I write these lines on
Tuesday evening before any information on president Sisi’s meeting with
intellectuals and others is to be revealed. I start by wondering about the
stance adopted by some whom I know well are Arab nationalists either Nasserists
or not, especially those who believe in the ideology and ideas of the late dear
Dr. Essmat Saif ed-Dawla[1],
the prominent Arab nationalist thinker. Wonder arises when I see those sanctifying
the concept of Arab nationalism and considering it a priority above all believing
that all borders should disappear and all Arab states’ sovereignty should end
in order for the whole Arab nations to become one Arab country, we now see them
wailing about transferring the sovereignty of those two arid little islands
from one Arab state to another. That wailing that goes higher and higher
turning into the greatest and most eloquent regional fanaticism as if Egypt has
disclaimed one of its sacred treasures to a definite enemy.
What I understand is
that true unionist and Arab nationalist is the one who opposes independence attempts
meant to separate his Arab nation and opposes establishment of any new regional
entities under any claim like the case in as-Saqieya al-Hamra[2]
and Wadi az-Zahab[3]
for example. In the same time, what he should care about most is that Arab land
should stay Arab no matter which Arab state has the sovereignty over it. It’s
the same case when we don’t mind to include our great country Egypt in the
United Arab Republic[4] where the words Egypt and
Syria together disappeared from the term. That’s why I wonder when I see all
this wailing that I consider nothing but questioning our patriotism and a
tactic adopted by those attacking president Sisi and the current regime; no
matter who they are; terrorist muslim brotherhood members, or avenged nationalist
or Marxist; those who cannot wait until matter is fully disputed and facts and
documents deciding the two islands’ history are revealed.
I here move to what I
think goes in the heart of the two islands’ issue and others; I start to agree
with the point of view saying that the government failed in choosing the right
timing and in serving – if I can use the term serve – the facts it owns
starting with the documents and not ending by committees and negotiations that
led to such decision. Why haven’t they prepared the nation for such thing by
declaring discussions, committees’ formed, discipline adopted, and scenarios of
the results that may come out? Why haven’t they negotiated about people reactions’
scenarios and means taken by Sisi and regime opponents; those who make use of
any incident to turn facts into lies and falsity to question our stance and
score points against the regime hoping that may lead to ousting it no matter
the disastrous consequences are?
A lot of talking
circulated about the timing including the one that the U.S.A have decided to
pull out its troops from Tiran and that it, along with other parties, want to
turn the strait into an international one, the matter that cannot be achieved –
as some say – unless this strait is shared by two countries and not only one.
Some also talked about the Egyptian-Israeli treaties that forbid Egypt from
taking any measure or action that may change the two islands’ geography like
establishing a bridge over them for example and that’s why transferring
sovereignty or returning the two islands to its owner or signing them away to a
new one does not submit to any treaty struck with the Hebrew state making such
thing; I mean establishing the bridge, possible.
No matter what was said,
we can say that having Professor Mufid Shihab[5] in the current crisis of
the two islands or any other international case makes us feel comfortable that
not a single sand grain will be signed away. I wish the man could have
expressed his opinion and told the Egyptian people about the truth regarding
the two islands.
For instance, let us
assume that the two islands are Egyptian and that they submit to the conditions
stipulated in the treaty with the Zionist enemy, and that Egypt wanted to make
a diplomatic and political maneuver in order to make the most use of its mutual
relations with its sister Arab country; Saudi Arabia, and to contribute to the
development of Sinai and revive tourism in places hit by terrorism like Sharm
esh-Sheikh and other cities, and that this maneuver was to transfer the two
islands’ sovereignty to the Saudi Kingdom to evade the before mentioned
treaties and achieve our main goal, and later see how to solve the matter with
Saudi Arabia. Based on this assumption, why not have this maneuver as long as
the land stays Arab, whether Egyptian Arab, Saudi Arab, or even Jordanian Arab…
I direct my words to those calling for Arab nationalism and union?!
I have no doubt in Dr. Mufid
Shehab patriotism and professionalism; the Professor of International law
and brave negotiator, the one we all knew as a member of the great patriotic
negotiators in Taba disputed case with the Israeli enemy, including Dr. Waheed
Ra’afat[6],
Youssef Abul-Haggag[7],
Younan Labib Rizq[8], and others. Also, I can
never question the nationalism and patriotism of a man like Dr. Assem
ed-Dessouqi, professor of modern and contemporary history and true believer
of the Unionist Arab nationalism ideology, who did not hesitate to affirm,
citing scientific evidence, that the two islands are Saudi.
