The Rosetta spacecraft landed successfully and for the first time on the surface of a comet in an historic moment for humanity, as was described by the president of the European Space Research Center. The spacecraft will help us study the basic elements that originated life on Earth.
But our media did not care much about this historic achievement, which made the headlines in all world news, although there were Egyptian scientists who took part in it. For our media only cares about gossip and scandals.
The Egyptian scientists are: Ramy al-Meary, 35, Ahmed al-Shafei, 28, Essam Heggy, 39, and Essam Marouf, 56.
Heggy, who also was the former presidential advisor for scientific affairs, said: “It pleases me and my colleagues to dedicate this achievement to our youth at home who can contribute to the largest and most complex scientific challenges. For ambitions, hopes and dreams were broken by voices of ignorance and hatred that built a temple for frustration and a fortress for ignorance. I wonder if the stars in the sky are closer to us than the soil of our homeland.”
Heggy was insulted and even accused of treason when he criticized the military's "AIDS-curing device" that has embarrassed Egypt with an international scientific scandal, while the drummers of hypocrisy and ignorance in the media praised it desperately. The days then proved that it was a farce that disappointed millions of ordinary Egyptians who clung to the hope of healing.
You can feel the bitterness in Heggy’s words about the priorities of the media in Egypt, which reflects the overall situation in the country. If this country had respect for scientists, it would have honored those four. But our media is busy searching for gossip and scandals and the personal life of this celebrity or the other.
I remember that ugly woman who attacked Heggy for days, accusing him of being an agent for the West because he told the supporters of ignorance and lovers of superstition and hypocrisy to spare Egypt such tampering. And I remember the face of that accidental TV presenter with his idiotic ideas when he said Heggy works for the Brotherhood and must not be allowed to return to Egypt.
Heggy is gone, and thousands of genius minds are also gone, while the drummers of hypocrisy are still here, screaming at us with a superstition that pulls our nation backwards and foments discord in society.
Forgive us Essam Heggy, for you are not a subject for gossip for the media to be interested in your news. Do not pay attention to us because we here in this quagmire worship ignorance. You and your colleagues go ahead with your scientific endeavor and hope this country may benefit from your knowledge one day.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
