Brussels, 29/09/2009 (Agence Europe) - Egypt seems to be finding it difficult to accept the rejection of its culture minister, Farouq Hosni, as a candidate for the post of director general of UNESCO. In the unofficial Al-Ahram (but the official voice of the government) it attacks both the US Administration and the EU, accusing the latter of doublespeak when it talks of a dialogue among civilisations. EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner comes under attack, along with “French duplicity”. “Where is this so-called Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)?,” asks a columnist in the major Egyptian daily on 28 September 2009. It is the European candidate, Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, who was elected as the new UNESCO president on 22 September 2009. Cairo criticises a campaign organised openly by the United States and then followed more obliquely by the EU to discredit the Egyptian candidate.
The Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Abou Gheit said at the UN headquarters in New York on 28 September that “Egypt has been a leading light for civilisations throughout history, forming bridges between them and determinedly combatting hatred, calls for the use of violation and discrimination among civilisations.” He said that together with the Anna Lindh Foundation, Egypt was planning to hold “a big conference, as part of the Union for the Mediterranean, on understanding and dialogue among communities to take on the challenges of terrorism, extremism and racial discrimination.” He did not say whether Egypt was now planning to withdraw from the conference. Al-Ahram comments that the UNESCO elections episode marked a “defeat for democracy” and “a weapon had been brandished, accusing anyone who criticises Israel or Jewish extremists of being anti-Semitic.” The paper asked whether people had forgotten that philosopher Roger Garaudy was languishing in the courts and argued that Egyptians couldn't be anti-Semitic because they were themselves Semites and couldn't be hostile to themselves.
The paper opened a broadside against Europeans, particularly northern Europeans like the former Austrian candidate for the post of UNESCO director general, current EU Commissioner with responsibility for the EuroMed question Benita Ferrero-Waldner, whom it accuses of manoeuvring behind the scenes to discredit Farouq Hosni. She withdrew her candidacy, saying she wanted to remain neutral, but Al-Ahram accuses her of campaigning to block Hosni because of “UNESCO's values”. It says that her position as EU commissioner helped her to get Europeans united against Egypt. Bernard Kouchner is indirectly accused of “duplicity” for saying that he wanted to stay out of things as a member of the government of the country hosting the organisations and a key player in the Mediterranean (along with Egypt, in fact, he chairs the UfM), after France promised Egypt support. Only Henri Guaino, an advisor to President Sarkozy of France and secret UfM fixer, finds favour in the eyes of Egypt for his active and effective support for Hosni. This unofficial criticism voiced in Al-Ahram is however, watered down officially, with minister Abou Gheit saying in New York that Egypt had a lot to offer for dialogue between civilisations. (F.B./transl.fl)