Does the Western Like Democracy Suit the Middle East? [2]
Ismail Imadudeen
May 21, 2008
At a warm night of July 1952, the atmosphere was perturbed; there was uneasiness in the air. Some unusual event was going on, but no body knew exactly what it was. Some soldiers and officers took on the streets, and there was a suspicious movement of armored cars and military tanks outside their bases.
The then low rank officer Mohammed Anwar El-Sadat, the spokesman of the Liberal Officers, who planted a coup against the Egyptian King, announced the very first bulletin of the coup to the Egyptian people. The bulletin aimed at explaining why did the military take on the streets, and why they wanted to oust King Farouq. Surprisingly, the people took on the streets in support of the military and ultimately the coup turned to a legitimate revolution.
At the very beginning, no one amongst those ´Liberal Officers´ was sure of what was going to happen later, as they never thought, at least at first, of seizing power or controlling the country. Their own aim was mainly to oust the king, strengthen the military that was extremely weakened after 1948 war with Israel, and put an end to the British existence in Egypt. Who was going to rule the country then? It was a difficult question at the very beginning of the revolution. That question led to many controversies and disagreements amongst the Revolutionary Council´s members. The then leader of the Revolutionary Council, General Mohammed Naguib, was in big favor of handing the power over to the civil authority, i.e. to call for elections, and the political parties could run for the government. This desire led Naguib ultimately to his end, because the other members of the R.C. didn´t believe in the appropriateness of giving up the power at the very birth of the revolution, as things might turn over against them, and the King might return again. Naguib was put to house arrest and Brigadier Gamal Abdel Nasser took on the leadership with unanimous approval of the other members of the R.C.
Gamal Abdel Nasser believed that being a military man, and at the same time a statesman would be a contradictory thing, so he decided to give up all the military duties to his close colleague Abdel Hakeem Amer. Nasser was a charismatic and popular leader, not only amongst the Egyptian people, but amongst his own colleagues too, in the R.C. His speeches inflamed national patriotism, and his mega projects, such as the construction of the High Dam and the nationalization of Suez Canal, could build the so called Egyptian dream of prosperity, sovereignty and self-sufficiency. The principles of Arabic unity were promoted and soared by Nasser´s speeches and actions. He called for Arabic identity that goes beyond the boundaries. In fact Nasser was equally popular in the Arab streets as in the Egyptian streets.
Nasser wasn´t elected in a western-like way, nor allowed the political parties to operate. Political parties were banned, but unions were strengthened. Labor were given rights that they never dreamt to have before. Farmers, on the other hand, were given special attention by Nasser, which contributed significantly to his image amongst the poor. Nasser´s actions towards the redistribution of the national wealth proved to be extremely unpopular amongst the rich Egyptians, but how many were they?
The problem with Nasser was that he never forgot that he was an army man. The scar in his heart caused by the shameful defeat of the Arab armies in the 1948 war, continued to upset him. He never forgot the defeat, nor forgave those who were responsible, i.e. the King and the British. Nasser, along with all the Arab leaders then, believed that Israel was a strange body that was implanted illegitimately by the international community in the Middle East. The world in 1948 was governed by some colonial empires, hence whatever decision taken by the UN at that time, was believed to be propelled by the will of the colonial powers rather than the will of the people. Based on that, Nasser, and the other Arab leaders didn´t accept the UN resolution concerning the partition of Palestine into a Jewish and Arab states. Nasser considered Israel to be a hostile state that shouldn´t be tolerated. He said and did everything to escalate the confrontation with Israel hoping that one day the 1948 defeat could be replaced by an Arabic victory over the implanted state. However, the Israelis were proactive and hit their neighboring countries, which caused another shameful defeat in June 1967, but it was harder that time.
The strong tiger was broken; he chose, willingly, to quit, but people, who strongly loved him, put him to power again. People´s love to Nasser outdid every mistake he did, even with the 1967 defeat, and the lies that were associated with it. People´s love to Nasser outdid any principles of democracy and power sharing; in fact no elected leader in the world would have possessed the love that Nasser got from his people at that time.
Now the Revolutionary Council is divided, Nasser then is not like Nasser before in their eyes; that conspiracy led to the mysterious death of the military leader Abdel Hakeem Amer, and the beginning of a new era of confronting plots and interests.
When Nasser died, the Israeli army was still occupying the Sinai Peninsula, yet people were mourning in his funeral procession like a father had died. People were mourning like there was no 1967 or shameful defeat. People were mourning hard though many of Nasser´s words and promises turned out to be mere unrealistic dreams. It´s the love that people here, in this region, place on their rulers. It´s the father – son – like relationship that makes people ready to forgive everything done by their rulers, who treated them like their own children during their lifetime.
