I decided not to attend Obama’s address at Cairo University, because the invitation I received stipulated very clearly: “Please limit personal items. For security reasons, do not bring bags. Signs and banners are not permitted. Now it so happens that these were the very the things I had intended to take with me to the American President’s speech. I had prepared a number of suitcases and was planning to jump with them quickly into the Presidential Air Force One before the Egyptian security forces hold me back or confiscate my luggage.
President Obama is different from former US presidents. He acts according to his convictions, not upon the pressures exerted on him by lobby groups which dominate US foreign policy such as the Jewish lobby or the arms industry lords.
I even prepared my own speech to Obama hoping he would grant me asylum, but I won’t give details lest someone else use my arguments to get a US visa. It’s enough to say that my letter is based on the fact that I’m politically, socially and religiously persecuted in my own country. Politically speaking, I suffer from psychological stress which a psychiatrist friend of mine explained was a normal result of single party rule and the adamant opposition of the political parties committee to licensing new parties.
Religiously, I struggle to protect the beliefs I was raised on. Today, I am being forced to convert to an extremist religion which forces its followers to step inside the toilet with their left foot, to eat with their right hand and to demolish statutes and paintings.
Socially, I am between the devil and the deep blue sea. I am persecuted because I belong to a category labeled the intelligentsia considered outcasts because they neither grow their beards nor don the increasingly popular Pakistani national dress. Many of their women neither wear the niqab nor even the hijab. Even the government does not recognize this educated elite or appreciate their views and would like to see them disappear. Thus they leave them to be victimized by religious groups who accuse them of grievous crimes such as rationalism and even secularism. In some cases they file religious lawsuits against them and when absolutely necessary, they assassinate them.
As for the banners which we were strictly warned against bringing with us to the Obama speech I had prepared dozens of colorful ones with catchy slogans like: “Obama, O’Mama which express people’s feelings about the new American president.
Concerning the signs, I didn’t quite understand what was meant by them. The only signs I’m familiar with are traffic signs. Perhaps some of the guests had intended to bring them along. But this is of course unacceptable. No doubt some of them may carry political insinuations which would definitely embarrass our esteemed guest, such as “Take This Route , “No U-turn or “Do Not Use your Horn . The invitation also stipulated that we have to be at the hall three hours before the speech. “Late arrivals are not guaranteed entry, it said.
We are used to arrive at President Mubarak’s speeches just one hour early, but it seems that there is a difference between the president of Egypt and the president of USA. The power of a state and the number of hours you have to wait for its president to appear go hand in hand.
That’s why I unpacked. I discovered that to bear political and religious persecution is easier than putting up with such tight security measures which may result in the confiscation of my bags or even banning me from entering the university.
I watched the speech in the comfort of my living room, closely watching the expressions on President Obama’s face, which appeared clearly on my TV screen, knowing full well that had I attended the speech at Cairo University’s great hall, Obama would have appeared like Tom Thumb, whose story we enjoyed as children, but who we have never ever seen.
Mohamed Salmawyis President of the Arab Writers’ Union and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram Hebdo.
