Al-Ahram Weekly | Opinion | Letters to the Editor

		Al-Ahram Weekly Online 31 May - 6 June 2001 Issue No.536
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Current issue \| Previous issue \| Site map

Just illusions
Sir- Many months ago I flew to Luxor with an important Egyptian criminal judge. There were bodyguards, and I think we were the only people in first class. We spoke of many things and he told me of his friendly relationship with Chief Justice Renquist of the United States Supreme Court. He said that the US Supreme Court was considered the best in the world. It is the foundation of protection of the people's rights in America and is thus recognised by all Americans.
How sad it was for me to see the US media's reaction to the brusque and apparently cavalier evaluation of human life and freedoms by the Supreme State Security Court in the Saadeddin Ibrahim trial. One newspaper referred to Egypt as possibly a banana republic. Egypt's reputation is far more soiled by this legal event than anything Mr Ibrahim wrote. Religious intolerance and election abuse is rife throughout the world and attempts to correct it are being made everywhere. That Egypt should have the same global problems is not a blight on this wonderful country. But that the Supreme State Security Court should portray an apparent disregard for its legal and moral responsibility is unfortunate and will be remembered in the world.
The Egyptian people are wonderful in their hearts, civilisation and intelligence. How can this be clear to the world when such a shadow is cast by the institution that is supposed to protect Egyptian society?
Martin H Platt
Port Said

Academic freedom
Sir- In solidarity with the Intifada: keep it up: more power to you! And may I suggest that you analyse for us the case against Saadeddin Ibrahim and explain how an Egyptian judge who listened to arguments in the case for six months is capable of sentencing an academic to seven years in jail within three hours of the conclusion of the legal process? Clarification requested.
Khalil I Semaan
Professor emeritus
Boston University/State University of New York

Animal instincts
Sir-I recently read an article concerning the bad treatment of animals by the majority of Egyptians. A new organisation is in the process of being officially registered (Animal Friends of Egypt) with dedicated volunteers (expatriates and Egyptians) to help animals. I don't want to mention the hundreds of gruesome stories I've heard, or witnessed myself, concerning some people's barbaric behaviour towards animals.
In Yemen, wild donkeys just walk around, as do cows in Marsa Matrouh (or as they used to several years ago), without any owners. The same applies to monkeys in some African countries. At least some animals are unharmed, and still free!
I hope Animal Friends of Egypt will pay special attention to the animals at the Giza Zoo, and play a major role in monitoring our numerous nature reserves for all types of endangered species (which are not out of any danger here).
This is true story: years ago, an American tourist saw a peasant hitting his poor donkey with an iron rod. Appalled, she asked him to stop. To save the donkey, she offered to buy the donkey from him for $10,000, which flabbergasted the peasant. He quickly accepted before she changed her mind. She told him she would pay him on the condition that he taught others to be kind to animals.
The kind American tourist returned home, riding West into the sunset on her donkey. I don't know what happened to the peasant. Maybe he bought more donkeys, inaugurated a deluxe five-star stable, and is now a rich businessman?
Hoda Nassef
Cairo

Recommend this page

© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved

ARCHIVES
Letter from the Editor
Editorial Board
Subscription
Advertise!

WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly
Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time
weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg

Al-Ahram Organisation