The 58th anniversary of the 23 July Revolution triggered much debate about whether what remains of the legacy and memories of the revolution 40 years after the death of its leader is of any relevance to contemporary Egyptians, 60 per cent of whom are under the age of 30. This debate gained momentum with the launch of a new television channel "Arab Television" to commemorate the golden jubilee of Egyptian television airing footage of the highlights of the 1960s including speeches by the late president Gamal Abdel-Nasser. Some commentators argued that young Egyptians were nostalgic about the age of Pan-Arabism and nationalism. While others argued that the same sentiments were expressed by that same age group when two years ago a bio-picture of King Farouk was aired during the month of Ramadan which also drew a large and youthful audience. However, while Pan-Arab and nationalist feelings are still prevalent in Egypt, the same cannot be said about monarchic sentiments. Hence there must be more depth than sheer nostalgia to the Nasserist era. This begs the more pertinent question of relevance of the continuation of the Nasserist legacy and ideals to contemporary Egyptian social and economic challenges. In this era of globalisation and rampant capitalism does Nasser's socialism have a niche? While many Nasserist political groupings exist in Egypt and the wider Arab world they are insignificant in comparison with movements of political Islam on the one hand and liberal democratic parties on the other. In Egypt, in particular, it would seem that what remains of the Nasserist legacy contrasts sharply with the lack of political clout of the Nasserist parties themselves. The ruling party itself, while espousing a liberal democratic orientation, still claims to be the heir to the Nasserist legacy. Those who claim to continue the Nasserist political platform are in disarray and have fractured into rival splinter groups. Meanwhile, those who are taken in by the charismatic figure reflect on whether what Nasser himself advocated in terms of social justice and socialism, workers' rights and the emancipation of the peasantry and land reform has major implications today. 23 July is not merely a historic occasion that Egyptians pay lip service to, but it is a day that is of great significance to us in Egypt and the Arab world. After the assassination of Nasser's successor, Anwar El-Sadat, the revolution metamorphosed into a multi-faceted legacy open to interpretation. One thing is sure, 23 July is the national day of Egypt. The revolution itself is constantly changing to meet the needs of the country as we move from one era to another. The revolution liberated Egypt from colonial rule and feudalism. Whether out of curiosity, veneration or sheer nostalgia, Egyptians and Arabs and freedom loving people the world over will visit the newly created museum, the residence of the revolution's leader Nasser, to pay homage to the man, the era he embodied, and the ideals he tenaciously held on to.
