Naguib Sawiris in London

I recently returned from London (more from there later), but unfortunately missed an event at SOAS last night at which Naguib Sawiris, the founder of the Free Egyptians party, spoke. Arabist reader Dalia Malek was there, though. For background, Sawiris is the wealthiest man in Egypt, with his family playing major roles in the telecom, construction, cement and tourism industries. He also owns OnTV, which is post-revolution Egypt has become a must-watch channel for its political talk shows and interviews of political and military figures. Sawiris has moved fast, using his wealth and influence to make the Free Egyptians the first new liberal, secular party to get going.

Naguib Sawiris and the Free Egyptians Party in London

by Dalia Malek

Last night, Naguib Sawiris gave a talk on the aims of the Free Egyptians Party at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. Sharing the panel with Essam Samad from the Egyptian Association in Europe, they discussed the party’s strategies before a large and animated audience.

Sawiris engaged the audience with friendly, casual banter, making a joke about female drivers while driving a more serious point about upholding the rights of women. He spoke about education and poverty, suggesting that Egypt look toward European countries like Germany as a model.

He also derided attempts at isolating Egyptians with dual citizenship or non-Egyptian spouses from political participation.

Sawiris stated that the Free Egyptians Party does not intend to counterbalance the Muslim Brotherhood, and that his disagreement with them is strictly within the context of democratic debate. He indicated that the parties only disagree on two fundamental points: the rights of women and the rights of Copts.

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New political parties/forces in Egypt

I'm traveling right now (in Saudi Arabia--more on that later) and I forgot to link to the story I did earlier this week for The World, looking at some new political force and parties emerging in Egypt now. The list is long these days, but I spoke with El Wasat -- a moderate offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood which has actually been trying to get approved as a party for 15 years. Because its case was in court during the revolution, and a judge ruled it its favour immediately after, it is actually the first new licensed party in the country. The Brotherhood is also forming a party, of course, as are young Islamists affiliated with it but who are more liberal than the leadership. 

I also checked in with the 6 of April movement, which was a force behind the revolution and has decided that rather than be a political party it wants to see political action groups and lobby groups legalized in Egypt, so it can mobilize around particular causes or candidate but not adopt a particular political ideology (the movement has looked at groups like MoveOn.org and AIPAC as organizational models). 

There are also several new liberal parties being formed, notably the Free Egyptians party of liberal Coptic business tycoon Naguib Sawiris, whose members include writer/editor Gamal El-Ghitany and scientist Farouk El-Baz, and the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, which is home to many of the young activists who helped plan the revolution and who are close to Mohammed El Baradei's coalition (and already had its first drama when left-wing darling and political analyst Amr Hamzawy joined then quit days after in an apparent snit over the wording of a party statement).