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Ataba Square in Cairo in 1945
with "Lokandet Masr" in the background |
During one of the phases of his clash with French colonialism in 1945, Bourguiba fled Tunisia in a fishing boat that took him from southern Tunisia to the Libyan shore nearby. From there, crossing hundreds of kilometres sometimes in a vehicle, on a saddle or by foot, he finally arrived in Cairo. The city then was akin to the centre of the universe, not just for Arab and Muslim nationalists struggling to publicize the case of their beleaguered nations, but also for Europeans who sought refuge in Egypt during the war. i.e. Egypt offered refuge, solace and a safe haven for both colonizers and colonized!
When Eltaher heard of Bourguiba’s presence in Cairo from some people, he immediately undertook to locate him and started looking for him in Cairo’s hotels one after the other until he found him in “Lokandet Masr”, i.e. Hotel Egypt, in Ataba El-Khadra Square. When Eltaher arrived at the hotel, by sheer coincidence, Bourguiba happened to be sitting in the small lobby adjacent to the reception desk. Neither of the two men had seen the other previously, so they obviously did not recognize each other. But then Eltaher asked the hotel receptionist whether “Tunisian leader Habib Bourguiba” was a guest at his hotel.
The reception clerk looked at him condescendingly because no “leaders” stayed in such a modest establishment as “Lokandet Masr”. However, Bourguiba heard his name being mentioned, so he stood up and said: “I am
Bourguiba, and you must be Mohamed Ali Eltaher”. The two men immediately hugged each other with emotions flowing not just on both
sides, but also on the part of the reception clerk, who was more surprised than both men about this unique encounter and for discovering all of a sudden that there were “leaders” who resided at his hotel!
Eltaher then took Bourguiba to a nearby café to discuss issues of common concern. Eltaher learned more about the situation in Tunisia and what Bourguiba was hoping to achieve in Egypt. Eltaher also got to appreciate the common situation that links all true nationalists, namely a lack of funds, and the fact that they survived and spent on their struggle from their own pockets and from donations made by friends and supporters who believed in their mission. Eltaher of course knew first-hand about this situation, starting with his own experience..
While his financial situation was barely better than that of Bourguiba, Eltaher pulled all the money he had in his wallet, which was 20 Egyptian pounds in that era’s currency, gave half to Bourguiba, and kept the other half for himself and his family. He then advised Bourguiba that as long as he stayed in the substandard “Lokandet Masr”, nobody of consequence would meet with him or listen to him. He advised him that he had to find another more conducive place to stay in. Bourguiba, of course, understood the logic behind his friend’s reasoning, but did not find the suggestion logical from a practical viewpoint. However, Eltaher asked that he give him a couple of days to find a solution.
Immediately thereafter, Eltaher contacted his friend General Saleh Harb Pasha, the former Egyptian Minister of War, who was president of the Young Muslims Association (A kind of YMCA). At the time, the association, which is not related to the well-known Muslim Brotherhood, ran a sports club at its headquarters on Ramses Street in downtown Cairo. General Harb originated from “Al-Saeed”, i.e. Upper Egypt, and had no house or apartment in Cairo, but the club had kept a room for him, which he used whenever he was in Cairo. Eltaher met with General Harb and told him Bourguiba’s story. He then convinced him to give up the room for some time to accommodate Bourguiba until another place was found. General Harb accepted and left his room to Bourguiba!
