Egyptian Communist Party (1921)

Not to be confused withEgyptian Communist Party.

Egyptian Communist Party
Founded	1921
Dissolved	Post 1923
Ideology	Communism Marxism factions: Anarchism Reformism
Political position	Far-left
International affiliation	Comintern
Politics of Egypt Political parties Elections

TheEgyptian Socialist Party(Arabic:الحزب الاشتراكي المصري) was apolitical partyinEgyptfounded in 1921.The party included bothMarxist,AnarchistandReformistelements. The party platform was published on August 29, 1921. The party began publishing the newspaperash-Shebiba(الشبيبة). The party established a network of local branches in major cities around the country. It initiated work amongsttrade unionsand took part in organizing strikes. It also began educational activities for children of workers as well as trying to reach out to mobilize the peasantry.

A party conference held in July 1922 declared theAlexandriabranch of the party as the party headquarters. On October 20, 1922, the party declared itself as the true representative of the Egyptianworking class.Towards the end of the year the party counted with around 1,500 members (400 in Alexandria).

The party sent Hosni al-Arabi toMoscow,to negotiate a possible entry of the party to theCommunist International.Al-Arabi returned to Egypt towards the end of 1921, with the instructions that the party would adhere to thetwenty-one conditionsof the Communist International. A majority of the partyCentral Committee(led by al-Arabi) approved the conditions in December 1922, and the name of the party was changed toEgyptian Communist Party(Arabic:الحزب الشيوعي المصري). The party treasurer Rosenthal, who had opposed some of the conditions, was expelled and substituted by Ahmed al-Madani.

In 1923 the party was active in majorstrike actions.The British authorities clamped down on the party. Many party cadres were arrested and party offices were closed. Anton Maroun, a prominent leader of the party, died in jail. Subsequently, the colonial authorities sponsoredyellowtrade unions to counter the socialists.

After the crackdown on the party, Marxist sectors continued to operate in cells.

In the 1930s, communist activists participated in the creation of the Committee for the Fight against Anti-Semitism to conduct campaigns againstNazismand organize the boycott of German products. In 1934, the League of Peace Supporters was founded and launched several campaigns to condemn theinvasion of EthiopiabyFascist Italyand to support the struggle of theSpanish Republicans.

Although rejectingZionistideology, the Communists supported theUnited Nations Partition Plan for Palestineand opposed the1948 Arab-Israeli war.The communists also argued that the main struggle againstimperialismwas taking place in Egypt and that armed intervention was mainly a way for KingFaroukto divert the people from the struggle against theBritish Empire.

These criticisms led the Egyptian monarchy to intensify its repression of Marxist movements and many activists were arrested. With the arrival in power of the nationalistWafd partyin 1950, the repression was eased. Communists participated in the armed struggle on theSuez Canalagainst British troops and developed contacts with anti-monarchist officers. Repression did not cease completely, however; thus,Henri Curiel,leader of the main communist organization, the Hadeto (an Arabic acronym for Democratic Movement for National Liberation), was stripped of his nationality and deported. The police, to whom he pointed out that the government had changed with the arrival of the Wafd, retorted: "The government yes, but not the police.

The Egyptian communists were divided when theFree Officerscame to power in 1952. Some supported them, like the Hadeto, but others, already suspicious on principle of any military coup, saw the hand of the United States behindNasser.

See also

• Communist Party

Sources

• [1]