egypt) fund. Friday marked the first day of Eid Al-Fitr (a religious feast celebrated by Muslims worldwide, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.)

Pardoning prisoners

On Friday, A total of 2,110 prisoners were released per a presidential pardon, while 677 others were out on conditional release. The decision to release the prisoners on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr was published in the Gazette last week.

In May, the Interior Ministry's prison department pardoned 447 prisoners on the occasion of Sinai Liberation Day.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the prison department also found 473 inmates qualified for release on parole. The Egyptian government frequently pardons prisoners during national celebrations.

President Sisi also pardoned About 332 prisoners in May. The pardon list included youths and prisoners with health problems.


Prisoners meet their families after being released per presidential pardon on first day of Eid Al-Fitr on June 15, 2018 - Hazim Abdel Samad/Egypt Today
In October 2016, President Sisi announced the formation of a presidential pardon committee, headed by political thinker, Osama al-Ghazaly Harb, for pardoning detainees with charges pending further investigation.

In November 2016, Sisi declared the first presidential pardon list, pardoning 82 detainees, including TV presenter and religious thinker Islam al-Behery, who was charged with “contempt of Islam”.

A second pardon list was declared in March 2017, pardoning 203 detainees. The list included five journalists, according to Masrawy news outlet. In June 2017, Sisi announced pardoning 502 detainees.

On the anniversary of October 6 War, 244 Egyptian prisoners regained their freedom after receiving a pardon by a presidential decree.

Opening Rafah crossing

President Sisi directed in May to take the necessary measures to keep the Rafah Border Crossing open throughout the holy month of Ramadan.

“I issued directives to take the necessary measures to keep the Rafah Border crossing open throughout the holy month of Ramadan in a bid to relieve some of the burdens suffered by our brothers in the Gaza strip,” the Egyptian leader posted on Facebook and Twitter.

On May 14, Egypt dispatched humanitarian aid, food, relief and medical supplies to Gaza while keeping the Rafah crossing open for individuals and those injured in the Israeli attacks on the strip.

Former Minister of Health Ahmed Emad Eddine said he has been "instructed by the political leadership" to receive the Palestinians injured during the Israeli aggression and treat them in Egyptian hospitals.


Egypt sends aid and medical convoys to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, Tuesday, May 22 – Press photo
The Rafah crossing is mainly specialized for individual movements across borders, and was being prepared for the transfer of goods between the two courtiers.

The importance of Rafah Border Crossing increased after Israeli forces destroyed Yasser Arafat International Airport in 2001; which was the only airport allowing Palestinians to travel.


Palestinians gather at the Rafah boder crossing as they wait to travel into Egypt after the passage is opened for three days for humanitarian cases, in the southern Gaza Strip April 12, 2018. / AFP / SAID KHATIB
Palestinian authorities thanked Egypt for continuously opening the crossing in a statement issued February 21, stressing that the decision represents the Egyptian government’s keenness to ease the Palestinian people’s suffering.

Celebrating with martyrs’ families

Sisi attended on Friday celebrations of Eid Al-Fitr with the families of the nation's martyrs. The president welcomed the martyrs' children and families telling them he was waiting to meet them on this day.

During the celebrations, Sisi said that Egypt will not forget the martyrs' sons and daughters, adding that those martyrs laid down their lives for the sake of the homeland so that 100 million Egyptians could live in peace and security.

In many occasions along his 4-year term, President Sisi appeared hugging martyrs’ children.

Honoring a working woman

After a photo of a working woman called Mona al-Sayed pulling a heavy cart in Alexandria circulated social media, President Sisi received the woman in late 2016 at Al-Ettihadeya Palace, and awarded her the Innovation Award for Youth.

Sayed is one of many Egyptian women who do rough jobs commonly carried out by strong men because they cannot find another source of income to provide for their families.

Later in April 2017, President Sisi offered the lady a Suzuki van to enable her to do her job easily.

Supporting Egyptian women, President Sisi appeared wiping the tears of an Egyptian woman during a ceremony to grant ideal women medals on the occasion marking Mother's Day.


President Sisi wipes tears of an Egyptian woman, March, 2017 – screenshot of the national TV channel
Stopping for a woman

During a youth conference held in Aswan in January 2017, President Sisi has reportedly stopped his presidential parade to listen to a woman complaining.

President Sisi appeared listening to the woman and ordering one of the men accompanying him to follow up her problems.

Meeting cancer patients

During his first term, Sisi met with Ahmed Yasser, a child who had suffered leukemia, upon the latter’s wish to meet the president. During their meeting in 2015, Yasser gave Sisi a copy of the Holy Quran as a symbol of love and gratitude.

In August 2015, President Sisi fulfilled the dream of a nine-year old cancer patient to meet him while dressed in the military uniform.

During the opening ceremony of the New Suez Canal, young Omar Salah appeared accompanying president Sisi on-board Al-Mahrousa presidential yacht while waving the Egyptian flag.


President Sisi accompanies Omar Salah, a cancer patient in the opening ceremony of the New Suez Canal, August, 2015.
In January 2017, Sisi inaugurated the main stage of the renovations of the Armed Forces Medical Complex in Maadi, south of Cairo, that is set to include a new cancer/oncology hospital, the largest of its kind in the Middle East, with a total capacity of 400 beds.

The complex is also set to include a laboratory with the latest technology to accurately examine tumors.