BAKKAR REFLECTS ON EGYPT POLITICAL SCENE
By: Marina Barsoum & Shrouk Abo Zeid
The Islamist Salafist Al Nour Party is currently focussing on amendments of the constitution, with no further plans on either parliamentary elections or presidential elections, said Nader Bakkar, assistant vice president for media affairs of the party in an event organized by the Student Union (SU) last Wednesday.
In an interview with the Caravan, Bakkar said that Al Nour party does not consider what happened on June 30 as a complete revolution nor a complete coup.
“I don’t know if this answer is clear enough or not, but we believe that what happened on June 30 is half revolution and half coup,” said Bakkar.
Mohamed Eissa, the SU external relations head, said that the aim of events hosted by the Speakers Corner is to get public political figures and let them interact with the AUC community.
“We have been watching the political scene now in Egypt, and we believe that Egyptians are divided between supporters and opponents of the Islamist political parties, so we thought of getting Nader Bakkar to represent the Islamic movements,” said Eissa.
He added that he believes that Bakkar is one of the most respectable Islamist figures that could accept to interact with the community, and will know how to diplomatically answer all questions.
The event was a series of questions and answers from the moderator of the event, Marawan Seif, and then from the audience.
One of the questions asked by Seif were how Al Nour would react if one of the military commanders ran in the upcoming elections; Bakkar answered saying that there is a big chance for this to happen.
“I believe that there will be a general committee that [will] meet the candidates before the elections and decide who is eligible and who is not,” added Bakkar.
Bakkar was also asked about his opinion about the behavior of the Muslim Brotherhood members nowadays, and the violence that sometimes ignites in universities and in the streets.
In response, he said that this behavior would lessen sympathy with the Brotherhood rather than evoke it.
“I am against any violence by any means, and actually this is affecting the credibility of the Muslim Brotherhood since they used to claim that they are against violence and such actions,” Bakkar said.
He added that the manipulative behavior the Brotherhood enforce on the current political regime and the country as a whole with its institutions will not succeed.
Bakkar was then asked about Al Nour’s plans regarding the upcoming parliamentary elections and if there is a possibility that they partner with any other civil powers.
Bakkar replied saying that he likes to consider strategic plans for upcoming years, but as for Egypt and especially during current circumstances, it would be very difficult for his party to plan anything later than the coming two months at the maximum.
He added that even speaking publicly for the media should be limited during such critical circumstances.
Some other questions that the moderator asked were about the el Nour political party’s opinion and plans regarding the relations between Egypt and the West.
Bakkar said that in his own perspective he believes that Egypt and the United State’s relations are strategic, a fact that can’t be regarded neither as positive nor negative.
He added, “Such relations cannot and should not be modified, and cannot bear any adjustments or threats.”
He recommends that Egypt start strategic relations with China, Brazil and South Africa for economic and political goals.
He said that he is against the idea that Egypt should stand against the US and team-up with Russia, adding that any dramatic changes in the relations between Egypt and the US or Egypt and Europe would be harmful to the country.
One of the students asked Bakkar why he and Al Nour party would want to protect Saad El-Katatni, the former chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party, when all Egyptians should be treated equally.
He explained that there was no specific accusation brought against El-Katatni; thus, he should not be in prison.
Bakkar was also asked whether he believed that the dispersal of the Rabaah sit-in and the way with which the military dealt with Al-Azhar’s protest were legitimate.
He said that all members of society should respect the law and refrain from breaching it. He added that no entities or individuals should seek revenge or express disapproval of policies through violent measures.
He went on to state his opinion regarding the current state of Egyptian media, saying that there are no strong regulations imposed on the media and that presenters have no limits with regards to what they choose to present.
Near the end of the event, undergraduate undeclared student Hossam Shafik started to shout at Bakkar in front of the audience, accusing him and all former Egyptian presidents and governments of betraying the country.
Shafik told the Caravan that he knew that the event was about to end, and that he would not be permitted to pose questions to Bakkar; thus, he interrupted him in order to make sure he was heard.
“When I accused Bakkar and all the former regimes of betrayal, that was because all of them gave orders to kill Egyptians whether in the January 25 revolution, in Rabaah sit-in or in any other protests,” said Shafik
The Caravan spoke to Bakkar about the incident; he said that he respects all views, however, he believes that this is not the right way to communicate or to convey a message.
AUC security guards were at the event, and soon after seeing Shafik shouting asked him to leave with them and spoke to him privately.
“I would like to comment on what was said by this student; [since] day one in the political scene, our mission and aim was to uphold the national interest,” he said, adding “We never asked or were in any governmental or in any important position; our goal is and will always be to have a democratic country,” said Bakkar.
