Hicham Safieddine attends as Kifaya moves from the street and into the conference room Twelve months ago they decided enough was enough and rallied Egyptians from all political walks of life into the streets in a bid to reclaim the right to protest peacefully. Today, though, the Egyptian Movement for Change, better known as Kifaya, thinks mobilising in the street is not enough. In its first major event of 2006 Kifaya convened a two-day conference aimed at raising awareness of the meaning of citizenship and its pivotal role in effecting change in Egypt. A State for All Egyptians, the citizenship seminar held on 3 and 4 January, came in the wake of parliamentary elections that saw the emergence of the Muslim Brotherhood as a street force to be reckoned with while the spark that had thrust Kifaya into the limelight was, according to many pundits, beginning to fade. The conference, held at the Bar Association, brought together a panel of thinkers, journalists and political activists who examined the evolution of the concept of citizenship in Egypt starting with the reform movement of the late 19th century and up to the present day. The central theme of the conference revolved around equal treatment of all citizens regardless of age, gender, religion or economic and social status. Topics discussed varied from infringements of the rights of expatriate Egyptians, particularly those in the Gulf whose interests are often ignored by their embassies, to the legal shortcomings of the amendment of Article 76 of the constitution which limits the right of citizens to run for office. One of the most contentious topics addressed was the separation of religion and politics as a precondition for the full exercise of citizenship rights. Firebrand journalist and Kifaya spokesperson Abdel-Halim Qandil criticised attempts to politicise religion, warning that Egypt is moving down a dangerous road that will lead to a religious and social conflict. Increasing numbers of people are identifying themselves exclusively through their religious or social backgrounds and one of the results of this, said Qandil, is the growing tension between Egypt's Copts and Muslims. The only way to defuse such tensions, he argued, is to reintroduce the concept of citizenship to the public psyche, something that can only happen when people feel they have a real stake in government. Amr El-Choubaki, a researcher at the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, played down any secular/ religious conflict, pointing to British and American models of secularism in which religious parties and principles are tolerated as long as they operate within the law, while political commentator Samir Morcos emphasised the importance of building citizenship from the grassroots up. It is the activism of the people, argued Morcos, that will bring constitutional and legal change, and not vice versa. On the second day of the conference several Kifaya activists raised concerns over the significance of a movement that earned its reputation as a mobiliser of people on the street holding a conference indoors. "Kifaya is at a crossroads... it should not be holding conferences behind closed doors," protested Rafic Habib, a Kifaya activist who says he has spent time in prison for opposing the government. "Kifaya attracted the support of people because it embodied the soul of Egypt, taking to the street to wrest back the citizenship rights we are talking about here. They (the government) are now betting that we will become exhausted and gradually lose our voice." George Izhak, Kifaya's general coordinator, was quick to respond to Habib's worries. "We are not simply a protest movement. Any movement that lacks a brain is not a movement," he said. "We will not abandon the streets and we will not give up demonstrating but we need to mark out the intellectual ground we occupy for the movement to mature." More interjections ensued about the rewards and pitfalls of broadening Kifaya's activities, with some suggesting it transform itself into a political party and others opposing the suggestion. The conference concluded with an impassioned session as those attending suggested ways in which awareness of the rights and obligations of citizens could be raised. One request that seemed to gain general approval was a symbolic gesture reflecting Kifaya's commitment to reaching out to all who are fighting for fair and free citizenship: the conference approved the sending of floral bouquets to the Judges' Club as a token of their appreciation for efforts to prevent fraud in the parliamentary elections.
