Ever since 9/11 President Bush has peppered his State of the Unionspeeches, and most other foreign policy discussions, with references tohis goal of spreading democracy to the Middle East, and Iraq inparticular. Well, we now know that the Iraq Democracy Project has proven abit harder than anticipated, what with the civil war and anti-occupationsentiments of most of the population outside of the Kurdish north. Butsurely some other countries in the region where there isn't a civil war orUS occupation should be a bit more amenable to democracy, no? Take forexample Egypt, traditionally the second largest recipient of foreign aidafter Israel (although the war on terror has pushed Iraq, Afghanistan andperhaps Pakistan into the lead). But still, with tens of billions ofdollars invested into the government of Hosni Mubarak, you'd think the USgovernment could buy a little democracy?
Almost two years ago Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice delivered alecture at the American University in Cairo that came to symbolize theBush Administration's desire--rhetorically at least--for democratic changein Egypt. The Egyptian government, she told her audience of students andactivists, must respect the rule of law, the will of its citizens, andmove--albeit gradually--towards greater democracy.
Last week the Secretary returned to Egypt, but this time there was nomention of democracy or even of a hint of criticism at the growingrepression since her last visit. Instead, the Secretary heaped praise onthe country's autocratic rulers for their support of American foreignpolicy in the region. "Stability, not democracy" is once again America'spriority in the Middle East. I guess the President is too busy managingIraq's transition to democracy to worry about Egypt's.
Truth be told, the Administration democracy agenda never went beyond nicewords, so its demise will change little on the ground in Egypt, or theArab world more broadly. But I wonder, if instead of parlaying with thecountry's geriatric autocrats Secretary Rice could have met the youngEgyptians I spent time only a few weeks before her visit, would she haveso easily betrayed their dreams, and with them what little good will theaverage Egyptian still has towards the United States?
If she had taken the time to watch the the videos I was shown by Egyptianfriends (which are now circulating on the internet) of the young busdriver, Imad el-Kabir, being sodomized with a broomstick by the police, orthe still nameless woman beaten while suspended upside down between twochairs, could she have stood next to Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed AboulGheit and thanked him for his government's help "on issues of commoninterest?"
If she could have spent an hour with the members of the burgeoning heavymetal scene, many of whose members are sons (or daughters) of generals anddiplomats, would she understand why these children of the elite have givenup on the hope of political change? Why some are so scared that they won'teven allow me to publish the names of the bands for fear the mukhabarat,or security services, might think they have political implications? Wouldthe billions of dollars the US bestows on Egypt each year in payment forits government's half-hearted support for our military and diplomaticadventures still seem worth it?
If she had met with Egypt's leading bloggers, or activists with the Kefaya(Enough! In Arabic) movement, she would have learned of the "pinpointviolence" deployed by the government to silence political opposition andcensor the internet, even as President Mubarak brags about the new wiredcities he's building in the desert for Egypt's elite. Would Secretary Ricestill consider Egypt a model for progress and stability in the MiddleEast?
I could have introduced her to the head of the Muslim Brotherhood's Cairobranch, who would have explained that Sayid Qutb, the Salafis and al-Azharled the Brotherhood astray from its cultured beginnings, and argued that"what we need to combat the militants are more freedom of speech, moretrained judges, more human rights." Or invited her to coffee with theeditor of the Brotherhood's website, 20 years his junior, who declaredthat "if I fight just for myself and my rights, then I'll never get them.Only if and when I'm ready to fight for everyone's rights can I hope tohave my full rights as a religious Muslim in Egypt."
Then again, he might have asked the Secretary for her help to confront theregime; "not to impose shari'a or wage jihad against the West or Israel,but to bring real democracy and social justice to Egypt." So perhaps it'sbetter she didn't meet him.
Most of all, I wish Secretary Rice could have joined me for my late nightchat at the home of Shady and Nour, the teenage sons of jailedpresidential candidate Ayman Nour, who is still rotting in jail despite(or perhaps because of) the tepid show of support for him by the StateDepartment. The two boys have dealt with the ordeal of their father'sarrest, trial and imprisonment by forming one of the best up and comingmetal bands in Egypt. "It helps us deal with the anger since our father'sarrest, and to convert it to useful forms."
The government warned the senior Nour that it might arrest Shady and Nouras Satanists--in 1997 well over a hundred musicians and fans were arrestedunder similar charges--if he wasn't more cooperative. The reason they areso threatening is that Shady and Nour represent a powerful alternativeidentity, and through it, future for Egypt--at once fully Egyptian, Araband Muslim (unlike most metal heads the world over, they are openlyreligious); yet fully engaged and comfortable with Western, andspecifically American, culture and ideals.
I wish Secretary Rice could have seen the face of their mother, Gamilla,when I met her at 3 in the morning as she returned home, exhausted butdefiant, from another long night researching a story on governmentcorruption. If the Secretary understood how Gemilla splits her timebetween fighting for her husband's release, fighting corruption as aninvestigative journalist, and videotaping her sons' concerts from the moshpit, I wonder if she'd be so quick to authorize the next $2 billion in aidto the Mubarak government. It's a good thing she didn't meet her either.
In her public remarks at the end of her trip, Secretary of State Rice onceagain declared that United States "greatly values... [the] importantstrategic relationship" with Egypt, and even thanked President Mubarak"for spending so much time with me." Such craven coddling of one of theworld's oldest and most authoritarian regimes while Ayman Nour, Imadel-Kabir and untold other Egyptians remain behind bars is morallyunconscionable. And it confirms al-Qae'da's argument that the US continuesto care not a wit about the human and political rights of ordinaryMuslims.
In his cave somewhere along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Osama binLaden is surely smiling.