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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| Member of the Magles El-Sha’ab | |
| In office 2000–2010 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Hamdeen Abdel-Atty Abdel-Maksoud Sabahi
5 July 1954 Baltim, Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate, Republic of 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 is an Egyptian politician and journalist. He was born on July 5, 1954. He is known for being a politician and a journalist.
Sabahi was a candidate in the 2012 Egyptian presidential election and the 2014 Egyptian presidential election. He is also a leader of the Egyptian Popular Current political group. He helped lead the National Salvation Front.
He was an activist who spoke out against the governments of Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak. He was arrested many times for his political beliefs during their time in power. Sabahi strongly supported and joined the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
In the 2012 presidential election, he came in third place. He received about 21.5% of the votes. In the 2014 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 Gamal Abdel Nasser, a former Egyptian president. In 1996, Sabahi started the Nasserist Karama (Dignity) Party. He ran for president as an independent candidate. He was seen as a secular figure, meaning he was not tied to religious groups. He also had no connections to the government of Hosni Mubarak.
Sabahi's campaign slogan was "one of us." This showed his strong connection to working-class people. He also supported socialist ideas, which focus on fairness for everyone. Many famous Egyptian figures supported him, like writer Alaa Al Aswany and director Khaled Youssef.
Early Life and Education
Sabahi was born in 1954 in Baltim, a small town in the Nile Delta. His father was a farmer. Hamdeen was the youngest of eleven children. His family benefited from land reforms after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. He grew up around farmers and fishermen. He even worked as a fisherman when he was a teenager.
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, he started the Nasserist Thought Club. This club quickly grew to other universities in Egypt. They created the club because they felt President Sadat was changing the legacy of former President Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Sabahi was elected president of Cairo University's student council in 1975. He held this role until 1976. He then became president of the General Union of Egyptian Students until 1977.
Speaking Out Against Government
In 1977, there were large protests against the government. President Anwar Sadat met with student leaders on TV. This is when Sabahi became well-known. He openly disagreed with Sadat's economic plans. He also spoke about corruption in the government.
Sabahi criticized Sadat's "Open-Door" policy. He said it only helped rich people. He also disagreed with making peace with Israel while Palestinians had no home. He believed recognizing Israel would be a mistake. Because he spoke out, Sabahi was not allowed to work as a journalist in state-run media.
In September 1981, Sabahi was arrested. He was one of about 1,500 political activists detained by Sadat's government. He was the youngest person arrested in this crackdown. In 1985, he earned his master's degree in journalism. He then helped start "Saʿid," a center for Arabic journalism. Many young Arab journalists were trained there.
Sabahi was arrested again during the time of President Hosni Mubarak. This was in the late 1980s. He was accused of being part of a group that attacked Israelis in Egypt. He was arrested again in 1991. This happened after he spoke against the United States attacking Iraq.
Political Journey
Early Political Involvement
Sabahi helped create the Arab Democratic Nasserist Party. In 1993, he visited Palestinian resistance leaders in Lebanon. He had always supported Palestinian and Lebanese resistance against Israel since the 1970s. That same year, he survived an assassination attempt. He was later detained for speaking about Arab countries not acting against sanctions on Iraq.
In 1995, Sabahi ran for parliament. The government was accused of sending people to attack his supporters. This was a common practice at the time. He did not win that election, but he received many votes.
After the 1995 elections, there were disagreements within the Nasserist Party. Sabahi and other young activists wanted the older leaders to share power. In March 1996, Sabahi and four others were suspended from the party. They were also not allowed to participate in the 1996 internal elections. Sabahi said these elections were not fair.
In 1997, a new law was passed that took away farmers' land rights. This ended the land reforms from the Nasser era. Sabahi was arrested for the third time for strongly opposing this law. He was accused of encouraging farmers to protest.
Leading the Dignity Party
In 1998, Sabahi and a colleague started the al-Karama ("Dignity") political party. They had resigned from the ADNP. The government committee that approved political parties refused to make al-Karama legal. From 1999, Sabahi became active in the Journalists Syndicate. He led its Media committee.
In 2000, Sabahi was elected as a member of parliament. He ran as an independent candidate. His campaign focused on protecting Lake Burullus from pollution. He also opposed plans to fill the lake with sand. He said this would harm animals and cause job losses for fishermen.
In 2003, Sabahi was arrested for the fourth time. He led protests against US ships using the Suez Canal to go to Iraq. He was the first member of parliament to be arrested while in office. A year later, he helped start "Egyptian Movement for Change," also known as Kefaya (Enough). This group opposed Mubarak staying in power and his son, Gamal Mubarak, becoming president.
Sabahi became the editor-in-chief of the Al-Karama newspaper. This was the official paper of his party. In 2006, Sabahi supported the Lebanese resistance against Israel. In 2008, he went to the Gaza Strip to help end the siege there. He met with Palestinian officials from Hamas to discuss the situation. He showed that Egyptians supported the Palestinian cause.
In 2009, Sabahi left his role as secretary-general of al-Karama. He wanted to focus on running for president. In early 2010, he helped start the "National Association for Change." Mohammed ElBaradei and Ayman Nour were also co-founders.
