Egyptian-Iranian relations are seeing a new beginning, writes Amani Maged History is full of instances in which popular diplomacy played an important role. Popular diplomacy is not restricted by the formalities and rigidities that constrict official diplomatic channels and government agencies and, therefore, can sometimes go where conventional diplomatic vehicles cannot. Ping pong diplomacy helped alleviate, if not end, the crisis between the US and Vietnam. Promoted by the veteran American-Jewish statesman and former secretary of state Henry Kissinger, it helped to restore relations between the US and Vietnam in the aftermath of a long and gruelling war. More recently, and much closer to home, an Egyptian people's delegation has succeeded in resolving many crises with Nile Valley nations. The problems date from the deposed Egyptian regime, which so excelled in alienating and abusing the rights of others that it placed Egyptian national security at risk by jeopardising Egypt's share of Nile water. In this spirit of mending fences and repairing potentially disastrous troubles created by the former regime, popular diplomacy in Egypt has set two delegations on the road of forging relations with Iran. One is very small, consisting only of an Al-Azhar scholar, a revolutionary poet, and a publisher. The other is made up of 50 people representing diverse opinions, professions and cultural parties, including Copts, secularists and progressives, ambassadors, artists and intellectuals alongside revolutionary youth. Many observers have long maintained that troubled Egyptian-Iranian relations serve the interests and agendas of other countries. Mending this relationship would reverse this situation and work to redress regional balances. There is an important triangle consisting of three regional powers: Egypt, Iran and Turkey. Strengthening and activating this triangle would offset the weight of the Zionist entity, supported by Western powers, and promote the welfare and interests of the people of the region. Stimulating Egyptian-Iranian relations would also be mutually beneficial. Iran has considerable experience in nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, as well as in other technological fields, such as automobile manufacture. Egypt, meanwhile, can offer Iran other scientific or industrial expertise. Certainly the Egyptian tourist industry and economy would benefit from the more than a million Iranian tourists that could visit our country every year while a balanced Egyptian-Iranian relationship would promote a more rational and constructive approach to virtually all regional issues, most notably in the Gulf. Potential Egyptian-Iranian cooperation is manifold. But the first official step, which is to open embassies in each others' capitals, had long been frustrated. The advisor to the supreme guide of the Islamic Revolution in Iran said that Tehran has been trying for 20 years to restore relations with Egypt, but that all its attempts failed due to the former Egyptian regime which would habitually back off just as it was about to make the crucial decision. Fortunately, a new opening is at hand with the visits by the two Egyptian people's delegation. The first -- the three-member delegation consisting of the poet Abdel-Rahman Youssef, Al-Azhar University Professor Alawi Amin, and the publisher Adel El-Muallim -- arrived in Tehran last week. The extended delegation, which includes many Al-Azhar University professors, former president of the Alexandrian Judges' Club Mahmoud El-Khodeiri, the media figure Wael El-Ibrashi, representatives of the Coptic community and many prominent writers, began its tour in the Television and Broadcasting Union. During a two-hour meeting the Egyptian delegation raised a number of points, stressing that Egyptians were no less keen than the Iranian people to restore relations that had been severed for 30 years. Director of the Iranian Television and Broadcasting Agency Ali Sirghami began by praising the Egyptian revolution and its many accomplishments. The Egyptian revolution was a huge "tsunami", he said, before touching on the similarity between the Egyptian and Iranian revolutions, American anxiety in the face of the Egyptian revolution, and Israeli fears of Egypt's resurgence as a regional leader. Iran was looking forward to cooperating with Egypt in various areas. In particular, it was ready to offer Iranian expertise on the aftermath of revolution so that Egyptians might benefit from Iran's experience in confronting conspiracies against the Iranian people. In some ways the visit was exploratory. Members of the Egyptian delegation expressed some reservations over the restoration of relations. Sheikh Gamal Qotb, former head of the Al-Azhar Fatwa Board, voiced fears -- still prevalent in Egypt -- of an Iranian drive to export its Islamic revolution and to proselytise and spread Shia Islam. He stressed how important it was for both sides to respect the other's religious doctrines. He also affirmed that Egypt would respect its agreements with Israel, adding: "We want to reorder the Egyptian house, to promote cooperation between us as Arab and Islamic countries, and to complete this with economic and commercial cooperation." Essam Sultan, vice-chairman of the Wasat (Centre) Party, expressed concern at how the Syrian uprising was being handled in the Iranian press which regularly describes Syrian revolutionaries as terrorist militias. He hoped that Tehran would revise its positions towards Syria. Journalist Wael El-Ibrashi was keen to wrest Egyptian-Iranian relations from what he described as the grip of security. The popular diplomatic initiative could offer solutions to this issue which official diplomatic channels have long failed to solve. He stressed, however, that relations should resume without Iranian preconditions calling on Egypt to suspend the Camp David accord and without Egyptian demands that Iran change the name of Islambouli Street. Concerning the latter, however, he suggested that if the street were renamed "Martyrs of the Egyptian Revolution Street" it would help put many Egyptian minds to rest. Many Egyptians may have disagreed with president Anwar El-Sadat, but they do not approve of naming a street after his assassin. Political activist Shahenda Maqlad pointed out that the name of an Iranian street should not stand in the way of the resumption of relations. It was, he said, in the end a question of freedom of opinion and Iran should have the right to express its own point of view. Sirghami, for his part, said that the name Martyrs of the Egyptian Revolution was appealing, although he was still perplexed by the Egyptian rejection of the current street name. Recently, the expulsion of the Iranian diplomat, Kassem Husseini, on charges of espinonage did little to harm the growing relations between Cairo and Tehran. The event delayed the departure of the Egyptian delegation to Tehran. It ended up that Husseini went back to Iran on the same plane of the Egyptian delegation on Monday. Tehran described the incident as "misunderstanding" and Cairo seems to have dropped the case at this point.
