Ahmed Abdalla Rozza

Dr. Ahmed Abdalla Rozza is an Egyptian political scientist and political activist who lived between 1950-1996. He is the founder of Al Jeel Center for Youth and Social Studies: the house of a broad library on child labour and hosted a research with a sample of children between 1996-2001.

Biography

Born in Cairo’s working-class ‘Ayn al-Sira district in 1950, Abdalla was part of the large cohort of Egyptian lower- and middle-class youth who entered Egypt’s universities with the expansion of higher education under Gamal Abdel Nasser’s regime. As he later detailed, this generation became disillusioned with “the revolution” and the stagnation of political life in Egypt after the 1967 defeat. Student uprisings in 1972–1973 pushed for a more militant Egyptian stance against Israel—then occupying the Sinai—as well as for the realization of the Sadat regime’s unfulfilled promises to end political repression. Abdalla, studying at Cairo University at the time, was elected president of the Higher National Committee of Cairo University Students, an independent, secular group. The committee played a key role in demonstrations and sit-ins, at one point mobilizing 20,000 students to occupy Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. President Anwar al-Sadat himself acknowledged Abdalla’s leadership, declaring famously in February 1972 that he “would not sit down [to negotiate] with Rozza.”

Abdalla was arrested several times, the first when the state security police stormed Cairo University to break up a sit-in in Nasser Hall. This was the first security raid on the campus in its history. He was imprisoned in the spring and summer of 1973, completing his undergraduate degree, in political science, from his jail cell.

Sadat ordered Abdalla’s release, along with the other student detainees, in the lead-up to the October 1973 war. The following year, Abdalla left Egypt to pursue a graduate degree at Cambridge University, working his way through with a succession of menial jobs. His doctoral dissertation on the Egyptian student movement became his first book, The Student Movement and National Politics in Egypt (1995). Despite his academic successes, he was unable to obtain a teaching position at an Egyptian university when he returned in 1984, having been blacklisted because of his earlier activism. He supported himself modestly through freelance journalism and lecturing abroad.

Excerpt from Middle East Report 1

Publications

In English

• The Student Movement and National Politics in Egypt, Al-Saqi Books, London, 1985.

• Africa-Latin America Dialogue (introduction by Boutros Boutros Ghali), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cairo, 1986 (editor).

• Popular Participation in the Cairo District of Ain El-Sera, in Union of International Associations, Africa and Transnational Association Network, Brussels, 1986.

• Youth and Fundamentalism in Islam, The Thatched Patio, ICES, Colombo, 1986.

• Child Labour in Egypt, UNICEF, Cairo, 1986.

• Child Labour in the Leather Tanning Industry in Cairo, in Assefa Bequela and Jo Boyden (editors), Combating Child Labour, ILO, Geneva, 1988.

• The Armed Forces and the Democratic Process in Egypt, Third World Quarterly, London, October 1988.

• Youth in Islam, in Y. Simhadri (editor), Youth in the Contemporary World, Mittal Publishers, New Delhi, 1989.

• Mubarak’s Gamble, Middle East Report, No.168, January-February 1991.

• Human Rights and Elusive Democracy in The Middle East, Middle East Report, January 1992, reprinted in Global Studies - The Middle East, Dushkin Guilford, Connecticut, 1992.

• Egypt’s Islamists and the State, Middle East Report, July–August 1993.

• Egypt and The Gulf Crisis: Short - Term Tremor.Long Term Trauma, in War and its Consequences: Lessons from the Persian Gulf Conflict, edited by Tom Mayer, John O’Loughlin and Edward S. Greenberg, Harper Collins, New York, 1994.

• Parliamentary Elections in Egypt, Amsterdam University, Nov. 1995.

• International Working Group on Child Labour, Working Children: Reconsidering the Debate (section on Egypt), Amsterdam, 1998.

• Turbulent Waves: Social Unrest in the Mediterranean, in Willem van Genugten et al. (eds.), Violence and Politics in Modern Society – The Cases of Europe and the Middle East, Amsterdam-Tilburg, June 1999.

• The Political Impact of Economic Austerity,in: New Paradigm for International Relations, Institute of Developing Economies,Tokyo,1999.

• The Egyptian National Identity & Pan Arabism, in Roel Meijer (ed.), Cosmopolitanism, Identity and Authenticity in the Middle East, Curzon, 1999.

• The Egyptian Generation of 1967, in Roel Meijer (ed.), Alienation or Integration of Arab Youth, Curzon, 2000.

• Military-Political Interactions in Egypt: An Historical Perspective, in May Chartouni-Dubarry, Armée et nation en Egypte: Pouvoir Civil, Pouvoir Militaire, Institut Francais des Relations Internationales, Paris, Février 2001.

