Obituary:

Said El-Naggar 1920 -- 2004

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Said El-Naggar (1920 -- 2004)

By Amira Howeidy

Front page news in the Egyptian press on Monday morning -- an official holiday marking Easter -- came as a shock to many. One of the nation's most respected and sophisticated intellectuals, Said El-Naggar, the internationally-renowned economist, died at the age of 84 on Sunday 11 April. As Al-Ahram Weekly went to press on Wednesday, a great section of the country's intelligentsia was heading to the Al-Hamediya Al-Shazliya mosque in Mohandessin to pay condolences to his grieved family.

El-Naggar taught six generations at Cairo University, many of whom are today's leading intellectuals, academics, politicians and lawyers. And because he combined his academic expertise with public service for more than 30 years, El-Naggar stood out as a brilliant academic and an outstanding economist whose liberal views on both economy and politics earned him respect and admiration, even from his critics.

El-Naggar was born in 1920, in the Delta governorate of Al-Beheira, to a wealthy merchant. His father died when Said was still a child and his family was left with accumulating debts that finally led to the sequestration of their property and agricultural land. Despite their difficult circumstances, El-Naggar's mother insisted that her youngest son Said should continue his education, which he did with success. He graduated from Cairo University's Faculty of Law in 1942 and completed graduate studies in economics at London University where he obtained a masters degree in 1948 and doctorate in 1951.

He started teaching economics at Cairo University with the beginning of the 1952 Revolution which he supported enthusiastically and was member of the committee that formulated the agrarian reform law at that time. But his support for the revolution gradually changed as he found its policies directly opposed to liberal thought.

His disagreement with the revolution and its leader Gamal Abdel-Nasser took a personal twist when his then father-in-law, Abdel-Razek El-Sanhouri, a prominent legislator, was physically assaulted in his office by the "regime's men" to intimidate independent figures who weren't tolerated by the revolution.

El-Naggar abandoned public activity and focussed entirely on his teaching career, which he excelled in. But his relation with the revolution was again brought to a head when he was asked to teach "Arab socialism", of which he wasn't particularly fond. His refusal created more tension between him and the regime and might have encouraged him to leave Egypt in 1964 to continue as a teaching professor at Princeton University, New Jersey.

He later joined the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in 1965, as deputy director of the Research Division, a post he held for six years until he was appointed director of the United Nations Economic and Social Affairs Office in Beirut, Lebanon. From 1976 to 1984, he served as executive director of the World Bank, representing the Arab countries. He was also member of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organisation, in Geneva, Switzerland from 1995 to 2000.

Upon his return to Egypt in 1993, El-Naggar became Professor Emeritus of Economics at Cairo University and founded the "New Civic Forum", an NGO dedicated to economic, political and social liberalisation. El-Naggar swiftly engaged in the political arena and chaired the first election-watch committee for the 1995 parliamentary elections, made up of several NGOs and public figures.

In 1997 he instigated an significant political reform initiative: the formulation of a "National Charter" meant to lay down the foundation for democratic reform. The charter emerged following a series of intensive discussions between political groups, including the banned Muslim Brotherhood. The project stalled, however, when then- Muslim Brotherhood Spokesman Ma'moun El-Hodeibi refused to abandon Islamic Shari'a as the group's main frame of reference. Because the charter was based on the inclusion of all political groups the entire project was thwarted as a result.

With stagnation reigning over political practice, El- Naggar gradually adopted a lower profile, but did not abandon politics. He continued to be a prolific writer in the Egyptian press, often handling controversial political and economic issues. He was a relentless advocate of a liberal economy while adopting a vigilant approach to its social and political implications.

El-Naggar has published numerous books and articles on international economics, economic development, adjustment policies and the Egyptian economy.

Although he was categorised as a "secular" and "liberal" intellectual, El-Naggar was viewed as one of the few in his "camp" who showed respect for the "other" and those he disagreed with. At a time when many secular and left-wing intellectuals and politicians were set against the rise of Islamist militancy, El-Naggar was one of the few voices of reason who emphasised the necessity of respecting the human, political and constitutional rights of all.

El-Naggar was equally bold in criticising the current political system for quashing political and intellectual freedom and also for its passive stance on both the Arab- Israeli and Iraqi crisis. In an interview with the Weekly following the invasion of Iraq, El-Naggar described the situation as "very, very bad, and we're trying to do something. The nation is in real danger and the government is asleep. America's plans for the region are obvious. Israel wants to occupy what remains of Palestine and the US wants to divide Iraq. And we're doing nothing, as if none of this has anything to do with our national security when it has everything to do with it."

With his death, Egypt has lost a refined mind and responsible nationalist at a time when such virtues are most needed.

He is survived by his wife, Gertie and two sons, Hisham and Osama.