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| Islamic Society | |
| 24 Jul 2008, NewAgeIslam.Com | |
| Hard Talk: Egypt's separation wall divides rich and poor | |
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By Dr. Waheed Abdel Meguid
Impenetrable barriers separate the richest Egyptians from the rest of society.
They are real walls of cement and iron, not just symbolic walls describing class structures figuratively.
The wealthiest class is increasingly becoming alienated from the rest of society. They have shut themselves in to enjoy the wealth of a country they know nothing about except what would fill up their coffers.
This minority live in new housing compounds with names like Hyde Park, Beverly Hills, Palm Hills, Evergreen, Utopia, Kattamia Heights and others.
It is a phenomenon unknown to Egypt before the 1952 revolution, whose 52nd anniversary is tomorrow.
Justifying the coup, the revolution's leaders said that a small number of citizens, less than half percent of population, monopolized the entire country's wealth. At the time this percentage was equal to about 20,000 people. The same percentage (half a percent) is now equal to about 80,000 people, given the fact that the population has increased nearly four-fold.
However today's elite minority, which lives behind within the walls of isolated housing compounds, has not reached that number, although the upper social class in Egypt is now bigger than what it was before 1952. It is more than half a percent, perhaps no less than three or four per cent.
Reuters recently reported on one of these compounds in Kattamia, Cairo, to demonstrate the contrast between the palaces and Lexus cars and the adjoining small rooms of service workers and gardeners where up to five are crowded in one room.
When I raised the issue at a symposium a few days ago, someone argued that this was a healthy phenomenon indicating that the Egyptian economy is growing. He also demanded not to expect all Egyptians to have access to the fruits of this growth so soon, adding that this phenomenon exists in countries that achieve significant progress rates, such as India.
He is right. India is one country where walls separate two worlds: one for the rich and the other for the poor. There are many residential compounds that look like isolated islands, as we see now in Egypt but on a smaller scale.
However, this defense of class separation neglects or ignores two big differences between India and Egypt. The first is historical, as this isolation has been known in India for a long time. India's class hierarchy has been stable in a rare way that has never been seen anywhere else in the world.
Yet this separation is now waning in India because economic growth has brought about unprecedented social mobility, unlike the situation in Egypt, where this growth leads to unprecedented social class separation.
The second big difference is that India has achieved tremendous breakthroughs, catapulting it into the club of developed countries that are changing the global economic map, along with China and Brazil.
India now ranks in twelfth place among the world's economies. Poverty rates have declined as a result of economic growth and significant technological leaps over the past ten years, unlike the situation in Egypt.
Improvement in the living standards of a growing number of Indians, as well as Chinese, is one of the factors that increases pressure on global resources, hence one of the reasons for high oil and food prices.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a funny comment in this regard, as she said the global food crisis was due to reasons including the fact that the Indians and the Chinese are now eating three meals a day. The tragedy here is that no one recognizes that some Egyptians, who used to eat three meals a day, have almost lost the ability to do so.
India, like China, is an inspiring experiment for those who want to build their country, not for those who wish to justify the collapse taking place in their countries. It seems that those who defend the walls separating the richest Egyptians from the rest of the people, not just the poor, do not realize the consequences of what they are doing.
Dr Waheed Abdel Meguid is an expert at Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies. First Published: July 21, 2008 http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=15208
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Islam and the West 21 Jul 2008, NewAgeIslam.Com Iraqi Leader: US Should Leave as Soon as Possible Published on Sunday, July 20, 2008 by The Associated Press
BERLIN - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says U.S. troops should leave Iraq "as soon as possible," according to a magazine report, and he called presidential candidate Barack Obama's suggestion of 16 months "the right timeframe for a withdrawal."
In Baghdad, however, the chief spokesman for al-Maliki issued a statement Sunday saying the prime minister's comments were "not conveyed accurately" by Germany's Der Spiegel magazine.
Spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said al-Maliki did not endorse a specific timetable but instead discussed a "an Iraqi vision" of U.S. troop withdrawals based on negotiations with Washington and "and in the light of the continuing positive developments on the ground."
The Der Spiegel article, released Saturday, quoted al-Maliki as giving apparent backing to the withdrawal plans discussed by Obama - the Illinois senator and likely Democratic nominee has pledged to withdraw combat troops from Iraq within 16 months if he is elected.
"That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes," al-Maliki was quoted as saying. "Those who operate on the premise of short time periods in Iraq today are being more realistic. Artificially prolonging the tenure of U.S. troops in Iraq would cause problems."
Asked when U.S. forces would leave Iraq, he responded, "As soon as possible, as far a we're concerned."
In the interview, al-Maliki said he was not seeking to endorse Obama.
Sadiq al-Rikabi, an adviser to al-Maliki, said later that Iraqi officials do not intend to be "part of the electoral campaign in the United States."
"We will deal with any administration that comes to power," he said.
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said Saturday: "In the interview, the Prime Minister made clear that any decision will be based on continuing positive developments - as he and the president both did in their joint statement yesterday. It is our shared view that should the recent security gains continue, we will be able to meet our joint aspirational time horizons."
On Friday, the White House announced that President Bush and al-Maliki had agreed to set a "general time horizon" for bringing more U.S. troops home from the war.
Obama's Republican presidential rival, John McCain, has supported Bush administration policy opposing a set timetable for taking troops out of Iraq.
"Barack Obama advocates an unconditional withdrawal that ignores the facts on the ground and the advice of our top military commanders," McCain foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann said Saturday. "John McCain believes withdrawal must be based on conditions on the ground.
"Prime Minister Maliki has repeatedly affirmed the same view, and did so again today. Timing is not as important as whether we leave with victory and honour, which is of no apparent concern to Barack Obama," Scheunemann said in a statement.
Just days ago McCain told reporters on his campaign bus that Maliki "has exceeded a lot of the expectations."
"I think that much to the surprise of some Maliki has proved to be a more effective leader," McCain said Tuesday in New Mexico.
The national security adviser to the Obama campaign, Susan Rice, said the senator welcomed al-Maliki's comments.
"This presents an important opportunity to transition to Iraqi responsibility, while restoring our military and increasing our commitment to finish the fight in Afghanistan," Rice said in a statement Saturday.
Obama arrived on his first visit to Afghanistan on Saturday, less than four months before the general election. He also is expected to stop later in Iraq.
McCain has criticized Obama for his lack of experience in the region. The Arizona senator has suggested he would pursue an Iraq strategy "that's working" - a reference to the troop build-up credited for sharply reducing violence in the country.
Al-Maliki is scheduled to visit Germany next week for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel and business leaders amid a renewed German push in helping to rebuild Iraq. Berlin had opposed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
© 2008 The Associated Press.
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Asadullah Syed
3:15 AM
Sultan Shahin
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