In this article, I examine a corpus of texts that address the 1973 war; these texts cover the period from 1981 to 2011, marking the beginning and end of Hosni Mubarak’s rule. Utilizing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), I explore how Mubarak’s regime employed the war to legitimize its power and defend its policies by deploying longstanding culturally-embedded ‘macro themes’. These macro themes refer to the war as an overwhelming and undisputed ‘Egyptian victory’ and, more significantly, they portray Mubarak himself as ‘war personified/war personalized’. The analysis of linguistic and extra-linguistic features in al-Ahram newspaper (the mouthpiece of the state), among other media texts on the war, show how the discursive construction was made consistent, coherent and resonant in a managed context that characterized the political and media landscapes. Depending on unique access to those who produced, edited and even censored the texts under analysis, this method unravels a complex set of cultural messages and conventions about the war, and fills a lacuna in the literature by offering insight into the deliberate and well-coordinated process of shaping and reshaping a specific discourse for a specific purpose.
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al-Ahram (1982a). al-Baath al-ʿazim [The great restoration]. 6 October 1982, al-Ahram, p. 7.
al-Ahram (1982b). Risala min Mubarak ʿilla al-quwwat al-musalaha fi yawm ihtafaleha bi-zikra malhamat al-ʿubur al-azim [A message from Mubarak to the armed forces on the anniversary of the great crossing epic]. 6 October 1982, al-Ahram, p. 1.
al-Ahram (1983). Najah awl sarukh misri [The success of launching the first Egyptian rocket]. 6 October 1983, al-Ahram, p. 1.
al-Ahram (1984). al-Kubri allathi banahu al-musriyun fi 1800 saʾa faqat [The bridge that the Egyptians built in just 1800 hours]. 6 October 1984, al-Ahram, p. 13.
al-Ahram (1985). Kalimat Mubarak fi ʿid uktubar al-yawm [The speech of Mubarak on the Eid of October]. 6 October 1985, al-Ahram, p. 1.
al-Ahram (1986). Fi al-hafl al-sahar ihtafalan bi-zikra uktubar [In the night show celebrating the October anniversary]. 6 October 1986, al-Ahram, p. 13.
al-Ahram (1988a). Fi al-ʿid al-khamis ashr li-intissar uktubar [On the 15th anniversary of the October victory]. 6 October 1988, al-Ahram, p. 14.
al-Ahram (1988b). Kalamat al-raʾis ʿilla al-shaʿab: Haqaqa al-abtal al-muʿjiza wa-ʿabru bi-aqal al-khasair wasata asʿab al-zuruf [The speech of Mubarak to the people: The heroes worked the miracle and crossed with minimum losses despite the most difficult conditions]. 6 October 1988, al-Ahram, p. 5.
al-Ahram (1988c). Mubarak fi kalamatihi layl shaʿab fi al-ʿid al-khamis li-intissar uktubar [Mubarak in his speech to the people on the 15th anniversary of the October victory]. 6 October 1988, al-Ahram, p. 1.
al-Ahram (1989). Ruh uktubar tatajadd [The spirit of October is renewed]. 6 October 1989, al-Ahram, p. 7.
al-Ahram (1992). al-Quwwat al-musalaha madrasa li-sunʿ al-qarrar [The armed forces is a decision-making school]. 6 October 1992, al-Ahram, p. 1.
al-Ahram (1993a). 96.28 % qalu naʿm li-Mubarak [96.28 % said yes to Mubarak]. 6 October 1993, al-Ahram, p. 1.
al-Ahram (1993b). ʿAqd ijtimaʿi [Social contract]. 6 October 1993, al-Ahram, p. 9
al-Ahram (1993c). Mubarak fi zikra murur 20 ʿaman ʿalla ʿubur uktubr al-ʿazim [Mubarak on the 20th anniversary of the great October crossing]. 6 October 1993, al-Ahram, p. 5.
al-Ahram (1994), Mubarak yuʿlin fi kalamatihi bi-munasabat zikra al-nasr: Shajaat harb uktubar fi tahadiyaha al-amr al-waqi [The bravery of the October war is reflected in its challenge of status quo]. 6 October 1994, al-Ahram, p. 1.
al-Ahram (1997). Al-Raʾis Mubarak yuwaja kalamah ʿilla al-ʿumma fi zikra nasr uktubar [President Mubarak delivers a speech on the anniversary of the war victory]. 6 October 1997, al-Ahram, p. 3.
al-Ahram (2001). Fi zikra intissarat uktubar wa-murur 20 ʿaman ala tawali Mubarak al-hukum [On the October victory anniversary and 20 years of Mubarak’s rule]. 6 October 2001, al-Ahram, p. 1.
al-Ahram (2003). Fi khitab bi-munasabat al-zikra al-thalathin li-harb uktubar, Mubarak yuʾakid [In a speech marking the 30th anniversary of the October victories, Mubarak confirms]. 6 October 2003, al-Ahram, p. 5.
al-Ahram (2004a). Fi ijtimaʿ al-majlis al-ʿala layil quwwat al-musalaha [In the meeting of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces], 6 October 2004, al-Ahram, p. 3.
al-Ahram (2004b). Mubarak: la-buda min al-ihtifaz bi-quwwatina al-musalaha qawwiyya [Mubarak: We have to keep our armed forces strong]. 6 October 2004, al-Ahram, p. 1.
al-Ahram (2004c). al-Raʾis Mubarak fi kalamatihi ʿilla al-ʿumma bi-munasabat intissarat uktubar [President Mubarak in his speech to the nation on the anniversary of the October victories]. 6 October 2004, al-Ahram, p. 3.
al-Ahram (2006). Fi zikra nasr uktubar al-ʿazim [On the anniversary of the great October war]. 6 October 2006, al-Ahram, p. 5.
al-Ahram (2007). al-Raʾis Mubarak fi kalama bi-munasabat ihtafalat uktubar [President Mubarak in a speech marking the October celebrations]. 6 October 2007, al-Ahram, p. 3.
