Dr. Hossam Badrawi Official Website
Ali Café “Dreamers of Tomorrow”
Egypt is a liberal country.
Hossam Badrawi
My question was repeated in my interviews on television and among young people about the liberal current in Egypt, whether it exists, and why it is not represented by a political party….
A young woman who dreamed of tomorrow said:
Doctor, what is the true Egyptian liberal political reality? How do you see it?
I said: In fact, I see the reality of Egyptian society as liberal, according to the definition of liberalism, contrary to what people think. But the conservative Salafist political Islam movement was able to assign meanings to some ideologies other than the origin of their philosophy, so the liberal, the enlightenment, the secular, and the civil are all meant for the simple person who does not research, stigmatized as being against religion, although the truth is that all of these can be more religious by practicing morals and the essence of religion and not by form. which they impose on society. In my opinion, that was and still is a political goal, not a religious one.
She said: This is a different opinion than many who believe that Egyptian society is left-wing, socialist, and religious.
I said: Let me explain my point of view on this matter, and for each of you to show where he stands and his thoughts, on whether or not to agree with this political, socio-economic orientation.
Let us first define liberalism and then rule the mind.
Liberalism is a political philosophy based on the ideas of freedom and equality, so who in society is against freedom and equality????. Liberals generally support ideas such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, free market, civil rights, and democratic societies, so who among the parties says otherwise!!!!!
Another young man said: How did the philosophy of liberalism begin??
I said :
Liberalism emerged as a political movement during the Age of Enlightenment in Europe. Liberalism rejected the common concepts at that time of hereditary privileges, church rule in the name of religion, absolute monarchy and the divine right of kings and rulers.
Philosopher John Locke is often credited with founding this philosophy, given that every human being has the natural right to life, liberty, choice, and possession.
The young woman said:
What does liberalism mean by not accepting the rule of religion for the state? Don’t you see that this may represent social sensitivity at the present time??
I said: The basis of liberalism is respect for the beliefs of all its citizens, and that religion is a relationship between the individual and God Almighty, and it has its own rules and practices. The state cannot have a religion, but a state whose majority of its citizens have a religion, such as the Islamic religion in our case, but some of its citizens have different beliefs. Everyone has the same rights and the same responsibilities towards society.
Respect for religion and freedom of belief is an authentic liberal principle, and I affirm that it is an authentic Islamic principle, contrary to what the hardliners are promoting. In the liberal state, it is not possible to impose a religion on individuals or force citizens to embrace it.
She said: You mean that Islam respects liberalism?
I said ; It is enough for me to say the Qur’an: “And say the truth is from your Lord. So whoever wills, let him believe, and whoever wills, let him disbelieve.”
And the Almighty said, “And if your Lord had willed, everyone on earth would have believed together. So, do you force people until they are believers?”
He said, “O people, we have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.”
Isn’t that all and other respect for freedom of belief and pluralism!!
Another young man said: What is liberalism based on?
I said :
Liberalism is based on the belief in individualism based on freedom of thought, tolerance, respect for human dignity, guaranteeing his right to life, freedom of belief and conscience, freedom of expression, and equality before the law. Except in the case of prejudice to the interests of society.
He said: So it is democracy!!
I said: No… it is not only democracy. Democracy confirms the sovereignty of the people through universal suffrage and respect for the principle of separation between the legislative, judicial and executive powers and the submission of these powers to the law, with the freedom of political opposition. Democracy is a means to achieve freedom, but liberalism is not limited in its concept to the rule of the majority only, but In fact, it emphasizes the protection of minorities, unlike democracy without liberalism, which only gives power to the people, and this may lead to a violation of the rights of minorities.
Some philosophers believe that it is possible for liberalism to exist without complete democracy, or even for the existence of power in the hands of an individual ruler, a system known as liberal autocracy.
One of the dreamers said: It may be that the nature of Egyptian society, as you say, believes in freedom and equality, but there is disagreement on the issue of the free market, so what is the economic policy in liberalism:
I said: The free economy or the market economy is the economic system of classical liberalism, and the idea of a free economy is that the state does not interfere in economic activities and let the market control itself.
As for social liberalism, which is the concept that I embrace, it partially supports the state’s intervention in the economy, and it takes a middle position between absolute capitalism and socialism, as it seeks to achieve a balance between freedom and equality, but it is keen to qualify people for work, and it also believes in the role of the state in providing social rights such as education and health care And it understands the coordinating and guarantor of justice and the organizing role of the state.
The young man said: We understood more the concept of social liberalism…
I said: This philosophy is also called social justice liberalism, or new or contemporary liberalism, or reformist liberalism, or welfare state liberalism, and it means its inclusion of the concept of social justice, and this is my methodology and what I believe in, and it is an evolution in classical ideology. Social liberal parties are usually located in the middle or left of center in the political spectrum.
Social liberalism stresses positive freedom and obliges the state to create a constructive climate