Role in the Egyptian Revolution
On January 25, 2011, the first day of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, Sabahi joined protests in his hometown. He was slightly injured by security forces. He then joined 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 speeches supporting the revolution. He also spoke about what happened afterward. He protested against the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). This group was in charge of the country temporarily. In August 2011, he protested outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo. He criticized SCAF's handling of protests. He specifically mentioned the Maspero demonstrations and Mohamed Mahmoud Street protests, where many people were killed.
Presidential Campaigns
Sabahi officially announced he would run for president in 2012. He promised to help Egypt become a democracy. He said the law would be above all, and citizens' rights would be protected. In March 2011, he promised to separate government powers more clearly. He also aimed for social fairness and to end corruption in the economy. 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 all. Second, ensuring social justice and economic fairness. He believed Egyptians should have housing, healthcare, food, free education, work, insurance, fair wages, and a clean environment. Third, bringing back Egypt's strong role as a regional power. He also supported Islamic law as a main source of legislation. He believed Egypt is an Arab and Islamic country built by both Muslims and Christians.
On January 25, 2012, the first anniversary of the revolution, Sabahi suggested a "Tahrir" tax. He proposed that wealthy Egyptians pay a 10% tax once. He said this would help achieve social fairness.
Sabahi said he would not run for president if the new constitution created a parliamentary system. He argued that such a system could lead to a "new dictator." He wanted the constitution written before presidential elections. He believed a parliament should be independent and hold the president accountable.
He initially praised the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. However, he later said their management of the transition was poor. He believed they could have kept the public's love and respect for the military.
Before the 2012 elections, Sabahi was not expected to win many votes. However, he surprised many by getting over 21% of the vote. He came in third place. Ahmed Shafiq came in second, and Mohammad Morsi came in first. Sabahi's popularity was unexpected because he did not have a large party organization outside major cities. Most of his votes came from cities like Alexandria and Port Said. After the results, Sabahi complained about voting problems.
After the Military Coup
After the military coup in 2013, General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi asked people to protest. He wanted a "mandate" to fight "terrorism." While some groups disagreed, Sabahi and his Popular Current movement supported General Sisi. They asked their supporters to join the protests.
In August 2013, security forces violently broke up a protest by supporters of former president Mohamed Morsi. Hundreds of protesters were killed. Sabahi said that national forces were working with the government to defeat terrorism. He stated, "We will stay hand in hand, the people, the army and the police."
He also called for a meeting of Arab leaders to "support Egypt against terrorism." He praised the support from countries like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. He also suggested inviting the presidents of Russia and China to visit Egypt.
Sabahi criticized a court decision that sentenced activists like Ahmed Maher to prison. He believed that Interim President Adly Mansour should pardon these individuals.
2014 Presidential Campaign
Sabahi officially announced his 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 that time. He felt the government was against the goals of the revolution.
Sabahi was confirmed as a candidate on May 2, 2014. He promised to get rid of the protest law if elected. He also said he would change the Camp David Accords and let Egyptians vote on it. However, he lost the election to Sisi, who was the only other candidate. Sisi won over 96% of the votes.
Political Ideas
On Changing the Egyptian Government
- "Every revolution should start a national revival. Political power must be used for this. That's why I am running for president."
- "I prefer a presidential system that limits the president's power. It should make the president answerable to the public, parliament, and courts."
- "What matters is fair elections. The Egyptian people have shown that power can only be gained through free and fair elections."
- "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 parties, and press freedom."
- "We need changes in policies, not just new faces. We need more democracy and social fairness."
Egyptian Political Culture
- "Egypt must remain at the heart of the Arab nation. This is its identity and future. Egypt's revival is not just about ideas. We need a plan for revival. My plan is based on the experience of Abdel-Nasser."
- "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 a country that helped the poor to one that believed in open-door policies."
- "People need a candidate who will provide good living conditions. This person must respect religion, but does not have to be religious."
Foreign Relations
- "Our foreign policy should show dignity for Egypt and be steady. We need stronger ties with three main groups: the Arab countries, the African countries of the Nile Valley, and the Islamic countries like Arabs, Turks, and Iranians."
- "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 from interfering in others' internal issues."
- "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."
- "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 status."
Views on Mohamed Morsi
In March 2013, Sabahi said that Mohamed Morsi, who was then president of Egypt, was like a "new Mubarak." However, he initially did not support the military overthrowing Morsi.
Views on Israel
In a TV discussion in April 2014, a spokesman for Sabahi's campaign said that their "enmity with the Zionist enemy goes to our very existence." He added, "No peace is possible." He believed that the Camp David Accords caused many problems for Egypt. He said Sabahi believes "the Zionists are our enemy."
Demands for New Protest Law
On June 12, 2014, Sabahi called for a new Egyptian protest law on Twitter. He wanted a law that organizes protests but does not stop or suppress opposition. His comments came after activist Alaa Abd El Fattah and others were sentenced to prison.
See also
In Spanish: Hamdin Sabahi para niños
