Satirical "Party of the Fooled" Seeks Official Status, Pledges Allegiance to Sisi's Slogans

 This text is a piece of political satire that comments on the Egyptian political landscape by referencing a real politician and a popular slogan. Here is an adaptation and analysis for an international audience.


📰 Satirical Article for International Publication


 Satirical "Party of the Fooled" Seeks Official Status, Pledges Allegiance to Sisi's Slogans


(Cairo, Satirical Wire) – In a piece of biting political satire, Egyptian MP and journalist Mustafa Bakri has reportedly submitted paperwork to the Parties Committee to officially establish the "Party of the Fooled" (Hizb al-Mughaffalin).


According to the satirical report, Bakri stated in press declarations that the new party would be founded on the principles of the "great June 30th revolution," a reference to the 2013 protests that preceded the military ouster of President Mohamed Morsi. The party platform is said to be centered on the ideas and achievements of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, which it claims "always and forever serve the low-income citizen."


The piece culminates in its central ironic punchline: the party's aim is to achieve Sisi's famous promise that Egypt would become "'ard al-dunya"—a colloquial phrase meaning "the forefront of the world" or "the greatest country." The satire uses this grand, aspirational slogan to mock the perceived gap between the government's promises and the economic realities faced by ordinary Egyptians.


---


🧐 A Guide to the Satire for an International Reader


This text is a classic example of political satire that uses specific local references to critique the current political and economic situation in Egypt.


· 1. The "Party of the Fooled": A Borrowed Insult

  The name of the fictional party is the core of the joke. The term "The Fooled" or "The Gullible" (المغفلين, al-Mughaffalin) is not new to Egyptian political discourse. It was notably used to describe members of the Al-Nour Salafi Party, with critics distributing a classic book titled "Akhbar al-Hamqa wal-Mughaffalin" ("Stories of Fools and the Gullible") among them to mock their political positions. By having a politician seriously found a party with this self-deprecating name, the satire suggests that support for the current government is based on deception and a lack of awareness.

· 2. The Politician: Mustafa Bakri

  The satire features a real person. Mustafa Bakri is an Egyptian journalist, MP, and a prominent media supporter of President Sisi and the military. He is known for his staunchly pro-government stance. Casting him as the founder of the "Party of the Fooled" is a direct critique of what the author sees as sycophantic and uncritical support for the regime from certain political and media figures.

· 3. The Slogan: "Egypt will be 'ard al-dunya"

  The phrase "قد الدنيا" ('ard al-dunya) is a famous promise made by President Sisi, meaning Egypt will be "the forefront of the world". The satire uses this promise ironically because, from the critic's perspective, Egypt has moved in the opposite direction. The text alludes to a narrative of national loss, citing the transfer of the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia, disputes over maritime gas fields in the Mediterranean, the existential threat of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) to Egypt's water share, and a surge in external debt. Against this backdrop, the slogan becomes a hollow punchline.


In essence, this satire is a creative protest. It argues that the political class supporting the government is foolish, that the foundational events of the current regime are being blindly celebrated despite complex outcomes, and that the leadership's grand promises are painfully at odds with a reality many Egyptians experience as a period of national diminishment.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Pharaohs’ Summit at the Grand Egyptian Museum

Satirical Report: Egyptian Elite Forces "Arrest" President Sisi for Mental Evaluation Following Demolition Remarks

“In Search of Human Readers: When a Digital Satirist Puts His Audience on Trial”