The then low rank officer Mohammed Anwar El-Sadat, the spokesman of the Liberal Officers, who planted a coup against the Egyptian King, announced the very first bulletin of the coup to the Egyptian people. The bulletin aimed at explaining why did the military take on the streets, and why they wanted to oust King Farouq. Surprisingly, the people took on the streets in support of the military and ultimately the coup turned to a legitimate revolution.
At the very beginning, no one amongst those ´Liberal Officers´ was sure of what was going to happen later, as they never thought, at least at first, of seizing power or controlling the country. Their own aim was mainly to oust the king, strengthen the military that was extremely weakened after 1948 war with Israel, and put an end to the British existence in Egypt. Who was going to rule the country then? It was a difficult question at the very beginning of the revolution. That question led to many controversies and disagreements amongst the Revolutionary Council´s members. The then leader of the Revolutionary Council, General Mohammed Naguib, was in big favor of handing the power over to the civil authority, i.e. to call for elections, and the political parties could run for the government. This desire led Naguib ultimately to his end, because the other members of the R.C. didn´t believe in the appropriateness of giving up the power at the very birth of the revolution, as things might turn over against them, and the King might return again. Naguib was put to house arrest and Brigadier Gamal Abdel Nasser took on the leadership with unanimous approval of the other members of the R.C.
Gamal Abdel Nasser believed that being a military man, and at the same time a statesman would be a contradictory thing, so he decided to give up all the military duties to his close colleague Abdel Hakeem Amer. Nasser was a charismatic and popular leader, not only amongst the Egyptian people, but amongst his own colleagues too, in the R.C. His speeches inflamed national patriotism, and his mega projects, such as the construction of the High Dam and the nationalization of Suez Canal, could build the so called Egyptian dream of prosperity, sovereignty and self-sufficiency. The principles of Arabic unity were promoted and soared by Nasser´s speeches and actions. He called for Arabic identity that goes beyond the boundaries. In fact Nasser was equally popular in the Arab streets as in the Egyptian streets.
Nasser wasn´t elected in a western-like way, nor allowed the political parties to operate. Political parties were banned, but unions were strengthened. Labor were given rights that they never dreamt to have before. Farmers, on the other hand, were given special attention by Nasser, which contributed significantly to his image amongst the poor. Nasser´s actions towards the redistribution of the national wealth proved to be extremely unpopular amongst the rich Egyptians, but how many were they?
The problem with Nasser was that he never forgot that he was an army man. The scar in his heart caused by the shameful defeat of the Arab armies in the 1948 war, continued to upset him. He never forgot the defeat, nor forgave those who were responsible, i.e. the King and the British. Nasser, along with all the Arab leaders then, believed that Israel was a strange body that was implanted illegitimately by the international community in the Middle East. The world in 1948 was governed by some colonial empires, hence whatever decision taken by the UN at that time, was believed to be propelled by the will of the colonial powers rather than the will of the people. Based on that, Nasser, and the other Arab leaders didn´t accept the UN resolution concerning the partition of Palestine into a Jewish and Arab states. Nasser considered Israel to be a hostile state that shouldn´t be tolerated. He said and did everything to escalate the confrontation with Israel hoping that one day the 1948 defeat could be replaced by an Arabic victory over the implanted state. However, the Israelis were proactive and hit their neighboring countries, which caused another shameful defeat in June 1967, but it was harder that time.
The strong tiger was broken; he chose, willingly, to quit, but people, who strongly loved him, put him to power again. People´s love to Nasser outdid every mistake he did, even with the 1967 defeat, and the lies that were associated with it. People´s love to Nasser outdid any principles of democracy and power sharing; in fact no elected leader in the world would have possessed the love that Nasser got from his people at that time.
Now the Revolutionary Council is divided, Nasser then is not like Nasser before in their eyes; that conspiracy led to the mysterious death of the military leader Abdel Hakeem Amer, and the beginning of a new era of confronting plots and interests.
When Nasser died, the Israeli army was still occupying the Sinai Peninsula, yet people were mourning in his funeral procession like a father had died. People were mourning like there was no 1967 or shameful defeat. People were mourning hard though many of Nasser´s words and promises turned out to be mere unrealistic dreams. It´s the love that people here, in this region, place on their rulers. It´s the father – son – like relationship that makes people ready to forgive everything done by their rulers, who treated them like their own children during their lifetime.
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