CAIRO: After receiving the Democracy Award from the National Endowment for Democracy, former Managing Director and publisher of Al-Masry Al-Youm Hesham Kassem returned from Washington last week. During his trip, he met with President George W. Bush at the White House.
Angry with the changes in America’s approach to pushing democracy in Egypt, Kassem returned to face the onslaught of state-run media. However, he says he will not pay attention to this continuous criticism. Instead, he’ll continue working on his new project – launching a newspaper.
In the second part of his interview with Daily News Egypt, Kassem talks about the future of Egyptian-American relations, the current persecution of journalists, Saad El Din Ibrahim and the future of democracy in Egypt.
What would you call the new phase of Egyptian-American relations?
It should be called “Back to where we were.
How is this related to what’s happening in the region?
Part of the American retreat from democracy is the shock caused by the Hamas win and the partial success of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as well as the pressures from Israelis, who tell Americans you are driving us to the wall with this democratic agenda. Additionally, there’s the military failure in Iraq as well as the possibility of striking Iran, which will create a need for both political and logistic support from the region.
How do you assess the Egyptian-American relations post-Mubarak?
You cannot predict such issues for the simple reason that there is no clear direction in Egypt, neither from the public nor from the regime. The regime here is granted time from the American administration, and in America, things change overnight. With this kind of situation, it’s hard for anyone to predict what the future of the Egyptian-American relationship will be even a year from now.
What is the role of the US Democratic Party in spreading democracy in the Middle East and Egypt?
Currently there is no specific stance. We have to wait for the start of the presidential election campaign and see what vision each of them has. Based on that, we can start to envision what the situation would be like if the Democrats rule. Right now, neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have made any declarations.
Will the emphasis of the US presidential elections be on the Iraq war?
There is a near consensus on retreating from Iraq, but the timing is still being debated.
Egyptian newspapers launched a campaign against you and labeled you as America s man in Egypt? How do you react to that?
I have no response to this nonsense, I will engage in a discussion when I find real criticism. However, I give a detailed account of what happened in Washington in a feature that will run in Al-Dostour newspaper. I’m writing this article because there are people who are interested in reading it, and not as a reply to what they wrote about me. These articles are recycled versions of previous articles attacking me.
They did not say anything new except that I visited Bush. What a unique journalist, I can’t imagine how he got all these details.
Also, Mohamed Ali Ibrahim addresses Saad [El Din Ibrahim] in his articles as Sousou and Saad replies, addressing him as Mimi – imagine me sliding into such a conversation. There is also Abdullah Kamal, who represents a new case of sadistic journalism.
If what happened last week in Washington is illegal, then they can report me to the public prosecutor. I am an Egyptian citizen and I abide by the law. I’m ready to be investigated at any time, but I do not have time to get into such badmouthing and ridiculous nonsense.
You reportedly told the Washington Post that the American administration provided a cover up that helped Al-Masry Al-Youm come to life?
I am not responsible for the bad translation that was published intentionally or unintentionally in Egyptian newspapers of what I said. I did not say that Washington provided special protection for Al-Masry Al-Youm; I said that the American cover during the period of real pressure provided a climate that helped freedom flourish in general.
Currently, journalists are being prosecuted in Egypt. Do you think the regime will resume this campaign?
I have no doubts that the Egyptian regime will carry on these acts of repression and tyranny, especially with the absence of international pressures. God only knows what they will do. Regardless of this visit, I personally support anyone who will stand up and defend everything we’ve earned this past period.
What about the newspaper you are preparing for?
I am following through with the procedures and we will soon present it to the Higher Press Council.
What is your vision for the paper and what will it add to journalism in Egypt?
I think it is going to be a valuable addition, but I prefer not to say exactly what it will add until it is published.
What do you think of what happened to Saad El Din Ibrahim after his meeting with Bush? Is there a real fear for him if he returns to Egypt?
There are nine lawsuits filed against him of the same nature that got the newspaper editors sentenced to prison. Saad would not bear the imprisonment at his age, and if this happens, he will die in there. There are definitely concerns about his return even though he did nothing to deserve this.
Did anyone in Washington ask you about Ayman Nour?
Never.
Is the existing opposition in Egypt capable of leading a democratic process?
The way the opposition in Egypt looks now, it is not capable of doing so; and if it runs against Mubarak, he will win. He is using the security forces and the state institutions to suppress any opposition. And he has succeeded in reinforcing the power of his regime. America fears the dominance of the political Islamic current, and they will cooperate with any regime that can control the situation.
There is no international support of the powers seeking democracy in Egypt, especially after the European Union and the United States agreed to go back to dealing with the current regimes. How do you see the future of the powers seeking democracy in Egypt?
The European Union was never in support of democracy in Egypt, and nothing said about that is true. The primary obstacle to democracy in Egypt is Hosni Mubarak, and everything remains uncertain in his presence. It’s difficult to make any change. The hope is in whoever succeeds Mubarak, but in the meantime, Hosni Mubarak will continue resisting any attempts to create a political path until he dies.
