Al-Ahram: A Diwan of contemporary life (575) Connecting with Iraq A visit to Egypt by Iraqi law students in 1936, followed by a tour of Iraq by an Egyptian delegation, strengthened the already strong bonds that tied the two ancient Arab lands. By Professor Yunan Labib Rizk "To Egypt of esteem and glory I convey greetings of boundless affection. When Pan-Arabism ascends the throne of power, Egypt shall be its golden crown. Every flag it planted in its march was woven with knowledge and erudition." The foregoing are the opening lines of a poem written by that appeared in Al-Ahram of 18 March 1936. The famous Iraqi poet penned this tribute on the occasion of his visit to Egypt that month as a member of an Iraqi parliamentary delegation. With this poem and this visit Al-Risafi re-opened the file that Al-Ahram had first opened in 1928 with the inauguration of its column "News from Iraq". The column itself was a response to a perceived need to fill in the gaps in the Egyptian public's knowledge of that Mesopotamian country. All educated Egyptians had been schooled in the history of the Abbasid Empire, delighted in the poetry of Abu Nuwwas, marvelled at the lavish splendour of Haroun Al-Rashid's court and thrilled to the adventures of the heroes of A Thousand and One Nights. However, they felt cut off from the modern history and contemporary events of that distant nation. Egyptian interest in Iraq was sparked again on the occasion of that country's admission to the League of Nations in 1932. It was the first Arab country to join the international organisation, which inspired Al-Ahram to comment: "The Arabs must now take Iraq's lead, seize the available opportunities and strain towards that end, which is to establish themselves as a political presence on par with other nations. In so doing, they will revive that towering glory that their ancestors had created and to which European politicians are acknowledging their debt today on the podium of the League of Nations. Now numbering 56 nations, every utterance of this international organisation reverberates throughout the East and West and is heard at the selfsame moment by all the inhabitants on earth." In 1936, the subject of the Egyptian-Iraqi bond surfaced once again, in all its cultural, political and economic dimensions. If, on the first two occasions, the bond communicated itself aurally, this time there would be actual visual contact. Iraq was never as remote as some might imagine from Egypt's modern cultural revival. That, according to Al- Ahram 's permanent correspondent in Baghdad, this venerable Egyptian newspaper was popular among Iraqi intellectuals confirms this. There is a saying that goes: "Cairo writes, Beirut publishes and Baghdad reads." When and where this saying originated is unknown, but it certainly applied in the 1930s and is indicative of the esteem with which Iraqi intellectuals held their Egyptian counterparts. In that decade, too, this esteem was given concrete form when a group of prominent legal scholars, headed by the Egyptian jurist Abdel-Razeq El-Sanhouri, launched an appeal to establish a fully-fledged Faculty of Law in the Iraqi capital. Until then, all that was available was a three-year programme modelled on the Indian system. The aspiration was to emulate the Egyptian Faculty of Law which had evolved from the Department of the School of Administration and Languages founded in the 1870s to become the Royal School of Law, then the prestigious College of Law that was incorporated into the Egyptian National University upon its founding in 1925. What the Iraqis considered particularly appealing about the Egyptian law curriculum was that it was founded upon French law, which stretched back to Roman antiquity and was imbued with the modern spirit of the Napoleonic Code. El-Sanhouri himself was a product of the Egyptian system, having graduated from the School of Law in 1917. It was therefore not odd that he, in his capacity as dean of the nascent Iraqi faculty, should arrange for a visit of a group of its students to Egypt. The group, which also included some students from the Iraqi College of Education, was given a warm and enthusiastic welcome in Egypt, as is evident from Al-Ahram 's coverage of this event. From Baghdad, the Al-Ahram correspondent reports that the Iraqi students -- 34 in all -- set off from the Iraqi capital by car on 17 February 1936, en route to Damascus, then Palestine. From Palestine they would travel by rail to Cairo. El-Sanhouri had contacted Bank of Egypt founder Talaat Harb, who promised to arrange a tour of the organisation's subsidiary institution, and the president of the Egyptian University Union who stated he was looking forward to receiving the visiting Iraqi student delegation. Iraqi officials were equally enthusiastic about the trip. The correspondent relates that King Ghazi I, the Iraqi prime minister, and the ministers of interior and justice had all met with the students before their departure to wish them a profitable journey. In Cairo, a huge