Al-Ahram Weekly | Labour Party | Opposition blaster

Continuing a series on the political parties contesting the November general elections, Amira Howeidy traces the roots of the Labour Party, chronicles its switch to an Islamist ideology, interviews its leader, Ibrahim Shukri, and sounds out political experts on the party's performance

Opposition blaster

Its stories have often landed its editors and writers in trouble. In its last three issues, front page space was devoted to defending its editor-in-chief, Magdi Hussein, against charges of libel brought against him by Alaa El-Alfi, son of Interior Minister Hassan Al-Alfi.

Magdi Hussein and his predecessor, Adel Hussein, are the architects of the newspaper's editorial policy of scathing attacks on corruption, Zionism, American hegemony, the Oslo agreement, the proposed Middle East market and Westernisation.

"As an opposition newspaper, Al-Shaab has become sharper and more radical in opposing the peace with Israel," commented Awatef Abdel-Rahman, a professor of journalism at Cairo University.

Both Marxists-turned-Islamists, Adel and Magdi Hussein are, respectively, younger brother and only son to the founder of the pre-1952 Young Egypt Party, Ahmed Hussein. Their editorial policy is reminiscent of that adopted by the Young Egypt Party's newspaper before 1952. That paper is well remembered for once publishing large photos of beggars on its front page under the banner headline: "These are your subjects, your majesty". Adel and Magdi Hussein are said to have brought the same school of journalism to Al-Shaab which prints such front-page headlines as "No stability, no security and no supremacy of law in this country" and "Fighting corruption should began with the removal of three high officials".

At its inception in May 1979, Al-Shaab propagated socialist and nationalistic ideals similar to those adopted during the era of President Gamal Abdel-Nasser. According to Awatef Abdel-Rahman, the newspaper shifted to its Islamist orientation following Adel Hussein's takeover in 1985. "Many changes took place, from top to bottom, and there were a lot of problems. Many in-house reporters were not given assignments, particularly the Copts, who preferred to move to other newspapers. But the change did win the newspaper anew readership."

The newspaper has come under criticism for its fiery language, described by Abdel-Rahman as demagogy, particularly when addressing Islamist issues. "They argue and insist that Islam is the solution; does this mean that the money investment companies were the solution?" asked Abdel-Rahman, in a reference to so-called Islamic money investment companies, accused of fraud and shut down by the government a few years ago. "The reader is bound to react negatively and this is not in the newspaper's interest."

"We are no demagogues," responded Magdi Hussein, who took over from his uncle Adel Hussein last year. "We are an honest opposition newspaper. We have to be sharp and harsh in addressing national and Islamic issues to reach the hearts and minds of our readers. Unless we use this tone, our message will be lost."

Although it shares the nationalistic line of some other opposition newspapers, Al-Shaab writers are mainly Islamist figures. In addition to regular articles by Magdi Hussein, Adel Hussein, who is now the Labour Party's secretary-general, and Hilmi Murad, the party's deputy chairman, the newspaper prints contributions by Muslim Brotherhood figures and other Islamist writers. Occasionally, however, articles by two Coptic members of the Labour Party appear on its pages.

The party leaders' articles are usually lengthy pieces, which, Abdel-Rahman says, are "not in line with trends in modern journalism. We sometimes see long tracts in the newspaper which should have been printed in the party's political pamphlets."

Abdel-Rahman also argues that the newspaper's sharp tone in addressing Islamic issues has laid it open to the charge of fanaticism. "This does not encourage writers from outside the party to contribute because the newspaper seems to be exclusive to party members and Islamist-oriented figures."

Magdi Hussein was not the first Al-Shaab staffer to have problems with the law. Last year, the newspaper's military correspondent Abdel-Sattar Abu Hussein was detained in a military prison for publishing what was described as "top secret information". And Hilmi Murad was held overnight at a police station for criticising a cabinet minister on the newspaper's pages. The confrontation between Al-Shaab and the government reached its peak, however, when Adel Hussein spent 25 days in police custody at the beginning of the year after anti-government literature was allegedly found on a plane seat which he had occupied.

The case against Magdi Hussein, expected to be heard next month, will be the first time Law 93 for 1995 has been invoked against journalist. This controversial law provides harsh penalties for the publication of false or malicious news. Many analysts believe that in passing this law, the government was targeting the opposition press, and Al-Shaab in particular.

		Al-Ahram Weekly Issue 244 26 Oct. - 1 Nov. 1995
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875