A group of Egyptian businessmen are planning a visit to the United States following the Eid al-Fitr vacation to explain the facts related to the 30 June revolt which prompted the army to oust president Mohamed Morsy from office.
The removal of Morsy has drawn mixed international reaction, with some countries deeming it a military coup and others supporting it as a response to popular demands.
Mohamed Qassim, chairman of the Ready-Made Garments Export Council, said “the council intends to organize the visit for the second half of September, coinciding with the US Congress’s return to session after the summer vacation.”
He added that the delegation will seek to “clarify that what happened on 30 June was no military coup, but rather a popular rejection of Muslim Brotherhood rule.” Qassim added that the visitors will explain that the “people’s taking to the street was a normal reaction to the president’s violation of the constitution and negligence of state institutions.”
Hany Qassis, who is in charge of Egyptian affairs at the US-Egypt Business Council, stressed that although the council rejects getting involved in politics, “all we are seeking is to boost commercial and investment relations with the US,” adding that he appreciates the “improvement in the US’s tone concerning what happened in Egypt”, but saying that this improvement was still insufficient.
"There should be results on the ground, such as providing urgent financial aid to Egypt, as many Arab states have, as well as ceasing to make negative comments in Washington.”
Magdy Tolba, a member at the Ready-Made Garments Export Council, said that there have been “individual endeavours by businessmen after the 30 June revolt to clarify the reality of the situation by contacting institutions and corporation heads abroad.” He added that he receives “calls almost daily assuring [him] of the safety of the domestic situation and the possibility of visiting the country for business or for tourism."
If protests are staged or roads are blocked in one district in Cairo, that does not mean that life has stopped, Tolba said. He urged restoring calm to the domestic situation immediately, warning that “workers at factories have become worn out following up on events everyday, which has affected productivity.”
Last week, Minister of Trade and Industry Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour asked members of the US Chamber of Commerce to play an active role in reporting to various foreign business organizations the real story of the conditions in Egypt.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
