visit me daily, and on one occasion quite out of the blue she informed me that the ban decree had been lifted. Surprised, I asked how this had happened.
‘I honestly don’t know, but it may well be for the sake of opening up channels of communication with you.’
Despite a return visit to the hospital for an operation to remove the pins from my thigh, I had by now assumed my function of running the affairs of the Muslim Ladies Group from home. Meanwhile, (Imam Shahid) Sayyid Qutb had been released and together with a number of Muslim brothers, visited me in hospital. Imagine my surprise then when a recorded delivery item arrived containing a card with the inscription:
‘Arab Socialist Union’
Liberty-Socialism-Unity
Name: Zainab al-Ghazali al-Jubaili, known as: Zainab al-Ghazali.
Occupation: President of The Muslim Ladies Group.
Borough: al-Basatin-Almaza.
County: Misr al-Jadidah.
District: al-Qahirah.
Enclosed with the card was a receipt showing that my membership fee for 1964 had been paid. I laughed bitterly at what had become of Egypt; we used to live in freedom, but the military coup had changed all that.4 Thereafter, invitations from the Socialist Union, to attend its meetings, began pouring through my letter-box. I ignored them. Instead my energies were concentrated on gradually resuming my activities in the general office of the Muslim Ladies Group; with the aid of a walking stick my movements were now less inhibited.
I was in the general office one morning when the phone rang; the secretary wanted me to speak with someone from the Socialist Union. I picked up the phone: ‘Assalam Alaikum.’
‘Wa Alaikum assalam.’
‘Yes, what can I do for you?’
The caller asked me if I was Zainab al-Ghazali, and when my answer was in the affirmative he said: ‘This is the Socialist Union. The members of the Muslim Ladies’ administrative committee, and you first and foremost, are requested to take your banners and go to the airport to welcome the President home.’
‘Insha’ Allah, Allah does what He wills and chooses.’
‘This is our request, we want the administrative committee, as well as a great number of the general committee’s members to be present. If you require, we will arrange for a car to be at your disposal.’
‘Thank you.’
Here the call ended.
A few days later, I received another phone call from the Socialist Union. It was a lady; she wanted to know why we had not been present at the airport to welcome the President. By way of response I said: ‘We members of the Muslim Ladies’ administrative committee, and the general council, all observe Islamic behaviour, therefore, we cannot be present in such crowded welcomes.’
‘How can that be Madam Zainab? It seems that you don’t want to co-operate with us. Did you inform the other members and did they each in turn refuse?’
‘How could I have informed them when I am not convinced of your request which runs counter to the teachings of Islam?’
‘You are not co-operating with us!’
‘We stick to the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Our pact is with Allah, our co-operation can only be in issues of good and beneficence. Perhaps you will concede that the telephone is not a suitable medium for such a discussion?’
‘You are welcome here! We will wait for you in the Socialist Union’s Headquarters in ‘Abidin Square to discuss this issue.’
‘Unfortunately, I am sick, and my movements limited because of a serious injury to my leg. If you please you are welcome in the Muslim Ladies Headquarters.’
‘Come to see us on your way home, are you not a member of the Socialist Union?’
‘I am a member of the Muslim Ladies Group, assalamu alaiki, my daughter, wa rahmatu Allah!’
I ended the call, and did not go to see her.
A week later our group secretary showed me a recorded letter dated 15th September 1964, containing Ministerial Decree No. 32 dated 6th September 1964, which informed us once again of the Government’s decision to ban the Muslim Ladies Group.
The Muslim Ladies Group’s administrative committee held an urgent meeting that same day. The committee rejected both the dissolution decree and the hand over of its property and belongings to another group whose members, although part of our group, had been separated from us at the instigations of the Secret Services before Nasir’s coup. After the coup this group had become Nasir’s tool. Our administrative committee had also decided to call our general council to an urgent meeting, within the next 24 hours. Here, too, the general committee rejected the dissolution of our Group and agreed to refer the case to the courts.
We recruited a lawyer, Dr. Abdullah Rashwan, to defend our case. Meanwhile, we sent recorded letters and messages to the Presidency, the Home Office, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Attorney General, along with duplicate copies to the press, informing all these parties that the Muslim Ladies Group was established in 1936 for the promotion of Islamic da’wah and the return of Muslims to their Lord’s Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger. Hence, neither the Home Office nor the Ministry of Social Affairs had any bond of allegiance from our group. For allegiance is, after all, due only to Allah and to those who establish His religion and laws. Our letter read:
The Muslim Ladies Group was established in 1936 to spread the message of Allah and to strive for the making of a Muslim Ummah which will bring back to Islam its glory and own state. Our group works for the sake of Allah, and no secular government has the right of sovereignty over Muslims.
The Muslim Ladies Group’s message is a call to Islam. It recruits men, women, the young and the old, in order that they believe in Allah’s message and establish a state that takes what He revealed as its law.
We, the Muslim Ladies, reject the ban decree on our Group, for the President, who is openly calling for the secularization of the state, has no right of allegiance from us. Neither has the Ministry of Social Affairs any right of allegiance from us; Da’wah represents neither money nor belongings which can be confiscated by a secular state whose members are fighting Allah, His Messenger and the Muslim Ummah.
Let the state confiscate our money and belongings, but it cannot confiscate our faith. Our message is one of da’wah and of people who perform this da’wah. We stand underneath the umbrella of ‘there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger’. Belief in this formula compels us to strive continuously for the establishment of an Islamic state by a community that is conscientious of its religion, is governed by Allah’s law, and is always striving in His cause.
Firm in his resolve to eliminate our Group, Nasir issued a military decree preventing publication of our magazine for an unlimited period. The despot’s agents even invaded our Headquarters and removed all the contents. As a result, they displaced
