GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs, Cairo.

The Egyptian government has begun making major strides in rebuilding the economy, but its relations with the U.S. remain cool and cautious.

Egyptian officials have made it clear that they intend to start to limit their dependence on the U.S. for defense technology, and would soon begin buying defense systems elsewhere: Russia, Pakistan, the PRC, and so on. And possibly from Europe. Egyptian Presdent Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has — with the support of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel, and other regional states — reinforced his opposition to the Muslim Brothers.

Speaking at Al-Azhar University — Egypt’s premier center of Islamic teaching — and the Awqaf Ministry on New Year’s Day, 2015, in connection to Prophet Mohammed’s upcoming birthday, Sisi made his most forceful plea to date on the subject, noting: “It is inconceivable that the thinking that we hold most sacred should cause the entire umma [Islamic world] to be a source of anxiety, danger, killing and destruction for the rest of the world. Impossible!”

“That thinking — I am not saying ‘religion’ but ‘thinking’ — that corpus of texts and ideas that we have sacralized over the years, to the point that departing from them has become almost impossible, is antagonizing the entire world. It’s antagonizing the entire world!”

“Is it possible that 1.6-billion people [Muslims] should want to kill the rest of the world’s inhabitants — that is seven-billion — so that they themselves may live? Impossible! I am saying these words here at Al Azhar, before this assembly of scholars and ulema: Allah Almighty be witness to your truth on Judgment Day concerning that which I’m talking about now.”

“All this that I am telling you, you cannot feel it if you remain trapped within this mindset. You need to step outside of yourselves to be able to observe it and reflect on it from a more enlightened perspective.”

“I say and repeat again that we are in need of a religious revolution. You, imams, are responsible before Allah. The entire world, I say it again, the entire world is waiting for your next move … because this umma is being torn, it is being destroyed, it is being lost; and it is being lost by our own hands.”

Significantly, Sisi attended Coptic Christmas mass at Abbasiya Cathedral in Cairo on Jan. 6, Orthodox Christmas Eve, making history as the first Egyptian president to attend a Christmas ceremony.

Sisi made an impromptu speech calling upon Egyptians to unite as “one hand”, put aside sectarian divides and set an example for the rest of the world.

“It is very important that the world sees us as Egyptians. And you have noticed that I never use any other word but the word “Egyptians”. It’s not acceptable for anyone to tell anyone else anything different. We are Egyptians. Nobody should say: What kind of Egyptian are you? … We are setting an example from right here in Egypt.”

Meanwhile, in late December 2014, Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab launched the National Anti-Corruption Strategy. The same month, Transparency International released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in which Egypt moved up 20 places from the previous year. And on Dec. 22, Fitch Ratings Agency upgraded Egypt’s rating to “B”, saying its outlook was stable.

Fitch noted: “The Government has embarked on a policy course designed to tackle some of the serious structural weaknesses that have emerged or intensified in recent years. Fuel subsidy cuts and tax hikes have been implemented as part of a clear five-year fiscal consolidation strategy. Power shortages are being tackled, overdue payments to oil companies reduced, investment laws revised and disputes with foreign investors settled. The measures appear to have strong political backing.”

  Egypt’s Sisi challenges imams with riveting speech, makes history by attending Christmas mass, WorldTribune.com