Egyptian Chronicles: Before Haikel Speaks “1”

You may agree or disagree with Haikel , you may like or dislike him but you have to admit that he managed to become one of Egypt’s icons in journalism and politics in the 2nd half of the 20th century. I do not need to introduce him to you.
Haikel managed in the past four weeks to create a political buzz or rather political uproar in the midst of this early elections talk unlike anyone else , I believe he created more buzz than Moussa and El-Baradei .
Of course It is an old news that Haikel is considered from the opposition in the eyes of the regime now and annually he must attack Mubarak and his regional policies or Gamal Mubarak’s his succession’s plans whether directly or indirectly ; it became an annual habit but this year in the past 4 weeks let’s just say he had done what he used to do in a whole year.
Starting with his interview on Al Jazeera commenting about the latest regional events beside his weekly show about the history of Egypt from his point of view and his experience, from time to time Al Jazeera records a special episode with Haikel discussing the latest regional events where the veteran journalist and former minister of information in Egypt shares his views and also what he knows from the backstage or to be accurate from political gossip.
As usual in his latest Al Jazeera interview he criticized the Egyptian regional policies mainly and directly stating that Egypt has lowered the price Israel pays for our gas for the eyes of Farouk Hosni , well Hosni has lost and according to press reports Egypt did not lower but increased the price a little bit. He also criticized the Egyptian/Arabic- Iranian relations , wondering why our mutual relations were good during the monarchy and bad after the Islamic revolution !! I do not know when the Arabic Iranian relations were good , even in the time of Shah, the Shah had very few Arab friends in the regions , the rest were behind Egypt and did not like him. They were fighting over the name of the Gulf : Arabian or Persian !!
Even when Egypt befriended Iran during the Shah’s last era , we began to lose our Arab allies one by one because of Sadat’s Peace initiative.
I will not speak much about his interview in Al Jazeera because if you focus in it you will find him repeating what he had said before from indirect attack to Sadat to criticizing Egypt over and over as if we are the only country in the Arab world !! I do not know why he does not criticize the rest 21 countries with their dictators and their relations with Israel. Yes our regional and also international policies suck and they are simply the reflection of bad internal policies but I just can’t take anymore criticism as if we are responsible on everything bad in this world , he should know better that the Egyptian people are so exhausted.
You can read the transcript of the two parts interview here and there.

As usual Haikel received the usual attack from the regime’s speakers , from the type of Abdullah Kamal and Ali Ibrahim
Next Haikel did not speak actually but he hosted Lord David Owen who spoke too much and made too many people angry from him and from Haikel. Haikel hosted Lord Owen in Cairo in his Haikel Arab journalism foundation lecture series where he hosts international journalists and decision makers to speak about politics and journalism..etc.
Haikel and Owen

Lord Owen really chose interesting topics to speak about in Egypt still he chose the wrong timing for sure , he came at the epic time of our national pride to tell us in his first lecture at the AUC that the Yom Kippur was a defeat militarily and politically for Egypt !!! I do understand that he does not have a military background and that’s why he may understand that we lost the war because the Israeli tanks were few kilometers away from Cairo despite those Israeli tanks could not invade two weak cities in the Suez Zone nor could they advance to Cairo ; it was a silly suicide mission from the Israelis backed up by the Americans to restore their dignity nothing more and nothing less. According to news reports the audience were shocked and angry that the moderate of the lecture ; the representative of Haikel’s foundation tried to save the day saying that it was
Lord Owen and other similar Western politicians do not recognize in the first place with my all due respect that Israel was invading our land and that we are capable to restore back our land whether through war or through peace ; to prove what I am saying you only have to read what he told the audience not to consider him as the invader in reference to the British occupation for Egypt !!!!
I really wished that Lord Owen had kept his own political views to himself and stuck to why really Haikel had invited to Cairo ; to speak about the health of the rulers and how their health affects the decision making …etc. I do not need to explain that both Owen and before him Haikel are referring to Mubarak.
This is what mainly Owen I believe was invited to speak about and unfortunately nobody gave a damn.He spoke that topic in his second lecture after it was too late ; the audience were angry from him ,the press was angry from ; nobody listened to what he said !! Mubarak was lucky man that Owen decided to share his views about October war with the Egyptians !!
Haikel did not attend the two lectures but because he invited Owen , because he had had just attacked on the regime in Al Jazeera and because he is Haikel the regime media found it a golden opportunity to attack Haikel who does not respect our martyrs and our victory .. etc. Haikel has his own views regarding the 1973 war which were influenced mainly with his clash with Sadat mainly and everybody in Egypt knows this very well and understands it. Thus the regime press considered a conspiracy of the man who were from those who fooled the public in 1967 to spoil the pride and the joy of the victory.
I do not know if Haikel knew that his friend will speak about Yom Kippur war but I know that 100% he knew his views very well
And As usual Haikel received the usual attack from the regime’s speakers , from the type of Abdullah Kamal and Ali Ibrahim.
If you think that the old veteran journalist has stopped at here ,you are wrong because Haikel has just started his fall activities and I do not think that the regime and its media were ready to the uproar he caused when he really spoke just right after Al Jazeera interview and Owen’s views about the 1973 war at the same time our presidential bid talk has started