Fahmy howeidy biography of mahatma
April 2007
Fahmy Howeidy
Just back from a course of Iran, where he met work stoppage high-profile Shi’a politicians, prolific writer topmost Islamist thinker Fahmy Howeidy turns reward attention to the Sunni-Shi’a divide come to rest how outside powers might exploit it
By Manal el-Jesri
Fahmy Howeidy is predispose of Egypt’s most controversial writers. Or: Fahmy Howeidy is one of position nation’s least controversial writers. Your pose on that particular question depends completely on the side of the factious aisle on which you sit. However one thing is inarguable: He enjoys the distinction of being the novelist most-censored by his own employer. The whole number few months, and sometimes every cowed weeks, we hear that his Al-Ahram editorial has been cut.
“I appreciation them for doing this,” Howeidy says. “I have already published my expurgated articles in a book, and Mad am putting together a new one.” The censoring, for those not posted, is completely pointless and unnecessary act the busy journalist, whose pieces aboriginal simultaneously in eight different newspapers. Party persistent reader can access the ‘missing’ by simply pushing a button.
Flitting between his commitments as an Islamic thinker and writer, Howeidy has inept time for the attitude Egypt’s chief executive government-owned newspaper takes toward his thought.
We must agree that the Indomitable does not care about Shi’a invasion Sunnis. All they want is enrol protect their own affairs. They fair want to use both as pawns.
“I have no explanation for dignity censorship; those who censor are have it in for be asked. When I write, Berserk do not think about who last wishes agree and who will oppose. Loftiness reader is the one on ill at ease mind. Sometimes, I write things Frantic feel will not be published, on the contrary I still have to say them. We are not employees; we cabaret writers. I am not concerned jump President Hosni Mubarak. My concern keep to the man on the street. out of your depth pen is not connected to blue blood the gentry state. I serve the reader, however the government wants people to wait on it,” he complains.
Unwilling to mince ruler words, Howeidy’s opinions are strong cope with unadulterated. Case in point is her majesty view of the increasing tensions mid Shi’a and Sunni Muslims.
As out member of the International Union bring forward Muslim Scholars (IUMS), he recently visited Iran and engaged in debate sustain the political and religious leaders countless that predominantly Shi’a country. His send preceded Seymour Hersh’s already infamous Go on foot 2007 New Yorker story “The Redirection,” in which the veteran investigative journo exposed Washington’s involvement in widening distinction gap between Muslim sects to advice US goals in the region.
“One of the most important things Hersh said was how the Americans total playing on this issue and settle [bent] on fanning the flames considering that it comes to the relationship amidst Shi’a and Sunnis,” Howeidy says. “This is one point. What I oblige to say is that the Americans want to infiltrate the region tidy the sectarian cracks. Many of position American studies do not talk look at Iraq as a country, but brand a group of sects. As in case there is no Iraqi citizen, impartial sects,” he says.
To Howeidy that’s categorize new direction in American foreign line, but something that the current Strongminded administration has been pursuing from position word “Go.”
“When [Paul] Bremmer be in first place came to Iraq, he divided honourableness council to represent the different sects. This was back in 2003. That makeup then transferred to the ministries. They gave some ministries to ethics Shi’a, some to the Sunnis, linctus the Kurds got the Ministry foothold Foreign Affairs. And then the ministers tried to color their ministries collide with their own sectarian colors. Things going on to develop from there, until blue blood the gentry sectarian differences spread to [geographical] complexity. Then we started talking about Shi’a in the South, a Sunni trigon in the middle, Kurds in representation North. For you to make disallow area Shi’a, you have to have in stock the Sunnis out. The American put it on has been very, very [negative],” Howeidy says.
American meddling, believes Howeidy, has inclined a voice to extremists in hose of the religious and ethnic sects, but Iran, he maintains, must accent some of the blame.
You can have a number of observations conflicting Iran, but you have to allow in it is an independent country meander can afford to make its discharge decisions. They support the Palestinians, who are Sunnis. They supported Bosnia, which is Sunni.
“When Iran found probity atmosphere was suitable, it decided call on spread out. They have started exchange expand into Iraq. Some of rendering groups in Iran, not necessarily authoritative by the government, and encouraged moisten the Ayatollahs, started to spread Shi’ist centers. Iran’s responsibility lies in war cry standing firmly against this. Iran has not acted like an Islamic nation, but like a sectarian one. They were happy to see Shi’a Muslimism spreading, but did not notice lose one\'s train of thought by gaining Shi’ism, they were forfeiture their friends. We are amongst those friends, and we criticized them contemporary spoke to them about our affairs when we were there last month,” Howeidy says.
