EGYPT: Soccer rift makes Mubarak's oldest son a hero

If one Egyptian has benefited from the conflict between Egypt and Algeria following the two countries' soccer games in the World Cup qualifications, it would be President Hosni Mubarak's son Alaa, whose popularity among his countrymen has been on the rise following his dramatic statements against Algerian fans and officials.

Alongside his younger brother, Gamal, a leading member of the ruling National Democratic Party, Alaa ( a businessman with no interest in politics) was in Khartoum, Sudan, cheering for his country during Egypt's 1-0 loss to Algeria in the qualifications' playoff on Nov. 18.

Unlike Gamal, Alaa immediately made his anger public by voicing his frustrations over what he described as assaults he and other Egyptian fans endured at the hands of Algerians following the game.

In a live phone call to a television show for privately owned Dream TV one day after the match, Alaa said the Algerians he saw in Khartoum were mercenaries who practiced terror against Egyptian supporters, adding that whoever assaulted an Egyptian should be "beaten on his head."

Less than 24 hours later, thousands of Egyptian Internet users were hailing Alaa Mubarak on their blogs. A Facebook group was initiated, calling for him to succeed his father as head of the state -- a post many analysts predict will go to Gamal.

In an article titled "12 Reasons Behind Egyptians' Love for Alaa Mubarak," Ibrahim Eissa, the chief editor of opposition newspaper Al Destour, said that people's feelings toward Alaa were warmer than they were toward Gamal. Eissa wrote that Alaa's simplicity and the fact that he didn't seek fame were why Egyptians were so fond of him.

Alaa Mubarak later criticized Al Jazeera news channel, saying the Qatari network intentionally played a part in escalating the conflict between Egypt and Algeria. Mubarak's son also blasted Algeria's ambassador in Egypt, Abdel Qader Hadjar, for saying that his country had done nothing that necessitated an apology to Egyptians.

Though many believe that Alaa Mubarak is seizing the chance to enhance his reputation and probably have a greater role in Egyptian social and political life, Mubarak denied such suggestions, saying he wasn’t qualified to become president and that he had reacted to the Algerian spat as any average Egyptian man would.

The strife between Egypt and Algeria as a result of the soccer clashes spurred Egypt to recall its ambassador in Algiers. The Libyan state news agency announced that Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi will step in to mediate and end the current rift between Egypt and Algeria at the request of the Arab League.

-- Amro Hassan in Cairo

Photo: Alaa Mubarak, right, with brother Gamal Mubarak. Credit: Al Destour

Comments

[Jack]

Yet another tin-pot dictatorship held aloft by our tax-dollars.

[proud algerienne]

For me it's so low for a candidat to use his people to vote for him this way. you should be smarter than this look how they can play with your minds, theu use the people for a game my god. Votez for him incha allah he is going to be wors than his dad. Because you egyptien love to be suck up to your superiors that how u are u can never change so good luck with you 3allaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Viva Algeria we live free or die

[You can't have it both ways Slim !!!]

You are really a bitter and arrogant loser.
Seems like the loss over a soccer game transformed Egypt’s intellectuals and populists alike to be in a moronic state of mind.

Slim, you claim that all Algerian are terrorists to get the attention of people to your side. Algeria after it earned its independence didn't have qualified teachers, so egypt sent their rejects from the brotherhood movement to Algeria as a helping hand but in fact it was a way to get rid of their islamists who were threatening the regime. I remember when supposedly math teachers were teaching fundamentalism in classrooms. Yes, Algeria had its share of terrorism in the 1990’s, but it was way after Egypt got its share then exported it to Algeria in the fashion mentioned above.

As a proof, who are the brain masterminds of fundamentalism leading to terrorism? Let me give you hints; the second man in alqaida where is he from, the blind cheick who blew the Twin Towers in 1996, mohamed atta, and the one-handed cheick in British prison. These are examples of the masterminds of fundamentalism. And if you want to dig deep in the books go check the writing of all the brotherhoods authors led by Quotob.

Slim, you also trying to show that all Algerians are anti-Semitic to get the attention of people here in the state. Can you also say what your national player said (Amr Zaki). Saying he did not want to work alongside Israelis or Algerians who play in the same team.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1230101/Zaki-cites-Israeli-presence-Fratton-Park-reason-shun.html#ixzz0YNFAhQYl

Slim, why don’t say what your media is saying in Arabic to the Arab world that is a 180 degree opposite to what you are trying to state (claiming Algerian media and the head of the football federation as a Jew). You can’t have it both ways, you lost in an honest game and you are loosing in honesty.
I’ll wait until next week to see the sanction from FIFA against Egypt federation, and I’ll celebrate with SALSA.