• The Arabic Satellite News Network: Al-Jazeera, in Els van der plas et al. (eds.), Creating Spaces of Freedom, Prince Claus Fund/Saqi Books, The Hague/London, 2002.

• Anti-Americanism in Egypt, in Sigrid Faath (ed.), Anti-Amerikanismus in Nahost, Deutsche Orient Institut, Hamburg, Summer 2003.

• Egypt: Before & After September 11, DOI, Hamburg, 2003

• Identity & Politico-Intellectual Trends in Egypt, in: Sigrid Faath (ed.), Politische und Gesellschaftliche Debatten in Nordafrika, Nah- und Mittelost, DOI, Hamburg 2004.

In French

• Les Enfants Au Travail Dans les Tanneries du Caire, dans A. Bequeale & Boyden, L’Enfant au Travail, Fayard, Paris, 1990.

• Le Development de la Democratie en Egypte à la Veille du 21 Siècle, dans Michel Camau (ed.), Changements Politiques au Maghreb, CNRS, Paris, 1991.

• Le Cadre de La Participation en Egypt, dans Democratisation dans le Monde Arabe, CEDEJ, Le Caire, 1992.

• Vagues de Turbulence: Troubles sociaux en Méditerranée, dans Willem van Genugten et al. (eds.), Violence et Politique dans la Société Moderne - Les cas de l’Europe et du Moyen-Orient, Amsterdam-Tilburg, Juin 1999.

In Spanish

• El Trabajo Infantil en Egipto: Las Curtiembres de El Cairo, en: A. Bequele & J Boyden, La Lucha Contra el Trabajo Infantil, OIT, Genebra, 1990.

In Japanese

• Child Labour in Egypt, in Keiko Sakai (ed.), Social Problems in The Middle East, Institute of Developing Economies, Tokyo, 1998.

• Egypt: Cyclical Anti-Americanism of the Regime and the People, World Trends, IDE , Nov. 2003.

In Arabic

I - In Al-Siyasa Al-Dawliya (International Politics), Quarterly of the Center for Political and Strategic Studies at Al-Ahram, Cairo: • The Question of Youth in International Perspective, April 1985.

• New Generation and Foreign Policy of USSR, July 1985.

• Pattern of Transition from Military to Civilian Rule in Latin America, January 1986.

• The Political Impact of Economic Austerity in Developing Countries, July1988.

• National Sovereignty in The Light of International Developments, January1996.

• Turbulent Waves : Social Unrest in the Mediterranean , January 2003.

II- In Al Qahira (Cairo) - monthly magazine:

• The Revolution of July & Democracy, No.118, Sep.1992.

• Alienation and Polarization in the Ranks of Youth, No.121, Dec.1992.

• Human Rights Between Elusive Democracy and Regional Turmoil, No.127, June 1993.

• Child Labour and Outright Social Exploitation, No.130, Sep.1993.

• Quartet of Life and War in the Middle East, No.139, June1994.

III- In Ahwaal Misriy (Egyptian Conditions), Quarterly of the Center for Political & Strategic Studies at Al-Ahram, Cairo:

• Egyptian National Identity, No.2, Autumn 1998.

• Civic Education, No.4, Spring1999.

• Political Education of Children in Egypt, No.6, autumn 1999.

IV- Other publications:

• Youth Culture in the Arab World, Arab Affairs (Published by the Arab League), September 1986.

• Theoretical Framework for Egypt’s Social Map, National Review of Social Sciences, Cairo, January 1987.

• The Armed Forces and the Democratic Process in Egypt, Arab Strategic Thought, Beirut, July 1988.

• The State, Political Parties and Pressure Groups in Egypt, Arab Strategic Report, Cairo, 1986 (Yearbook Contributor).

• Egyptian History between Scientific Approach and Party Politics, Shuhdi Publishers and the Dutch Institute, Cairo, 1988 (editor).

• The Armed Forces and Democracy in Egypt, in Aliy-eddeen Hilal (editor), Egyptian Political System, Center for Political Research, Cairo University, 1989.

• The Egyptian Diplomatic Apparatus: Veteran or Archaic?, in Ahmed Youssef (editor), Egyptian Foreign Policy, Center for political Research, Cairo University, 1989.

• The Army and Democracy in Egypt, Sina Publishers, Cairo, 1990 (editor).

• Human Rights and Violations of Democracy in Egyptian Political Formation, in Mohamed El-Sayed Said (editor), Human Rights in Egypt, Al-Mustaqbal Al-Arabi House, Cairo, 1990.

• Parliamentary Elections in Egypt, Sina Publishers, Cairo, 1990 (editor).

