STORIES
The rise and fall of Anwar Sadat
Egypt 's president was assassinated in 1981
Field Marshal Mohammed Anwar Al Sadat, President of Egypt for eleven years, is considered by many in the western world as one of the most visionary and influential Middle Eastern figures in recent history. Others view him as a traitor who sold his country out to Zionists and betrayed the Arab cause.
Sadat was born one of 13 children in Mit Abu Al-Kum, Al-Minufiyah in the Nile Delta of Egypt on 25 December 1918 to a poor Egyptian-Sudanese family. Early on, he chose a military career and graduated from the Royal Military Academy at Cairo in 1938 and entered the Signal Corps. Soon after that he joined the Free Officers Movement, dedicated to freeing Egypt from British control, and during World War II he was imprisoned for his unsuccessful efforts to obtain help from the Axis Powers in expelling occupying British forces.
He divorced Ehsan Madi to marry the half-Egyptian, half-British Jehan Raouf on 29 May 1949. They had three daughters and one son. In 1952 Sadat took part in the coup that dethroned King Farouk. As the revolution erupted, he was assigned to take over the radio networks and announce the dramatic news of the end of Egypt's monarchy reaching back 2,275 years to King Ptolemy I, half-brother of the Macedonian military genius Alexander the Great.
In 1964, after holding many positions in the new republican Egyptian government, Sadat was chosen to be Vice-President by President Gamal Abdal Nasser. He served in that capacity until 1966, and again from 1969 to 1970. When Nasser died in October 1970, Sadat managed to attain the Presidency by clearing out his opponents in what the state-owned media referred to as ‘The Corrective Revolution'. Considered nothing more than a puppet of the former President, Nasser 's other cronies settled on Sadat as someone they could easily manipulate and control. For months, he was cynically known as ‘the donkey' as he quietly learned to control the levers of power.
Politics in the Middle East is often bloodstained. In April 1971 Sadat's loyal military forces moved swiftly, purging the country of most of its other political leaders and other elements loyal to Nasser . He now had supreme power in Egypt ; dictator in all but name.
Later that year, Sadat surprisingly endorsed the peace proposals of UN negotiator Gunnar Jarring calling for peace with Israel on the basis of Israeli withdrawal to its (1967) pre-war borders. This initiative failed as neither the USA nor Israel accepted the terms as discussed then. Sadat then worked hard to whip his military forces back into shape for a renewed confrontation with the feisty Jewish state.
In October 1973 Sadat together with President Assad of Syria led Egypt into the Yom Kippur War with Israel , and succeeded early on in regaining parts of the Sinai Peninsular, which had been annexed by Israeli forces during the Six-Day War. However, three divisions of the Israeli Army (IDF) led by General Ariel Sharon eventually pushed into Egypt and entrapped the whole Egyptian third army. It was at this time that the Soviet Union ( Egypt 's ally) demanded a cease-fire.
While the territorial gains made by Egypt were limited, Sadat's initial victories eventually led to regaining and re-opening the Suez Canal through peace talks with Israel in the following years, and restored Egyptian morale. To other Arab nations, President Sadat became known as ‘The hero of the Suez Crossing'.
But Sadat now saw the futility of constant warfare and became determined to build domestic prosperity. He was politically astute enough to know this could only be achieved if he could slash his country's massive defence budget by establishing some form of peaceful co-existence with Israel .
On 19 November 1977 Sadat became the first Arab leader to officially visit Israel when he formally met Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and spoke before the Knesset in Jerusalem about his views on how to achieve a comprehensive peace to the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict, which included the full implementation of UN Resolutions 242 and 338. He sought a permanent peace settlement through this visit even though he was aware that he had outraged other Arab countries who viewed Israel as a rogue state and a tyrannical symbol of imperialism propped up by American influence, money and military aid.
Sadat's historic visit went against the USA and Soviet Union 's intentions, which were to revive the international Geneva Conference. In 1978, this resulted in the famous Camp David Peace Agreement, brokered by the dovish American President James Earl (‘Jimmy') Carter during extensive talks with Sadat and Begin at his presidential retreat in Maryland . For their part in the affair, Sadat and Begin were awarded the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize even though Sadat was now viewed as a traitor to the United Arab Front by most other nations in the Middle East .
Sadat was a devout Muslim, but also an astute pragmatist who would never allow his religion to get in the way of political realities, and this trait endeared him to western leaders. He and Jimmy Carter got on very well, and Carter stated in his private memoirs that though he bonded on a personal level with Sadat, he was never able to establish a similar rapport with the pedantic and peevish Begin, who insisted on referring to areas of the Middle East by their ancient Hebrew names.
