Speaking truth to power: Hani Shukrallah interviewed by Karl Schembri

When Hani Shukrallah, one of Egypt’s most respected journalists, was forced out of Al Ahram Online – Egypt’s largest English language news website – by allies of the Muslim Brotherhood last year, he gave his typical firebrand response to the powers that be.

“I have something immeasurably more precious: my dignity and self-respect. What do you have?”

It was not the first time that he found himself in this position. Under Mubarak’s regime in 2005, when he was chief editor of Al Ahram Weekly, he was already dismissed after having written numerous articles criticising Egyptian politics and voicing his skepticism about promised reforms.

Born in Cairo in 1950, Shukrallah was a Marxist student activist during the time of Anwar Sadat, but he was also critical of the dogmatic leftist thinking.  Throughout his career as journalist and author, he has always stood up to speak truth to power.

The author of Egypt, the Arabs and the World, will be the main guest at the Book Festival on Campus on 30 April, where he will be interviewed by Maltese journalist and author Karl Schembri about his experiences, the Arab Spring, and the future of Egypt.

The event is brought by the National Book Council and Għaqda tal-Malti (Università).