Hamdeen Sabahi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hamdeen Sabahi
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| حمدين صباحى | |
Sabahi in December 2012
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Hamdeen Abdel-Atty Abdel-Maksoud Sabahi
5 July 1954 Baltim, Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt |
| Political party | Egyptian Popular Current |
| Other political affiliations |
Dignity Party |
| Spouse | Seham Negm |
| Children |
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| Alma mater | Cairo University |
| Known for | Politician, Journalist |
Hamdeen Sabahi (born 5 July 1954) is an Egyptian politician and journalist. He is known for being an important opposition figure in Egypt. He ran for president two times. He is currently the leader of the Egyptian Popular Current political group. He also helped lead the National Salvation Front.
Sabahi was an activist who spoke out against the governments of Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak. He was put in jail many times for his political beliefs. He strongly supported the 2011 Egyptian revolution and took part in it. In the 2012 Egyptian presidential election, he came in third place. He received about 21.5% of the votes. In the 2014 Egyptian presidential election, he was one of only two candidates. He came in second with less than 4% of the votes. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi won that election.
Sabahi follows the ideas of Nasserism, which is a political belief based on the ideas of former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1996, Sabahi started the Nasserist Karama (Dignity) Party. He ran for president as an independent candidate. Many people supported him because he was not connected to the old government. His campaign slogan was "one of us," showing his connection to working-class people. He also wanted to achieve socialist goals.
Early Life and Education
Hamdeen Sabahi was born in 1954 in Baltim, a small town in the Nile Delta region of Egypt. His father was a farmer. Sabahi was the youngest of eleven children. His family benefited from land reforms that happened after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. Growing up, Sabahi spent time with farmers and fishermen. He even became a fisherman when he was a teenager.
Becoming a Student Activist
In 1975, Sabahi became a student at Cairo University. He studied mass communication. He was also the editor of the university's magazine, The Students. With his friends, Sabahi started the Nasserist Thought Club. He led this club, which soon opened branches in other Egyptian universities. They created the club because they felt President Sadat was undoing the work of former President Gamal Abdel Nasser.
From 1975 to 1976, Sabahi was the president of Cairo University's student council. He was also the president of the General Union of Egyptian Students until 1977.
Speaking Out Against the Government
In 1977, there were big protests against the government because of rising food prices. President Anwar Sadat met with student leaders, and Sabahi became well-known during a televised debate. He openly disagreed with Sadat's economic plans. He also spoke about corruption in the government.
Sabahi criticized Sadat's "Open-Door" policy, which he said only helped rich people. He also disagreed with Sadat's plans to make peace with Israel. Sabahi believed that Palestinians should have their own home and representation. He argued that recognizing Israel would be a mistake if it meant ignoring Palestinian rights. Because he spoke out, Sabahi was not allowed to work as a journalist in state-controlled media.
In September 1981, Sabahi was arrested. He was one of about 1,500 political activists jailed by Sadat's government. He was the youngest person from the Nationalist Opposition movement to be detained. In 1985, he earned his master's degree in journalism. Soon after, he helped start "Saʿid" (The Rising), a center for Arabic journalism. Many young journalists were trained there.
Sabahi was arrested again in the late 1980s during the presidency of Hosni Mubarak. He was accused of being part of a group that allegedly killed Israelis in Egypt. He was arrested a third time in 1991. This happened after he gave a speech at Cairo University. In his speech, he criticized the United States for bombing Iraq.
Political Journey
Joining the Nasserist Party
Sabahi helped create the Arab Democratic Nasserist Party, which became legal in 1992. In 1993, he visited Palestinian resistance leaders in Lebanon. He had always supported Palestinian and Lebanese resistance against Israel since the 1970s. In the same year, Sabahi survived an attempt on his life. He was later detained for speaking out when Arab countries did not act against sanctions on Iraq.
In 1995, Sabahi ran for parliament for the first time. The government reportedly sent people to attack his supporters. This was a common tactic used by the ruling government back then. He did not win that election, but he received many votes and made it to the run-off round.
After the 1995 elections, there were disagreements within the Nasserist Party. Sabahi was part of a younger group of activists. This group wanted the older leaders to share power and modernize the party. In March 1996, Sabahi and four other young leaders were suspended from the party. They were also banned from internal elections. Sabahi said these elections were not fair.
In 1997, the Mubarak government passed a law that took away farmers' rights to own the land they worked on. This law ended the land reforms from the Nasser era. Sabahi strongly opposed this law. He was arrested for the third time and tortured in 1997. He was accused of encouraging farmers to protest the law.