In 1979, the Arab League suspended Egypt 's membership in the wake of the peace agreement, and moved its headquarters from Cairo to Tunis . Many believed that only a threat of force would make Israel negotiate over the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the Camp David accords removed the possibility of Egypt , the major Arab military power, from providing such a threat. As part of the peace deal, Israel withdrew from the Sinai peninsular in phases, returning the entire area to Egypt on 25 April 1982.
The last years of Sadat's rule were marred by domestic turmoil and allegations of corruption and nepotism inside his government. Many presidential advisors resigned in protest against his internal policies that included crushing all political dissent. The mysterious deaths of Defence Minister Ahmed Badawi and 13 senior Egyptian army officers in a helicopter crash on 6 March 1981 near the Libyan border increased public anger. It was strongly rumoured that the aircraft had been sabotaged to rid Sadat of troublesome army brass who were critical of his policies.
Then on September 1981 Sadat's security forces cracked down on political activists of all ideologies. In a mass arrest of around 1,600 people, communists, feminists, Coptic Christian Clergy, university professors, journalists and members of student groups were imprisoned, igniting word-wide protest at Sadat's complete lack of critical tolerance. Internal support for Sadat vanished under pressure of an economic crisis and his brutal suppression of dissidents.
It was in this atmosphere that a ‘fatwa' (religious death sentence) approving the assassination of Sadat was ordered by Omar Abdel-Rahman, a fanatical cleric later convicted in the USA for his role in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York . The date set for the strike was 6 October 1981 during the annual 1973 Victory Parade in Cairo , and the chosen assassins were army members who were part of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (‘Holy War') organisation.
President Sadat was protected by four layers of security and the parade should have been safe due to the precaution of strict ammunition-seizure rules. However the officers in charge of the procedure were conveniently on Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca , and ammunition was issued to all military personnel in the parade.
Statesman-like in his black uniform, Sadat was accompanied by many government officials, senior army officers and visiting dignitaries as he sat in the harsh sunshine on a reviewing platform to accept the salute from his beloved military. As air force Mirage jets screamed overhead, distracting the crowd, an artillery truck drew level with the dais and stopped, apparently having stalled.
A young lieutenant suddenly jumped from the vehicle and strode towards the dais. Sadat stood to receive an unscheduled salute, but instead the officer whipped out a hand grenade and tossed it at the President. Officer Khalid Islambouli shouted “Death to the Pharaoh!” (an ancient term for Egyptian rulers) as he ran towards the stand and fired at Sadat. Other soldiers jumped from the truck, also throwing grenades and loosing off sprays of automatic fire with assault rifles. As grenades exploded around him, Sadat was struck in the head and fell. Before taking cover, officials on the dais threw chairs over him as if that could somehow protect him from high velocity rounds.
The President's praetorian-guard detail immediately returned fire, and pandemonium reigned as an intense and confusing fire fight raged by the podium for several minutes. Astonished camera crews watched in horror as they continued to film, knowing that what they shot could be prize-winning (and historic) news footage.
Two assassins, two loyalist Egyptian troops and several bystanders died from bullet wounds and grenade fragments. Under all the confusion was the prone body of Field Marshal Mohammed Anwar Al Sadat, lying in a slowly growing pool of blood.
As the crowd of dignitaries scattered, many were wounded, including the Irish Defence Minister James Tully, and four US military liaison officers. It was a terrifying moment; the first time in Egyptian history that a head of state had been attacked by his own citizens.
The critically injured Sadat was swiftly rushed to a military hospital by helicopter. He clung onto life for a few hours but died as he lay on the operating table with doctors working feverishly to stabilise his condition. He was immediately succeeded by Vice-President Hosni Mubarak, despite the fact that he had also been injured by a 7.62mm round during the attack. Mubarak was sworn in with one hand heavily bandaged.
Sadat's funeral was attended by a record number of dignitaries from around the world, including the rare simultaneous attendance of three former American Presidents: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon. Significantly, no Arab leaders attended apart from Sudan 's President Gaafar Nimeiry. Anwar Sadat was duly buried with full military and state honours in the Memorial of the Unknown Soldier in Cairo .
Over 300 Islamic radicals were indicted in the trial of assassin Khalid Islambouli, including Ayman al-Zawahiri, Omar Abdel-Rahman and Abd al-Hamid Kishk. The trial was covered by the international press and Zawahiri's fluent English made him the de facto spokesman for the defendants. (Zawahiri was released from prison in 1984 and later forged a close relationship with the Saudi millionaire and terrorist leader Osama bin Laden). Islambouli was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. He was executed in Cairo in April 1982.
On 31 October 2006, Sadat's nephew Talaat Sadat was sentenced to a year in prison for defaming Egypt 's armed forces. Less than a month earlier, he had given a televised interview accusing Egyptian generals of masterminding his uncle's assassination. He may have been correct in his claims, but it did not do him any good to say so in public. Public critical debate is rarely tolerated in the Middle East .
