Egypt and Iran are courting one another, though the past still stands in the way, writes Mahmoud Murad* Last week Egypt reaffirmed its opposition to the use of force against Iran. Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was holding talks in Cairo about the resumption of diplomatic ties, severed 25 years ago. Iran, now in a delicate international standoff with the US, wants Egypt on its side. For a few years now the two countries have refrained from making any hostile remarks about each other. The Iranians highly appreciate Egypt's discouragement of military strikes against their country. Officials meeting in Cairo must have also recalled the cordial atmosphere of the meeting a few years ago in Geneva between presidents Hosni Mubarak and Hashemi Rafsanjani. So what about the restoration of full diplomatic ties? So far any hopes in this regard have been dashed. The reason is an old one: Khaled Al-Islambouli, the assassin of president Anwar El-Sadat. For years now, the two countries have been trying to get over this hurdle. The municipality of Tehran has a major street named after Al-Islambouli and the Egyptians want it changed. Each time the Egyptians make this request, the Iranians counter that Cairo has a street named after the deposed shah. Egyptian officials explain that this is a totally different matter. Former heads of state often get streets named after them, assassins not. The Iranians are still thinking on it. A few years ago, the Iranians were about to find a way out of the dilemma. They came up with the suggestion that the street's name would be changed to Mohamed Al-Durrah, a Palestinian boy killed by Israeli soldiers. But the municipality of Tehran, led by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the time, made things harder. It announced plans to dedicate a mural and statue to the memory of Al-Islambouli. The Egyptians were incensed. According to Iranian sources, the government is still willing to show flexibility, but its hands are ties. The Revolutionary Guard, who can be considered a state within the state, is taking a hardline on the issue. So while hopes for diplomatic rapprochement are high, Al-Islambouli is still in the way. * The writer is deputy editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram.
