Feminist Nawal El Saadawi, a psychiatrist, Egyptian writer and activist
MARCH 8, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY.
has 79 years and an amazing activity. The interview was conducted by telephone during his visit to Oslo last week. New York is now and the next day 26 arrived in Spain to participate in the conference of Women in Segovia. Nawal El Saadawi is the leading Arab feminist and the first to denounce the castration of women. His bitter criticism of the laws and the interpretation of Islam that institutionalized repressive patriarchy that prevented women grow led her to lose all their seats on public health of their country, to prison and then exile. Today, after participating in the riots of Tahrir Square, which cabaron with 30-year dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak , feels more hopeful than ever: "It's time Egyptian women, says happily.
Question. What does the revolution Tahrir for woman?
Response. Lot. For the first time, women and men in Egypt have been the same. Women of all ages and classes were in Tahrir Square, including mothers with infants slept in the square.
P . Did you go to the plaza?
R . Of course. From the beginning, many days. Now I'll be a few weeks out of Egypt, but when you return back to Tahrir all times as necessary until we win.
P . What do you expect in particular?
R . Should of us included in the committee for constitutional reform. Named eight men and no women, so we are organizing a march of one million women for Tuesday (today) in Cairo and we hope to receive the support of women in Spain.
P . What is the slogan of the march?
R . That all committees and institutions of the new Egypt must have women. That is over that only they are men who decide.
P . Are you afraid that after the revolution everything is as before?
R . No, we have to fall Mubarak and some of his men, but the problem is chronic and women is rooted in patriarchy and religion. Ask why a secular constitution, a secular family code and a secular state separated from religion. The women have died in Tahrir like men and have to keep us in mind.
P . Do you agree with the constitutional reforms that made such a committee, to be voted the next day 19?
R . A committee was very traditional. Has only made small changes. Our march is to demand that the Egyptian radical change needed.
P . Is not it counterproductive to require both?
R . We will not accept discrimination again after participating in the revolution. We must rebel and fight for our rights. We are not afraid of losing anything, because we have nothing except our soul.
P . Why the outbreak of the revolution?
R . Accumulation of oppression and corruption. The regime was so corrupt that it was unbearable.
P . What role did women?
R . Everyone, including death. We were there from the beginning, ready for anything and no differences with men.
P . Were you expecting something?
R . I dreamed about this since I was 10 years, which means that 70 years had been expecting. I was not surprised because he had a lifetime fighting for it, but the outbreak was surprising. I am happy to have come alive to the revolution.
P . Did you think that Egypt would be so active?
R . In my house are many jóvenes, hombres y mujeres, a los que interesan mis libros; progresistas con los que debato distintos temas, pero ninguno creíamos que millones de egipcios tomarían las calles. Son más de seis millones los que en un momento u otro han estado en Tahrir.
P . ¿Piensa que esto es el despertar de la mujer egipcia?
R . Si, de las mujeres y de los hombres porque no podemos separar a unas de otros. La mujer no puede liberarse si el hombre no está liberado, de la misma forma en que el hombre no se puede liberar sin que la mujer se libere y todos necesitan un país libre.
P . ¿Cómo está organizing the Million Man March of Women?
R . Actually the idea came from a group of young men and progressives, who have access to twitter, facebook and other social networks. Was organized in my house. We are a group in which men and women work.
P . Will he return to Cairo for the event?
R . No, I am not indispensable. We are a collective leadership and especially the young who must lead the march. I go back, I'm his backup. They say I'm the godmother, the spiritual mother of the revolution.
P . What is the situation of Egyptian women today?
R . There are a lot of discrimination. We still want to abolish polygamy and also the man can divorce without taking into account at all to the wife.
P . Does the Constitution supports polygamy?
R . Yes, it says that the Family Code can not contradict sharia (Islamic law) and Sharia permits polygamy. Egypt has one of the most backward household codes in the Arab world.
P . Is that why you wanted to have women on the committee for constitutional reform?
R . Sure. Young men and women because they put traditional and religious men. Should have been secular men and women.
P . Do you consider the development of a new constitution will be the main achievement of the revolution?
R . Yes, if we have a radically secular Constitution and men and women, Christians and Muslims are equal is a great contribution against the traditional state. Secularism is fundamental to genuine democracy. In these days changes have continued to maintain that Article 2 which states that Islam is the religion of Egypt and it should disappear.
P . Do you believe that discrimination has a religious origin?
R . Yes religion is a political ideology and we need to separate religion and politics. The woman can not be released under any religion or Christianity, or Judaism or Islam, because women are inferior in all religions.
P . Do not you think that this argument is too radical for Egypt?
R . No. When I was in Tahrir I met many people who shared it. Many young progressives, including many men of the new generation of Muslim Brothers.
P . Do you fear that the new Egypt to be under the control of the Muslim Brotherhood?
R . I have no fear of the U.S. and Israel because they are the ones who bring the Muslim Brotherhood. I was in Iran at the beginning of the 1979 revolution. The Iranian revolution was secular and socialist principle but the U.S. felt threatened by a socialist revolution and drove her abortion. Khomeini came to Iran from the hand of France, the United Kingdom and the United States. They preferred a religious revolution rather than a socialist. Socialism is the true enemy of capitalism. As has happened in Egypt, suddenly took a respected cleric Tahrir (the Karadawi Yusef, 84 years in exile in Qatar) to speak on the square. We are against this, but have no fear of the Muslim Brotherhood because they are a minority.
P . What would you ask the new government?
R . Achieving the dismissal of Ahmed Shafik (appointed prime minister in the last days of Mubarak) has also been an achievement of Tahrir. We trust that the new head of government support Essam Sharaf the creation of a presidential council consisting of honest men and women who, temporarily, exercise the power they now have the military and without haste, because it is necessary to form new parties, organize free elections and drafting a new secular constitution.
P . Do you trust the will to democratize the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces who now heads Egypt?
R . It is a matter of trust but of power. If the protesters go home now and people will not speak again, the military will do the same to the Mubarak regime. If power is not exercised its power, no no Parliament to be accountable, Egypt and elsewhere in the world will fall into a dictatorship. The people who exercise their power. If the military did not meet its commitments to the people, again Tahrir. This is a revolution.
P . And do you believe in the revolution?
R . Yes, the revolution is not over. Continue until they are in Tahrir.
P . Do you think the new Egypt has had a good start?
R . Yes, it is full of hope and the hope is power.
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