Interview with the Egyptian presidential candidate Dr Selim Awa

Q: How was your political experience inEgyptstarting from the sixths when you used to be affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, when there were some causalities, and finally you went toEnglandto study, can you tell us more about?

A: My afflation to the political situation inEgyptis very old, it’s older than the sixths because I grew up in a political house, where people from different political parties were friends of my father and my father was always like a consultant to them and giving them ideas and advices. He was in a good friendship with Imam Hassan Al-Banna, Sheikh Al-Hossani the grand mufti ofPalestineand other Ulama inAl-AzharUniversityand other Islamic ones around the world. So, I was grown up in this atmosphere of seeing politicians from all over the world and the Arab world; all the time they used to come to out home and stay for one day or two, and I had to serve them breakfast, coffee and tea, so on. Thereby, I was attracted to what they were doing and saying, then this is how my political understanding has started.

In the sixths I was working as a deputy for the general public prosecutor, and I was accused wrongly, unfortunately.

Q: Why wrongly?

A: Because I was not a member of the MB at all: not at that time, nor before and nor after. I have never been a MB’s member, I was always a friend for many groups and movements and among of them there were Muslim Brothers … we used to pray together, I used to see various people, and the MB are spread all over the country, I cannot be avoid to be a friend with one or two or more from them.

Q: And most likely you father used to be a member in the MB, wasn’t he?

A: Yes, he was one of the old members of the MB, but he deviated from them in the early 40s, after the assassination of some people in a cinema Metro inTalaat Harb streetinCairodowntown. Anyhow, in 1966 I was accused to be a member of the MB, and I was deported from my job.

Q: Did you go to jail?

A: No, I didn’t. Some other colleges went to prison. Anyway, I had a very funny situation, as a lawyer I had to join the syndicate, but I was refused because I was accused of being a member of the MB, was then when I left theEgypt. I went toKuwaitfor 2 years in legislation and public offenders, government defender; thereby I went toLondonfor six months to complete my education, I got my PhD fromLondonSchoolfor Oriental Studies … thenNigeriafor two years andSaudi Arabiafor ten.

Q: How was important your experience inLondon? Because once you said: “The Islamic values from the Koran may apply in a sort of Western democracy.

A: My experience inEnglandwas one of the most important in my life, because I knew the West before; I visitedEuropedifferent times with my father. When I lived inBritainfor my studies, it was my first deep experience with the Western society, education system and university cosmopolitan environment. I learned so many things that I could never understand unless I was leaving this kind of life.

Q: For instance?

…….. UNFORTUNATELY I CANNOT LOAD UP  THE WHOLE INTERVIEW BECAUSE IT HAS STILL TO BE PUBLISHED.