Leadership Conversation With An Egyptian Friend Before The Coup By: Azubuike Ishiekwene on July 5, 2013 - 4:12am When Tarek told Margaret and I in Paris, a few days to the end of June, to expect another big trouble in Egypt on June 30, I didn’t quite get it. I thought that after the upheaval that led to the fall of Hosni Mubarak and the regular protests that have made Tahrir Square the default powerhouse, Egypt had had enough. One year after the revolution, the country is still on its knees. Investment has fallen and social infrastructure is in a shambles. The economy has been downgraded six times and twice classified as junk under Mohammed Morsi. More and more violent robberies, including daylight car thefts, are being reported and tourism has crashed. Yet, there is not a cat’s chance in hell that things would get better anytime soon. So, what’s the point in another upheaval? Margaret Amoakohene, a Ghanaian lecturer, and I asked Tarek Atia, former assistant editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram Weekly, Egypt’s leading newspaper and founder of Egypt Media Development Programme, the country’s first hyperlocal newspaper. Tarek explained that the revolution that removed Mubarak had been hijacked and betrayed. He said the constitution was still being written when pro-Morsi groups, led by the Muslim Brotherhood, forced the referendum through, trampling over the rights of minority groups, especially those who had hoped for a more secular post-revolution Egypt. Margaret spoke about Ghana’s own revolution. She said Nigeria’s idol, Jerry Rawlings, may have led one of the most corrupt governments in Ghana. “I know,” she said, “Nigerians think that the executions by Rawlings of the so-called corrupt Ghanaian leaders marked one of the best chapters of Ghana’s history. You wish for a Nigerian Rawlings. But believe me, Ghanaians still look back today and ask themselves whether the so-called revolution, especially the bloodshed, is worth the legacy. Rawlings’ second coming was a disaster.” I thought about Nigeria. Could Egypt ever happen here? The protest would not be in its second day when Clark, Asari-Dokubo or Okupe would accuse the protesters of pursuing an apocalyptic agenda. They would promise to kill all those who didn’t back off. The EFCC or ICPC would then be unleashed on the leaders and newspapers’ pages would publish acres of advertorials by faceless groups hanging the leaders out to dry. Family and friends would remind the protesters that Nigeria was not worth dying for now or ever. The coconut water is sweetest when the shell is broken on another man’s head. Not in Egypt. Tarek was sure 20 million-plus Egyptian heads were ready to break the coconut on June 30. Events in that country since then have proved him right. I’ve been chatting with him, and, hours before Morsi fell on Wednesday, we had this conversation: When you said to me in Paris, “Look out for June 30!” did you really believe it would be this big? Tarek: No one could really predict exactly what was going to happen, but it was obvious that a huge amount of momentum was building up for something big – the mood was becoming increasingly similar to the one that prevailed in the lead up to Jan 25, 2011 (day of Revolt). How did Egypt get here? It has been a rough two and a half years since Jan 25, 20l1. But it has also been a much longer path – 10 years at least – during which various factors combined to push the country towards a massive change. Morsy has been only one year in office. Is it fair to expect him to fix a 40-year ruin in one year? Tarek: No one expected him to fix things quickly. However, it was also quite surprising how poor a job he has actually done. It is understandable that there were a lot of factors and actors working against him. However, he did not do the bare minimum to build consensus around shared goals or targets. He did not put a government in place that people had confidence in. He also betrayed people’s trust in him that he would be a president for all Egyptians. Will any elected president ever have the freedom to rule without the fear of the mob? This is the common refrain by a ruler under this kind of pressure. I or the flood. The truth is that the reason this huge swath of the population is revolting against Morsi is he did not provide a single positive achievement that people could rally around and build on. What does the opposition want? Tarek: This is the toughest question of all. Egyptians have managed to band together in large numbers in pursuit of a common goal several times now. But that goal has usually been the removal of a hated or mistrusted leadership rather than a move towards building something positive. It’s a learning curve of sorts. Let’s see where it takes us. Do you see any lessons for African politicians? Tarek: I think everyone is watching closely to see where this people power movement leads. The events of Jan 25, 2011, were a model for movements around the world. I think there is something to be said about why people pay attention to what happens in Egypt. Of course, its central position in the region’s geo-politics is key. But we need to also consider that Egypt – due to its long history and central position as a primary archetype in the global human psyche (religious, historic, cultural, political) – has always been a source of wonder and inspiration to the world. In answer to my final question – “Will Morsi survive?” – Tarek said whether he survives or not, neither he nor his supporters in the Brotherhood will remain the same again. And I might add, too, nor will Egypt. Kumuyi: Facing A Father’s Nightmare I looked at these pictures until my eyes were misty, trying in vain to figure out why the fashion police want the bride’s head (see left) on a platter. Forget the hypocritical circles around her face and dress. Anyone who attended a wedding 99 years ago (see right) might agree that modesty doesn’t get better than the appearance of William Kumuyi’s daughter-in-law, pictured on the left. All those who feel embarrassed by it can either end their misery by waking up to the present or remaining in a deluded past.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 08:17:57 +0000
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