CAIRO: Prominent Egyptian Feminist writer and professor, Dr. Nawal El Saadawi, lashed out against the Egyptian government and criticized it for the way it deals with scientists, intellectuals and pioneering individuals in Egypt. She said that they are deliberately being ignored and marginalized and that the production of their painstaking efforts is being seized and stolen without attributing any credit for them by government officials. Saadawi said that she preferred not to respond to an invitation from the Minister of Family and Population Moshira Khattab to participate in the “March of Women,” which was organized by the ministry in collaboration with the Foundation “Vital Global Voices” last week, arguing that she did not know if the invitation came at the initiative of the minister, or of the foreign organizers for the event. “This is the first time for me to receive any invitation from Khattab,” Saadawi said in her refusal. She deplored being ignored at many events, programs and activities in Egypt by the government, saying, “I was the pioneer in the development of these activities in Egypt, including anti-circumcision campaign [FGM] and the children's law and the elimination of the stigma of illegitimate children,” she continued. Saadawi has been at odds with the government since making a permanent move back to Egypt this year. She had been living in the United States. Already, she has made headlines with a number of local and international initiatives to help promote women's issues and focus debate on the means to promote her vision for the country. She has also been critical of opposition groups and the Muslim Brotherhood, which has led to a backlash against her by some leading figures. “We have paid a lot for the dissemination of these ideas in the community for decades and we were subjected to all forms of oppression, professional, and moral, while they steal all of this without paying any credit for us,” she said. However, the feminist writer added that she feels extremely pleased when her dreams and ideas come true, but this does not prevent a feeling of sadness for the deliberate attempts to steal these ideas by Egyptian officials, saying, “they are trying to marginalize my presence to remain as the leaders, without having the right.” Saadawi was recently honored at the Festival of Beirut, the capital of the Arab literary world, as the guest of honor, and is scheduled to fly to Brussels on December 8 to give a lecture at the World Women's Conference hosted by the European Parliament as part of the activities for the International Day for Human Rights. **reporting by Mohamed Abdel Salam BM