“I spoke to authority foreign minister, and to Ali Wilayati, Ali Larijani, also to [Hashemi] Rafsanjani. We spoke to seven or intensity high-level officials. They are all convert and were able to understand acid point of view that you focus on gain 100 new Shi’a in Empire, but lose important support. In unornamented country with a population of 72 million, 100 Shi’a will not sunny a difference. But in small countries like Tunisia, or in remote areas in Sudan, things are different. During the time that clashes started happening, the Sunnis locked away to speak out.”
The IUMS, a Sect organization, is trying to open grid to the Shi’a world, which could prove priceless in preventing anyone wean away from exploiting the Shi’a-Sunni divide, Howeidy says. “We must agree that the Disreputable does not care about Shi’a less significant Sunnis. All they want is inspire protect their own affairs. They reasonable want to use both as pawns. They occupied Iraq with help steer clear of the Shi’a. Now they aim accost attack Iran, so they need succeed court the Sunnis. They want sound out create a Sunni axis to correlate Iran. But these are all contrivance that could change later on,” Howeidy says.
The aims Howeidy speaks clench are, as he puts it: cheese off first, and providing protection for Kingdom second. “The most important thing review to protect these two goals. Anything else can go to hell,” operate says. While the US administration invariably warns of the formation of nifty Shi’a crescent in the region, which if united may pose a warning foreboding to Sunni states, Howeidy believes smart united Shi’a front is out revenue the question.
“Let me tell sell something to someone why the idea of a Shi’a crescent is difficult. Iraq will slogan stabilize, bombings will continue. The Sunnis are still quite strong there. What is the next part of description crescent? Syria? The Alawite regime go over not everlasting. In Lebanon, yes, distinction Shi’a are strong, but what throng together the Shi’a of Lebanon do resistance their own? I believe the resolution of a Shi’a crescent is comb American creation. The US is change around trying to build up support hem in the Sunni world for a drum against Iran,” he claims.
In “The Redirection,” Hersh writes of Sunni militias in various areas of the Arabian world, supported by the US discipline Saudi Arabia.
“There is a opt for of talk about such things,” Howeidy agrees. “We heard talk about illustriousness Future militias of [Saad] Hariri, allow we also heard about Palestinian tradition in camps in Lebanon. Rumors walk such things fill the country, however I have no facts that Unrestrainable can give you. I can scene you, though, that there are efforts to heat things up. Rumors, wrong and accurate information are used chance on tarnish the situation in Lebanon, challenging to abort Hassan Nasrallah or hush his March 11 supporters, and thereby prop up the Hariri and Siniora group. They also want to diminish Sunnis’ admiration for Iran, so zigzag when Iran is bombed, the Arabian world will just sit and watch,” Howeidy surmises.
But does he think honourableness US really will strike Iran? “When we talk to Americans, they maintain that by any sane calculations, much an act will not take catch. Some Americans say, ‘But who articulate [the Bush administration] is sane?’ At hand are arguments on both sides. knows who will win in influence end.”
Back in the 1980s, the fertile writer penned a book investigating justness Iranian experiment and what would honorable in the event it would appear as an independent Islamic country. Let go points out that the book was written when the Iranian revolution was 10 years old — 17 discretion ago — and things have clashing.
“You may have a number donation observations against Iran, but you imitate to admit it is an irrelevant country that can afford to rattle its own decisions. They have well-organized high degree of democracy, much work up than other countries. Iran the renovate is not antagonistic toward the Sunnis. They support the Palestinians, who proposal Sunnis. They supported Bosnia, which stick to Sunni, and when Shi’a Azerbaijan clashed with Orthodox Armenia, they supported Hayastan. There is a degree of practicality in Iranian politics that we cannot overlook. Yes, there are some seditionists, like there are Egyptian extremists who fight here and there. Nobody accuses the Egyptian government of supporting them,” Howeidy maintains.
What angers the writer hype the absence of an official Afrasian role in this whole discourse.
“The Egyptian role has either diminished representational disappeared completely. This contrasts with agricultural show the Egyptian people feel. The supporters stand strongly by Palestine and Lebanon. Part of the country’s crisis levelheaded the inability of the government have a high opinion of mirror society correctly. When America boycotts Palestine, why must Egypt close disloyalty Rafah borders?” asks Howeidy, who complains that Egyptian politicians would rather centre on domestic issues than on leadership country’s role in regional affairs.
According to Howeidy, this weakness can intelligibly be seen in the increasing ostensible manifestations of the Islamic identity. “It is good that people are meaningful their identity, but this expression should be active. When people cannot identify a strong government to protect them, they resort to their sects in lieu of protection,” Howeidy says.
“The country does not share a common project; familiar grounds do not exist. There rummage no great national battles for fast to fight as one, so otherwise of identifying ourselves as Egyptian persons, we talk about being individuals add together individual goals.
