Egypt’s oldest revolutionary still going strong

When I met Lili Doss for the first time many years ago, she was still living in her father's grand Nile-side mansion on Mohamed Mazar Street in Zamalek. Today the house, as beautiful as ever, is the Saudi ambassador's residence and Lili – christened Leila – lives in an eighth-floor flat in a dull brown building among the heavily guarded embassies in Garden City on the other side of the river.

Lili, born in 1916, is the youngest daughter of monarchy-era minister Tewfiq Pasha Doss, who was from a large Coptic Christian clan. As transport minister in 1931, he greeted the arrival of the Graf Zepplin in Egypt, then as now a regional air travel hub, and laid the foundation stone of Qasr al-Nil bridge which leads to Tahrir Square, the cradle of the current revolution.

Sitting on the divan in her cosy flat, Lili says, “Father did not believe that girls should go to university so he sent me to work.” She was among the founders of the Society of Tahseen al-Seha, established in 1936 to provide medical treatment for poor tubercular children. “It was the largest women’s association in Egypt and had branches all over the country – 23 I think.”

She refused marriage, even to the crown prince of Ethiopia, and dedicated herself for 40 years to the battle against poverty and disease. During this time, she ran foul of Egypt’s rulers by challenging policies. During the time of president Gamal Abdel Nasser she was banned from going abroad. His successor, Anwar Sadat, gave her a medal meant for 25 years’ service. When she found people who had not earned the honour had also received it, “I sold the medal for 300 Egyptian pounds and gave the money to the kids” in hospital.

When Suzanne Mubarak, wife of the ousted president, wanted to turn the hospital near the pyramids into a museum, Lili responded, “Over my dead body.”

“It was built with money donated by Egyptians for the poor. My dossier in the interior ministry became very big. The hospital is still okay.”

“At 65, I retired, made my GCE and got my BA and MA at the AUC”, the American University in Cairo. “I knew I wasn’t going to change the world.”

Autobiography
When she offered her autobiography to AUC, "they didn't want it. They wanted me to be a saint. I'm far from that."

As Lili cannot hear well, I write my questions on paper, she reads them with a magnifying glass and replies. Since her life has spanned three revolutions – 1919 against Britain, 1952 against the king and 2011-13 against autocracy – she takes the long view.

Of the most recent effort, she says, “It is very simple. First we had to get rid of [president Hosni] Mubarak and his group because they went beyond belief in making money. People grew poorer and poorer... the nation told the government to resign. It was amazing.”

During the 18-day 2011 uprising, she went four times to Tahrir Square – in her wheelchair. In February this year she took part, in her chair, in a long march from Cairo’s poor Saida Zeinab quarter to Tahrir Square to protest assaults on women and since June 30th she has been twice in Tahrir.

“People are so happy to see me. They kiss my hand and bring their kids to take photos with me. I say to the kids: ‘We are doing this for your future.’

"We supposed the new elected government would do better. Then the Muslim Brotherhood came from the gutter and showed its true face. It doesn't care about the people, not even its own supporters, or Egypt. They tried to divide the country but Egyptians have never been divided.

“They used any means to take power and the west and some Arab countries helped. This hurts us very much. They have to let us find our freedom. Under the Brotherhood women were to be sent to the kitchen and men enslaved.

Current revolution
"Then this revolution of millions came. We were astonished to find so many in the streets. It was like the 1919 revolution against the British. On June 30th, we saw a new Egypt. It was not a coup d'etat but a revolution.

“Now we are down and out but we will be able to stand again if all the money sent to Europe comes back so we can build ourselves...we should not buy food from Europe but should rely on our [beans] and build our country.”

Reforming education should have priority, she asserts. “Our schools teach children to recite only and don’t open their minds or teach them to become human beings. We need to educate people so they can work, not to become [bureaucrats] who don’t work.”

She shuns the term “feminist” and wants women to be granted “equality” and given help in rearing children.

“Women must understand that they are partners with men.” She came to realise that women who veil should be free to wear the veil if it is not imposed.

The revolution is “on the right track” but she fears western intervention. “If we are left to ourselves I know we can succeed but it takes time and patience and the people must throw away the word ‘fear’.”

Asked if she is Egypt’s oldest revolutionary, she replies, “I think so. At least I have a title.”