12 - 18 July 2001
Issue No.542
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 12 - 18 July 2001 Issue No.542 |
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The editor of Al-Nabba, speaking in his own defence at a news conference, offered other journalists a singular perspective on professional standards. Khaled Dawoud asked some questions
Tears shed at a news conference on Tuesday by Mamdouh Mahran, chief editor of the independent Al-Nabaa newspaper, appeared to be an attempt to convince reporters that he was a firm believer in "national unity" between Egypt's Muslims and Copts, but they failed to convince.
Nearly a month following his paper's publication of photos of a defrocked monk engaged in sexual activity with a woman, which triggered unprecedented protests by thousands of young Copts, the 57-year-old Mahran astonishingly said that he had no regrets. He claimed that his true intention was to "protect the Church and deliver a message to Pope Shenouda that there were corrupt elements that he needed to get rid of."
Christians were particularly enraged by Al- Nabaa's claim that the ex-monk, Adel Gabriel, had engaged in sexual activity inside the Deir Al- Muharraq Monastery near Assiut, revered by Copts. They believe that the monastery is built on the site where Jesus stayed with the Virgin Mary for more than six months during the Holy Family's flight to Egypt. Together with the pictures, Mahran published provocative headlines, claiming the ex-monk "had sex with more than 5,000 women" inside the monastery which he "turned into a brothel."
Later, it was revealed that the ex-monk had been arrested after a woman complained to police that he was blackmailing her with a videotape that he made, unbeknownst to her, while they engaged in sexual activity. Gabriel was defrocked in 1996 for reasons which were not fully explained by the Coptic Church, but Al-Nabaa failed to mention this fact. Mahran told reporters he did not know that the monk had been defrocked before publishing the story, and said that he did not seek confirmation from the Church about Gabriel's status beforehand "because I never seek permission from anybody for publishing what I want to publish."
A key question that remains unanswered was how the videotape came into Mahran's possession.
In the course of the news conference, Mahran reiterated his claim that the tape was being sold in Assiut for LE100, and vehemently denied rumours that it was handed to him by police. He said, "It is not Mahran who would receive orders from police. It was State Security which ordered the confiscation of my newspapers and started arresting those who were selling them on the streets." He added that he only published "the minimum of what we knew in order to preserve national unity."
Asked how he knew that the ex-monk had been involved with "more than 5,000 women," he gave an extraordinary answer: "I asked my managing editor, who is a Christian named Isaac, whether we should have this headline, and he said that in Christianity it was enough to have adulterous thoughts about a woman to be considered an adulterer. In view of this logic, the ex-monk must have committed adultery with more than 5,000 women."
After an introduction which lasted for nearly an hour and a half explaining how he and his family have always had good relations with Christians, including Pope Shenouda III, Mahran suddenly burst into tears and shouted, "When I watched the tape, and listened to the church bells ringing while the ex-monk was doing what he did, I trembled and could not stop myself from crying. I could not find my way home because, for me, Christian holy places are as sacred as Islamic holy places." He also showed reporters a seven-year-old photograph with Pope Shenouda whom he interviewed at the latter's office.
Last week, the Administrative Court, which granted Al-Nabaa a licence five years ago, ordered the closure of the newspaper and revoked its licence. Only after that decision was taken on 4 July did Pope Shenouda resume his weekly meetings with Coptic youths at the Coptic Cathedral in Abbasiya. He began his address by thanking the court for its wise decision "and President Hosni Mubarak for the way he dealt with the crisis."
Mubarak met with Pope Shenouda in Alexandria on Sunday, a clear sign to the Coptic community that their protests and anger were of great concern to the government. The closure of Al-Nabaa and Mahran's trial topped the list of demands raised by the angry youths who held protests over four days at the cathedral last month. Mahran's lawyers said they would appeal the decision to revoke the newspaper's licence with the Supreme Administrative Court. Mahran is also appealing an earlier decision by the Press Syndicate to expel him, claiming that the syndicate did not follow the proper legal procedures.
Mahran's lawyers were also trying their best to delay a ruling by the State Security Misdemeanours Court in the case brought against him by the State Security Prosecutor. Mahran is facing five charges that carry up to 12 years imprisonment. Last week, his lawyers contested the competence of the court, and demanded a retrial before another circuit. A Cairo court will rule today whether to accept Mahran's request. However, all indications are that his request will be turned down and that hearings will resume on 15 July.
Mahran is charged with publishing sensational pictures, defaming the Coptic Church, threatening national unity, inciting hatred and contempt for Christianity and attempting to influence the judiciary by publishing details of a case under investigation. In demanding the retrial, Mahran's lawyer, Nabih El-Wahsh, claimed that the judges did not respond to his requests, and that they allowed Coptic lawyers to become party to the case in violation of procedures.
On Tuesday, Mahran's lawyers also contested the prosecutor's decision to refer him to a state security court -- a measure permitted under emergency law -- claiming that the decision violated the editor's right to be tried by a regular civil court whose verdict can be appealed to a higher court. The Administrative Court decided to adjourn this case until 4 September. Rulings by state security courts cannot be appealed although the defendant can file a clemency plea with the deputy military governor who is the prime minister.
Meanwhile, a decision by Pope Shenouda on Saturday to limit visits to monasteries throughout Egypt raised a few eyebrows. "It is the wrong timing to announce this decision," said one Copt who preferred to remain anonymous. "Now some people might say that what was published in Al-Nabaa about Deir Al-Muharraq may have been correct, and that is why the pope decided to regulate the visits," he added.
Recent developments suggest the crisis caused by Al-Nabaa seem to be reaching a closing chapter. Some columnists argued that the decision to close the newspaper after only two hearings by the Administrative Court might have been a little bit too severe. Meanwhile, hundreds of people employed by Al-Nabaa said that they would continue a sit-in at the headquarters of the newspaper in the industrial city of Abu Rawash, 32 kilometres north of Cairo, until a solution is found to their loss of employment.
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