Wafik Moustafa

Wafik Moustafa (Arabic: وفيق مصطفى‎, born 16 July 1948 in Cairo) is a London-based doctor and British politician and political commentator. He is the author of Egypt – The elusive Arab Spring, as well as the founder and Chairman of the British Arab Network.

Early life and education

Wafik Moustafa was born in Cairo, Egypt and has lived most of his adult life in Britain. He attended Primary School at Shimabara Sharqiya Preparatory School in Cairo, also studying at secondary school in the city. He was politically active in the student union.

A Muslim, Moustafa studied medicine at Cairo University, achieving an MB BcH in 1974, and at Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities, gaining an LRCP LRCS in 1981. He is fluent in English and classical Arabic.

His father was Moustafa M.M. Sheikh Yussef Shama, and his mother was Zahya O'mara. His brother Mohammad is a chartered accountant and MD of Technomarble (Egypt). He also served as a treasurer of the Ghad secular party.

His brother Morsi is a county court judge. Morsi stood for Egyptian parliamentary elections against the speaker of Egyptian assembly; it was widely believed that the voting was rigged in favour of the speaker who is currently in prison for corruption charges. Morsi has also served as a deputy leader of the Ghad secular party.[1] His Brother Moustafa is a chemistry and physics lecturer.

The family has donated the first school to Kfr Nagah (an ancient village in Delta), and also renovated the main mosque. They also recently provided the land and building material for a new school.

Professional career

Moustafa set up his own practice in Nottinghamshire in 1982. He was appointed Honorary Lecturer at Sheffield University Medical School in 1986. He is currently a practicing NHS GP serving the community in West London at ATMC (Acton Town Medical Centre).

He was proactive in GP Fundholding and was in charge of the Orthopaedic service in Bassetlaw. He has also served as a medical assessor for the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board (DLAAB), which gave him a holistic insight into people living with disabilities. He is a staunch supporter of NHS as a provider of free medical care at the point of delivery.

He has contributed to public health issues on Arabic-speaking media, notably Swine flu and Hepatitis C, which is endemic in certain parts of the Middle East. He also spoke against female genital mutilation, which is still practiced in certain predominantly Islamic countries.

In 2008, Dr. Moustafa received The British Community Honours Award for his work and dedication to community service, presented at the House of Lords by Eric Pickles MP.

London-based Themedicalmagazine nominated Moustafa as the personality of the year for 2012.[2] In May 2014, the English-Arabic London based publication The Arab Telegraph recognised the social and political work of Moustafa for the Arab communities over the past 25 years by highlighting his activities inside and outside the UK.[3]

A plaque of appreciation has been presented to Moustafa in recognition of his outstanding achievements, contributions to world peace, and deep commitment to the service of society, when he participated at the WORLD Alliance of Religions Peace Summit in Seoul, Korea in September 2014.[4]

BBC Radio Arabic Service broadcast a two-hour special programme in August 2014 about Moustafa's career, social and political activities in the UK, including discussion about his book Egypt the Elusive Arab Spring.

Political activities

Moustafa was the first Egyptian-born British national to stand for UK Parliament general elections, as a Conservative candidate for Bootle in Sefton, Merseyside in 2005.[5] In this traditionally safe Labour seat, he came a distant third behind the Liberal Democrats. Moustafa also founded the Conservative Arab Network (CAN).

In 2011, Moustafa led a parliamentary delegation to Cairo, the first of its kind made up of Lords, MPs and senior political figures. The delegation met with the Supreme Military Council, The Grand Sheikh of Azhar, and other political figures and leaders from a variety of political, youth and social organisations. The purpose of the visit was to find ways to engage with Egypt during their time of challenge and major crisis, with a view to encourage democracy and social change. The visit gave British politicians a chance to directly engage with Egyptians at many levels of society. Work is currently being undertaken on a similar parliamentary delegation to Tunisia and other Arab countries in the near future.

Moustafa has made similar trips to Tunisia, Lebanon, Israel, West Bank and Golan Heights. He supported the Arab Spring throughout, believing it is a positive step to build free and fair Arab societies.

