A rickety bridge?

Egyptian and international anti-war activists concluded the Second Cairo Conference this week. Amira Howeidy tries to see beyond the spectacular chaos

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Almost a thousand Egyptian, Arab and international activists representing the anti-war movement ended a two-day conference on Sunday as news of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's capture was announced. Over two days, dozens of passionate Arab and international speakers took to the Egyptian Press Syndicate podium to express solidarity with the Iraqi and Palestinian people, and denounce US imperialism, globalisation and aggressive capitalism. The impressive array of speakers included veteran British politician Tony Benn, former US attorney- general Ramsey Clark, former Humanitarian Coordinator with the United Nations in Iraq Dennis Halliday and British MP George Galloway. Hundreds of activists representing the UK-based Stop the War Coalition, International A.N.S.W.E.R and the anti-war movements in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Turkey, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and the occupied Palestinian territories, also took part. Egyptian figures -- who more or less monopolised the podium -- represented Nasserist, Islamist, secular, communist and socialist currents, thereby completing the veritable global unity of activists.

As such, the Second Cairo Conference -- which was organised by the International Campaign Against Zionist and US Occupation -- had all the ingredients of a successful anti-war event.

But it wasn't. Until the very last minute, organisers failed to produce a detailed programme of events. And with the exception of prominent speakers who needed no introduction, no one seemed to know exactly who the other "foreign activists who came all the way to Egypt to attend this conference" were. This sheer lack of information, however, did not stop Amir Eskandar -- a Nasserist active in the campaign to boycott American goods -- from introducing speakers he didn't know. Salma Yakoub, chairperson of the Stop the War Coalition in Birmingham, was introduced as an activist from "Pakistan". Prominent Jordanian political opposition figure Leith Shubeilat was simply "from Jordan". In most cases, the over- crowded hall simply had to figure out for themselves who was talking.

AGAINST OCCUPATION AND CAPITALIST GLOBALISATION: British MP Georoge Galloway (Centre), Egyptian Novelist Bahaa Taher (Right) were among hundreds of activists who participated in the Second Cairo Conference

The lineup of speakers at the workshops on Imperialism, Popular Movements, and Support of the Iraqi and Palestinian Resistance was a study in confusion. Instead of Tony Benn and Samir Amin -- the prominent economist who is chairman of the Third World Forum -- making an appearance at Saturday afternoon's Imperialism workshop as scheduled, the audience ended up listening to Egyptian left-wing writer Sherif Hetata instead.

Despite the gaffes, a spirit of solidarity with occupied and oppressed people dominated the conference. The lack of organisation and overabundance of Egyptian speakers was seen as a minor setback. Lack of refreshments was, in comparison, trivial.

For two days, fiery speeches ensued. An Italian activist attacked his country's media for describing the Iraqi and Palestinian resistance as terrorism. "They're patriots like those who fought the German occupation," he said. Shubeilat, who also spoke of the injustice inherent in equaling resistance with terrorism, said he found the fact that Iraq and Palestine have become the "symbols of the anti-globalisation movement" very significant. "Arab popular movements must engage with this global movement to make it truly universal," he said.

The chemistry between the conferences' left wing and Islamic currents was a revelation to many. Making a rare appearance in such a socialist-oriented gathering, Ma'moun El- Hodeibi, the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood's supreme guide, spoke at the opening session. Slamming the "authoritative imperialist and aggressive capitalist systems", Hodeibi hailed the "new [anti-globalisation] global movement".

Stop the War's Yakoub described the anti-war movement as a "bridge between East and West. From Cairo to Birmingham, Muslim and Jew, we have more in common than we have differences, and it's unity that gives us the potential to be the other superpower."

Galloway called the conference itself a bridge between East and West. "Across the bridge, in two-way traffic, should come experience and support. We learn from here and here will learn from us."

In fact, most speakers mentioned Cairo's significance as a meeting point between North and South, and East and West. But while this sort of discourse seemed apt for the Second Cairo Conference, and was the primary reason why activists from all over the world who oppose the occupation of two Arab countries were here, very little concrete plans for joint efforts seemed to actually materialise.

Sabah Al-Mukhtar, an Iraqi lawyer from the UK-based Arab Lawyers Network, urged the conference "not to recognise the occupation forces [in Iraq] or the Governing Council. The Iraqi people must know that the world stands behind them".

The four-page draft Cairo Declaration issued by the conference challenged capitalist globalisation and US hegemony, and hailed the "heroic Intifada", as well as Iraqi resistance.

Some attendees expressed their disappointment in what they called a missed opportunity. Such a rare meeting between international activists protesting the injustices imposed on Arabs, and Arab activists who are systematically subject to oppression for their political views, should have been exploited further to strengthen ties between the two groups.

Halliday, the former UN official, disagreed with that point of view. "Its lonely out there, speaking in New York, when you don't hear somebody in Egypt say what I say. I want to be able to quote an Egyptian about Iraq and Egypt. And I think for many activists who visited an Arab country for the first time, it will help them go back and say, yes, I found evidence that in the Arab world people want change."

Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 18 - 24 December 2003 (Issue No. 669)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/669/eg8.htm