Celebrating the Zaytouna Silver Award for Excellence in Democratic Action
and Expressing concern toward the recent campaign against Dr. Ibrahim

June 21, 2007

The participants in the workshop on Strategies for Civil Society organized by Al-Kawakibi Center for Democratic Transitions in Amman (17-19 June, 2007), in cooperation with the Arab Institute for Human Rights, the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights, No Peace without Justice, and the Council for a Community of Democracies, applaud and celebrate the awarding of the Zaytouna Silver Award for Excellence in Democratic Action to Dr. Saadeddine Ibrahim, and express their concern toward the recent escalation in the recent public campaign against Dr. Ibrahim in the Egyptian official media.  We denounce this campaign which harms the image of Egypt more than it harms the image of a well-known defender of human rights and democracy in Egypt and throughout the Arab world.

We also reject the efforts of some members of the ruling party who have submitted a request to the general prosecutor in Egypt demanding that Dr. Ibrahim be tried for false charges, for which he was tried before and jailed between 2000 and 2003, before he was acquitted by the High Court of Cessation from all charges.  We strongly believe that this will harm Egypt and the Egyptian authorities in case this sad tragedy is repeated again, a tragedy which had already damaged Egypt's reputation and done serious harm to Dr. Ibrahim’s health.  Dr. Ibrahim expresses his opinions peacefully inside and outside Egypt , and the Egyptian authorities should debate or engage him with similarly peaceful means. 

We hope that President Hosni Mubarak will resolve this matter in its early stages and will do his best to make Egypt , a country we love and are proud of, a model for political reforms, democracy, and freedom of expression.

About the Award:

Al-Kawakibi Democracy Transition Center launched the “Zaytuna (Olive Tree) Silver Award for Excellence in Democratic Action”. This unique initiative constitutes a moral recognition of the role assumed by Arab personalities and institutions in the dissemination of democracy, while enduring various forms of pressure and dangers, and offering precious sacrifices. This act of honoring is indeed a token of recognition for those who are serving their people’s causes, and a contribution to highlighting models of commitment to the cause of democracy vis-à-vis public opinion, and countering the state of neglect or discrediting to which they are exposed as part of plans established by Arab authoritarian institutions.

His Royal Highness Prince Al-Hassan Bin Talal, President of the Board of Trustees of Al-Kawakibi Democracy Transition Center, awarded the Prize to a number of personalities and institutions. Of these, particular mention can be made of Dr. Saad-Eddin Ibrahim (Egypt),
President of Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, Dr. Taieb Baccouche (Tunisia), President of the Arab Institute for Human Rights, Mrs. Amina Bouayach (Morocco), President of the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights, Mr. Ali Djerri (Algeria), Chairman of the Board of Al-Khabar newspaper, Mr. Ezz-Eddin Asbahi (Yemen), General Director of Taiz-based Human Rights Information and Training Center, Mr. Hasan Abu Nimah (Jordan), director of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, and Mrs. Emma Bonino (Italy), prominent human rights activist and Minister in the current Italian Government, and whose prize was received by Niccolo Figà- Talamanca, director of No Peace Without Justice.

Award as pdf file