Ribal Al-Assad; statement on the recent events in Egypt

Millions went to protest in Cairo

The past couple of weeks have obviously been difficult for Egypt, however I am pleased to see the emergence of a new forward thinking discourse in the country.

The people of Egypt have displayed a tremendous amount of courage, standing up not once but twice in the face of tyranny, against dictatorship and now theocracy.

They have said no to extremism and sectarianism in a peaceful and forthright matter.

This is testament to the resolve of the Egyptian people, they have firmly rejected extremist ideologies and, like the vast majority of the Middle East, long for a true and genuine democracy which represents their interests.

As I have said many times before, there is absolutely no place for dictatorship or religious extremism in the world; at this time we must all unite with the people of the Middle East and stand together with them against Islamic fundamentalism.

I hope that other countries in the Arab world will now follow Egypt’s example and turn the devastating “Arab Spring” into a beautiful “Arab Summer”.