Action, Anyone?

It’s been six days since the Port Said massacre in which 75 football fans senselessly lost their lives. While some may argue that six days are not sufficient time for responsible entities to unravel the threads of the tragedy, these bystanders are not the bereaved mothers who won’t enjoy a night of sleep for years. They are not the anguished fathers afraid to identify their children at the morgue, not a sister, a fiancée or a friend who lost a loved one—forever. And as if the events were not tragic enough, the Port Said incident was followed by even more violence around the Ministry of Interior and in Suez city as people took to the streets protesting not only the killings but also the recent spate of kidnappings, thefts and armed robberies that we've been seeing since the emergency law was "lifted."  Several blamed the Ministry of Interior for the lack of security and stability we have been witnessing while others speculated about the involvement of previous regime members in the current state of chaos and demanded fair and prompt investigations into the events. Since the massacre, several announcements have been made, including the start of the presidential race on March 11 and the placement of the key detainees at Torah prison in separate cells. But is it too little too late? How long will the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) keep throwing us a bone here and there in an attempt to stem the wave of violence? And naturally the situation never really calms down because a real solution is never offered; the solutions offered are usually temporary and superficial at best. The decision to separate Torah prisoners came after MPs convened for an urgent meeting to discuss whether the imprisoned figures of the old regime could be plotting such chaos from Torah Prison. But isn’t placing the inmates in different prisons, in a way, an acknowledgment of the old regime being involved in the incidents? And if so, why haven’t we seen new charges until now? The questions remain unanswered, and the families of the match victims remain ignored. This is the real predicament that Egypt has been facing since former President Hosni Mubarak stepped down: a seemingly intentional dismissal of problems with painfully delayed, not to mention utterly superficial, solutions. While the  country is falling apart, officials are doing little to keep it together. It’s not the people’s place to keep stability and security in the streets or ensure the safety of Egyptians — that's the state’s role. How many lives will it take for someone with clout and conscience to say it’s enough and take serious action to curb the recurring tragic events? What are SCAF, the cabinet and now the Parliament waiting for to provide serious solutions and actions?