In May 2015, he visited the United Nations in New York for meetings with senior diplomats and officials about critical Middle East issues. Moustafa moderated at a panel on The Role of Parliaments for Building Peaceful and Inclusive Societies and Combating Violent extremism at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 21 July 2016.[6]

In January 2016, Moustafa was a key speaker at the Knesset (Parliament) of Israel in Jerusalem at the Forum for "Building a Culture of Peace in the Middle East and the Global Arena", emphasising the role of public diplomacy, which plays a key role in facilitating the exchange of ideas, values and traditions through interaction between different communities. "Cultural exchange gives us the chance to appreciate points of communality and where there are differences to understand the motivations and human aspects that underlie them," Moustafa said. "I am a big believer in the value and importance of cross cultural activity and interfaith dialogue in supporting reconciliation and building world peace."

At the International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy and Religion 2014, "The Promotion of World Peace through Inter-Faith Dialogue & the Unity of Faiths" (Rome, Italy; 31 March – 3 April 2014),[7] he said, "Peace can be achieved that people learn the necessity to accept one another by tolerance and working for the common good of humanity."

In March 2014, Moustafa was a speaker at the UN-endorsed global summit on world peace at the United Nations Headquarters, New York. He was a participant at the US Congress in Washington DC and the Italian Senate in Rome. He also attended and addressed the conferences for Cultural Diplomacy – Interfaith,[8] The Levant Initiative for Global Peace and The Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Global Ethics at the United Nations. He was a speaker at the Conference organised by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, "The Promotion of World Peace through Inter-Faith Dialogue" held in Rome at "Societa Italiana per la organizzazione Internazionale" (SIOI).

Moustafa was a keynote speaker at the inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Global Ethics at the United Nations on 24 March 2014.[9] In July 2014, Moustafa delivered a keynote speech at the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Global Ethics conference (IPCGE) held at UNESCO HQ in Paris. His theme message was "We have to think culture of peace to achieve global harmony".[10]

In May 2015, as Chairman of the British Arab Network and trustee of IPCGE, he made a speech about promoting dialogue understanding and world peace at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles to an international audience.

In March 2019, Moustafa gave a keynote speech at "The Levant Initiative for World Peace" chaired by President Emil Constantinescu of Romania (fr) at the Italian Senate in Rome, where he emphasised the importance of cross cultural activity and interfaith dialogue in supporting reconciliation and building world peace. "Antisemitism is a scourge and needs to be addressed as poor education lies at the core of such serious prejudices... cultural diplomacy gives us a deep sense of humanity and a chance to appreciate and shares areas of commonality", he said.

Arab spring

A committed campaigner, Moustafa tirelessly advocates in the interest of immigrant and minority groups. He strives to encourage British Arabs to enter into mainstream British society. Through his work as an advocate for the British Arab community, he has argued for improved integration and assimilation into mainstream society of minority groups. He is a passionate believer in religious tolerance and equal rights for women; however, he is a supporter of the principles of secular politics and endorses a greater role for personal responsibility in a cohesive society.

Moustafa has chaired Egyptian and Arab organisations that have furthered his knowledge and practical experience of Arab issues in the UK and the Arab world. He sees the Arab Spring as a defining moment against decades of tyranny and domestic injustice: "it has on one hand presented the people in each Arab country with an extraordinary set of opportunities, and on the other hand with challenges and threats. The main concern it has been leaderless and at times has no clear direction, with the possibility of the political vacuum would be occupied by the wrong elements rather than merit and the good. The second fear it is the leaderless nature of the uprising and the lack of a clear direction. The education and media system are badly politicised with structural defectiveness, that needs an urgent overhauling by using help from experts from Europe and US."

Moustafa believes that Egypt, with the right support, can play a pivotal role by setting the pace for reform within the Arab nations. However, he believes that the literal application of European secularism would be hard to achieve, as the Arab world did not experience a period of European-style renaissance, relating in particular to the fiercely independent universities of thirteenth-century Europe. He sees that the Arab world needs to take a giant leap to bridge the current cultural deficit. Moustafa contributed to the Arab Spring debate with dozens of interviews, debates, conferences and two fact-finding trips to Egypt.

He has also been involved with campaigning for respecting the human rights of the Ahwazi Arabs in Iran, by protecting their culture and traditional heritage. He was a key guest speaker at a House of Commons event with Robert Buckland MP, and other senior members of the Ahwazi Arab Solidarity Network.

