No Associations for Iraqis
Sara Angheleddu / May 17, 2008
Abdul arrived in Cairo in summer of 2006. He had fled the Iraq war, painfully leaving behind his entire life. There had been no time to pack. “All I carried with me was the suffering I witnessed in my country,” he says, “and my determination to help my people in exile.” So, with two friends, Abdul outlined a project to support the most vulnerable among the Iraqi refugees.
But the project never started. “The Egyptian national security knew from the Iraqi embassy about us,” he explains, “So they contacted me on the phone asking me to shut the project down.” Although Abdul had not applied for legal permission to associate, he went on with his project. National security summoned him to the police station and told him, “If you don’t stop your activity now, you will be deported.”
Egypt has some historical reasons for denying people the right to carry out social interest activities. In Egypt, it all started in 1967 when President Nasser signed an Emergency Law making it illegal for more than five people to gather in public. The reason was security issues. The law was renewed in October 1981 after the assassination of President Sadat and has been extended many times since. The latest was in April 2006, when President Mubarak extended it two more years. The law imposes restrictions on the freedoms of assembly, movement, or residence. It gives police the power to arrest and detain suspects or those deemed dangerous, as well as the power to search individuals and places without the need to follow the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code. In June 2003, a new law on non-governmental organizations (Law 84/2002) entered into force. Under this Law, the Ministry of Insurance and Social Affairs requires all NGOs to register and be approved. In addition, organizations cannot receive funds from abroad, nor affiliate with international organizations without ministry approval. Above all, the ministry can dissolve an NGO at will.
Under control
It is difficult for Iraqis to register an association or even informally gather with a non-political intent without raising the attention of the National security’s officers. The reason seems to be security. Although there has been no official statement by local authorities, many Egyptian citizens have heard the rumours—that Iraqis will import terrorism into Egypt, or that sectarian tensions in Iraq between Shi’a and Sunna could be reflected in their country.
Abdul is not the only Iraqi in Cairo who has been unsuccessful in gaining approval for non-profit activity. Last year Diya, a thirty year old doctor, wanted to start a short-term project whose aim was to record growth and behavioural problems of Iraqi children in Cairo. With a foreign psychologist, he gathered some small funds and a suitable place, but could not get the permit from the Egyptian government. Diya has little hope of achieving the project, “If we carried on our project, our association would be illegal. We could apply to the ministry again, but how long would it take to get an answer? One, two, or maybe three years?”
Because it applies to everyone in Egypt, the Law (84/2002) doesn’t affect Iraqis more than any other social group. “But Sudanese refugees have established many associations in Egypt. Why have Iraqis not?” questions Diya. While Sudanese infrastructure has developed over many years, and the Sudanese avoid many of the political and religious stigmas which Iraqis unfortunately draw, the situation in the present is wearing on the Iraqi refugee population here.
Iraqis are starting to realize that organizating themselves into self-help groups could benefit them. Many arrive in Cairo knowing few people, with no idea of how to register with UNHCR, no knowledge of NGOs that could help, and no network for finding jobs, housing, or schools. Not being able to form associations has cut off any network of support.
Iman, a young woman on her thirties, admits, “Before leaving Iraq we never had the idea of joining an association, not to mention the idea of founding one.” She and her husband had good jobs in Iraq, “At that time our country could provide us with all the basic services,” she says. Now they and their three children live in a small apartment in 6 October City, struggling to survive. Her husband is trying to open a small shop and Iman works in a daycare for 150 Egyptian pounds a month. (17.92 Euros, US$28.25)
Part of her distress comes from having no school for her children. We asked her if she and her neighbours had considered setting up courses for Iraqi children. “I would be happy to teach for free if I had the chance,” she replies, “but unfortunately I never heard about Iraqis taking this kind of initiative. Probably we are too focused on our particular issues to be able to think about it in terms of community issues. Or probably many of us feel intimidated by the police or by the legal system”.
That the Egyptian authorities can control the Iraqi community is even appreciated by some: “I feel safer knowing that the government is monitoring the situation,” Iman explains, “Nevertheless, being under surveillance creates feelings of anxiety.” Hoda, a friend, tells how she went to the Ministry of Education because she wanted to enrol her boy in a different school, but was told there were already too many Iraqis.
Afraid to connect
“Being a refugee is a painful experience for everyone, regardless their nationality,” said a social worker dealing with Iraqis who are going back to Iraq voluntarily, “and often deprives a person of trust in the institutions.” It is common to hear Iraqi refugees say that they are thinking of withdrawing their registration at UNHCR or at Caritas (a medical clinic and implementing partner of UNHCR) because they do not believe any organization can help them. Iman explains, “In the case of Iraqis, the cultural element that really matters is what I call the ‘Arab pride’: for an Arab man, admitting to be poor is a disgrace—even more than the poverty itself.” That they tend to hide their financial problems is another barrier to creating their own community services or even unofficial cooperation between Iraqis.
Many Iraqis don’t go to the trouble of forming associations because for most, Egypt is a transit stop. They plan to leave the country legally through resettlement in another country, or illegally by paying smugglers. Still, as it becomes clear that the vast majority will never find permanent homes outside of Egypt, merging into Egyptian society becomes a greater concern, as well as creating solidarity bonds among themselves.
Years may pass before the recent flood of Iraqis in Cairo form a real Iraqi community. They need to seek solutions to their problems but remain reluctant to talk openly about their experiences. “We are all traumatised from our past experiences in Iraq,” says Nada, studying at October Six University. “We do not talk about our problem to anyone outside the family because we still cannot trust people. In Iraq we even would hide away from our neighbours”.
The Egyptian law against forming associations remains the main reason behind the absence of organized groups of Iraqis in Cairo. It is not the only reason. The refugees of Iraq must overcome another hurdle, just as large: their lack of communication, lack of information, and lack of trust.
