In the heat of the trial.
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There
is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.
Socrates,
Greek philosopher
(470-399 B.C.)
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Since
last May, a distinguished Egyptian sociologist has been in prison, allegedly for
tarnishing the state’s reputation. His case stands as a warning to fellow intellectuals
When sociologist Saadeddin
Ibrahim was sentenced to seven years in prison in May 2001, a round of shock reverberated
through Egyptian civil society.
The government has always upheld its right to suppress political
Islamists even as they appease social conservatives by cracking down on the heterodox
fringe. Ibrahim, 63, did not fit either of these extremes. An internationally respected
scholar, his seminal research on the social origins of militant Islamist groups appears
to have had a major impact on the government’s strategy for fighting them. In the
1990s, the sociologist was given a prime-time TV spot to address the nation on confronting
extremism. He had close ties to the first lady, Suzanne Mubarak, and wrote articles
in the state-owned press.
Unlike many state-sponsored scholars, however, Ibrahim never tempered his views on
the regime. He openly discussed the problems of Egypt’s Christian “minority” (the
very use of that word violates nationalist taboos because the Egyptian state considers
the Copts an integrated part of the nation) and was critical of the Arab world’s
lack of democracy. One theory attributes his downfall to his coining of the word
“Gomlukiya” (Republarchy) to refer to Arab states where the presidency is handed
from father to son.
In May 2000, Ibrahim’s Ibn Khaldoun Centre for Development Studies was raided. He
and 27 of his colleagues were arrested and eventually charged with “tarnishing the
reputation of the state” and “accepting foreign funding without permission” as well
as embezzling money from his donors and bribing state television officials. The investigators
showed particular interest in a programme to monitor parliamentary elections scheduled
that fall.
Ibrahim was given one final chance. In September 2000, according to one of his lawyers,
he was released on the understanding that if he kept quiet, the charges would be
dropped. Instead, he continued to speak out about his case and announced that he
would continue to monitor the elections. Four days later formal charges were filed
against him.
Uneven
support
During
the four-month trial that opened in November 2000, the prosecution denounced Ibrahim
in speeches laced with flowery rhetoric. “Given its role in the region it is not
surprising that Egypt should be the subject of defamation,” said chief prosecutor
Sameh Seif, “but what is cause for wonder is that it comes from within, from those
who share our lives yet leave only harm and pain in their wake.” The sociologist
was labelled a “swindler” and a “genius at deception,” who concocted false reports
about Egypt and sold them abroad. The defense argued, among other points, that any
number of organizations accepted foreign funding and published reports that could
be considered critical of the state. Ibrahim was convicted on three of four counts
(he was acquitted of the bribery charge) and sentenced to seven years in prison;
six of his co-defendants received two- or five-year sentences, and the 21 others
received one-year suspended sentences.
Because of Ibrahim’s extensive connections abroad, and his dual Egyptian-American
nationality, the Egyptian regime faced a rash of harsh editorials after the conviction.
The Washington Post asked the U.S. to remember the verdict when Egypt’s aid package
came up for review. Although some of Ibrahim’s fellow academics have rallied to his
defense, the majority has not. According to former diplomat and political writer
Hussein Amin, “this is mostly due to envy. He is considered the foremost Egyptian
intellectual by the West. He’s made a lot of money and gets invited to many seminars.”
Throughout the trial, the local press was more interested in playing up his alleged
treason than defending his freedom of expression.
Some of Ibrahim’s colleagues expect him to be released this winter. He is reportedly
in poor health. The fate of his co-defendants is unsure. For now, Ibrahim’s case
stands as a warning to fellow academics. According to a joint statement by Amnesty
International and Human Rights Watch, the trial “falls in the context of a number
of blows intended to muzzle civil society in Egypt.” |