Religious views

Moustafa was brought up as a Sunni Muslim from a conservative background, and believes in dialogue with different faiths: "Egyptian Sunni Islam is unique for it being influenced by Shia'a doctorine of north Africa. Religion has played a central role in the life and politics in the Middle East over the past 30 years". He believes that the "theological establishment is in an urgent need to evolve": the current conflicting and controversial Islamic teaching ended up producing extreme radicals and violence, however small in numbers, that has led to a negative perception of a great religion.

Moustafa, over several TV Interviews and public debates, has argued for a 'Fifth School of thought – Ijtehad' that was arguably started a century ago by Islamic Reformer the Grand Mufti of Egypt Mohamed Abdu, saying: "Islam needs to interconnect with all the people and religions" of the world to spread peace and harmony.

Moustafa believes in the importance of respecting the personal space of one's understanding and practicing of religion; as a Muslim, he has the conviction that the Kemal Atatürk model in Turkey post-WWI is probably the best political framework for the Arab world to adopt for modernity and social-political reform. According to Atatürk, "The religion of Islam will be elevated if it will cease to be a political instrument".

Author

Building on his earlier book, Egypt – The elusive Arab Spring, Moustafa presented a new and updated history of Egypt in Egypt – A Nation in Crisis.[11] It covers the political development in Egypt up until September 2016. The book was discussed on Al-Jazeera during an interview with Moustafa..

On the third anniversary of the Arab Spring in Egypt, Moustafa published a book with a foreword by renowned journalist of the Times, Michael Binyon and published by Gilgamesh in London. Egypt – The Elusive Arab Spring[12] was launched in Rome at the Italian parliament in April 2014, where European politicians, including the former Spanish Prime Minister, the Italian Foreign Minister, presidents of Croatia and Iceland and Italian Senators were present. The UK launch of the book was held at Royal United Services Institute in Whitehall, London.[13]

Lord Sheikh hosted a discussion at the House of Lords in July 2014 with Moustafa on the book's theme, at which Lord Stone gave an overview of his recent visit to Egypt. The House of Lords library holds a copy of this recent publication.[14]

Media activities

An avid historian, Moustafa specialises in the culture and political history of the Middle East and the Arab world in particular. He is a leading commentator on British Arabs and Middle Eastern affairs: regularly appearing on television, radio and other media, he is widely regarded as a high-profile British Arab. His notable media appearances include:

  • Inside Story – Al Jazeera (discussion of more homes facing demolition as Egyptian security forces warn people a buffer zone with Gaza is to be extended)[15]
  • Levant TV – talking about stifling freedom at Egyptian universities and the detention of 25,000 political activists from the Islamist and liberal opposition.[16]
  • ANB TV, when he discussed his book and explained how the Arab Spring has been aborted by the entrenched elements of the old regime and the military establishment.[17]
  • Eurovision Italy – interview in Rome on the Arab Spring and the current political and civil situation in Egypt.[18]

He has made more than one thousand media appearances, including on Sky News, BBC World, BBC24, CBS News, Fox News, ABC News, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, Press TV. Furthermore, he has appeared on Israeli, Iraqi, Abu Dhabi, Saudi, Lebanese, Iranian, Egyptian, Greek, Russian and French TV.

He was appointed the main political commentator for Al Jazeera TV for the 2005 UK general election (at which he was a Conservative candidate) and the main commentator for Sky News during the Egyptian uprising in 2011. Moustafa is most recognised for his moderate views and representing British secular Islamic views on British Arab and Middle Eastern current affairs, both in the Middle East and Western world. He also commentates regularly in his capacity as a medical doctor on relevant issues.

Moustafa was a key guest speaker at the Cairo International Media Conference in 2010, post-WikiLeaks, and at the televised debate on the future of Egypt and the Arab world in Lebanon.

Numerous letters and commentaries by him have been published in the mainstream press and his comments are widely reported on and cited on the internet. His most recent commentary was published in the Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph and The Independent, about British Muslims taking responsibility for challenging and opposing extremism. He also writes on political, social and public health issues in Arabic and English publications. Other media work has included his campaign to ban female genital mutilation (FMG).

