President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, whose government has jailed critics, muzzled the independent press and executed nine prisoners in the past week, has never appreciated lectures on human rights.<\/p>\n
Ariana News Agency-\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n But the subject seemed to especially irk the authoritarian leader on Monday when, at the end of a major summit meeting with European and Arab leaders, he lashed out at Europeans who dared to question his record.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are not going to teach us about humanity,\u201d Mr. el-Sisi told reporters. Europeans and Arabs have a different \u201csense of humanity, values and ethics,\u201d he continued. \u201cRespect our values and ethics, as we do yours.\u201d<\/p>\n The outburst was a mark of the often awkward embrace between European Union and Arab League leaders in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, at their inaugural summit to broker closer ties on issues like migration and terrorism.<\/p>\n The summit was held in Egypt as a sweetener to Mr. el-Sisi, who European leaders hope will boost their efforts to deter or push back mostly African migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean. But the timing was awkward: Only weeks earlier, Mr. el-Sisi\u2019s supporters in Parliament started a drive to extend his rule until 2034, possibly longer.<\/p>\n And the cloud of Egypt\u2019s dismal rights record hung over the event, driven by accusations that European leaders were enabling Mr. el-Sisi\u2019s repression. Those tensions burst into the open during the summit\u2019s final hours.<\/p>\n In a strongly worded closing speech, Mr. el-Sisi accused prosperous European nations of showing little understanding of the pressures facing Arab countries threatened with conflict. He trenchantly defended his use of the death penalty. When he finished speaking, the hall of mainly Egyptians, including members of the country\u2019s media, burst into applause.<\/p>\n The reception was not unanimous. \u201cI really appreciate how enthusiastic your media are,\u201d the European Council president Donald Tusk said wryly, addressing Mr. el-Sisi, The Associated Press reported. \u201cIt\u2019s impossible in Europe to have such a reaction. Congratulations.\u201d<\/p>\n The event, which gathered Arab leaders from across a region rived by conflict and political strife, was never going to be easy for the Europeans in terms of its political optics. The European Union once had an arms-length relationship with authoritarian rulers like Hosni Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for almost 30 years before his ouster in 2011.<\/p>\n But worries about terrorism and illegal migration, as well as a desire to make lucrative arms sales, have drawn European leaders closer to authoritarian leaders like Mr. el-Sisi \u2014 a stance critics say encourages their excesses at a time when the United States is often silent on rights abuses.<\/p>\n President Emmanuel Macron of France was feted in Cairo on a three-day visit in January. In 2017, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany dined with Mr. el-Sisi beside the pyramids.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes you have to dance with whoever\u2019s on the dance floor,\u201d Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, said in a speech in Zurich this month. \u201cWe don\u2019t always have a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, whose government has jailed critics, muzzled the independent press and executed nine prisoners in the past week, has never appreciated lectures on human rights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2233,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_mat_hreflang_tags":[],"addvideo":"","video_duration":"","farsit":"","target":"0","top_stories":"0","top":"0"},"categories":[306],"tags":[449,399,288,450],"class_list":["post-2232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-human-rights","tag-abdel-fattah-el-sisi","tag-egypt","tag-emmanuel-macron","tag-human-right-abuse"],"acf":{"myctype":"change","target":false,"top_stories":false,"top":false,"farsit":""},"yoast_head":"\n