The Republic of Zifta
By Fayza Hassan
Youssef
El-Guindi |
"Zifta
and Mit Ghamr sit opposite each other, divided by the Nile and
joined by an ancient bridge. In each of them, there is a law
office belonging to two young brothers: Youssef El-Guindi in Mit
Ghamr, and Awad El-Guindi in Zifta, both young Saadists, both
with revolutionary activities on their police files. In 1913,
Awad El-Guindi entered the hall of the Legislative Assembly and
applauded Saad Zaghlul, and fought with a member who was a
government supporter, and who kept interrupting Zaghlul. He was
arrested, and accused of putting up revolutionary pamphlets on
the fence of the Parliament. As for Youssef, the younger
brother, he was expelled from Law School in 1914, for
encouraging the students to go on strike in protest of the
declaration of the British Protectorate when the war broke out.
"Since
the founding of the Wafd, both had travelled back and forth
between Cairo and the countryside. Youssef especially was
noticed at revolutionary meetings at Groppi and debates in the
garden of Beit Al-Umma; his violent speeches from the minbar of
Al-Azhar, the revolution's headquarters, were also remarked.
Zaghlul and the senior members of the Wafd came to know him as a
tireless revolutionary. His dark face expressed only
stubbornness. Only extremist ideas sprang from his emaciated
frame.
"When
the Revolution broke out, Youssef was in Zifta. The peasants
sent him word, expecting that he would do something. But here,
in the countryside, there were no British for the peasants to
fight. The trainlines had already been cut by peasants in the
neighbouring villages. Still, it was necessary to do something
remarkable, something that would embrace the significance of the
Revolution.
It
was decided that Zifta and Mit Ghamr would declare their
independence, and refuse to submit to any other authority. Let
the British come, then.
"The
young revolutionary began to work. He announced the formation of
the revolutionary council, made up of 'a'yan (notables),
educated effendis and small merchants. Of their names, we know:
Awad El-Kafrawi, Sheikh Mustafa 'Amayim, Ibrahim Kheireddin,
Edmond Burda, Mohamed El-Sayed, Mahmoud Hassan... The
revolutionary council chose as its headquarters the second floor
of a coffee shop owned by an old Greek, called Café Mastokli.
"The
council gathered, and decided to begin by seizing actual power
by taking over the police station. Youssef El-Guindi marched on
the station at the head of a large demonstration, which included
all the men as well as armies of young boys. A few carried their
old rifles; others armed themselves with sticks, branches and
hoes. Conditions spared the new state any bloodshed, for the
ma'mur of the police station was a nationalist by the name of
Ismail Hamad. His adjutant was called Ahmed Gom'a. The ma'mur
went out to meet the demonstration, and handed over station,
arms, and command of the soldiers and guards to Youssef. Then he
offered him his services, as an adviser to the new state, in his
capacity as expert in administrative matters.
"The
demonstrators went on to the train station and telegraph office,
seizing the office immediately and taking hold of several cars
loaded with wheat that was to be sent to the British
authorities.
"It
remained to the new state to face its domestic problems. Youssef
gathered the 'a'yan and called for donations, that the state
might have a treasury. Other donations were being made to
finance the Wafd. Every week, an engineer, called Osman
Moharram, would come to Zifta from Tanta to hand over the
donations. The 'a'yan also gave to the new state. In this way,
Youssef El-Guindi sought to create work for the many hands
rendered idle by the Revolution, so as to prevent them from
turning to theft and plunder. He used the money to create useful
employment.
"They
filled in the lakes and swamps that surrounded the village; the
peasants had despaired of asking the government to do the job
decades before.
"They
repaired the streets that would be flooded during the Nile
inundation, and fixed the bridges in the vicinity. The state
even built a wooden kiosk on the bank of the Nile where music
would be played.
"Then
the revolutionary council recruited all the pupils and educated
villagers and divided them into teams: one to oversee security
matters at all times; one to guard the borders and prevent vital
supplies from being smuggled out, or spies from sneaking in; and
one to supervise irrigation.
"In
the heart of Zifta, there was a printing press; a small press,
owned by one Mohamed Effendi 'Agina. It began to print the
decrees, instructions and news issued by the revolutionary
council, which were distributed among the people. This press was
to become an important national institution in Zifta's life,
printing secret pamphlets at various times. It still exists
today.
"The
news soon arrived in Cairo, and crossed the seas to London. The
Times announced that the village of Zifta had declared its
independence, and raised a new flag."
from Ahmed Bahaeddin, Ayyam Laha Tarikh
see also: Right
above might
