Wael Khairy
Iman Hatem Interview
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Wael Talaat Khairy (900060365)
Iman Abdel Qader Hatem
8/3/2011
Iman Hatem’s Home: 20 Hassan Assem Street Zamalek, Cairo
0123139199
Dr. Kim Fox 8/3/2011
Wael Khairy
Iman Hatem Interview
2/8
March 8, 2011
Khairy: I’m sitting in front of Mrs. Iman Abdel Qader Hatem daughter of Former Prime
Minister Mohamed Abdel Qader Hatem. Iman before we actually start discussing the
revolution, where you pro or anti Mubarak throughout the last few weeks?
Iman Hatem: I was definitely anti- Mubarak. There’s no question about it. He has been
ruling this country with an iron fist for far too long. Everything has gone down the drain.
I never agreed with his extreme methods. The regime has become more and more corrupt
over the years. Up till a point that it was almost ridiculous. The uprising or revolution
was bound to happen.
Wael Khairy: The Western media are calling it the first digital revolution ever. Do you
think this revolution could’ve happened without social networks like Facebook and
Twitter?
Iman Hatem: I’m not sure. It’s an interesting question but I’m not sure I can answer that.
Because on the one hand revolutions have happened before in this country without the
internet. Yet, social networks like Facebook were used as tools to organize the revolution.
I’m not sure what would have happened without those tools, but I will say that a
revolution was bound to happen with the internet or without, whether the outcome
would’ve been a positive one or a negative one is what I don’t really know.
Wael Khairy
Iman Hatem Interview
3/8
Wael Khairy: Yes, it’s true especially with this revolution. I don’t think anyone could’ve
predicted the outcome a few months ago, because the revolution was so different from
what happened in 1952. I mean the revolution of 1952 of course.
Iman Hatem: Oh yes, I agree with you here. The 1952 revolution was more of a militia
movement, or you could say a coup d’etat.
Wael Khairy: Can you tell us more of your father. I know he was there when it happened
in 1952.
Iman Hatem: Yes, of course. My father was politically active from the early days of the
1952 Egyptian revolution. At the time he was counselor to the late President Nasser. He
was also the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture, Information and Tourism…
and was appointed to the same posts by President Sadat in 1971. He was acting as Prime
Minister during the 6th of October war in 1973 and Assistant to the President in 1974.
Wael Khairy: Post revolution, the accounts of many ministers has gotten frozen and I
haven’t heard your father’s name as much. Was your father even part of the Mubarak
regime?
Iman Hatem: No, he retired shortly after Sadat was assassinated. He was very close to
Sadat and his death hit him really hard at the time. Since his resignation he’s been writing
books about Egypt mainly.
Wael Khairy
Iman Hatem Interview
4/8
Wael Khairy: Did you ever ask him to compare between Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak.
He’s the only person in Egypt alive to be part of the Nasser and Sadat governments, I’m
sure he was asked several times about his preferences and so on.
Iman Hatem: (laughter) Everyone asks me this question. Even I, but he always seems to
have an indirect answer. He doesn’t believe it’s fair to compare one president to the next
because the times have changed. Nasser and Sadat were dealing with a population far less
than 80 million for example so I think it is difficult to compare because the environment
and circumstances were different from one reign to the next.
He knows that Mubarak should not have taken advantage of his power and insist on
maintaining his role as president for this long, but there have been positive things that
have come out during his rule.
Wael Khairy: Really? Positive? More negative than positive, wouldn’t you say?
Iman Hatem: Well, yes of course more bad has come out of his three decades in power
than good, but it is also important to remember that Egypt was at peace during his time
with Israel. He was the only president to maintain peace with Israel for so long.
I know, it is still debatable who should be given credit to this peace Sadat or Mubarak.
