By

Tarek Heggy

Some readers believe me to be a staunch supporter of Sadat; a real "Sadat-ite". Far from it. In the first place, I have an aversion to issuing broad-scale, sweeping judgments of people; secondly, my verdict on Sadat is a complex one: untold admiration on the one hand, and total disagreement with several major, critical issues on the other.

I believe Sadat's interpretation of the global conflict was unerringly accurate. He foresaw, before anyone else and indeed before there were any indications, that the Soviet Union was beginning to crumble and would not remain a superpower for much longer, and that the US would be assuming sole leadership of the world for a long time to come. He also had the perspicacity to see that a military solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict was not an option, and that although a war was tactically necessary (hence the October, 1973 war), the actual solution would only be achieved through negotiation. Sadat also knew instinctively – with the wisdom of only the greatest of great men – that the Arabs and Israel would ultimately have to achieve, in a just and logical manner, the same kind of relationship enjoyed by Germany and France, who had been through more wars and on a far larger scale than Israel and the Arabs. Germany and France succeeded in becoming the pivot of the European Union since its establishment in 1959, and managed to develop a relationship that has evolved in a refined and exemplary manner over the years.

Yet this man of vision, with his shrewd and accurate perception of world events, did not exhibit the same wisdom when it came to internal affairs. The first issue that Sadat mishandled was to give free rein to the political Islamic movement, allowing it to infiltrate into universities, syndicates, and indeed the whole of society, imagining that this would create a state of equilibrium with the Egyptian Leftist movement. While my beliefs differ from those of the Egyptian Left, I must concede that they are patriotic, honorable, and emancipated Egyptians who are genuinely striving for progress and modernization, even if one disagrees with their means of achieving this. Political Islam, however, can only hurl us violently and dramatically back into the heart of the Middle Ages, where only darkness and ignorance reign and civilization and progress have no place. It is my belief that an Arab friend, K.A., together with another Egyptian friend, O.A.O., urged him to make this ill-advised move; a move that led him slowly and inexorably to a tragic end on October 6, 1981, and led our society to the sorry state of affairs we witnessed in the Eighties and Nineties and still grieve over today. It is with sorrow and apprehension that we rue the day that this pernicious influence was allowed to grow in our midst, posing a real threat to our chances of ever progressing at all.

Again, Sadat's understanding of the meaning of a free economy was primitive at best, exemplified by his now notorious remark to Rashad Othman: "Alexandria is in your hands…Look after it!" I doubt that Sadat was capable of better comprehending the concept of free economy and the crucial role of modern management in the economic enhancement of society. Yes, Sadat was a wise man, but the issues I refer to here require more than just wisdom.

And while Sadat paid lip service to democracy, he was far from being able to understand its true meaning. He spoke of democracy indeed, but never implemented it and was in fact an undemocratic ruler down to the smallest detail of his government. His was the typical attitude of most Third World rulers who look upon democracy as a game or charade, and cannot conceive of its true meaning, let alone accept it.

And to those who claim that each society has its own form of democracy according to its cultural and societal specificities, I would firmly reply that any democracy worthy of the name has to be built on four essential and non-negotiable foundations:

The selection of rulers in a democratic manner, through a general election that is untainted by fear, pressure or forgery.

Government has to be based upon a clear-cut constitution and legislation that does not allow one person to take sole control and assume full authority.

Rulers have to answer for their actions in accordance with a proper system of accountability.

There should be a designated duration for any ruler's term of office, ending at a scheduled time in accordance with the law.

From this perspective, Sadat was far from being democratic, though Third World people may view a ruler as 'democratic' simply because he is, by comparison, less ruthless than another!

What, then, is my purpose in writing this article? It is simply to urge the young people of Egypt not to fall prey to idolizing anyone, but to view public figures with respect, indeed, but objectively; and to be wise enough to see both the positive and the negative aspects, for we are all human and liable to make mistakes. We can "love", but should not idealize or let love turn into a form of worship that ignores the basic fact that we are all human: sometimes right…and often wrong!