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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 16 - 22 November 2000 Issue No.508 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 16 - 22 November 2000 Issue No.508
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters The demise of politics?
By Omayma Abdel-Latif
The National Democratic Party candidate in Cairo's Al-Wayli district, Ahmed Fouad Abdel-Aziz, distributed leaflets among his supporters urging voters not to cast their ballots for a Copt. This came as no surprise to Mounir Fakhri Abdennour, the Wafd Party's Coptic candidate, since it was not the first time. "I expected the religious card would be used at some point in the election, but not in such an abhorrent manner," Abdennour told Al-Ahram Weekly in the course of Tuesday's run-off elections. "It is a cheap ploy that should not be left unheeded by the authorities because it threatens national unity and casts doubt on the Copts' loyalty," Abdennour added.
Mounir Fakhri Abdennour
Abdel-Aziz's action triggered widespread anger. This was reflected in a number of statements issued by intellectuals from across the political spectrum, most notably from the Islamic camp. Prominent writer Fahmi Howeidy, former head of the State Council Tarek El-Bishri, Islamic thinker Mohamed Emara and lawyer Selim El-Awwa together signed a statement in support of Abdennour's election. "The selection of candidates for parliamentary and government posts should be based on efficiency and not sectarian considerations, since all Egyptians are equal in terms of rights and duties, be they Muslim or Christian. It is unacceptable that, as we usher in this historic period, that some persons still use sectarian differences as a card in a political process such as elections," the statement said.
In an even more important show of support for Abdennour, the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement condemning the use of sectarian language in the elections and declaring that its full backing of Abdennour. The group went as far as to ask its followers to vote for Abdennour. The Coptic candidate received two telephone calls from senior members of the Brotherhood expressing their support for his candidacy. This gesture, in the words of El-Bishri, reflects the Brotherhood's position on Copts which, in a nutshell, is full support for the principle of national unity.
El-Bishri believes that one reason for the show of support made by most intellectuals, particularly Islamists, is the "genuine desire on the part of those upholding the tenets of political Islam to have Copts renounce their apathy and become integrated in domestic politics. It was only natural for them to support the candidacy of Abdennour and others because, for them, there are no ideological constraints on electing non-Muslims to the People's Assembly."
In the last parliamentary elections of 1995 there were only 57 Coptic candidates and the NDP's list was devoid of Coptic names. This time the NDP fielded three Coptic candidates only, including Economy Minister Youssef Boutros Ghali. The Wafd Party fielded 12 candidates, the Tagammu four, the Green three and Al-Wifaq and Al-Takaful two each. In the first and second stages of elections only one Christian candidate, Rami Lakah, a Roman Catholic, managed to win a seat.
Early in the elections, there was a noticeable absence of sectarian language, but as the campaign intensified, some candidates were ready to pay any price -- even at the expense of national unity -- to win a seat.
A voter wrote to the Grand Mufti asking him whether it was permissible to vote for a Coptic candidate and the answer was in the affirmative. The fatwa said Muslims should give their votes to "whomsoever they consider fit to serve the public interest regardless of his religion."
Some intellectuals believe that the use of sectarian language in election campaigning is purely an individual act and does not represent the line adopted by the NDP. Yet others place the blame on the ruling party, which allowed the same scenario first played in 1995 to repeat itself. "There should have been some disciplinary action against this candidate. He should at least not have been rewarded by a second nomination," Howeidy told the Weekly.
Howeidy believes the incident brought to the fore the question of how political the election really is.
The use of sectarian language, Howeidy said, is the result of what he described as a "political chaos" involving the country as a whole and the ruling party in particular. "The way elections were conducted this time is a declaration of the demise of politics and a reflection of disarray in the ranks of the ruling party," Howeidy said.
Related stories:
Rough riding in round three
Election or selection
Mounir Fakhri Abdel-Nour: Politics, Inc 28 Sep. - 4 Oct. 2000
See Elections 2000
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