  Famous Arab journalist M. Hassanein Haykal calls for a transitional government.
BY FAREED MAHDY*
IDN-InDepthNews Service
ISTANBUL (IDN) - Two new civilian ‘revolts’ have gained ground in Cairo: the one pushing for declaring Egypt unambiguously a secular country; the other asking President Hosni Mubarak neither to run for a new term nor to promote his son Gamal to succeed him, but to let a transitional government rule the country while a council of notabes drafts a new Constitution to rebuild Egypt and lead it to a new start.
The latter came through a proposal launched by M. Hassanein Haykal, 86, confidante of late President Gamal Abdel Nasser, world-known journalist, writer and analyst, who for 17 years was editor-in-chief of the once prestigious daily Al-Ahram, and widely respected commentator on Arab and international affairs for more than 50 years.
In unusual declarations on Egyptian domestic political affairs, made on Oct 21 to the Cairo-based opposition daily Al Masry Al Youm (The Egyptian Today), Haykal proposed a plan “to rebuild the country” through a transitional period of around three years from now.
Such period should be handled by a transitional government headed by current minister of Trade and Industry, Rashid M. Rashid, with Finance minister Youssef Boutrous Ghali as his deputy.
Meanwhile, a 'think tank' of Egyptian national and international leading personalities should elaborate a new “social contract” or Constitution to be submitted to the Egyptians in a large referendum, according to Haykal's proposal.
TWO EGYPTIAN NOBEL LAUREATES AND A SIR
The think tank would include Mohammed ElBaradei, Nobel Peace laureate and director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency for two terms; Ahmed H. Zewail, Nobel Prize awardee in Chemistry; Sir Magdi Habib Yacoub, outstanding professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Imperial College London, and Amre Mousa, former Egyptian Foreign minister and current secretary general of the Arab League.
In addition to these personalities, Haykal proposes that among others current director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, Omar Suleiman, as well as key figures from Egyptian military should join the think tank
Haykal suggests that the whole process be carried out under the auspices of President Mubarak “as a last favour” to Egypt.
This group should “act as a bridge” toward a future in which “young potential” should lead the country, says Haykal.
Regarding the years-long speculations that Mubarak's son, Gamal, is being promoted to succeed his father, Haykal said “that would be a shame”.
Haykal stressed the need to take advantage of the wisdom and skills of hundreds of thousands of Egyptian 'privileged minds” living abroad.
Haykal's proposal has been immediately supported by leading Egyptian political figures, who have invited Mubarak to adopt it as the most appropriate and peaceful means to reconstruct the country.
YES, BUT....
Mansour Hassan, former Information minister, said that the proposal is “the only practical, logical way” to come out of the current political crisis, as the transitional period will allow reforming the Constitution, set up new rules for political multi-party system, and “prepare the environment” for a real, serious political process.
Constitutionalist Yehya Al Gamal agreed to join the proposed group of notables, which he considers “a must now”. He suggested the group be also joined by “conscious, responsible” members of opposition parties.
Al Gamal said however that the problem is not who will be part of the group, but whether the regime is ready to listen to such proposals.
Hassan Nafaa, professor of Political Sciences said that the proposal is appropriate, but not practical as it would be based on the approval of the head of state, and would be therefore un-implementable.
Mounir Fakhry, secretary general of Al Wafd party, said that his party has always called for changing the structure of the regime and the Constitution, in order to allow citizens choose their leaders in total, complete freedom.
THE SECULAR REPUBLIC OF EGYPT?
Previously, 'controversial' physician, author, professor and energetic human rights and gender equality activist, Nawal El Saadawi, 78, called for declaring Egypt an unambiguously secular country.
El Saadawi has continuously advocated for the complete separation between state and religion. Known for her tough opposition to the role of religions and religious leaders in the fate of any given country, she was jailed and later on exiled to the U.S.
Saadawi studied medicine at the Cairo University, graduating in 1955. While working as a doctor, she observed the hardships and inequalities faced by rural women.
She became the Director of Public Health and met her third husband, Sherif Hetata, who had been a political prisoner for 13 years. But she was dismissed from her position at the Ministry of Health as a consequence of her political activities.
Similar pressures cost her a later position as chief editor of a health journal and as assistant general secretary in the Medical Association in Egypt.
From 1973 to 1976 she worked on researching women and neurosis in the Ain Shams University's Faculty of Medicine. From 1979 to 1980 she was the United Nations Advisor for the Women's Programme in Africa (ECA) and Middle East (ECWA).
Long viewed as 'dangerous' by the Egyptian government and religious leaders, El Saadawi was imprisoned in September 1981, along with many other objectors to the Israeli-Egyptian Peace Treaty. She was released one month after President Anwar Al Sadat's assassination.
In 1991, when her life was threatened by Islamists, El Saadawi moved from Egypt to North Carolina and taught in Duke and Washington State Universities. In 1996 she moved back to Egypt.
El Saadawi was awarded the 2004 North-South Prize by the Council of Europe.
While in the U.S. she founded the civil non-governmental organisation Global Solidarity for Secular Society (GSSS). She returned to Cairo in September and launched the Egyptian GSSS Chapter.
El Saadawi proposal received strong support from Egyptian leading intellectuals, who agreed to work for transforming Egypt into a secular republic, as opposed to the current one.
Meanwhile, Muslim religious leaders who accuse her of blasphemy, and conservative powers are making increasing pressures to imprison her again.
El Saadawi talked to Egyptian opposition daily Al Masry Al Youm. Regarding her movement Global Solidarity for Secular Society, she said that it is “a project independent from official institutions and the United Nations”.
"It is about a call launched by world wide groups of intellectuals and youth, and was announced on the occasion of a demonstration against religious violence last year in Atlanta, U.S.,” she explained.
On that occasion, demonstrators protested against “what is happening in Sudan and Iran, that is, against the current of fundamentalism which oppresses women, prosecutes thinkers and writers, and wants to lash a Sudanese radio presenter for the sole fact that she was wearing trousers”.
"It is in this very same context”, she added, that we see “a discriminatory Jewish State in Israel, which discriminates people on the basis of religion. All religious countries are discriminatory countries in our view”.
‘RELIGIOUS INDOORS; CIVILIAN OUTDOORS’
In her interview, El Saadawi reiterated calls for changing Article 2 of the Egyptian Constitution, which “establishes that Islam is the religion of the State”. But the State has no religion, she added.
“Our movement aims at saving the peoples from all kinds of fundamentalist currents,” she said.
“Real secularism does not come in contradiction with practising religions”, she stated. ”Everybody has the right to choose a religion, but faith is a personal, private matter”, to be practiced indoors. Once outdoors, citizens should observe “civil” behaviour. (IDN-InDepthNews/27.10.09)
Copyright © 2009 IDN-InDepthNews Service
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* The writer is special correspondent of IDN-InDepthNews service
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