ʿAql, ʿAbd al-Rahman (1992). 6 October 1992, al-Ahram, p. 11.
Basha, Muhammad (2003). Intisar uktubar … wa-wahdat al-saf wa-l-hadaf al-ʿArabi [The October victory … closed ranks and united Arab goal]. 6 October 2003, al-Ahram, p. 11.
Fatahallah, Husayn (1983). Qaed al-quwat al-jawiyya yahki (The commander of the air force narrates). 6 October 1983, al-Ahram, p. 3.
Ibrahim, ʿAbd al-Fatah (1996). al-Raʾis Mubarak yashhad malhamat ‘al-Salam’ [President Mubarak attends the epic show of ‘peace’]. 6 October 1996, al-Ahram, p. 36.
Muntassar, Salah (1983). Hiwar maʿ al-mushir yaftah kul al-malafat [An interview with the field marshal which opens all files]. 6 October 1983, al-Ahram, p. 9.
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Nafiʿ, Ibrahim (1989). al-Janab al-akhir li-muʿjizat uktubar [The other side of the October miracle]. 6 October 1989, al-Ahram, p. 1.
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Sarayya, Osama (2005). Uktubar-Ramadan 2005 [October-Ramadan 2005]. 6 October 2005, al-Ahram, p. 1.
Sarayya, Osama (2008). Maʿna an yaqud misr zaʿim muntassar [The meaning of Egypt being led by a victorious leader]. 6 October 2008, al-Ahram, p. 1.
Sarayya, Osama (2009). Uktubar … quwwa baqia fi damir al-misreyin [October: Remaining power in the conscience of the Egyptians]. 6 October 2009, al-Ahram, p. 1.
ʿUthman, ʿAbd al-Munʾim (1982). al-Muʿjiza al-lati haqaqaha al-tayaran al-misri fi harb uktubar [The miracle which the Egyptian air force worked in the October war]. 6 October 1982, al-Ahram, p. 13.
ʿAbd al-Munʾim, Muhammad. 1973 war reporter for al-Ahram (personal interview, Cairo, 10 August 2016).
Afifi, Gamil. Head of the military department at al-Ahram (personal interview, Cairo, 10 August 2016).
Ahmad, Makram. Muhammad. A former speech writer for Mubarak (personal interview, Cairo, 10 March 2016).
al-Desouqi, Assem. Historian (telephone interview, 5 September 2016).
Faraj, Samir. Former head of the army’s Idarat al-Shuʾun al-Maʿnawiyya (‘Department of Morale Affairs’) (telephone interview, London, 15 April 2016).
al-Fiqi, Mustafa. Former advisor to Mubarak (telephone interview, London, 13 March 2016).
al-Ghubari, M. Lecturer at the Nasser Academy of the Egyptian army (telephone interview, London, 12 June 2016).
Hammad, ʿAbd al-Azim. Former editor of al-Ahram (telephone interview, London, 5 December 2016).
Kamal, M. Former official in the ruling National Democratic Party under Mubarak (telephone interview, London, 10 June 2016).
Muntassar, Salah. Columnist and former senior editor at al-Ahram (telephone interview, London, 11 July 2016).
Nassar, Galal. A former military reporter for al-Ahram in 2016 (personal interview, Cairo, 12 March 2016).
Sarayya, Osama. Former editor of al-Ahram 2016 (telephone interview, London, 10 May 2016).
All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
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In this article, I examine a corpus of texts that address the 1973 war; these texts cover the period from 1981 to 2011, marking the beginning and end of Hosni Mubarak’s rule. Utilizing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), I explore how Mubarak’s regime employed the war to legitimize its power and defend its policies by deploying longstanding culturally-embedded ‘macro themes’. These macro themes refer to the war as an overwhelming and undisputed ‘Egyptian victory’ and, more significantly, they portray Mubarak himself as ‘war personified/war personalized’. The analysis of linguistic and extra-linguistic features in al-Ahram newspaper (the mouthpiece of the state), among other media texts on the war, show how the discursive construction was made consistent, coherent and resonant in a managed context that characterized the political and media landscapes. Depending on unique access to those who produced, edited and even censored the texts under analysis, this method unravels a complex set of cultural messages and conventions about the war, and fills a lacuna in the literature by offering insight into the deliberate and well-coordinated process of shaping and reshaping a specific discourse for a specific purpose.
All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
---|---|---|---|
Abstract Views | 431 | 113 | 17 |
Full Text Views | 55 | 4 | 0 |
PDF Views & Downloads | 127 | 11 | 0 |