Book Review: The history of the Egyptian student movement

Ahmed Bahaaeddin Shaaban's new book traces the role played by students in the political upheavals of twentieth century Egypt

Hikayat Mush'ili Al-Thawarat(The Story of Revolutions' Instigators) by Ahmed Bahaaeddin Shaaban, General Egyptian Book Organization, 2014. pp.199
It is the history of the student movement in Egypt, which was written by students throughout a long period of struggle.
The book titled The Story of Revolutions' Instigators by Ahmed Bahaa El-Din Shaaban does not only include pages of the history of the Student Movement in Egypt and students' historic role in instigating revolutions, but it incorporates some testimonies of the Student Movement's heroes in the 1970s.
Poet Ahmed Fouad Negm's introduction to the book was enough to impart some excitement and fun. He wrote: "The glorious student uprising which in its beautiful morning rose over the world at the end of 1971, when one of its makers writes about it we must watch, be happy and learn! When the maker is Ahmed Bahaa El-Din Shaaban… then the making will be masterful!"
In the beginning of the book, Ahmed Bahaa El-Din Shaaban states the fact that the student movement's role in the nationalist struggle is long-established,rarely to be matched, quoting the eminent researcher Walter Lacaire: "History didn't know a society where the students and the intellectuals in general played a vanguard role in the nationalist movement as has happened in Egypt."
According to Shaaban, the students played a substantial role in bearing the responsibility of nationalist action, especially with the early signs of the Great National 1919 Revolution, citing the incident of the students starting their first demonstrations the day after British occupation forces arrested Saad Zaghloul and his companions in1919, chanting "Long live Egypt" and "Down with British Protection." They opened schools to instigate students to participate in demonstrations and organised strikes in protest on exiling Saad and his companions. The student demonstrations continued and hundreds became martyrs or wounded from the live bullets of the occupation forces. At first there were six martyrs and thirty one wounded, including 22 by gunfire, afterwards the martyr Mohamed Ezzat Bayoumi fell during the clashes which broke between students and British soldiers near Shubra Bridge on 11March.
Ahmed Bahaaeddin Shaaban went on to say that following the end of WWII, the body of the workers' movement began to toughen and it started to look around for a strategic ally whom it could cooperate with in fighting the battle of independence instead of the inferior traditional party leaders. Hence came the great meeting of 21February 1946 between the Egyptian working class representing the toughest national class converging with elements of intellectual and informed students.
Shaaban added that the escalation of the students' struggle was crystallised in the form of the Nationalist Student Committee, which issued the 17thFebruary Charter in order to delineate its objectives as follows: Total evacuation from land, sea and air of every iota of the Nile Valley land; internationalize the Egyptian issue; liberation from economic serfdom.
He pointed out that the formation of the National Committee of Workers and Students (NCWS) on 18 and 19 February was more like a new leadership of the nationalist movement.
Shaaban sees that the new student movement in the seventies was begotten by the 1967 defeat, where ideals crumbled, disappointments ran rife, the volume of tragedy was fathomed, the profound feeling of the occupation's impact and the ignominy emanating from facing Zionist flags fluttering over the nation's sacred soil.
All this, according to Shaaban, led to detonating the students' fury in two successive waves which were a preamble to the great explosion.
The first was in February 1968 when protesters demonstrated about the defeat to Israel and the lenient verdicts against air force commanders.
The second was in November 1968. This time it came from outside Cairo to indicate that the spark of latent fury extended nationwide.
From Mansoura, the clashes began during a protest against the issuance of the new education law, when live bullets were fired on peaceful student demonstrations. Then clashes flared in Alexandria reaching an unprecedented level between security forces and students.
Ahmed Bahaaeddin Shaaban states that one of the most prominent signs of the new student uprising in the seventies was the emergence of a distinguished, brave student leadership topped by Ahmed Abdalla Rozza, the talented orator and political science and economics student.
Rozza wrote in his testimony which Shaaban published for the first time:
"I testify that the year 1971 was a year of irritation and grumbling among the Egyptian people and the rest of the Arab peoples who waited for so long to liberate their lands which were occupied by Israel in 1967. The students were in the forefront of those awaiting and searching for a role for themselves in the liberation battle." Rozza added, "The extent of the students' discontent was intensified due to the gap between what the media kept repeating of slogans about the battle and the reality they were living."
The genius slogan "All democracy for the people … All devotion for the homeland" which was coined by those participating in the uprising had the effect of magic on the spirits where the university became a Mecca for freedom lovers in Egypt.
Perhaps one of the most significant points mentioned in "The Story of Revolutions' Instigators" was the author's personal testimony regarding the famous 18 and 19 January uprising (which President Sadat called "the Thieves' Uprising").
The author recounts how he met with thousands of our people in their grand day 18January who kept chanting "We are the people with the workers … against the government of exploitation."
Shaaban goes on describing 18January saying that: "The battle started at once without warning… rubber bullets and teargas bombs exploding in everyplace, extensive gases blurring vision and inflaming chests; sticky, dense and burning gases they exported especially shortly before from the USA, with the phrase "Made in U.S.A" printed on the empty canisters after it was fired on the unarmed masses."
The author began his testimony on the 18 and 19 January uprising with the chants of those participating in the uprising among which was "What a shame, what a shame … An Egyptian firing on his brother."
Shaaban added that the radio continued to vomit its usual lies, claims and poisons, the newspapers were covered with its headlines on the "saboteurs who wreaked havoc in the country."
Shaaban concludes his emotional and sorrowful testimony with saying that: "I recall the past horrible events as if I was living in a dream I didn't awake from its spell yet, sad and happy, proud and angry at the same time… I hear from a side alley the voice of the Sheik Imam through a tape recorder:
"O Egypt rise up and brace up!
All you wish for I have it in store."
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