Leading the al-Karama Party
In 1998, Sabahi and his colleague Amin Iskander started the al-Karama ("Dignity") political party. They had resigned from their old party. The government-controlled Political Parties Committee refused to make al-Karama a legal party.
From 1999, Sabahi became an active member of the Journalists Syndicate. He was made head of its Media committee. In 2000, Sabahi was elected as a member of parliament, even though he ran as an independent. During his campaign, he focused on protecting Lake Burullus from pollution. He also opposed plans to fill the lake with sand, which he said would harm animals and plants. This would also cause many fishermen to lose their jobs.
In 2003, Sabahi was arrested for the fourth time. He had led protests against American warships using the Suez Canal to go to Iraq for the invasion. He was the first member of parliament to be arrested while in office. A year later, he helped start a group called "Egyptian Movement for Change" or Kefaya (Enough). This group was against Mubarak staying in power for too long. They also opposed the idea of Mubarak's son, Gamal, becoming president.
Sabahi became the editor-in-chief of the Al-Karama newspaper, which was the party's official paper. He held this position until mid-2010. In 2006, Sabahi supported the Lebanese resistance against Israel. In 2008, he went to the Gaza Strip to help lift the siege on the area. While there, he met with Palestinian officials from the Hamas movement. He discussed the conditions in Gaza and showed support from the Egyptian people for the Palestinian cause.
In 2009, Sabahi left his role as secretary-general of al-Karama. He wanted to focus on his plan to run for president. In early 2010, he helped create the "National Association for Change". Mohammed ElBaradei and Ayman Nour were also co-founders of this group.
Role in the Egyptian Revolution
On January 25, 2011, the first day of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, Sabahi joined protests in his hometown of Baltim. He was slightly hurt by security forces trying to stop the protest. After that, he took part in the large anti-Mubarak protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square. He was part of the "Friday of Anger" protest on January 28.
After Mubarak's government fell, Sabahi gave many speeches at universities. He supported the revolution and talked about what happened next. He also joined protests against the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which was temporarily in control of the country. In August 2011, he protested outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo. He criticized SCAF's handling of protests. He especially spoke out about the Maspero demonstrations where 26 protesters were killed. He also criticized the events on Mohamed Mahmoud Street in November, where 40 protesters died.
Presidential Campaigns
Sabahi officially announced he would run for president in March 2011. He promised to help Egypt become a democracy. He said the law would be above all, and citizens' rights would be protected. He promised to separate government powers more clearly. He also wanted to bring social fairness and justice. He aimed to rid the Egyptian economy of monopolies and corruption. He promised economic changes, like setting a minimum wage for workers.
In October 2011, Sabahi said his campaign would focus on three things. First, building a democratic system with freedoms for political parties and media. Second, ensuring citizens' rights to protest. Third, improving the economy and social justice. He hoped to create a state-capitalist Egypt where public and private businesses work together. Sabahi believed every Egyptian should have housing, healthcare, food, free education, work, insurance, a fair wage, and a clean environment. He told his audience, "If I become president and do not fulfill these promises, I ask you to hold me accountable."
Sabahi also wanted Egypt to regain its strong position as a regional power. He supported Article two of the 1971 Constitution, which says Islamic law is the main source of laws. He believed Egypt is an Arabic and Islamic country that Muslims and Christians build together.
On January 25, 2012, the first anniversary of the revolution, Sabahi suggested a "Tahrir" tax. He proposed that Egyptians with 50 million Egyptian pounds (about $8.3 million) or more pay a one-time 10% tax. He argued this would help achieve social fairness and equal opportunities for all Egyptians.
Sabahi said he would not run for president if the new constitution created a parliamentary system. He believed that system could create a "new dictator." He wanted the constitution to be written before presidential elections. He explained that a parliament should be independent of the president and hold him accountable.
Before the 2012 elections, Sabahi was not expected to win many votes. However, he surprised many by getting over 21% of the votes. This put him in third place. Ahmed Shafiq came in second, beating Sabahi by about 700,000 votes. Shafiq then went on to the final round against Mohammad Morsi. Sabahi's popularity was a surprise because he did not have a big party organization outside major cities. Most of his votes came from Alexandria and Port Said.
After the Military Coup
After the military coup in 2013, General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi asked people to protest on July 26, 2013. He wanted a "mandate" to fight "terrorism." Some human rights groups and political groups did not agree with this. But Sabahi and his Popular Current group supported General Sisi. They asked their supporters to join the protests.
