Dialogues of Naguib Mahfouz: Extremism and the future By Mohamed Salmawy A foreign journalist asked Naguib Mahfouz about the status of women in Egypt today, and whether things had improved since the time of the Trilogy. Mahfouz: Things have improved, certainly. Even in the Trilogy things change as the novel progresses. I wrote about three generations of women: one was oppressed and voiceless, the second more liberal while the third went to college. Today things are much better. No one, for example, questions the right of women to get a college education. Journalist: But some people are again calling for women to stay at home and not attend college or work. Mahfouz: Extremists exist in all countries. There are people everywhere who want to turn back the clock. But we have to differentiate between the ideas espoused by one segment of society and those embraced by society as a whole. In Egypt there are people who think in the manner you've just described, but to what extent do they represent public opinion? Most people in this country believe in the right of women to work and to engage in politics and public life. You see people who want women to stay at home, but at the same time you see women who are parliamentarians, ambassadors, ministers, professors. Extremism seems to me to be the exception rather than the rule. Society as a whole is moving forwards, not backwards. Fanaticism is symptomatic of a crisis, and as soon as the crisis disappears fanaticism will disappear. Journalist: Aren't you worried about the rise of extremism? Mahfouz: I am not sure that extremism is on the rise. We have extremists in our midst, true. But I believe that the more democracy is given a chance, the more you'll see diverse opinions being expressed. The current polarisation between the ruling party and the Muslim Brotherhood is a passing phase. Egypt is rich with ideas and people, and it will generate political trends more in the spirit of the age than those you see now. Journalist: How about the spread of extremism elsewhere? Mahfouz: When justice is upheld, extremism will subside. Extremism is a product of injustice. Journalist: But you have suffered at the hands of extremists, and one of your novels is still unavailable to Egyptian readers because the extremists don't approve of your writing. Mahfouz: This is a special case and I do not worry much about it. Perhaps people shouldn't read a novel that they believe mustn't be read until the time comes for them to change their mind. My mission is to write. I exercise my artistic judgement, even if some are displeased with what I write. What can I do? I write only what I believe in and nothing else.
