CAIRO: Ayman Nour, the detained founder of Al-Ghad Party, sent a letter to United States presidential hopeful Barack Obama detailing his clashes with the ruling party and outlining the fine points of his case.
In a move that is the first of its kind, the former presidential candidate’s letter was published in independent newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm and posted on Al-Ghad party’s official website.
“This was originally an article by Ayman Nour that was sent to the Washington Post, where it was supposed to be published, Gamila Ismail, Nour’s wife, told Daily News Egypt.
“We are not sure when exactly it is going to be published and if they [the Washington Post] will publish it after an Egyptian newspaper did . it is now available on numerous political websites, she added.
Nour began the letter by saying that he is writing from “behind the bars of the oldest and largest prisons in Egypt and the Middle East, Tora Prison.
He continued by saying that he was writing to Obama “as a human being who is the same age as you.
Nour went on to explain how he won parliamentary elections and became a Member of Parliament in 1995. Then he founded the liberal political party Al-Ghad, and entered Egypt’s first multi-candidate presidential elections in 2005. He was then imprisoned for allegedly forging powers of attorney to secure the required number of signatures to form Al-Ghad party.
“Despite the naivety of the allegations and the [the fact that] the interrogations are null because I had parliamentary immunity, the case was transferred to a prosecution office specialized in political cases, which is the State Security Prosecution Office.
“However, the crime I was really accused of was daring to dream of change and competing against the [incumbent] president, who has been ruling Egypt for 27 years, and threatening his plan of his son’s succession, the letter read.
In the letter, Nour said he and Obama belong to the same generation and explained how he agrees with his views regarding foreign issues, such as the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, peace talks between Israel and Palestine and forming a dialogue with Syria and Iran.
In addition, he mentioned that there are members of Al-Ghad party, the Kefaya movement for change, the Karama party and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) who have been arrested under the 27-year-old emergency law. He also pointed to the MB members who have been tried in military courts.
Nour said there are 10 reasons why this despotism is allowed to take place: The continuance of the emergency law, the control and monopoly of the media, the limited power of civil society and the ruling party using governmental bodies to further their own agenda.
He also cited a number of articles from the constitution.
While members of Al-Ghad party hope this message makes a difference in Nour’s case, they are not completely optimistic.
“Nour saw this letter as a window of opportunity to express his views on reform in Egypt and explain the measures the ruling party in Egypt are taking towards their opposition, said Nagy El Batrissy, member of Al-Ghad.
“He [Nour] found in Obama an ambitious, young political figure, which is why he appealed to him and hopes that he responds, he added.
Nour ended the letter with a final message to Obama: “Senator Obama, we are expecting a lot from you as the democratic candidate and as a president to lead the world towards real change and justice. All democratic reform institutions in Egypt and the Middle East wish that Jan. 20, 2009 will be a celebration of freedom and democracy, not only in the US but the whole world.
