Calm Down, You Might Have a Heart Attack': Egyptian Opposition Activist Has Epic Anti-Morsi Meltdown on TV

Getting millions of people into the streets is one way the Egyptian opposition expressed discontent with now-ousted President Mohammed Morsi. Unleashing a torrent of passionate, unbridled wrath in a television interview is another.

In a new clip posted by the Middle East Media Research Institute – MEMRI – opposition figures react to Tuesday’s speech by Morsi in which he said he was refusing to cave to the military ultimatum. One of the interviewees, opposition activist Ihab Al-Khouli, becomes so emotional, he is physically overcome with hyperventilating, coughing fits, gasping for air and incessant table banging. He’s that upset with the Muslim Brotherhood leader who held power over Egypt for exactly one year.

The on-camera drama prompts the host to beg Al-Khouli to take a break and drink some water, as she expresses her concern he might have a heart attack if he keeps up his anti-Morsi venting.

MEMRI provides translation of the segment from Egyptian television, though Al-Khouli’s body language is so stormy, the clip hardly needs translating.

“This man is a liar and a deceiver,” he says.

“Relax, have some water… Calm down, Ihab,” says the television anchor.

“More than 33 million people have taken to the streets, but they [the Muslim Brotherhood] don’t see them. They are blind. Don’t they know what has happened to this country because of them? They dare to talk about foreign and domestic conspiracies? Morsi sent letters to Peres and Obama. He is asking for the Americans’ protection,” Al-Khouli said.

In his flurry of barbs, the opposition activist says of Morsi’s leadership, “What is this stupidity? What is this insanity?...What is this madness?”

“This man is now done for and so is the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt is the graveyard of terrorism and extremism. The lie of the Muslim Brotherhood has come to an end,” he says.

The host of the program again pleads with Ihab to calm down. She says, “Ihab, I’m worried about you. Ihab, I beg you for my sake…Ihab, calm down, you might have a heart attack.”

A second guest on set also pipes in with concern, telling Al-Khouli, “Calm down, you will die on us. Morsi is not worth it.”

The host continues pleading with him to be quiet for five minutes. When he doesn’t heed her call, she gets out of her seat and begs producers to cut to a commercial break.

Al-Khouli says, “I swear to you that I won’t go home before Morsi is gone.”

Mr. Al-Khouli, now that Morsi is gone as leader, you may go home, rest, take a deep breath, and have that drink of water.

Here is the clip from Sada al Balad TV, courtesy of MEMRI:

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