Public, social and political activities

Moustafa has actively been engaged in a wide range public, social and political activities for over 25 years. He has held various positions within many organisations, some of which include:

  • Chairman and Founder of British Arab Network
  • Advisory board member, Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Global Ethics (IPCGE)
  • Chairman of Conservative Arab Network
  • Conservative parliamentary candidate for Bootle constituency (2005 general election)
  • President of the British Arab Medical Association
  • Vice-Chairman and Co-founder of British Arab Association
  • Board member of the Arab Jewish Forum
  • Member of the Athenaeum Club
  • Member of the Review Committee of the Parole Board
  • Member of the Board of Visitors of HM Prisons
  • Honorary Secretary of UK Friends of Alexandria Library (Bibliotheca Alexandrina)
  • Member of Board of School Governors for two schools
  • Board member of the Conservative Muslim Forum
  • Member of Conservative Foreign and Common Wealth Council (CFCC)
  • Member of Chatham House
  • Member of British Medical Association
  • Member of the Royal Society of Medicine

Charitable activities

Moustafa has been actively taking part in both local and international charitable causes for over 25 years. Some of these include:

  • Patron of Children's Leukaemia Global Foundation
  • Goodwill Ambassador of the Unity of Faiths Festivals, a London-based Organisation
  • Oversaw transit from Egypt to Gaza of a $3m consignment of medicine, medical equipment and ambulances on behalf Miles of Smiles 4 in August 2011
  • Fundraised for 1992 earthquake in Egypt
  • Fundraised for 2011 Pakistan floods
  • Sent medical aid and equipment in 1994 for Egyptian public hospitals through Medical Department of the Egyptian Embassy
  • Fundraising for the injured during the 2011 uprising in Egypt
  • Chairman of the Egyptian Community Association UK (registered charity)
  • Organised Egyptian Community Association charity educational classes for women

As Chairman of the British Arab Medical Association, in 2008 he lead the development of the Arab Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (AICE) based in the Arab League Head Office in Cairo.

He has also provided health education and lifestyle information on numerous TV education programmes about diet, keeping healthy, swine flu, Hepatitis C, and hygiene, in addition to contributing to newspaper and TV health items on general medical queries. He regularly gives free consultations for under privileged non-NHS patients, supports and donates to The Brooks Foundation, and provides integration training for immigrants, minorities and asylum seekers. Moustafa provided medical cover for the amateur boxing club and horse trial events in North Nottinghamshire.

References
  1. Kienle, Eberhard. (2001). A grand delusion : democracy and economic reform in Egypt. London: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1-4175-4390-6. OCLC 56676022.
  2. "London based "Themedicalmagazine" has nominated Moustafa as the personality of the year 2012". themedicalmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  3. "The English-Arabic London based publication recognized the social and political work of Moustafa for the Arab communities over the past 25 years by highlighting his activities insinde and outside the UK". arabtelegraph.com. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  4. "WORLD Alliance of Religions Peace Summit in Seoul". hwpl.kr/. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  5. "Bootle election". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2005.
  6. "High-Level Panel on The Role of Parliaments for Building Peaceful and Inclusive Societies and Combating Violent Extremism at United Nations Headquarters". UNESCO. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  7. "The Promotion of World Peace through Inter-Faith Dialogue & the Unity of Faiths". icd. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  8. "Cultural Diplomacy – Interfaith". icd. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  9. "Key-Note Speaker at UN Headquarters". Retrieved 24 May 2014 – via YouTube.
  10. "Key-Note Speaker at UNESCO Headquarters Paris". mfa-is.net. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  11. "( Gilgsmesh Publishing / Amazon )". Amazon.com. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  12. "( Gilgsmesh Publishing / Waterstone )". waterstone.co.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  13. "Book Launch RUSI Whitehall". demotix.com. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  14. "Lord Sheikh hosted a discussion at the House of Lords". lordsheikh.com. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  15. "Buffer or barrier to Egypt-Gaza relations?". Retrieved 5 December 2014 – via YouTube.
  16. "Freedom at Egyptian Universities". Retrieved 4 April 2014 – via YouTube.
  17. "ANB TV Moustafa book discussion". Retrieved 4 April 2014 – via YouTube.
  18. "EUROVISION". eurovision.net. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
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