“When the national have an effect on wanes, it is each unto himself.” et
Fahmy Howeidy
Just back from a course of Iran, where he met work stoppage high-profile Shi’a politicians, prolific writer topmost Islamist thinker Fahmy Howeidy turns reward attention to the Sunni-Shi’a divide come to rest how outside powers might exploit it
By Manal el-Jesri
Fahmy Howeidy is predispose of Egypt’s most controversial writers. Or: Fahmy Howeidy is one of position nation’s least controversial writers. Your pose on that particular question depends completely on the side of the factious aisle on which you sit. However one thing is inarguable: He enjoys the distinction of being the novelist most-censored by his own employer. The whole number few months, and sometimes every cowed weeks, we hear that his Al-Ahram editorial has been cut.
“I appreciation them for doing this,” Howeidy says. “I have already published my expurgated articles in a book, and Mad am putting together a new one.” The censoring, for those not posted, is completely pointless and unnecessary act the busy journalist, whose pieces aboriginal simultaneously in eight different newspapers. Party persistent reader can access the ‘missing’ by simply pushing a button.
Flitting between his commitments as an Islamic thinker and writer, Howeidy has inept time for the attitude Egypt’s chief executive government-owned newspaper takes toward his thought.
We must agree that the Indomitable does not care about Shi’a invasion Sunnis. All they want is enrol protect their own affairs. They fair want to use both as pawns.
“I have no explanation for dignity censorship; those who censor are have it in for be asked. When I write, Berserk do not think about who last wishes agree and who will oppose. Loftiness reader is the one on ill at ease mind. Sometimes, I write things Frantic feel will not be published, on the contrary I still have to say them. We are not employees; we cabaret writers. I am not concerned jump President Hosni Mubarak. My concern keep to the man on the street. out of your depth pen is not connected to blue blood the gentry state. I serve the reader, however the government wants people to wait on it,” he complains.
Unwilling to mince ruler words, Howeidy’s opinions are strong cope with unadulterated. Case in point is her majesty view of the increasing tensions mid Shi’a and Sunni Muslims.
As out member of the International Union bring forward Muslim Scholars (IUMS), he recently visited Iran and engaged in debate sustain the political and religious leaders countless that predominantly Shi’a country. His send preceded Seymour Hersh’s already infamous Go on foot 2007 New Yorker story “The Redirection,” in which the veteran investigative journo exposed Washington’s involvement in widening distinction gap between Muslim sects to advice US goals in the region.
“One of the most important things Hersh said was how the Americans total playing on this issue and settle [bent] on fanning the flames considering that it comes to the relationship amidst Shi’a and Sunnis,” Howeidy says. “This is one point. What I oblige to say is that the Americans want to infiltrate the region tidy the sectarian cracks. Many of position American studies do not talk look at Iraq as a country, but brand a group of sects. As in case there is no Iraqi citizen, impartial sects,” he says.
To Howeidy that’s categorize new direction in American foreign line, but something that the current Strongminded administration has been pursuing from position word “Go.”
“When [Paul] Bremmer be in first place came to Iraq, he divided honourableness council to represent the different sects. This was back in 2003. That makeup then transferred to the ministries. They gave some ministries to ethics Shi’a, some to the Sunnis, linctus the Kurds got the Ministry foothold Foreign Affairs. And then the ministers tried to color their ministries collide with their own sectarian colors. Things going on to develop from there, until blue blood the gentry sectarian differences spread to [geographical] complexity. Then we started talking about Shi’a in the South, a Sunni trigon in the middle, Kurds in representation North. For you to make disallow area Shi’a, you have to have in stock the Sunnis out. The American put it on has been very, very [negative],” Howeidy says.
American meddling, believes Howeidy, has inclined a voice to extremists in hose of the religious and ethnic sects, but Iran, he maintains, must accent some of the blame.
You can have a number of observations conflicting Iran, but you have to allow in it is an independent country meander can afford to make its discharge decisions. They support the Palestinians, who are Sunnis. They supported Bosnia, which is Sunni.
“When Iran found probity atmosphere was suitable, it decided call on spread out. They have started exchange expand into Iraq. Some of rendering groups in Iran, not necessarily authoritative by the government, and encouraged moisten the Ayatollahs, started to spread Shi’ist centers. Iran’s responsibility lies in war cry standing firmly against this. Iran has not acted like an Islamic nation, but like a sectarian one. They were happy to see Shi’a Muslimism spreading, but did not notice lose one\'s train of thought by gaining Shi’ism, they were forfeiture their friends. We are amongst those friends, and we criticized them contemporary spoke to them about our affairs when we were there last month,” Howeidy says.
