CAIRO - The wives of the last three of the Egyptian presidents, who ruled the nation after the July 23, 1952 revolution, have unfailingly aroused controversy. The three women Tahiya Abdel-Nasser, Jihan el-Sadat and Suzanne Mubarak did not expect to become the 'first lady' of their country, according to close friends. While many Egyptians believe that ordinary women suffer from underestimation and exclusion from public life, this perception is “an invented mindset,” according to Farghaly Haroon, a professor of sociology. “On the contrary, women in Oriental societies play positive roles. Society protects and respects them whether they are a mother, a sister or a wife,” says Haroun. Former President Gamal Abdel-Nasser, who ruled Egypt from 1954 to 1970, and his wife Tahiya as well as the then Egyptian society were conservative. Accordingly, Tahiya did not participate in public life or any formal social activity. She was known only as ‘Mrs Tahiya'. “But Anwar el-Sadat, who ruled Egypt from 1970 to 1981, was in contrast to his predecessor's character,” notes Haroon. “While Abdel-Nasser followed the Soviet-style system, el-Sadat preferred that of the West.” During his presidency, both the late el-Sadat and his wife Jihan had huge ambitions and also showed an aptitude of openness. "Jihan kept a high profile during that era” Haroon told Radio&TV Arabic-language magazine. Through heading the Egyptian Red Crescent Society, Mrs Sadat had an effective social presence, especially during the October 6, 1973 War against Israel. She worked intensely to help disabled war veterans and their families. Her major project in this area was the ‘Faith & Hope Rehabilitation Centre', which was the first of its kind in Egypt. Finally, Suzanne Mubarak, the wife of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, who ruled Egypt from 1981 to 2011, got the lion's share of social and public life of the presidential lives. She was frequently in the media, accompanied by senior officials. During Mubarak's era, there was a boom in communications technology and Suzanne seized the opportunity. Under her auspices, national undertakings, such as the ‘Reading for All' project and the Anti-Polio Vaccination Campaign, were launched. Although other Egyptians came up with ideas for similar projects, they were implemented under Mrs Mubarak's supervision. Suzanne was known as the ‘First Lady', the ‘Hanem [Lady]', ‘Mrs Suzanne', Madame Suzanne and ‘Mother Suzanne'. The January 25 revolution toppled Mubarak and putting paid to the ‘succession' in which the younger son Gamal would subsequently claim the presidential post. “Suzanne heavily supported the ‘succession' wishing to be known also in the future as the ‘mother of Gamal',” elaborated Haroon. After the revolution, the Egyptians are unlikely to accept new equivalents of such former examples. “Psychologically, the public wishes to end such nomenclature,” explains Talaat el-Hakim, an assistant professor of psychology. “Ordinary people require the next president's wife to be well-educated and politically aware,” argues el-Hakim. “She has to avoid political intervention, whether through cultural, social or charitable means.” “The wives of the forthcoming presidents can participate in social life, only on the basis of being ‘ordinary' citizens,” insists el-Hakim.