reception had been arranged for the visiting delegation, whose train was scheduled to arrive at 10.30pm on Saturday 22 February. The Al-Ahram correspondent at the scene reports: "The platform was packed with hundreds of students from the Egyptian University, Al-Azhar University and other academic institutions, as well as students from Eastern countries receiving their education in Egypt. Representatives of various academic and literary organisations were also on hand to receive the Iraqi youths. Foremost among these organisations were the Egyptian University Union, the Arab Student League, the Association of Higher Educational Institution Graduates, the Dar Al-Ulum Association, the Association of Muslim Youth, Misr Al-Fatat (Young Egypt), and the Arab National Student Bloc. When the train arrived, an hour and a half late, at midnight, it was greeted with thunderous applause and loud cheers." The following day's programme began at the Iraqi Consulate in Cairo, from where the students proceeded to Abdine Palace where they recorded their names in the royal reception ledger, and then to the Ministry of Education, where Minister of Education Mohamed Ali Alouba greeted them with a short address on cultural relations between Egypt and Iraq. "I can only express how proud I am of the professors Egypt has sent to Iraq and I wish them further success in their mission in the East," the minister said, adding, "Egypt believes that it has a great mission to perform in the Eastern countries, one that falls upon it in particular by virtue of its central geographic position and the many ancient and modern academic institutions with which it is endowed." In all, the Iraqi law students' visit lasted over 10 days, during which they visited the Faculty of Law of course; the Bank of Egypt companies, which brought them to Al- Mehalla Al-Kubra; as well as various museums and ancient and modern monuments. They also had the opportunity to meet with Egyptian literary luminaries, whose works they would have read, and politicians whose deeds they would have heard of. Eminent writer Taha Hussein met with the students on several occasions, during one of which he said, "Iraq is the cultural homeland of the Arabs, and it is a motherland for the Egyptian people, for from it we derived Arab culture and Islamic history. Iraq must remain forever in our hearts and minds in our study of Islamic jurisprudence, literature and history, all of which abound in the works of Iraqi authors, with whom we live intellectually regardless of the distance that separates us." They also met with Ahmed Amin who said that Egyptians were indebted to Iraqis in all branches of knowledge, from jurisprudence to literature and medicine. The noted scholar and reformer lauded the Pan-Arab Friendship League which strengthened the bond of blood between the Egyptian and Iraqi people by promoting fruitful and continuous contacts between them. One of the politicians they met was Makram Ebeid, who spoke of what he believed accounted for the spirit of brotherhood between the Egyptian and Iraqi people. "They say that there are geographical, religious and linguistic bonds between us. In my opinion, there is a stronger link. This is the sacred link that binds your aspirations with ours, your pains with ours, your freedom fighters with our freedom fighters and your dead with our dead." The tour drew to a close in Alexandria, where, following a farewell reception in the port city, the Iraqi students set sail on the French liner to Beirut from where they would travel overland again back to Baghdad. On the date of departure, Al-Ahram issued its assessment of the visit. "The most important effect it has had was to stimulate the mutual affection and loyalty between the Egyptian and Iraqi people. As such, it has been instrumental in promoting the idea of the Arab League and unifying the Arab world, in which Egypt is the central link." The aforementioned visit of the Iraqi parliamentary delegation arrived within a week of the departure of the Iraqi students. The 14-member delegation included former Iraqi minister of education Abdul-Hussein Jalabi, Said Thabet, MP for Mosul, the poet Al-Risafi who was the MP for Baghdad, as well as several other dignitaries and officials. The delegation followed the same route to Egypt as the students -- from Baghdad to Jerusalem via Damascus by car and then from Jerusalem to Cairo by train. They arrived at 11.00pm, also to a warm reception. "The station was packed with government political officials, literary luminaries, students from higher educational institutes, many journalists, all the Iraqi students in Cairo, the Desert Scouts, the members of the Arab Students Club and members of the Arab Youth League," Al-Ahram reported. Although the stated purpose of the delegation was to attend the agricultural exhibition that was being held at the time, its actual political nature was not difficult to miss. Following a short tour of the exhibition there was an exchange of speeches between the members of the