The making of the 21st century Pharaoh

By CHARLES KUMOLU
THIS is the story of the Pharaonic mentality that has persisted in Egypt for ages even after the Pharaohs had long disappeared.

CERTAINLY, when an American philosopher, George Santayana, noted that ‘’those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it,” the ancient and modern Egyptian leaders were not his reference point. But with a recurring history of a presidency that had always ended ignominiously, the country could easily pass for the focal point of that historical quote.

The sight and sound coming out of Egypt imply that history should not be ignored in order to understand the unprecedented change happening right now. Hence the belief that the recent ousting of Mohammed Morsi as President has evoked the memories of the historical Pharaohs/leaders and their ignominious end!

[caption id="attachment_402499" align="alignnone" width="412"] A sand sculpture of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, created by sand artist Sudersan Pattnaik. AFP[/caption]

From the Biblical Pharaoh, who refused to let the Israelites go, to the 21 century Hosni Mubarak, who transformed from a reformer into a dictator, the history of Egyptian leaders has largely been shaped by vaulting ambitions.

The Pharaohs, for instance, amassed unimaginable wealth and power, built impressive monuments to impress their followers and foreign powers, prepared their tombs long before death, ruled with iron fist and usually left power unsung.

However, this legacy has persisted until today, as modern day Egyptian leaders have continued to abuse their authority, killed the opposition, tortured, maimed, plotted, connived, and clung to power by every possible means.

A proper understanding of the rise and fall of the post-1952 Egyptian revolution leaders like King Farouk; Muhammad Naguib , Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat , Hosni Mubarak , and Mohamed Morsi , says volume about how reckless Egyptian leaders had been with power.

Farouk

The last Egyptian monarch was forced to abdicate, and went into exile in Monaco  and Italy  where he lived until his death. Following his abdication, Farouk’s baby son, Ahmed Fuad, was proclaimed King Fuad II , but, for all intents and purposes, Egypt was now governed by Naguib, Nasser and the Free Officers.

Muhammad Naguib

As the leader of the Egyptian revolution, Naguib became the first President of the Republic of Egypt. Disagreements with Nasser led to his forced removal from office. The allegation that he haboured sympathy for the Muslim Brotherhood was among the early signs of Naguib’s impending ouster. Like Morsi, Naguib was also accused of becoming dictatorial. Hence he was shown the exit door by a fellow coupist Abdel Nasser. In addition, he was subsequently placed under house arrest for 18 years until 1972.

Abdel Nasser

Nasser was also among the leaders of the revolution. Little wonder he was made Naguib’s Deputy.

After a failed assassination attempt against him allegedly by the Muslim Brotherhood , Nasser arrested Naguib and eventually assumed presidential powers 23 June, 1956. He is generally revered in the Arab world following his support for Arab nationalism. His death on September 28, 1970 brought his presidency to an end.

Anwar Sadat

Upon the death of Nasser in 1970, Sadat became the third President of Egypt.

Saddat, who ruled for 11 years, faced widespread demonstrations following the decline in his popularity.

Amid the internal uprisings, Sadat was, on October 6, 1981, assassinated by Lieutenant Khalid Islambouli  during a victory parade held in Cairo,.

It was gathered that his murder was on the orders of Omar Abdel-Rahman , who placed a fatwa on him, ostensibly, for establishing an accord with Israel. He also reportedly described himself as a Pharaoh.

Hosni Mubarak

The coming of Mubarak after the assassination of Sadat was welcomed with general enthusiasm, especially among those who believed that he would not repeat the mistakes of his predecessor.

But from a reformer Mubarak became a dictator during his 30-year rule.

By the time he was forced out of office in February 2011, Mubarak had ruled longer than anyone since Muhammad Ali Pasha, the Albanian-born viceroy of the Ottoman Empire credited with bringing Egypt into the modern age.

Mohammed Morsi

To many, Morsi was a reminder of the Biblical Pharaoh, who refused to heed the warning about an impending doom should he fail to release the Israelites from captivity.

By not heeding a military ultimatum to strike a deal with his opponents, the former President evoked the memories of the Pharaoh that perished for being hardened against the Israelites. Opposition to him had grown following the November 2012 decision to grant himself unlimited powers, including the right to legislate without judicial oversight.