Egyptian Foreign Policy From Mubarak to Morsi: Against the National Interest by Nael Shama

Author:Nael Shama [Shama, Nael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: International Relations, Social Science, Political Science, Regional Studies, General
ISBN: 9781134606924
Google: HSfjAQAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 20843272
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2013-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

Al-Islambouli Street: storm in a teacup

A Tehran street named after Khaled Al-Islambouli, the army lieutenant who assassinated President Sadat during a military parade in October 1981, added friction in Egyptian-Iranian relations. The press, however, consistently overstated the importance of the issue, giving the false impression that the mere name of a street (and, likewise, the burial of the Shah in Cairo) stood in the way of restoring the broken Cairo-Tehran relations. While it is true that both issues did constitute “an acknowledged bone of contention between both countries,”81 their effect on relations was certainly inflated by the press. Dina Ezzat of Al-Ahram Weekly, for example, considered both issues to be “the main stumbling blocks to the way of improving ties”82 (emphasis added). In the same context, Makram Mohamed Ahmed, a prominent Egyptian journalist and former editor-in-chief of Al-Mussawar, wrote a statement combining nothing but exaggeration and simplification: “If Iran lifted the name of Sadat’s assassin from the Tehran Street … all elements that obstruct mutual relations will eventually be lifted.”83

Informal sources from both sides, however, contend that “the reluctance to establish normal relations between both countries is far from being a dispute over the name of a street and the burial of the Shah in Egypt.”84 Former Iranian vice president, Mohamed Ali Abtahi, stated in an interview: “I do not believe that on the official level these issues are even addressed … These are trivial matters.”85 In the same vein, it was reported that the Egyptian President did not bring up the issue in his meeting with President Khatami.86 An Egyptian diplomat confirmed that Egypt was “never officially requested by the Iranian government to remove the remains of the Shah.”87 Yet, the issue is raised and highlighted in the Egyptian press whenever Egyptian-Iranian meetings on any level take place. Such intense coverage creates the false impression that the issue truly obstructs the normalization of relations.

In fact, the true effect of the street name is on Egyptian intellectuals, and it is rather psychological in nature. A large number of Egyptian academics and journalists appreciate the role played by Sadat in Egyptian politics and consider the name a direct offense to him and to Egypt’s prestige. But the dynamics of formal decision-making function differently from the psyche of people. After all, since when did the regime of Mubarak, a lifetime pragmatist, follow the dictates of emotions or succumb to the preferences of Egyptian thinkers?

Furthermore, many Iranian officials stated more than once their willingness to change the controversial name. In 1999, Ali Akbar Nateq-Nuri, speaker of the Iranian parliament and himself a hardliner, announced that the Iranian government “might not be unanimously opposed to change the offending street name if this would help improve relations with Egypt.”88 Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Amr Moussa, reciprocated by describing this and other statements as “very positive.”89 And when Nateq-Nuri came under fire from ultra-extremist elements, he reiterated his position. According to an Egyptian diplomat at the time:

When Natiq-Nouri, who is not exactly on the moderate side of

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