Egyptian parliament denounces a Kuwaiti MP underestimating Egyptians

Egypt’s parliament spokesman has denounced recent comments made by Kuwaiti MP Safaa Al-Hashem about Egyptian Minister of Immigration Nabila Makram Ebeid, stressing that the special relationship between the two countries should not be affected by such comments.

Al-Hashem made derogatory comments about Ebeid after the Egyptian minister denounced a recent assault on an Egyptian woman in Kuwait by a group of Kuwaiti women.

Ebeid had condemned the incident, stressing that the dignity of any Egyptian citizen in the world is a “red line.”

Al-Hashem said that Kuwaiti authorities respect the dignity of every citizen on its lands, and mockingly described the Egyptian minister as “the minister of dignity.”

The Kuwaiti MP denounced what she described as interference in her country’s affairs.

“Since you consider yourself the minister of dignity, please tell us about the dignity of the Egyptian citizen who died after being dragged by 10 people in the UK, and your ministry has not yet acted,” the Kuwaiti MP said, referring to the case of Mariam Moustafa, an Egyptian national who was killed in an assault in the UK earlier this year. A number of suspects have been arrested in the UK over Moustafa’s death.

Egyptian parliament spokesperson Salah Hasaballah described Al-Hashem’s response to the Egyptian minister comment as “irritating,” and accused her of not learning the history and special relations that bind Egypt and Kuwait.

In a phone call with Sada Al-Balad TV show on Monday, Hasaballah said that Egypt defended Kuwait when its lands were occupied by Iraq, and that Egypt will not tolerate any degrading treatment of its citizens around the world.

“This MP is trying to create strife between the brotherly people of Egypt and Kuwait, but I am sure that the Kuwaiti people will stand against such talk,” he added.

“Egypt has never abandoned the rights of any of its citizens as the MP alleged, and as for the case of Mariam Moustafa, I tell the Kuwaiti MP that the Egyptian parliament sent a delegation to the UK to follow up on the case.”