Taking the court to the street
CAIRO: Though politics occupies a limited amount of people s interests during Ramadan, these days the case of Talaat El-Sadat, parliament member and nephew of slain President Anwar El-Sadat, has grabbed many people’s attention. El-Sadat, the nephew, lost his parliamentary immunity at the request of the military prosecutor after he implied on a TV program that his uncle s bodyguards and army officers were involved in his assassination. The Daily Star Egypt went out on the street to hear the diverse views of Egyptian citizens regarding the controversy.
“As a former officer, I know that the punishment for offending the Egyptian army is a five-year imprisonment. I think that the regime was waiting for such a mistake from Talaat El-Sadat. He is so talkative and he also used to insult the police when he was defending the guy in the Bani Mazar massacre who was accused of killing 10 people. He committed a silly mistake that shouldn’t be committed by an experienced lawyer like him. Gamal Abd El-Moneim, retired officer
“Talaat El-Sadat is a propagandist. He is repeating what was published in an American newspaper on the anniversary of the assassination of President Al-Sadat. I am not comfortable with this guy at all. Salwa Abd El-Wahab, accountant
“I think I can talk about my uncle anytime anywhere. I believe they just want to get back at him after the Bani Mazar case. So they don’t want him to extend his celebrations. Mohammed Daydamony, businessman
“Many people say that big names were involved in Al-Sadat s assassination. The man was murdered by an army soldier and this needs backup from somebody in an important position to supply him with real bullets in front of the president. But actually, it is not the right time to talk about this issue. Ghofran Mohammed, student
“Talaat El-Sadat is a lawyer, so he knew that he would face great troubles if he couldn’t prove what he claimed. I believe that his calculations weren’t accurate. He feels victorious because of the big victory in the parliamentary election, then the propaganda he did for the Bani Mazar suspect and for being a prominent name on most satellite channels. Hussein Hagras, civil engineer
“If he has evidence, why did he wait 25 years? He is just a big mouth. I believe he wants to have a political position but for sure it will not be in the NDP regime. Actually, I usually turn off the TV whenever I see him on the screen. And unfortunately, this happens a lot. Mona Abd El-Wahab, housewife
“Democracy in Egypt can be summarized in a few words. You can say whatever you want, and they can put you in jail. Ahmad Khashaba, dentist “It may seem strange that Al-Sadat’s family denied any relation to Talaat El-Sadat s allegations. It s either they don t believe what he claims or they don t want to be involved with any disputes with the current regime. Nobody knows what goes on in their minds. Marwa Al-Sayed, translator
