Back to Cairo?
The Egyptian Writers' Union is torn between members who want the regional union to return to Egypt from Syria, and those who say it should remain in its current home. Rania Khallaf investigates
The history of the Egyptian Writers' Union (EWU) is full of disputes among its members. The latest controversy surrounds the return of the Arab Writers Union (AWU) to Egypt from Syria.
Clashes erupted two weeks ago when Mohamed El-Said Eid, former deputy chairman of the EWU, proposed that the AWU return to Egypt and an Egyptian be nominated for election as its chair. At the time, a majority of EWU's 30 board members rejected the proposal. However, a week later proponents of bringing the organisation back to Egypt prevailed.
The AWU was established in Egypt in 1968, however, in the wake of Egypt's conclusion of a peace treaty with Israel, it was moved to Syria in 1979 where it has since remained. Though most other pan-Arab organisations that had left Egypt returned in the years following President Hosni Mubarak's assumption of power in 1981, the AWU remained in Damascus.
At the forefront of those who rejected the return of the organisation was Farouk Khorshed, EWU chairman. Shortly after Eid presented his proposal, the EWU board issued a statement saying that such a move would be "inappropriate" at this time.
"In light of current political circumstances and unrelenting Western attempts to control Arabs' minds, the union is keen to preserve the unity of the AWU and rejects any competition for the presidency of the AWU," the statement said.
But political matters were not the only reasons for council members' rejection of the proposal. According to Khorshed, "the EWU's waning financial resources is one of the main reasons behind this decision."
Undaunted by the EWU council's statement, Eid plunged ahead with his bid to win Egyptian and Arab writers' support for his cause.
The timing of the bid relates to upcoming elections for the chairmanship of the AWU in Algeria in December. While there is no rule stating that the country from which the chairman hails should host headquarters, it is customary that they be one and the same, as they are for some other pan-Arab organisations. Consequently, Eid argued, not fielding a candidate for the upcoming elections would potentially "deprive Egypt of assuming its leading cultural role in the region". Ali Oqla Ersan, a Syrian, currently chairs the AWU.
Eid and nine union members called for an emergency meeting of the council to discuss the issue.
"If Egypt does not have a nominee, then we will lose the position for the next four years," Eid told Al-Ahram Weekly, referring to the length of the chairman's term. He also said that Arab writers had urged that an Egyptian run for the post.
EWU Chairman Khorshed subsequently bowed to the will of the majority of writers who support the return of the AWU to Egypt. He has also agreed to run in the coming elections.
While Khorshed declined to be interviewed by the Weekly about his change of heart, the board issued a statement to explain it's new stance. "In light of communication between the council and some Arab unions, the board decided to submit to the overwhelming view that Egypt should have a nominee in the coming elections and assume its historical and cultural role in the Arab nation," the statement issued on 19 August said.
However, some board members have not come round to the EWU's volte-face. Mustafa Abdel- Ghani, secretary of the EWU's Arab relations committee, and critic Sayed El-Bahrawi refused to sign the statement. "I am completely against the timing of this move. The return of the Arab union from Syria could be misinterpreted. It would imply that Syria had become a weak country and that Egypt was seizing the opportunity to seize [Syria's] cultural role in the region," Abdel-Ghani said. He expressed doubt that "it would actually make any difference if AWU headquarters returned to Egypt, and whether it would then really play an influential role in cultural life."
Abdel-Ghani noted the weaknesses of the EWU as he sees them, arguing that a return of the AWU would overextend the domestic organisation's resources. "EWU premises are in very bad condition and the building is not even our property, but is owned by the Shura Council." He also said the Ministry of Culture's annual grant has failed to stave off the EWU's financial problems.
Novelist Sabri Moussa agreed with Abdel- Ghani, and added his view on the reasons for the union's fiscal situation. "The Egyptian Union has its own problems already. The cause of its financial difficulties is that only about 800 of its approximately 2,800 members actually pay annual membership fees."
Parliament is expected to discuss a new law for the union this fall. Topping the changes to its structure expected under new legislation is the reduction of the number of the members of the board from 30 to 15. In Moussa's view, such a change is key. "The union's real problem is the large number of council members, which affects how it works." Nonetheless, he said the challenges facing the AWU in leading Arab writers and improving their status run deeper. "The AWU used to be powerful when it was first established in Egypt. Now all Arab countries are threatened and it is only natural that the Arab Writers Union should be weak."
