The arrest of Hafez Abu Se'da, secretary-general of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR), signified the unfolding of a major crisis. His release on bail should signal the beginning of efforts to develop a coherent strategy for dealing with this crisis.
The legal vacuum in which Human rights organisations in Egypt exist is only in aspect. Before Abu Se'da's arrest, the country seemed very close to finalising a new draft law on NGOs, drawn up on the basis of negotiations between the government and civil society, led by human rights organisations. Now is the time to relaunch this democratic process, and to push it toward a consensual end.
Another problem the arrest exposed is the erosion of enthusiastic support for human rights organisations amongst a number of well-intentioned public figures and mainstream intellectuals. Human rights activists had tried hard to reach out. The movement's remarkable achievements should have won the sympathetic understanding of all intellectuals. The human rights movement, however, failed to integrate them in decision-making on major issues. Now it must regain national confidence and expand its support basis.
Above all, the human rights community must address its internal problems with courage and clarity of mind. To this end, it is crucial to come to a thorough and credible understanding of the tortuous and protracted conflicts that have plagued the EOHR since its inception. A courageous self-critique on the part of all those concerned is the right beginning. Wide-ranging consultation is necessary to address the challenge of rebuilding the EOHR, and the human rights movement as a whole.
*This week's Soapbox speaker is deputy director of the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.
The arrest of Hafez Abu Se'da, secretary-general of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR), signified the unfolding of a major crisis. His release on bail should signal the beginning of efforts to develop a coherent strategy for dealing with this crisis.