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Concluding Remarks

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To learn more, explore this website devoted to collections of Nasser’s speeches, articles, photos, and memorabilia.

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Commentary on Gamal Abdel-Nasser’s Arabic

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This article discusses the British and American radio broadcasts in the Middle East and Mediterranean. By creating these side broadcasts, they hoped to combat the major influence of Nasser’s Sawt al-Arab broadcast. Since this was obviously seen as a major threat that deserved a response, this affirms how important language was as a tool to Nasser’s legitimacy.

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This article discusses the transformation in radio during Nasser’s time. Before the revolution and his rise to power, print media was preferred. He was a visionary, however, by deciding to invest more into the radio system. In doing so, Nasser’s voice became recognizable across the Arab world, engendering him to his population and increasing his power.

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This article traces the role of media from the Nasser to Mubarak era. During Nasser’s time, the era we are concerned with, even villagers are now able to hear his message of Arab nationalism and pan-Arabism.

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Gamal Abdel-Nasser had a mass following across the Middle East and North Africa. This article discusses how the former leader helped to create Arab populism. One of his main methods was through language. His messages empowered the people and focused on foreign policy issues that took the people’s focus away from their own domestic woes. (Most important of which was adequate food supply.) To foreign media, however, he was open about these issues, perhaps in an effort to win aid but also presumably because he was able to be more open with them. His rhetoric, therefore, focused on uniting the Arab peoples and getting rid of all vestiges of imperialism. These were issues that, when discussed, elicited emotional responses from the masses and made them want to rally around their leader. Through this use of language, Nasser solidified his role as the ‘leader of the Arab world’.

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Although this article discusses modern issues with Egyptian media, it provides a very good outline of the emergence of CairoRadio in Nasser’s time. The radio station Sawt al-Arab began only a year after the revolution with a 30 minutes segment. Soon, however, it was broadcasted 24 hours a day! With 1 million radio owners in Egypt during the time, Nasser’s message was transmitted and enforced all day long. What did this achieve? According to the article, it encouraged nationalist movements across the Middle East, strengthened the Palestinian liberation movement, and encouraged anti-colonialism movements in North Africa. This momentous impact shows that Nasser was well aware of the power of language in winning the minds of people.

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This video shows part of the speech given by Nasser in the wake of the humiliating Egyptian defeat in the Six Day War. This war was a major loss to the country, resulting in the death of thousands of Egyptian soldiers and nearly the entire air force. The contrast in behavior in this speech is marked. The shame is palpable, with Nasser using only a low, shaky voice. He makes little eye contact or hand gestures. This video emphasizes the role that language must play when integrated with power. Language will reflect the status of power, and at that moment in time both Nasser and his language were weak.

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Another way that Nasser discredited his opponents through his use of language was humor. In this video he is seen discusses the Muslim Brotherhood, a major rival party that Nasser frequently butts heads with. According to Nasser, the MBH party leader wanted to make a law enforcing a head cover for all women, but had a daughter himself that did not cover her hair. How, he wondered, could he get millions of Egyptian women to cover their hair if that man could not even get one? By poking fun at this a political opponent and contender for power he is reasserting his ability to lead.

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Here we have an example of Nasser’s triumphant language. This is his victory speech after the Suez Crisis, when Israel, Britain, and France secretly joined forces to forcibly retake the recently nationalized canal. Being a Third World country, this was a major victory. We can see that feeling of empowerment through Nasser’s speech by statements celebrating the power of the Egyptian people over the aggressors. He also insults them, which further underlines their humiliation and the Egyptians’ victory over them. Through his speech Nasser is making himself the embodiment of the strength of the Egyptian people and conferring that feeling onto his people in this moment of victory.

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In this video, Nasser is shown insulting his adversaries the Kings of Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Nasser frequently uses language to degrade his opponents to discredit them and reaffirm his own goals, and we will see that again in his Suez Canal Victory speech.

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In this video from 1969, Nasser is interviewed by an American journalist. What is most striking is how composed and calm Nasser is. He comes off an level-headed and intelligent. His English skills are strong and he is sitting relaxed in his chair. This demeanor is a marked contrast from the fiery speeches he gives to his own people. Those are usually characterized by loud statements, lots of hand movements, and at times humor. What does this tell us? Well, first it shows that Nasser has many personas and changes his language according to who he is speaking with. A strong use of language engages and inspires his audience, but that same rhetoric would appear unstable during this interview. This is termed ‘in-group speech’ in linguistics.

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This article discusses the role of the Sawt al-Arab (Voice of the Arab) Radio Cairo station and its main themes for discussion. A quote within the article states that the former Minister for National Guidance Muhammed Fayek said the goal of the station was to create “a nationalist project aimed at helping Arabs turn the page of colonial occupation and division of their nation into         small entities and build a better common future.” This goal is further confirmed by the main messages described in the article of anti-imperialism, Zionism, and “reactionary”/opposition groups. This articles sheds light on the main political goals behind the discourse of the radio station. It affirms an intimate relationship between language and power in the Nasser era.

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This article discusses Gamal Nasser’s use of language to assert a message and gain influence. According to Jia Ning Diog, radio was a powerful form of communication during his era, and oral communication had a special, historical honor in Arab culture. These two factors helped to make the Nasser created Sawt Al-Arab radio station a true propaganda machine. Nasser himself would come on the station and espouse nationalist views, praise or disparage particular world leaders, and encourage Arab unity. Nasser would eventually go on to nationalize the media in order to further consolidate his control over the political and social mind of his people.

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In this fascinating article, the importance of Egyptian leaders speaking fluent English is discussed. The Egyptian public measures a president’s competence and eligibility as a world representative of the Egyptian people based on their ability to speak English. This reveals that a even a foreign language can be given prestige in a country. In reference to Gamal Abdel-Nasser specifically, he was well-known for his eloquence in English. Knowing how important this is to his people, this must have boosted his credibility in the eyes of his people. See my video post of the American interview with Nasser to see an example of his English speaking skills.

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For an excellent overview of Nasser’s overall vision, and to better understand the context of our work please see this article.