Another incident
happened three days ago when I received a call from London where my friend Amin
al-Ghaffari, well known for his beliefs in Nasserism and Arab nationalism
and who paid the price for this out of his freedom when he was imprisoned two
times, lives. Amin confirmed that he, along with all who were with him
in the political guidance in Youth organization and Socialist institutes in the
sixties, used to hear and repeat a piece of information saying that Tiran and
Sanafir are Saudis but the Saudi Kingdom asked the two islands are to be put
under the Egyptian sovereignty for issues that had to do with the Arab-Zionist
conflict.
Anyways, and based on
our solid ground of the unionist and Arab nationalist belief, we welcome the
anticipated development in our dear Sinai… we welcome our brothers in Saudi
Arabia and all those who live in it to our Egypt through the future bridge… we welcome
thousands of job opportunities, shops, and busy hotel rooms… we welcome
prosperity no matter the future bridge foundations are to be laid down on
Egyptian, Saudi, or even Yemeni islands, since all are Arabs.
Translated into English by: Dalia Elnaggar
Translated into English by: Dalia Elnaggar
This article was
published in Al Ahram newspaper on April 14, 2016.
To see the Arabic
article, go to:
#alahram#ahmed_elgammal#tiran_w_sanafir#Tiran#sanafir#Egypt#saudi_arabia
[1] Essmat Saif ed-Dawla:
(Arabic: عصمت سيف الدولة)
(August 20, 1923 – March 30, 1996) was an Egyptian Arab nationalist thinker and
activist known for his abundant wealth of books. (Source: Wikipedia)
[2] As-Saqieya el-Hamra: (Spanish: Saguia el Hamra, Arabic: الساقية الحمراء, literally
in Arabic, "Red Canal") is, with Wadi ez-Zahab or Río de Oro,
one of the two territories that formed the Spanish province of Spanish
Sahara after 1969. Its name comes from a waterway that goes
through the capital. It’s a contested area between Morocco and The Polisario
Front ("Popular Front for the Liberation of as-Saqieya
el-Hamra and Río de Oro, Arabic: الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير ساقية الحمراء و وادي الذهب);
a Sahrawi rebel national liberation movement aiming to end Moroccan
presence in the Western Sahara. The Polisario Front is outlawed
in the parts of Western Sahara under Moroccan control, and
it is illegal to raise its party flag (often called the Sahrawi flag) there.
(Source: Wikipedia)
[3] Wadi az-Zahab or Río de Oro: (Spanish for
"Gold River", Arabic: وادي الذهب) is,
with as-Saqieya
el-Hamra, one of the two
territories that formed the Spanish province of Spanish
Sahara after 1969 and is
currently a contested area between Morocco and Polisario Front. (Source:
Wikipedia)
[4] The United Arab Republic:
(Arabic: الجمهورية العربية المتحدة) was a short-lived political union between Egypt and Syria. The
union began in 1958 and existed until 1961, when Syria seceded from the union
after the 1961 Syrian coup d'état. Egypt continued to be known officially as the
"United Arab Republic" until 1971. The president was Gamal Abdel Nasser.
It was a member of the United Arab States,
a loose confederation with North Yemen which in 1961 dissolved along with the Republic.
(Source: Wikipedia)
[5] Mufid Shehab: (Arabic: مفيد شهاب) ex-chief of
Cairo University and ex-minister in Mubarak’s regime. Dr. Shehab was a member
of the team defending Egypt’s right in Taba. (Source: Wikipedia)
[6] Waheed Fikry Ra’afat:
(Arabic: وحيد فكري رأفت)
(March 18, 1906 – May 12, 1987) was an Egyptian International Law Professor.
(Source: www.Marefa.org)
[7] Youssef Abul-Haggag:
(Arabic: يوسف أبو الحجاج)
a geographer, engineer, and geologist who was a member of the team defending
Egypt’s right in Taba.
[8] Younan
Labib Rizk: (Arabic: يونان لبيب رزق) (27 October 1933 – 14
January 2008) was a prominent Egyptian historian and literary figure. He was a
professor of history at Ain Shams University in Cairo; and was also appointed a member of the
History Committee of the Supreme Council for Culture. He was formerly Director
of Historical Studies at the Institute of Research and Arab Studies. Rizk was a
prolific writer with a weekly column appearing in Al-Ahram newspaper where he founded and headed the History
Studies Centre. He was the author of several esteemed publications which
rendered him an authority on Modern History, which was the subject of his MA
and PhD degrees in 1963 and 1967 respectively. Rizk received numerous awards
and medals, including State Incentive Award in Social Sciences in 1995. On the
national level, he played a significant role in the dispute over Taba with
Israel in 1986–88. The issue was subject to international arbitration and was
ruled in Egypt's favor. (Source: Wikipedia)
No comments:
Post a Comment