I cannot agree more with Amr Darrag’s opinion on the failure of the Egyptian government – shown in extravagant projects that were meant to lift President Sisi’s status rather than serve the population and in the establishment of an autocratic regime that has seen an abundance of human rights violations (If Sisi’s brutality in Egypt continues, the results could be dire for Europe, 11 February). And it is likely, in light of the proposals for a constitutional amendment, that Sisi will be in office until 2034.

However, the call for the west to address the autocracy of Sisi’s government is problematic. Democracy is established and sustained by collective action, and can only thrive when people are able to be force themselves into the conversation and the decision-making process. Thus, democracy can be imagined differently in different countries and can often be used to reject rather than affirm western values.

Egypt is far from any form of democracy. However, stating that Europe is the “world’s bastion of democracy” only helps to reinforce centuries-old colonial assumptions of democracy being a western preserve. Moreover, the call for western interference can reinforce neocolonial notions of western democracies being models that all countries should aspire to. Perhaps a call for an organised movement to challenge the failures and atrocities of the current system would have been more appropriate.

Youssef Farrag

Queen Mary University of London

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