Sonallah Ibrahim continues to remain the writer with a sharp-edged tongue that slashes against unhealthy power politics and the intentional failure of power at the national level. His prowess is due to his deep insight into the socio-economic and political insurgencies that prevail in Egypt. His writing is also a constant reminder of the failures of the governments in standing up to the expectations of the Egyptian citizens. Rather provocative in style, he hits the bull’s eye with such accuracy that nobody survives his sarcastic, sugar-coated capsule of insult. Every cross-section of society is carefully and meticulously dissected to bring out the naked body that hides behind the mask of a fiend.
Ibrahim has been one of the most influential writers who possess the capacity to portray realistic persons and events. His development into an artist is partly due to his own experiences in life as a prisoner and later as a serious commentator of the government. Acclaimed as an intellectual who is always skeptical, his writings have always been critical of the policies, attitudes, and indifferent behavior of the powerful towards the development of the country. Egypt, the country to which he belongs, has for a long time been under severe political indeterminacy, corruption, and incertitude. Ibrahim is highly sensitive when he portrays the individual who struggles in the shackles of imprisonment as he is incapable of making a sound decision. Often marred by illusions, the common man finds himself unable to take the situation under his control. This worsens the social and economic conditions in the country.
Imperial powers of all ages have played dominant roles in shaping the ends of countries under their control. They have always manipulated situations to their benefit without considering the lives of the poor and the down-trodden. The superpowers have always exercised their wishes on the subjugated and gained a lot from the hard work of the laborers. History has witnessed stories of discrimination, imperialism, and prejudice. None appears more glaring than the question of survival of the underdogs. It was one country yesterday, and today it is yet another country. Politics has never favored the common man. He finds himself groping in darkness to free the shackles of imprisonment.
Zaat (1992) is a moving tale of the woe of Zaat, the female protagonist who finds herself drawn into marriage rather forcefully. Her hopes of a fruitful married life come to an end when she discovers a senseless dud in her husband, Maguid. She is reduced to an instrument of pleasure, faithfully serving as an incubator and raising her two daughters and a son by herself. Much to her chagrin, Maguid wastes time without any purpose, rather authoritatively. Zaat faces the upheavals in politics during the presidential eras of Nasser, Anwar al –Sadat, and Hosni Mubarak. The everyday issues provide greater insight into typical middle-class Egyptian families that are weighed down by the burdens of everyday life. Each day is an endless series of small annoyances that take the joy out of the lives of the innocents. Leading insipid lives, the people of Egypt have begun to accept drudgery as part of their routine life. Zaat has been cleverly cheated by her husband, and she continues to toss in the large cruel waves of changing policies by bureaucrats. Generals, the powerful, and other leaders have always turned a deaf ear to the pleas of the suffering multitudes in their eye for power.
Zaat’s Egypt survives on corruption, financial scandals, torture, foreign debts, and social problems. Egypt’s history is nothing but a recount of Zaat’s own suffering in her home. She also has to face the problem of transmissions that are used by the powers above them. It is an irony that the tale of an Egyptian woman across the years is nothing but the sufferings of the whole nation under the grip of external interventions by political countries. Exploitation by Europeans is not a new story, and Egypt remains one of those countries that reel under foreign domination. In spite of attempts to survive the onslaught of suffering, multinational corporations have found themselves hapless victims of continual political instability.
A country’s prosperity rests on the shoulders of its citizens. How could a country survive if its citizens are puppets that dance to the tune of political miscreants? It definitely is a serious issue, and Ibrahim, a long-time critical commentator on the government, raises the question of whether Egypt is going to be swamped by the Americans and bureaucracy face the situation slavishly. One remains truly horrified by the state of the conditions. A country does not deserve respect and dignity that has to be assured to it. Danger lurks around the corner when social and economic standards are not met, and the people brave the consequences without any hope. Zaat is truly dissatisfied with her married life, and her suffering epitomizes the hopes, dreams, and ambitions of simple people tossed about on the stormy sea of modernization and capitalist economy.
A cursory glance through the novel touches the hearts of every individual who has pride in his country. It would be a rude shock to the citizens who realize that their country is nothing but an instrument played to the benefit of a few people in power, and the citizen’s stand is nominal. The novel specifically deals with the fraudulent restructuring plans of the Egyptian government, and the foreign aid is a curse to the developing nations as it highlights Catch – 22 of debt management. It also provides an in-depth analysis into the rampant web of corruption and the elite of the regime manipulating foreign aid to their advantage. The little cracks in everyday life and the hurdles that connect every beating heart are a mirror into the deplorable and shameful attitudes of the rulers. It is not a new story to throw kerosene into a heap of burning hay. The media is the only medium that has unlimited capacity to distort the truth and create and shape realities and histories. A political gambler is portrayed as an astute parliamentarian. Modern man is nothing but a dull head that can make nothing out of recent make-belief stories. The media is used to control or misinform the masses. “Zaat’s world act out the modes of manipulation (boycotts) and communication (transmissions) that are used by the powers above them.” (Hassan). The influence of the media has far-reaching consequences as they often shape international affairs and meddle with government issues and policies of grave concern.
In a truly poignant style, Ibrahim has blended dark satirical humor with a documentary style, probing provocative matters such as revolutions, civil war, and the dominance of corporations that cast their ugly heads on the life of the common man. Through Zaat, we learn of dominance by ruthless powers that take away the little pleasure that is left. The hopes and dreams of every citizen of a country rest on the success of politics and economics. When a nation is unable to defend itself against unruly powers, it becomes an obstacle to the ambitions of the simple people who are forcefully tortured by false hopes and promises. America, the country that is often blamed for an accusation of power and unwanted dominations, receives a setback. Egypt, once a country that relied on its manpower, is nothing but a hot seat for power maniacs, guided by the corrupt rules and serving as incompetent preservers of democracy. No doubt there goes a saying easy is not the head that wears a crown. The true king is the one who sets an example for his subjects. But now, the ruling has been made a monetary game played by opposing parties that resolve to work for them rather than for the country. No doubt, “Zaat is … Ibrahim’s most important work – a searing attack on the American influence in Egypt, corruption, incompetence and bureaucracy.” (Salem).
Egypt is now an American colony, someone said. The exploitations by the Europeans are a remake of the earlier imperial domination that the world has withstood.
In a rather unusual style, Ibrahim has provided news capsules, photo captions, advertisements, and detailed accounts of history as full chapters in between. These full-sized authentic reports have the force of a slap on the face of the dishonest people in power. It is a lens through which people outside Egypt view the shameless and scrupulous mechanizations of the scheming politicians. Yet, the villains laugh!
History is a mute spectator to the continued atrocities on the common man. Revolutions, civil wars, and political upheavals remain the only solutions to resolve their plight. Every country faces the threat of being superseded by a greater power that caters to its own interest rather than to the real suffering of the people of the country. Every age reflects the true identity of the rulers, and the turn of events is associated with the ideologies and philosophies ingrained in the minds of the guardians of the parliament!!! A strong and united nation guided by sound political theories is the only remedy out of the horrible situation in which the country would find itself in.
The true worth of a nation depends on the quality of the think- tanks of the country. It is the need of the hour to use the resources wisely and carefully to meet the larger requirements of the citizens. Every country survives a political upheaval only due to the sound advice of a handful of trustworthy and diligent parliamentarians.
Bibliography
Hassan, Abdalla F. Black Humor in Dark Times: Profile: Egyptian Novelist Sonallah Ibrahim. Worldpress.Org. 2003. Web.
Salem, Adel (Ed.). A One Man Development Plan. Vol. 5(24). Jerusalem I Love You. 2003. Web.