FOR me, October 6, 1981 will always be unforgettable, because it was the day when President Anwar el-Sadat, the hero of war and peace, was assassinated. On that particular day, I was at my office in Bonn, the then capital of West Germany, in order to follow up on with fellow journalists the military parade marking the eighth anniversary of Egypt's victory over Israel in the 6th October War. All of a sudden, a cowardly terrorist jumped out from a troop carrier that was driving past the review stand and opened fire on Sadat, killing him instantly. He killed the man who lived for peace and achieved stability in a region that had suffered so much from the horrors of war. A hail of stray bullets injured a number of senior officials, including then Vice President Hosni Mubarak, who was sitting beside Sadat during the parade. The incident caused chaos, as representatives of hundreds of news agencies and television stations stormed into the building, which accommodated the offices of Egypt's official Middle East News Agency (MENA), where I was staying, to inquire about Sadat. I immediately phoned the then Egyptian Ambassador in Germany, Aisha Rateb, to tell her what had happened, in a choking voice. Aisha calmly told me that it was Egypt's fate and all the Egyptians had to face it with courage and wisdom. Later on, German TV invited me to participate in a seminar about Sadat's role in the Mideast peace-making process and the future of the region after his death. I decided to participate in that seminar, despite many people advising me not to do so, on the pretext that the picture in Egypt was still unclear. During the seminar, I talked about Anwar el-Sadat with love and respect, because I was confident that his intentions and sincerity were clear and strong towards the Arab nation, especially the Palestinian people and their just cause. I also said that the world's stability was closely tied to the stability and security of the Middle East. In 1994, I was assigned to work as a media adviser in the Egyptian Embassy in Bonn. The minute I arrived in Germany, I started my contacts with German media people, informing them about the developments that were taking place in Egypt, in terms of efforts to achieve regional peace, as well as the Government's endeavours to bring about comprehensive development for the Egyptians. On November 16, 1997, terrorists brutally murdered dozens of tourists in Luxor. President Hosni Mubarak flew to Luxor to get a firsthand idea about the causes behind the vile attack and he called for holding an international anti-terror conference. The reason I remember these two horrible incidents is that the Government recently decided to extend the Emergency Law for two years and to limit its use. I strongly back this decision to limit its use to terror and drug cases after intense debate. The request to extend it came with a commitment that the Government would only use it to deal with the threat of terrorism and narcotics, and only to the extent necessary to confront these dangers. It is strongly believed that the Emergency Law will not be used to undermine freedoms or infringe upon rights, if these two threats are not involved. The new law does not allow the State to monitor any form of communication, censor media, close publishing and broadcasting outlets, or confiscate property. The changes have made the law similar to anti-terrorism legislation in other countries, suggesting that an anti-terrorism act in Egypt is in the works. The law will no longer allow authorities to monitor all forms of communication, monitor or censor media, confiscate property or evacuate and isolate certain areas. The Government will be legally limited to using extraordinary powers for "the arrest and detention of persons suspected of being involved in crimes of terrorism and narcotics trafficking. Dr Sheta is a press adviser at the Shura Council.