Wael Khairy
Iman Hatem Interview
5/8
Well, Sadat initiated the peace treaty and Mubarak maintained it. This was one good
thing Mubarak should be given credit for, but there’s a flip side to this coin. His focus
was too concentrated on good relations with other nations to the point that the Egyptian
public were almost left behind. One can even say that the peace was there externally but
internally the country and its people were suffering.
Wael Khairy: Dr. Mohamed Abdel Qader Hatem founded the Ministry of
Communications, Information and Technology. Do you regret or does your father regret
the fact that he founded it after it being criticized by so many people. After all, it was
responsible for all the shut downs during the uprising and over the years many have
criticized the fact that most articlesin magazines and newspapers if not every article
published was monitored by the government and therefore limiting freedom of speech in
Egypt.
Iman Hatem: I’m sorry. Can you repeat your question?
Wael Khairy: When your father founded the Ministry of Information and Technology, do
you think like after the, like post revolution, would he regret founding it decades ago? I
mean I know it’s different from then and now but still after all these criticisms that have
been directed towards the Ministry of Communications, Information and Technology, do
you think, I don’t know does he regret creating the actual ministry?
Wael Khairy
Iman Hatem Interview
6/8
Iman Hatem: Well….again you have to keep in mind the difference of circumstances of
the past and contemporary times. When my father established the Ministry of Information
he had useful means to do so. The country was at war with Israel and his main reason for
creating it was to manipulate the enemy. So, you see, he wanted the 6th of October war to
be an instant surprise attack. We would never have succeeded at getting foothold in Sinai
if it weren’t for the Ministry of Information you know. Back then its main purpose was to
make the enemy believe we were in absolutely no condition to fight back. He used this to
relax the opposing forces and suddenly attack Israel in Sinai without them having a clue.
So, so do I or my father regret its initial creation? I mean the Ministry of Information
initially? No I think at the time it helped Egypt win a war, and establish a peace treaty
with Israel. Of course he should have gotten rid of the ministry after it fulfilled its
purpose but then it was too late and before you knew it Mubarak was in power. When
Mubarak took over, my father was no longer the minister, so I don’t think it is fair to give
him responsibility of how Mubarak used it. If anything, it’s Mubarak’s fault not my
father’s. He more or less took advantage of this control of information, which is both
unethical and basically prevents a true democracy from growing. After all, without
freedom of press and speech, Egypt would never be democratic.
I would say that though that during the revolution Egyptians pushed the boundaries of
freedom of expression and now for the first time in Egyptian history we taste real
freedom of speech.
Wael Khairy
Iman Hatem Interview
7/8
Wael Khairy: I think you’ve answered several questions with that last answer, but I have
one last question for you. Now that Mubarak is no longer in power, what change do you
think is vital for true freedom? I know that after the revolution many have discussed the
many reforms and people have been demonstrating and going to Tahrir even though
many of the things they initially demanded have been answered. Do you think there’s one
specific change or a specific aspect about all this that has to be changed in order for a
new Egypt to be born? In other words, what change do you think is vital for true
freedom?
Iman Hatem: Well I think the most important thing is for the “Emergency Law” to be
lifted. This is really what matters most now. As long as this law exists we will never truly
be free. You know, what Egyptians need to understand is, they've been living under a
dictatorship for 30 years and Egyptians don't really understand how freedom works. So,
some might have a vague idea about how it works, but we need to understand that
freedom of speech is hard to pin down and a difficult concept. So I think Egyptians still
have a long road ahead of us and Egyptians need to be the ones leading this march with
any specific organization or party influencing what first drew the young people towards
this uprising. This is the time for the brightest of minds to step up and make a difference
and really drive this country out of 30 years of oppression you could say.
Wael Khairy: Yes, of course. This is a vital point in Egyptian history and we do need the
brightest of minds to stand up and make a difference. Ok that’s all the time I have. Thank
you for your time.
Wael Khairy
Iman Hatem Interview
Iman Hatem: Oh, you’re certainly more than welcome. Thank you.
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