POLITICAL - PROPAGANDA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700210255-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 10, 2002
• Sequence Number: 255
• Publication Date: March 21, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2002/08/06 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000700210255-1
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CENTRAL Ifv
LLIGE m9p
INFORMATION FROM
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REPORT NO]
REIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
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Egypt; USSR
Political - Propaganda
DATE OF
INFORMATION
1953
Weekly periodical
Cairo
DATE DIST,
NO. OF PAGES
L/ Mar 1953
3
14 Jan 1953
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SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
A CHALLENGE TO COMMUNISM IN EGYPT
,Lcomment: One of Egypt's leading newspaper men and political an-
alysts, Muhammad at-TabiIi, wrote a lengthy denunciation of Communism
in the 14 January 1953 issue of the Cairo weekly periodical Akhir Sa'ah.
At-Tabi'i, who declares himself to be a foe of Communism in the article,
proposes that a group of neutral Egyptians be sent to Moscow to "find
the truth about Communism." Such a denunciation of Communism by a man
of at-Tabi'i's reputation could help to discredit the USSR in Egypt at
this crucial time. The following are the highlights of.at-Tabi'i's ar-
ticiej
It was heartening to read the report of Mme Zaynab'al-Ghazali al-Jubayli,
chairman of the Moslem women's group that attended the Partisans of Peace Con-
ference in Vienna during December 1952. Mme al-Jubayli concluded her revealing
report with the following:
'IIt is a wonder that we should allow these Partisans of Peace to live among
us while they continue to spread corruption and disharmony among our citizens
and ignite the fires of discontent and revolt among :ur youth. The Egyptian
Communists claim, and all their claims are lies, that they were the first tc
take steps for safeguarding our nation and all it stands for. We, on the other
hand, must not rest until we have exterminated these corrupt atheistic Segments
in our country; nor must we allow the Partisans of Peace to establish branches
throughout the country for the dis3emination of atheism and confusion in the
name of peace. We must pursue and exterminate them wherever we find them, for
they are not worthy of conveying the sacred message of peace. I believe that
it is in the interests of the Communists to wipe out Chr?stianity and Islam,
and it has therefore become imperative upon these two re_giona to frustrate
this Communist conspiracy, which is aimed at all religions."
Mme al-Jubayli's report reminded me of the time in 1943 when the Allier
were fighting side by side with the USSR against Nazi tyranny, and I had written
an article in Akhir Sa'ah praising Stalin and his valiant people, who had with-
stood the German onslaught magnificently. Shortly after I had published the
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article, I received a blistering letter denouncing me as a Conmruni::t atheist from
one who seemed to be a Hitler enthusiast at the time. I now wonder if that critic
of 1943, who was so enthusiastic about German successes, might not he an ardent
Partisan of Peace today; since it so happened that most Egyptians who liked Hitler
and Mussolini in their heyday have developed the same liking for ::talin and his
Communism in recent years. To this segment of the Egyptian population, Fascism
or Communism is not an end in itself but a means to an end, namely, a quick as-
cendency to power.
By 1945, my enthusiasm for the struggle of the USSR in World 'war II had
reached its height, and I decided to visit that country before the war was over,
for tvo reasons: (1:) I wanted to take part in the Red Army's victory march into
Berlin; And (2) I wanted to find oui for myself, by watching the Soviets at close
range, as to the factors behind the Communist triumph over Naziism. I was very
sincere in my intentions, and I asked the USSR Legation in Cairo for permission
to enter the Soviet Union. All my efforts to secure a visa from Soviet officials
in Cairo ended in failure, and I finally decided to go to Istanbul in the hope
of. persuading Soviet officials there to grant me permission to enter the USSR. I
again failed in my endeavors. But, while in Istanbul, my illusions about Soviet
greatness and glory quickly vanished as I uncovered tales of horror ^onceruing
the behavior of the liberating Red Army in the small countries of the Balkans.
I was appalled at the stories I heard from the refugees that came from Rumania,
Bulgaria, and Hungary regarding the Communist reign of terror in the occupied
territories. 'Back in Egypt, I wrote of what I had seen and heard about the U:,S'R
in Akhbar al-Yawn, and I immediately drew the fire of Egyptian Communists, who
called me an Anglo-US agent, a favorite phrase applied by the Communists every-
where to anybody who does not sing the praises of the USSR.
While the above might all be a thing of the past, one cannot honestly say
that our grappling with Communism in the future is going to be any easier. The
fact remains that there are thousands of Egyptians today, among them the educated
youth and leading intellectuals, who are completely in the dark as to the real
aspects of Communism, both in theory and practice. More often than not, however,
I have found that those intelligent Egyptians, and especially my colleagues in
the newspaper business who seem sold on Communism, have either never been exposed
to Soviet Communist tactics or have become the victims of the &tupendous Communist
propaganda machine. Therefore, no matter how one looks at the problem, one comes
up with one conclusion, namely, that a great deal of the truth about Ccuinunlsm
has been withheld from the Egyptian people.
One fact has become crystal clear: the Egyptian people must know the truth
about Communism and about life under Communiot regimes not only in the USSR but
also in the other Communist countries There is only one way to find the truth
about Communism, and that is to see it in action. I therefore recincmn-:rd that an
Egyptian mission be sent to Moscov for that purpose. The miacion :h-uld be co..m.
posed of neutral Egyptians who have been kno?.rn for their honesty; good judgment,
and discretion. The group ;,houl.d be composed of Egyptian new? pap.;r;r:en, educators,
and men of business and industry, who On their return t, -,gypt, weld publish the
truth about Communism.
Naturally, I would exclude from such a mission men like myself, who for sev-
eral years have been fighting Communism and everything it stands for. I wou1i
recommend, however, that the following newspaperpien be included in the mission:
Fikri Abacah of the al-Iiilal publishers, Husayn Abu Fat.;'h or th:hem:cad hhalid
of al-Misri, Ahrad as -Sawi Muhammad of al-Ahram, Muhammad Abd-ai-w>uir Hamzah of
al-Balagh, and Zaki abd-al-;,adir of the Akhbar al-Yawm publishers. Nc?c?e of the&e
gentlemen has ever come out for or agninut Communism and car be counted on to
relay to un a true picture of what thoy ?_., hoar.
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Only this way could we -possibly know the truth about Communism, and the
Egyptian people deserve to know the truth in order to make up. their own minds
on the Communist issue.. Of course, there remains only one question mark in this
whole plan: Will the USSR grant such a mission unqualified permission to per-
form its tasks, or will- it close its doors in the mission's face, dust as it
did to me iii 1945T
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