• The Development of Democracy in Egypt on the Eve of the 21st Century, in Aliy-eddin Hilal & Abdul-Monim Said (eds.), Egyptian Challenges of the 1990s, Center for Political Research, Cairo University, 1991.

• Students and Politics in Egypt, Sina Publishers, Cairo, 1991 (author).

• Trios of the Second Gulf War, Al-Arabiya for Publishing, Cairo, 1991(author).

• Democracy on Crutches, Al Arabi lil Nashr, Cairo, Jan. 1992 (author).

• Human Rights, Al-Dar al Arabiya, Cairo 1993 (author).

• The structure of participation in Egypt, in Nevine Mos’ad (ed.), Democratic Transformation in the Arab World, Center for Political Studies, Cairo University, 1993.

• National Dialogue, Committee for Justice and Peace, Cairo 1994 (co- editor).

• Egypt’s Concerns and Crisis of Young Minds, al-Jeel Center, Cairo, 1994 (editor).

• The Question of Youth: Egyptian, Arab, Islamic and International, Al- Jeel Center, Cairo, 1994. (author)

• The Mosque and the University (first edition), Egyptian-Arab Center, Cairo, 1994)(second edition, Dar Al-Kalema,Cairo,2002)(author).

• Encyclopedia of Political Science, University of Kuwait, 1994 (Latin American States).

• The Structure of Participation in Egypt: Sand Palace or Would-be Edifice?, in Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, Indivisible Rights, Cairo, 1994.

• Proposal for preliminary research into education for peace for children, in Proceedings of expert meeting on the project of education for peace, UNICEF, Cairo, 1994.

• Blow of the Southern Storm, Al-Jeel Center, Cairo, 1995 (author).

• The Modern Student Movement in Egypt, Al-Jeel Center, Cairo, 1995 (co-author).

• Democracy In The Middle East (translated volume), Al-Jeel Center & University of Washington, Cairo, 1995 (editor of Arabic Version).

• Popular Participation in the Cairo District of Ain Elsera, Al-Jeel Center, Cairo, 1995 (co-author).

• Street Children Speak, Al-Jeel Center, 1995 (editor).

• Our Position in the New World, al-Mahrousa Center, Cairo, 1995 (author).

• Human Rights: The Right of Participation & The Duty of Dialogue, Cairo Institute For Human Rights Studies, 1996 (author).

• Legal Consciousness of Egyptian Women, Arab Lawyers Union & Amideast, Cairo 1995 (editor).

• The Toiling Children. Child Labour In Egypt, Al-Jeel Center (first edition, 1996), Dar Al-Kalema (second edition, 2001)(author).

• National Sovereignty & International Changes, in Ahmed Zayed & Samia Al-Khashab (eds.), Egyptian Society & Changes In International System, Sociology Dept., Cairo University, 1995.

• Neo-Liberalism & Dismantlement of the Egyptian State, In Ahmed Zayed & Samia Al-Khashab (eds.), Policies of Structural Adjustment in Egypt, Sociology Dept., Cairo University, 1996.

• Confronting Natural Disasters, Al-Jeel Center, Cairo, 1997 (editor).

• Civic Education for Children & Youth of Egypt, Al-Jeel, 1997 (editor).

• The Youth Reaction to the National Defeat, in: Lotfy Al-Kholi (ed.), The June 1967 War after 30 Years, Al-Ahram, Cairo, October1997.

• Reflections on The Trajectory of The Left, in Abdel-Ghaffar Shukr (ed.), The Arab Left And Future Questions, Arab Research Center, Cairo, 1998.

• National Reform & Promotion of Democratic Structures, Ruwaq Arabi, No.10, 1998.

• Women, Children & The Law, Amideast, Cairo, 1999 (editor).

• Child Labour in Egypt, in Essam Ali (ed.), Child Rights In Egyptian Situation, Amideast, Cairo, 1999.

• Egyptian Youth : Between Belonging and Participation , Al-Jeel Centre, 2000 (author).

• Egyptian Nationalism, Merit Publishers, Cairo, 2000 (author).

• Children with the Rank of Workers, Dar Al-Kalema, 2001 (author).

• Child Labour: International and Regional Dimensions, Arab Labour (Organ of the Arab Labour Organisation), no. 74, January 2001.

• The Egyptian Labour Movement and Global Changes, Al-Mahrousa, 2002 (author).

• Belonging & Participation: Introduction to Child Rights in School & Society, National Council for Childhood & Motherhood/Association for Education Development, Cairo, 2002 (co-author).

• The Street Child & The Working Child, Arab Labour, no. 75, May 2002.

• The Question of Generations, Misr Al-Mahrousa, 2005.

Collection from [Vrije Universiteit Brussel http://www.vub.ac.be/IERE/cvaabdalla.htm]