delegation and the Egyptian officials accompanying them. Perhaps the speech by Fouad Abaza, president of the Royal Agricultural Society, best illustrates the general tone. "Nothing delights us more than every opportunity to promote friendly relations between Egypt and its sister Arab nations." On Iraq, in particular, and its special place in the hearts of the Egyptian people, Abaza said, "We have watched its forward march in all aspects of its great and independent life. Our admiration increases when we contemplate the moral strength of its great men and leaders. They have offered other nations of the East a model to emulate, in that regardless of their partisan divides, whenever they sense a threat to the public welfare they stand together unified in rank and resolve." In view of the Levantine owners of its founders and its clear Pan-Arab leanings, Al-Ahram was naturally keen to extend a personal hand of welcome to the parliamentary delegation. The National Hotel was Managing Editor Assad El-Dagher's choice of venue for the reception he hosted for the Iraqi guests. The guest list had a strong Pan- Arab flavour. It included "an elite of men of letters, the press and others involved in the promulgation and advocacy of the Arab cause, notably Mansour Fahmi, Faris Nimr, Amin Maalouf, Khalil Matran and Abdel-Rahman Shahbandar." We also note the newspaper's ideological leanings in El- Dagher's welcome address, in which he said that because of its location in the heart of the Arab world, and its wealth, its scientific, technical and economic progress, Egypt was "compelled to undertake the mission which falls upon every nation of its position and status, which is to achieve unity and independence". As though to preempt any suggestion that the idea of Pan-Arabism had not yet acquired a mass following in Egypt, El-Dagher reassured his audience that "Arab unity is no longer a mere emotional fancy or hope. It has become a concrete reality that can be sensed by everyone, including our dear guests who have undertaken that lengthy journey from Mesopotamia to the Nile Valley." After all, he adds, "An Arab finds himself at home and among his people wherever he travels from the borders of Iran and the Persian Gulf to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean." However, this sentiment was one thing and translating it into a political programme was another. El-Dagher was aware that Arab unity was the goal and aspiration of the Iraqi people. However, "I would not be exaggerating if I said that this end has entered the Egyptian political agenda itself. When in Paris, Egypt's immortal leader Saad Zaghlul said, 'When Egypt speaks, its voice echoes throughout the Arab Orient.'" As though having taken its cue from this speech, the Iraqi delegation visited the "House of the Nation", as the late Zaghlul's home was popularly called. There they met Zaghlul's successor as Wafd Party chief and the prime minister. Al-Ahram reports, "The conversation revolved around current affairs and aspirations of the East. Before they left, the visitors asked His Excellency the Prime Minister to convey their respects to 'The mother of the Egyptian people', Safiya Zaghlul." The Iraqi parliamentary delegation was also invited to an elegant tea party at the home of Hammed El-Basel in Zamalek. Again there was a large gathering of leading politicians, intellectuals and writers concerned with the Arab cause and, significantly, El-Basel chose Abdel- Rahman Azzam as the keynote speaker. Azzam, an ardent advocate of Pan-Arabism, would later become the first secretary-general of the Arab League. His was an impassioned speech in which he declared that until his dying days he would continue to propound the belief he had been advocating for 20 years. "This is that the peoples who inhabit North Africa and Western Asia from the Atlantic to Basra form a single nation. More than a thousand years ago our forefathers created a single mould, enabling these peoples to evolve into a homogeneous nation with a shared culture, a shared history and a unified literary heritage. Our ancestors succeeded in knitting together the far-flung corners of the region when their sole means of transportation was the camel and the caravan. Today, when airplanes and automobiles have reduced the distance between Baghdad and Cairo to a few hours, it is inconceivable that we should not be able to achieve the unity that was created by our predecessors with their rudimentary means of transport." The Pan-Arab flavour prevailed in most of the delegation's other visits, which included the Supreme Court, the offices of the Wafd Party mouthpiece Al-Jihad, the General Centre of the Muslim Youth Association, the Arab Students' Club, the Arab Literature League and even the Music Institute. In sum, the visit by the Iraqi parliamentary delegation to Egypt was more in the nature of an extended Pan-Arab rally that lasted until the members of this delegation boarded the SS Lloyd in Alexandria bound for Beirut. Such was the impact of the visits