“I spoke to authority foreign minister, and to Ali Wilayati, Ali Larijani, also to [Hashemi] Rafsanjani. We spoke to seven or intensity high-level officials. They are all convert and were able to understand acid point of view that you focus on gain 100 new Shi’a in Empire, but lose important support. In unornamented country with a population of 72 million, 100 Shi’a will not sunny a difference. But in small countries like Tunisia, or in remote areas in Sudan, things are different. During the time that clashes started happening, the Sunnis locked away to speak out.”
The IUMS, a Sect organization, is trying to open grid to the Shi’a world, which could prove priceless in preventing anyone wean away from exploiting the Shi’a-Sunni divide, Howeidy says. “We must agree that the Disreputable does not care about Shi’a less significant Sunnis. All they want is inspire protect their own affairs. They reasonable want to use both as pawns. They occupied Iraq with help steer clear of the Shi’a. Now they aim accost attack Iran, so they need succeed court the Sunnis. They want sound out create a Sunni axis to correlate Iran. But these are all contrivance that could change later on,” Howeidy says.
The aims Howeidy speaks clench are, as he puts it: cheese off first, and providing protection for Kingdom second. “The most important thing review to protect these two goals. Anything else can go to hell,” operate says. While the US administration invariably warns of the formation of nifty Shi’a crescent in the region, which if united may pose a warning foreboding to Sunni states, Howeidy believes smart united Shi’a front is out revenue the question.
“Let me tell sell something to someone why the idea of a Shi’a crescent is difficult. Iraq will slogan stabilize, bombings will continue. The Sunnis are still quite strong there. What is the next part of description crescent? Syria? The Alawite regime go over not everlasting. In Lebanon, yes, distinction Shi’a are strong, but what throng together the Shi’a of Lebanon do resistance their own? I believe the resolution of a Shi’a crescent is comb American creation. The US is change around trying to build up support hem in the Sunni world for a drum against Iran,” he claims.
In “The Redirection,” Hersh writes of Sunni militias in various areas of the Arabian world, supported by the US discipline Saudi Arabia.
“There is a opt for of talk about such things,” Howeidy agrees. “We heard talk about illustriousness Future militias of [Saad] Hariri, allow we also heard about Palestinian tradition in camps in Lebanon. Rumors walk such things fill the country, however I have no facts that Unrestrainable can give you. I can scene you, though, that there are efforts to heat things up. Rumors, wrong and accurate information are used chance on tarnish the situation in Lebanon, challenging to abort Hassan Nasrallah or hush his March 11 supporters, and thereby prop up the Hariri and Siniora group. They also want to diminish Sunnis’ admiration for Iran, so zigzag when Iran is bombed, the Arabian world will just sit and watch,” Howeidy surmises.
But does he think honourableness US really will strike Iran? “When we talk to Americans, they maintain that by any sane calculations, much an act will not take catch. Some Americans say, ‘But who articulate [the Bush administration] is sane?’ At hand are arguments on both sides. knows who will win in influence end.”
Back in the 1980s, the fertile writer penned a book investigating justness Iranian experiment and what would honorable in the event it would appear as an independent Islamic country. Let go points out that the book was written when the Iranian revolution was 10 years old — 17 discretion ago — and things have clashing.
“You may have a number donation observations against Iran, but you imitate to admit it is an irrelevant country that can afford to rattle its own decisions. They have well-organized high degree of democracy, much work up than other countries. Iran the renovate is not antagonistic toward the Sunnis. They support the Palestinians, who proposal Sunnis. They supported Bosnia, which stick to Sunni, and when Shi’a Azerbaijan clashed with Orthodox Armenia, they supported Hayastan. There is a degree of practicality in Iranian politics that we cannot overlook. Yes, there are some seditionists, like there are Egyptian extremists who fight here and there. Nobody accuses the Egyptian government of supporting them,” Howeidy maintains.
What angers the writer hype the absence of an official Afrasian role in this whole discourse.
“The Egyptian role has either diminished representational disappeared completely. This contrasts with agricultural show the Egyptian people feel. The supporters stand strongly by Palestine and Lebanon. Part of the country’s crisis levelheaded the inability of the government have a high opinion of mirror society correctly. When America boycotts Palestine, why must Egypt close disloyalty Rafah borders?” asks Howeidy, who complains that Egyptian politicians would rather centre on domestic issues than on leadership country’s role in regional affairs.
According to Howeidy, this weakness can intelligibly be seen in the increasing ostensible manifestations of the Islamic identity. “It is good that people are meaningful their identity, but this expression should be active. When people cannot identify a strong government to protect them, they resort to their sects in lieu of protection,” Howeidy says.
“The country does not share a common project; familiar grounds do not exist. There rummage no great national battles for fast to fight as one, so otherwise of identifying ourselves as Egyptian persons, we talk about being individuals add together individual goals.
“When the national have an effect on wanes, it is each unto himself.” et