Mrs Jehan Sadat was the 2001 recipient of the ‘Pearl S Buck Award' for literature. Currently, she is an Associate Resident Scholar at the University of Maryland where the Anwar Sadat Chair for Development and Peace was established in 1997 to honour her husband's legacy.
Also in 2001, actor Ahmed Zaki starred in ‘Days of Sadat' a lavish biopic of Anwar Sadat. The film was a major success in Egypt and is hailed as Zaki's greatest performance to date. It is available in DVD format.
Meanwhile, Egypt 's woes continue to this day. The country still remains under martial law even 26 years after the assassination of President Sadat. Critics have noted that Mubarak has yet to appoint a Vice President, and human rights groups have published accusations of widespread and systematic torture used on domestic dissidents by Egyptian police. Many believe that western style ‘democracy' is a concept that will never be fully understood or embraced in this part of the world.
IF YOU need a check on my True Crime series of stories, published in the Hua Hin Observer, here is a complete list to date:
April 2002 -The Green Bicycle case, 1921. May 2002 - The Craig/Bentley Case, 1952. June 2002 - The A6 Murder Case, 1961. July 2002 - Murder of the Earl of Errol, 1941. August 2002 - The O J Simpson murder trial, 1995. September 2002 - The Aileen Wuornos case, 1989. October 2002 - The Ronald Opus case, 1993. November 2002 - Madame X, 1929. December 2002 - The Spree Killer, 1984. January 2003 - Shootout at Smiths' Club, 1966. February 2003 - The Christine Dryland case, 1991. March 2003 - Poisoned Pie in Essex, 1982. April 2003 - The Heydrich assassination, 1943. May 2003 - The Diana Davidson Murder case, 1969. June 2003 - The death of Alkibiades, 404 BC. July 2003 - The headsman of Colmar, 1780. August 2003 - The Ruth Ellis case, 1955. September 2003 - The Mel Jones Murder case, 1975. October 2003 - The Bluebeard of the bath, 1915. November 2003 - Murder in a combat zone, 1966. December 2003 - The Barn Restaurant murder case, 1972. January 2004 - The assassination of JFK, 1963. February 2004 - Judge Falcone and the Mafia, 1992. March 2004 - Gilles de Rais/Bluebeard, 1404-1440. April 2004 - The hand in the sand case, 1885. May 2004 - The body in the bag, 1979
Muya Thai Sangha
By Antonio Graceffo
“Some people have found their way. Others are looking for the way. I was a fighter once. I hadn't found the way yet. It is OK. We will search and search until we find it. If people don't know any better yet, how can we blame them? We have to allow them to search.” Explained Kruu Pedro Villalobos. Originally from Madrid , Spain , Kruu Pedro had been both a Muay Thai champion and a Theravada Buddhist monk. He left the monkhood to continue his practice and teaching of the sacred art of Muay Thai Sankha.
Muay Thai Sangkha combines the techniques of ancient Muay Thai (Muay Boran) with spirituality, philosophy and Krabi Krabong, fighting with sticks or swords. According to Kruu Pedro, Krabi-krabong dates back to the era of the Sukothai Kingdom , founded in 1238, following the decline and fall of the Khmer Empire 13th - 15th century. By this time, the Khmers, the Burmese, as well as Northern Thailand had developed fighting arts. King Rama I saw the skilful masters of the north and brought them to Bangkok to train the army.
In a small teak house, on a quiet soi, behind Wat Suandok, in Chiang Mai, Kruu Pedro Villalobos, a former Thai monk and professional Muay Thai champion, walks me through his shrine, explaining each of the fascinating artefacts of the Buddhist, Brahman, and Hindu Religion. It is here that Kruu Pedro meditates and prays each morning and each evening. Among his prayers, Kruu Pedro sends thanks up to his spirit teachers, asking them to open his mind so that he might be a better teacher of the Thai martial arts.
In demonstrating the effectiveness of his art, Kruu Pedro expertly kicked me with the ball of his foot, pinpointing nerve endings in my thighs, abdomen and chest. He put absolutely no power into the strikes, but it was still painful. I couldn't imagine him hitting me at full force. The strike with the ball of his foot to the front of my thigh almost knocked me over.
“I teach when I can and I follow when I can.” His said in absolute humility. On his website, ancientmuaythai.com, Kruu Pedro has a list of the Ajarns, the spirit teachers who teach him his art. “This one is Hanuman, the white monkey from the Ramayana.” Says Kruu Pedro, pointing at one of the many pictures adorning the altar. He points to another and says “This represents the five Buddhist elements: earth, water, wind, fire and ether.” I was about to snap a photo of one of the small statues, when Kruu Pedro cautioned me. “Please, no photos. This statue has a spirit inside.”