from Iraq to Egypt that the thinking turned to traffic in the other direction. The way was paved by EgyptAir, which opened a new route in order to link the Egyptian and Iraqi capitals, and Al-Ahram dispatched Abdel-Rahman Nasr to cover the maiden voyage. On 11 September 1936, EgyptAir's "Good Fortune", as the aircraft was called, took off from Almaza Airport bound for Baghdad. It followed a rather curious route, proceeding first to Port Said, then north to Cyprus, then eastward to Haifa, Al-Rutba and finally Baghdad. For the most part, the flight was smooth, with the exception of severe turbulence between Haifa and Al-Rutba. "However, the valiant Egyptian pilot, Mohamed Hazeq, who was at the controls at the time, avoided the storm by climbing to a higher altitude where the disturbance was reduced, and we succeeded in passing over this perilous area safely." In Baghdad, the passengers on this first Egyptian flight from Cairo to Baghdad were the toast of the town. They met first with Iraqi Prime Minister Yassin Al-Hashemi who expressed his great joy at having seen the first plane from Egypt circling over the skies of Baghdad. The new airline "will strengthen the bonds of brotherhood" between the two countries, he said, adding his prayer to God "to render the inauguration of this airline a propitious omen for these two sister nations". Perhaps more important than such official visits was the reaction of the people in the street, which Abdel-Rahman Nasr described as "most positive". "Everywhere we turned in Baghdad we were greeted as though among family and brethren and with heartfelt wishes for the new era EgyptAir had ushered in by joining the Nile with the Tigris. We also encountered effusive praise and admiration for the 'Dean of Economy' in the East, Mohamed Talaat Harb, whose very name they mention with the deepest reverence." Talaat Harb, founder of the Bank of Egypt, was also one of the founders of Egypt's national airline company. Nasr had a bit of difficulty filing his reports from Baghdad regularly. Whenever he went to the telegraph office, the operator told him the line was down. He was therefore forced to send his reports overland to Haifa from where they would be forwarded to Cairo by plane. However, on 12 September he managed to contact his head office by phone, although in this communication he essentially reported the schedule of the Cairo-Baghdad flight. It would depart from Cairo's Almaza Airport every Wednesday morning, arriving in Baghdad the afternoon of the same day. On Fridays, the aircraft would make a return trip between Baghdad and Haifa. On Sundays it would return all the way to Cairo via Haifa, Nicosia and Port Said. Nasr took the Friday flight to Haifa to find the city in a state of unrest. "All commercial establishments are closed with the exception of a few owned by Israelis," he said. "We learned that fierce fighting had erupted between revolutionaries and the [British] military." The Al-Ahram correspondent had arrived in time to witness, albeit briefly, the Palestinian uprising of 1936. He, however, had to catch the plane back to Baghdad and wait until Sunday in order to board the "Good Fortune" on its return trip to Cairo. The plane left Baghdad airport at 6.00am that day and arrived in Almaza at 3.50pm. Al-Ahram reports: "Thousands of people flocked to the airport to greet the Egyptian flight that inaugurated an international airline that passes through three countries of the Arab world. Such was the enthusiasm of the spectators that as soon as they caught sight of 'Good Fortune' after its long and difficult journey they broke through the police cordon and raced to cheer and embrace its passengers and pilot." Under the headline, "From Cairo to Baghdad and back", Nasr wrote a series of articles on his impressions during the trip. They were not without a touch of humour. For example, he relates that one of his fellow passengers was a British woman who "could count her blessings if obesity is something to be thankful for". The woman was on one side of the plane and the three remaining passengers were on the other side. "Nevertheless, the aircraft remained steady and in perfect equilibrium." On a more serious note, he relates several instances that manifested the esteem with which the Iraqi people regarded Egypt. For example, while purchasing certain articles in a small store on Rashid Street, "when a poor merchant noticed that we were foreigners and realised from our dialect that we were from Egypt, he insisted on selling his articles to us without a profit." But the Iraqis were also a very proud people. "Even the barefoot cart driver will not tolerate anyone who speaks down to him or in a commanding tone of voice. Should one of his passengers raise his voice in such a manner, he will bring the cart to a halt and order the passenger to get off." This sense of pride and dignity remains an Iraqi trait and is undoubtedly one of the reasons why the American occupation has encountered such difficulties in that Mesopotamian country.