[Aksil]

Egyptians got it all wrong. One advice: Don't mess with Algeria!

[bosy]

Mr. Alaa Thanks.

[kholoud mohamed]

what is wrong with you we said for many times that we didnot recall our ambasador in egypt because of the match that our fans in khartoum clapped their hands for the players after loosing the match and ask your ambassador about that we recalled him because of the terror that the algerian fans (who were x-prisoners)did for our fans(who were respectable people and families come just to enjoy a game) but the algerians after the match sat on the ceilings of the buses and cars start hitting any egyptian bus with rocks then after damaging the windows of the buses they start throwing the knives into the buses where alot of people has injured and a young woman lost one of her eyes beside the women and girls who were running in streats after taking off their jackets as the algerians were hitting any one wearing red jackets(the colour of our national team t shirt) that terror that ended by making the egyptians get into the planes in khartoum airport directly from the runway even without boarding in an insulting way thats all beside what they had done for egyptians in algeria after the frist match in 14 nov. and their damaging to the egyptian investigations and stealing it and at last the only thing that you were right in is that the popularity of mr. alaa mubarek increased because we found him talk with all we wanted to say i wish the next time you can get true informations about the recalling of ambassadors
thanks

[hakim]

Mubarak and Bouteflika are from the old school, vigils of "panarabism " and the Arab world, even though neither of them is an Arab. a pharaoh and a Berber. The pharaoh is old and the Berber is very ill, they will drop dead very soon.
Be dead and leave Egyptians and Algerians orphans? no way. they need to work this out before they are gone. who would be the best fit to guide these lost souls? of course their own blood. The Pharaoh has two sons and the Berber has a brother (saeed).The plan is to get the pharaohs and the berbers demanding them. So far so good, the plan is working very well and the legacy of dictators triumphs.
Egyptians, Imazighen( Berbers), be aware, it is a conspiracy of two old cronies.

[TheForce]

Another frog-faced dictator in Egypt: Just what the doctor ordered! How ridiculous can you get, demanding an apology from the Algerian ambassador? It's like watching a really over the top play! : )

[Karim]

Mr. Alaa you said what any Egyptian citizen wanted to say & felt...

Thanks..

for your info.. when he said his comments he stated that what he says is as a regular egyptian citizen not the son of the president

[kenzy]

mr;alaa is so respectfull so what he is the son of the president ..bosh was ason of x-president in usa (the most democratic country in the world) beside that he is not interested in politice......... i'm shoked you give your interest for his wards nomatter the reasons that pushed him to do so as if he was waiting for such a chance !....he did so because he was in khartoum and saw what had happened there for egyptien fans from algerians he felt angry and upset as all egyptiens felt so as that no one would accept that his pepole being insulted and attacked by criminals and x-prisinors that was sent by algerians to attack egyptien in khartoum and to terrify them in order not to stand beside their team and even after the end of match and after they had won (no matter the un fair play) after wrong stories about dead persons and fake stories about the bus of the algerian team that algerian's journals had puplished after thir match in cairo ...... so if after all that incidents that mr allaa was a westome for if he hadnot talk what would be your opinion in him he talk and say what all egyptiens wanna say beside that he had said in the begining of the call that he call as an egyptien citizen not as ason's president .

[بوسى كات]

طب يهدوة نفسهم علاء مبارك اترشح او مترشحش انا معه وياريت يترشح احنا عوزين اية غير واحد يخاف علينا ويشوف مصلحنا وربنا يوافقة ويكرمة

[Aksil]

The Mubarak family can play a political game but NOT as the expence of the algerian pride.
Advice to the Mubaraks and their followers: Do NOT mess with Algerians. Just rememeber 1973 and what we did for you during Boumediene's times.

[Sami]

Hard to believe that in a country of 70 Million people, so far only 2 individuals are qualified to replace the actual President: his two sons.
I do not believe Alaa has become a hero, (for the 5% of the wealthy class maybe). an impulsive and irresponsible personality who could ve let the professionals deal with the crises instead of playing this silly role of being offended by a soccer game. if he really cares about the dignity of the Egyptian citizens, why we never herd his voice before concerning: extreme poverty, unemployment and lack of adequate education for millions of street children.

I guess it was a good opportunity to have Egyptians point their fingers at someone else than his father. (this time the Algerians)

[Masreya]

My chapeau Mr.Alaa!!