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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 June 2000 Issue No. 486 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 June 2000 Issue No. 486
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters The last chance
By Salah Eissa *
Although it is illegal in Egypt to establish political parties based on a religious platform, the government ignored the revolution that took place in the Labour Party in 1986, turning it into an Islamist party and allowing it to win more seats in the People's Assembly in the 1987 elections than any other party ever had -- or has since.
While some objected to the government's reticence, others justified its failure to take action on the grounds that the Islamist trend was a reality and had always constituted a basic element of the mainstream nationalist movement. Efforts to uproot it had always failed. Giving it a chance to become active on the political scene would therefore keep it under control and encourage it to develop its concepts and practices. In other words, inaction was sound policy.
Instead of seizing this opportunity, however, the party leadership indulged in a bid to reduce the margin of democracy. It accused its political enemies of atheism and incited the party's rank and file to oppose them, soliciting the support of mosques, arguing for the legitimacy of murder, calling for censorship of books and the press, and demanding that Al-Azhar exercise hegemony over the state. When the government halted these activities and suspended Al-Shaab, therefore, Labour was hard put to find allies.
There is still a chance for dialogue, however, on two related points: first, the Islamist political trend is a reality to be reckoned with, and has a right to exist and to act. Second, the Islamist trend must refrain from monopolising religion and using it in its political battles. The Islamist movement should bring its ideas and practices into line with constitutional systems and democratic practice. Egypt is a republic, after all, and the people alone are the source of power.
* This week's Soapbox speaker is editor-in-chief of Al-Qahira.
