Whatever happened to scientific research? And what about the terrorist threat? Gamal Nkrumah and Mohamed El-Sayed seek answers It was another miserable week for the government. Criticism came from all and sundry. High profile and highly esteemed personalities vented their frustration with the system. The lack of investment in the vital sector of scientific research and the slow pace of political reform came under exceptional scrutiny. In an interview with Egyptian scientist and Nobel laureate Ahmed Zuweil, the daily independent Al-Masry Al-Yom sounded the alarm bells as far as Egypt's scientific well-being was concerned. "Even if President [Mubarak] doubled the budget for scientific research three times, nothing would change... what is important is [creating] opportunities and an atmosphere [conducive to scientific research]," Zuweil was quoted as saying. "Real change starts with the elite but the leadership has to believe in democracy. It should believe in change... and I think that should not be applied only to the presidency but to all the positions in the state," he added. Zuweil's scathing criticism was unprecedented as the widely respected scientist lashed out against the political establishment. "If reform started now, it will bear fruit after only three years." Zuweil is acknowledged at home and abroad as a paragon of virtue, and his intervention cannot be easily dismissed. His remarks are bound to have serious ripple effects in the political realm. "I do not dream of or think about politics. All I want for Egypt is a great scientific leap," he said. Indeed, Zuweil's commentary appeared all the more poignant because he stressed he had no hidden political agenda. He has the country's best interest at heart. "I have proposed the idea of establishing a science and technology university in Egypt aimed at admitting the country into the era of advanced technological and scientific progress. However, after the project stopped, Saudi Arabia [adopted the idea] and started establishing a university bearing the same name and adopting the same methods. [The Saudi government] has allocated $2.7 billion for this project. Also, the UAE and Qatar are in the process of implementing the same thing. "Ironically, when I met President Mubarak and proposed the idea of the university, he said it was a good idea... but I think the circles surrounding him do not want to implement the project," he concluded on a rather sombre note. "A police state does not provide security, does not establish a settlement and does not face terrorism," Abdullah El-Sennawi, in the Nasserist mouthpiece weekly Al-Arabi, wrote about the proposed anti-terror law. "The terrorist bombings in Algeria and Morocco seemed to have had an effect in Cairo, portending the arrival of Al-Qaeda in the streets of the capital. Some influential bodies in the [Egyptian] regime might think they were right when they asked for the amending of Article 179 of the constitution which entails the inclusion of the Emergency Law therein and which tightens the police state's grip on civil life. They also think that protests by constitutional jurisprudence and civil society groups against the amendments were worthless." The official pro-government papers were more concerned about what they described as the terrorist threat to the stability of the country. Makram Mohamed Ahmed, writing in the daily Al-Ahram, stressed the possibility that tidal waves of terrorism might return to engulf Egypt. He noted with concern the simmering tension in various parts of the country, including the strategically-located Sinai. With terrorism rearing its ugly head again in Algeria and Morocco, there are fears that it would soon spread to Egypt, a breeding ground for terrorism since large segments of the society remain frustrated because of lack of employment opportunities and a host of socio-economic problems. "Nobody should underestimate the dangers that might loom over Egypt's security at a time Al-Qaeda has regained its strength, since Al-Qaeda puts Egypt on the top of its agenda... it also aims at delivering strikes against the successes the Egyptians have achieved in Sinai, especially tourist destinations," Makram Mohamed said. Indeed, the writer's greatest worry is that Al-Qaeda seems to be working in tandem with local groups to undermine the tourism sector of the economy. "In the past, terrorist groups focused on political targets but now they seem to aim at striking innocent tourism. The Egyptian economy is increasingly dependent on the revenues the tourism industry generates." The writer also dismissed suggestions that the government was fabricating a terrorism threat in order to divert attention from the slow pace of political reform. "The danger is serious and real and is more than a scarecrow used by the government to pass the new anti- terror law," Makram Mohamed concluded. Another intriguing aspect of this week's press was the speculation over retired newspapermen, some of whom are somewhat discredited, making a comeback. The weekly independent Sawt Al-Umma reported that five new dailies would appear next month on newsstands. "In May, five new dailies will be born. One of them, Twenty-Four Hours, will be headed by former Al-Gumhuriya Editor-in-Chief Samir Ragab. Another daily will reportedly be published by Dar Al-Shorouk Publishing House, headed by Ibrahim El-Moallim. Its editor-in-chief is said to be legendary writer and political analyst Mohamed Hassanein Heikal. Hisham Qassem, former CEO and deputy chairman of Al-Masry Al-Yom, will launch a new daily while the fourth is founded by Ibrahim Nafie, former chairman and editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram. Daily number five will be launched by Hassan Abul-Futouh, son of jailed business tycoon Hossam Abul-Futouh." Undoubtedly any publication edited by Heikal, the foremost political writer in the Arab world, would be cause for celebration. He, like Zuweil, is highly respected and his views taken very seriously, not only in Egypt, but also throughout the Arab world. It remains to be seen, however, if any of these publications would actually see the light of day.
