If there were an award for the best government platform that provides urgent services and carries a special message for honest citizens, I would undoubtedly direct it toward the Ministry of Interior's social media page. The message conveyed is clear: in the presence of law enforcement agencies and to affirm the state's authority, no criminal will escape their actions, and there is no safe passage for anyone who dares to breach the law. I have regularly monitored the Ministry of Interior's page, which astonishes its followers with the speed at which it addresses citizens' reports. In fact, some users have humorously claimed that they often read about an arrest on the page before learning about the incident itself. I have personally witnessed the effectiveness of this platform in pursuing crime, especially after a relative of mine fell victim to an act of thuggery, which led to the swift apprehension of the perpetrators.
Thuggery represents one of the faces of chaos and an affront to the law, posing a challenge to the concept of the rule of law, wherein the citizens of the nation are subject to legislative regulations that govern rights and duties. The state must enforce its authority and dignity over everyone, and there can be no compromise on the community's right to decisively act against those who transgress the law or believe themselves above accountability. In this context, it is essential to remind ourselves that the term 'thug' did not originally carry a negative connotation. Its roots can be traced back to Ottoman Turkish, where it consists of two parts: 'balta,' meaning axe, and 'ji,' a Turkish suffix added to occupational names to signify ownership, thus literally meaning 'axe bearer.' Historically, the term referred to the vanguard of the Ottoman army, whose mission was to clear paths and remove natural obstacles to facilitate the movement of the rest of the troops. While the term's original meaning was positive, its connotation has shifted over time, leading it to carry derogatory implications in contemporary colloquial Arabic. According to scholars, if a word has a positive origin but is commonly used in a pejorative sense, the prevailing usage is recognized. Therefore, the term 'thug' has come to describe those who commit crimes against the law.
Thuggery and terrorism are two sides of the same coin, and they must be confronted with equal determination and strength, as both pose an imminent threat to national security and societal peace. The perpetrators of both crimes harbor hostile sentiments toward the nation and the community, and they share a misguided belief that the use of fictional power and networks of influence are keys to achieving gains that will ultimately be swept away by the winds of time!
As reported by gate.ahram.org.eg.