“This one was given to me by a cave monk. He is Pra Ubpakut, the doctor of the Buddha and the father of Reiki and all of the healing arts.” Other images included Pra Ganesh, the elephant God of the Hindu religion. Kruu Pedro pointed to a likeness of a fierce warrior. “This is the Tiger King, Prat Chao Sua. He went in disguise to the town and fought in competitions.”
Kruu Pedro explained about one very ancient looking statue. “This was given to me by the father of one of my students. In his family they had been Nak Muay (Muay Thai fighters) for generations. Before they fought, they always prayed before this statue.” Kruu Pedro held the statue in great reverence, out of respect for the generations of merit and spiritual energy it contained. “This one has a fighting spirit inside” he assured me.
To the side of the shrine was a beautiful sword. “I put bone and hair from a famous monk inside of the handle and sealed it with pure silver. Now there is a spirit inside of the sword.”
I had expected bags swinging, people jumping rope and pounding the focus mitts. But what I found was a glimpse into ancient Thailand , made all of the more unusual by the fact that the teacher was a farang, a foreigner.
Kruu Pedro teaches his students his own form of philosophical wisdom, which I refer to as Pedroisms. “I like people who walk, not people who talk.” He said, meaning he preferred monks who helped people, rather than monks who talked about helping people. In the fighting arena, he meant that he preferred fighters to people who only talked about fighting. Another Pedroism was “What you practice, you will become good at.” He believed that practicing wrong made you wrong. “If we are Muay Thai fighters, we must run. But if we only run, we will be runners, not fighters.”
For myself, I would find out the next day that I was becoming better at writing about fighting than actually doing it.
In order to train with his team, Pedro required I become his student. The next morning, I was to report to him with the following items: 5 white lotus, white candles, 5 jasmine, and 9 incense. While Kruu Pedro taught me the delicate art of folding the flowers to make them appropriate for the offering, he explained. “I only want to teach good people. I believe that if a teacher teaches a bad student, and that student hurts someone, the teacher gets some of the bad kharma.”
It came as a bit of a surprise when Kruu Pedro said, “Muay Thai is not a sport.” He went on to say. “We don't fight for the ring. I think two people fighting is not a sport. I don't like it. But if they want to, my students can go to the ring to learn to defend themselves.”
Training begins at 08:00. The students enter the house, and Pedro conducts the Buddhist Chanting. Next, they skip rope, and do a structured workout until 11:00. The structured workout consists of fifteen basic exercises, which are designed to train the fundamental fighting skills. In this evolution of training, students will cross the training floor, hundreds of times: step 45, slide, step hop on one foot, drop, step, slide, step back, pivot, slide, turn, drop, jump, one foot, the other foot, no feet...
The workout routine was one of the best I had ever witnessed for laying down a solid foundation of movement. Many schools have students pounding away on a bag on their first day. Some never teach movement and angles. “People try to build a house from the roof down.” Said Kruu Pedro. For this reason, the Muay Thai Sangha students were building from a solid foundation, up.
When this exhausting exercise was finished, the students practiced Krabi – Krabong, until noon. After lunch and a good siesta, they returned for afternoon training. They began by skipping rope, stretching, and shadow boxing. The bag work was another impressive evolution of training. Bag work was timed. Students train for three minutes, with one minute break, the same as they would in a real fight. During the break, however, they did pushups. At the beginning of each round, the lead student would call the specific techniques to be worked that round. For example, one round might be push kick, another might be elbows or roundhouse. Kruu Pedro had his students training without gloves. “I want them to learn power and endurance of pain.” He said. After a few rounds of barehanded bag work, a new student would be bleeding from the knuckles. The seasoned students, on the other hand, had knuckles carved from stone. When those hands were later wrapped in a real fight, the opponent would feel them, like two daggers piercing the padding.
Bag work was followed by pad work, where Pedro dictated the pace of the training. Some students would get too aggressive or pushy, burning up their air and energy. To remind them to slow down, Kruu Pedro would kick them in the thighs, or slap them with the pads. “Calmate!” he yelled. The rest of the session consisted of sparring, running, and ground fighting. The training day ended at 19:00 with chanting and meditation.
Pedroisms:
“We must be hard on the outside and soft on the inside.”
“Without self-respect you cannot learn.Without compassion, you cannot teach.”
“If people do wrong, no problem, as long as you want to improve. If you want to change your life I will help you.”
“Those who follow the religion and practice inside can teach, but he must have understanding, if not, he could never be a great teacher.”
Antonio Graceffo is a freelance, adventure travel and martial arts writer, currently based out of Bangkok . He has written four books, available at Amazon.com see his website: speakingadventure.com/
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