Presidents of Egypt and the exhibition of the book .. Secrets of attention and backgrounds of disregard

Mohamed Thabet - Cairo

Although it is the fifth since he took office in 2014, it is the first time that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi will open the Cairo International Book Fair in his golden jubilee, like the two previous presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat, who did not participate in the exhibition, Mubarak and Mohamed Morsi, both keen to participate and meet with intellectuals.

The exhibition will take place between January 23 and February 5, 2019. This year, the Arab League will host "Guest of Honor", and the personalities of the year: former Egyptian Minister of Culture Tharwat Okasha and the first president of the Egyptian literary book Suhair Al-Qalmawi.

This year's exhibition comes amid criticism from publishers, the public and intellectuals due to its transfer to the outskirts of Cairo in the fifth assembly area (east of Cairo), which may cause poor turnout, but the government justifies the transfer of deteriorating services in the old exhibition grounds.

Abdel Nasser .. Founding and ignoring
It was common in the Egyptian media in the fifties and sixties that the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser was a good reader of books, especially the late writer Mohamed Hassanein Heikal in his book "Autumn of anger," that the difference between the two presidents Abdel Nasser and Sadat is a difference between a president reads even what His importance; and the President does not even read the important supplies of his continued office, in reference to Sadat's dislike of reading the routine reports that were received.

It is also reported that Abdel Nasser wrote several books: "Philosophy of the Revolution", "Diary of President Gamal Abdel Nasser in the Palestine War" and "For Freedom". A story he was said to have written in high school and later completed.

However, Nasser did not pay attention to the opening of the Cairo International Book Fair in its first session in February 1969, ignoring that the opening was in line with the thousand anniversary of the founding of Cairo in 969, the same disregard continued in the second session of the exhibition, the last session in the life of Abdel Nasser Who passed away at the end of the same year.

Sadat and Arahal
Despite the fact that in the 1960s and 1970s, the number of books by former President Sadat continued to be: "The story of the revolution is complete", "Unknown pages", "30 months in prison", "Oh my son, your uncle Gamal" (September 28, 1970 to October 6, 1981), Sadat did not observe the opening of the Book Fair. He had an opinion on intellectuals or "Afandis", which he summarized in a single word, "As an expression of anger from journalists and intellectuals, because of their constant criticism of Sadat's policies, especially after the entry into the Camp David negotiations, which ended with the peace treaty with Israel.

According to Egyptian intellectual Jalal Amin, Sadat's attitude toward intellectuals is that Sadat's attitude toward Egyptian intellectuals was different from those of Nasser and Mubarak. The three presidents were not intellectually literate, but Sadat was easily tempted by everyday life and appearances. On the dialogues with intellectuals, adding, "These dialogues, which was what is spent by Hosni Mubarak strongly for reasons, some of which it finds difficult to follow up."

Mubarak .. to meet the intellectuals
In contrast to Nasser and Sadat, former President Hosni Mubarak was keen to open a book fair from 1986 to 2010, with the exception of the 2004 and 2009 sessions, which the prime minister sent for their inauguration, and the 2011 cycle canceled by the January revolution.

Mubarak's meeting with the Egyptian intellectuals required that the participants be carefully selected, loyal to the regime, and warned not to raise issues that would provoke the president; however, the latter did not hesitate to invoke one of them if he went too far; he ordered him to sit down and was not invited to meet the president again.

The dialogue with the sample of intellectuals loyal to Mubarak was in any framework, to be the work of "Montage" to meet, and remove a large number of it; and broadcast after the news on the official television, and participants in the meeting were full print their works at the expense of " "The organization of the exhibition, in addition to their treatment at the expense of the state.

Mubarak was not only interested in intellectuals, but his wife, Suzanne Mubarak, oversaw the project of the "Family Library" to offer books at discounted prices.

Mursi .. Dialogue of civilizations
In contrast to the 2012 session inaugurated by the then Minister of Culture Shaker Abdel Hamid, and was concerned about security concerns and tension, the first anniversary of the January revolution under the military junta; the 2013 session came amid heavy attendance, attended by former President Mohamed Morsi, amid the elite of intellectuals and publishers , And the presence of the Libyan Minister of Culture, as his country was the guest of honor of the exhibition, and was the slogan of the exhibition "Dialogue not Saddam," in reference to the book "clash of civilizations" by American author Samuel Huntington.

Mansour .. Opening without intellectuals
On January 22, 2014, interim president Adli Mansoor opened the 45th session of the exhibition under the title "Culture and Identity". Mansour did not care about the meeting of the intellectuals, only to inspect the wing of the Egyptian Ministry of Defense and then inspected a number of official wings, In a clear political connotation, the support provided by the two countries to the coup of July 3, 2013.

Sisi .. reader "encyclopedic!"
Despite the four sessions of the exhibition since he took office in 2014, Sisi was not keen to attend the book fair, despite his keenness to attend the opening of many exhibitions and military and industrial events, and conferences and seminars for youth and economic.

However, the Egyptian president met with some writers and intellectuals and explained in his discussions with the local newspapers his keenness on reading miscellaneous. He said, in response to a question about the last book he read: "The last book I read was by the late great professor Mohamed Hassanein Heikal. The best reading is Anis Mansour, Musa Sabri and Jamal Hamdan, The meaning of preference for reading for a particular writer is that all his visions are consistent with your vision. "They form schools of writing that only an encyclopedic reader combines.