21 - 27 February 2002
Issue No.574
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 21 - 27 February 2002 Issue No.574 |
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Obituary
Fawzi Hassanein Heikal
(1935-2002)
What will Washington be without Fawzi Heikal? What will our lives be like now that he has left us? The same painful thought is on the mind of every person who knew this venerable Washington figure, who died last week and was laid to rest in Cairo on Friday. For those who had the chance to work with him, to discuss with him any issue of concern to Egyptians and Arabs, Fawzi was always there, everywhere. Usually accompanied by his lovely wife Clare, Fawzi had a magical presence, a greatness.
Deeply involved in both Arab and Egyptian political issues, one could count on Fawzi to be fielding calls on plans to participate in a demonstration on the Palestinian right of return, or to be at the centre of plans for a panel discussion about the challenges facing Egypt. Those who knew Fawzi knew better than to try and call into question Egyptian-Arab nationalism or the Nasser era rather than face a formidable confrontation with Fawzi's wealth of knowledge and unshakeable beliefs.
A leading figure in the community, Fawzi was always taking part in local projects. He was an active member in a national unity committee formed to raise money for restoring a church that had burned down. If it was relevant to Arab or Egyptian culture, Fawzi was involved. You might find him at the movie theatre hosting "Arabian Sights," a selection of Arab and Egyptian films.
It is difficult, I have to confess, to use the past tense with someone so special -- a person who is still present in our hearts and thoughts. What I am trying to write here is not an obituary, but words of appreciation, as I prefer to think of it. Those who were close to him realised how great a man he was, and how much we are going to miss him.
His circle spanned generations, from Egyptian renaissance man Rushdi Said, now in his eighties, to nine-year-old Fayrouz, the granddaughter of Egyptian intellectuals Ashraf and Soheir El-Bayoumi. "But he was young!" exclaimed my five-year-old daughter Margaret, when she was told that Uncle Fawzi was not going to be with us anymore.
Yes, he was young, and always stayed that way. Born in 1935, he was both mentor and close friend to his economics students at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). He was at ease with younger generations, never at a loss for how to communicate with the young people he taught. He encouraged them, pushed them, challenged them and, ultimately, was there to hug them at their graduation ceremonies.
For Washington's Arab community, and the Egyptian community in particular, Fawzi was the awakened conscience of a culture he never left behind. Having lived in the United States for decades after coming to study in Minnesota, Fawzi saw many a member of these communities arrive and start a new life. For them, as well as for those who came to the capital to discuss and negotiate Arab and Egyptian interests, Fawzi was the "wise man" who was able to read the hearts and the minds of his community.
A young Egyptian student in the early 1960s, Fawzi witnessed and participated in Arab student movements in the US, taking those debates and rallies that reflected the aspirations, dreams and anger of the Arab people to heart. Years later, he drew on this personal history to advise and warn those who sought his wisdom in the land of opportunities and opportunists.
Many of his long-time friends note that Fawzi maintained the spirit of that politically charged age. He never gave up his faith in the deeply rooted principles he valued till the last moment of his life: hard work, loyalty, fairness and honesty. He was always willing to pay the price that these values cost, no matter how high. He was a man of integrity -- and we all know how hard it is to find such a man in our time. As one of his close friends said, Fawzi was our compass.
Though he made the US his home for more than 40 years, he was never absent from Egypt. This is a tough equation, but it was fantastically personified in Fawzi Heikal. He remained so close, so deeply aware of what was going on in Egypt's political and cultural scene. His nostalgia for the "good old days" did not keep him from following and appreciating how Egypt was changing -- for better or worse. His time in Egypt almost every year was spent listening and talking to his family members old and young. He immersed himself in endless conversations with friends, who always kept him updated on Egypt's side of things. He read avidly and tirelessly and one of his daily rituals was to listen to the Egyptian broadcasts on his short wave radio.
Our weekly get-togethers at Café Zorba, on Dupont Circle, were fascinating and unforgettable experiences. To chit-chat about all things Egyptian for hours on end was just plain fun, especially with Fawzi Heikal and Rushdi Said at the table. The Zorba gathering was an obligatory stop for many guests and friends and always a point of reference in the talk of the town. Zorba is -- or maybe was, as Fawzi has now left us -- the Café Riche of Washington.
Many times when I wrote my pieces I called him to ask his point of view about what I said and take his advice on what should be said (and what I had forgotten). This time I am sure he would argue with me and advise me not to send this piece to the editor. But excuse me, Fawzi, this time, I am not going to follow your advice, because you deserve all this praise and much more.
Thomas Gorguissian
Al-Ahram Weekly offers its deepest condolences to the late Fawzi Heikal's family, notably his wife, Clare, and his brother, Mohamed Hassanein Heikal
The Editor
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