In August 2013, security forces violently stopped a protest by supporters of the removed president, Mohamed Morsi. Hundreds of protesters were killed. Sabahi said that national groups were supporting the government to defeat terrorism. He stated, "We will stay hand in hand, the people, the army and the police."
He also asked for an emergency meeting of Arab leaders to "support Egypt in the face of terrorism." He praised the support from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait, and the King of Saudi Arabia. He also suggested inviting the presidents of Russia and China to visit Egypt and show their support.
Sabahi criticized a court decision that sentenced activists like Ahmed Maher to prison. He believed that the temporary president, Adly Mansour, should pardon these and other jailed people.
2014 Presidential Campaign
Sabahi officially announced his plan to run for president in the 2014 Egyptian presidential election on February 8, 2014. On March 14, 2014, he criticized Field Marshal Sisi and the temporary government. He doubted Sisi's commitment to democracy. He also said Sisi was responsible for human rights issues during the temporary government's rule. Sabahi was confirmed as a candidate on May 2, 2014.
He stated that if he became president, he would get rid of the protest law. He also said he would change the Camp David Accords and let the Egyptian people vote on it. However, Sabahi did not do well in the election. He lost to Sisi, who was the only other candidate. Sisi won more than 96% of the votes.
Political Ideas
On Changing the Egyptian Government
- "Every revolution must start a country-wide renewal. Political power should be used for this, and that's why I am running for president." (Al-Ahram, April 2012)
- "I prefer a presidential system that limits the president's power. It should make the president answerable to the public, parliament, and judges." (Al-Ahram, April 2012)
- "What matters is that elections are fair. The Egyptian people have shown that power can only be gained through fair elections." (Al-Ahram, April 2012)
- "The political side focuses on building a democratic system. This system needs a new constitution that protects rights like freedom of belief, speech, peaceful protest, forming political parties, and press freedom." (Majallah Magazine, May 2011)
- "We need changes in policies, not just new faces. We need more democracy and social justice." (Al-Masry Al-Youm, January 2010)
Egyptian Political Culture
- "Egypt must remain central to the Arab nation. This is its identity and future. Egypt's revival is not just about ideas. We need a plan for renewal. My plan is very similar to Abdel-Nasser's experience." (Al-Ahram, April 2012)
- "I opposed both Sadat and Mubarak and criticized their policies. Under them, Egypt stopped leading the Arab world. It became part of the US-Zionist plan for the region. We went from helping the poor and seeking social justice to believing in open-door policies." (Al-Ahram, April 2012)
- "People need a candidate who will provide good living conditions. This candidate must respect religion, but does not necessarily have to be religious." (Aswat Masriya, February 2012)
Foreign Relations
- "Our foreign policy should show dignity for Egypt and be steady. We need stronger ties with three main groups: the Arab countries where Egypt is key; the African countries of the Nile Valley; and the Islamic countries including Arabs, Turks, and Iranians." (Al-Ahram, April 2012)
- "I support the best cooperation with Iran and Turkey. This will help all three rebuild their economies and security. It will also stop any single country [Israel or the USA] from interfering in others' internal issues." (Hiwar Magazine, February 2012)
- "We share the same sea [with the EU]. The Mediterranean is a lake shared by Europeans and Arabs. So, we need the best relationships between both sides." (Hiwar Magazine, February 2012)
- "I respect the American people. We want serious talks with them based on equality, not being controlled. Our approach to Western governments will change based on our interests. This is part of an Egyptian foreign policy that will revive Egypt and raise its international standing." (Majallah Magazine, May 2011)
On Mohamed Morsi
In March 2013, Sabahi said that Mohamed Morsi, who was then president of Egypt, was like a "new Mubarak." However, Sabahi initially did not support the military overthrowing Morsi.
On Israel
In a TV debate on April 3, 2014, Tamer Hindawi, a spokesman for Sabahi's presidential campaign, said that "Our conflict with the Zionist enemy is about our very existence. It's either us or them. No peace is possible. That's what we believe." He also said that the Camp David Accords were responsible for many of Egypt's problems. He added that Sabahi believes "the Zionists are our enemy."
Demanding a New Protest Law
On June 12, 2014, Sabahi used his Twitter account to call for a new Egyptian protest law. He wanted a law that organizes protests but does not stop or suppress opposition. He made these comments after activist Alaa Abd El Fattah and 24 others were sentenced to 15 years in prison.
See also
In Spanish: Hamdin Sabahi para niños
