Rediscovering citizenship

By Sameh Fawzi,/b>

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Citizenship has three aspects: legal, political and social. In the West, the concept emerged through legal discourse, with emphasis placed on equality among all people regardless of race, colour or creed. Citizenship then took on a political aspect, through equal voting rights. Next the welfare state added a social twist, with citizens entitled to a certain degree of state care and assistance. At present, Western literature is giving citizenship an international perspective, with people and governments responsible for the lot of others outside national borders. Protests against the World Trade Organisation are a case in point; a sign of commitment to the welfare of people living elsewhere.

In Egypt, the picture is blurred. The modern state of Mohamed Ali (1805-1949) created the first army of Egyptian citizens since ancient times. Khedive Said abolished jizia (poll tax on non- Muslims) in 1855 and allowed Christians to join the army. The country's first parliament, formed in 1866, contained both Muslims and Christians.

It was with the 1952 revolution that citizenship took its first step backwards. Political citizenship was eclipsed by the revolution's focus on social citizenship. Then the open-door policy of the 1970s wreaked havoc on social citizenship by giving precedence to market forces. In more than one way, citizenship has diminished.

Legally, courts are slow and their rulings are not always executed to the letter. Women and Copts have legitimate complaints. Politically, civil society is under siege, elections are hardly credible and citizens are far removed from decision- making. Socially, 40 per cent of Egyptians live under the poverty line. Government employees are underpaid, their meagre salaries seriously lagging behind the astronomical rise in prices. We need to rediscover citizenship.

This week's Soapbox speaker is managing editor of Watani weekly newspaper.