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Egyptian poet and activist Abdulrahman al-Qaradawi, who holds a Turkish passport, was detained at Beirut International Airport after returning from Syria where he had travelled to celebrate the fall of the Assad regime. His detention followed alleged cooperation between Lebanese and Egyptian authorities to track down opposition activists living abroad despite him not having committed any crime. to Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Sara Hashash, "Abdul Rahman Al-Qaradawi's arbitrary detention came after he made comments critical of the Emirati, Saudi Arabian and Egyptian authorities" - translator's note.

On 28 December 2024, Lebanon's authoritiesÌýdetained Egyptian poet and dissident Abdulrahman Yousef al-Qaradawi, amid growing fears that the Lebanese government could be on the verge of succumbing to Emirati demands for him be handed over.

For the Emiratis, al-Qaradawi would make a prize catch on their blacklist of those they seek vengeance against — in his case as punishment for his poems railing against tyranny and normalisation with Israel.

However, Lebanon has no shortage of far more pressing issues which should take precedent over pursuing an Egyptian poet with Turkish citizenship and allowing him to be bartered over in the face of insistent Emirati demands with no basis in law.

An Egyptian request then belatedly joined the UAE extradition request after the total legal invalidity of the latter's demands became clear – apparently it was necessary at this point for a parallel Egyptian memorandum to be quickly issued making an identical demand.

To the shock of those following the case, however, the poet's lawyer revealed on January 4 that Lebanon's acting public prosecutor had in fact recommended he be handed over to the UAE — within days.

Lebanon faces many problems, including a Zionist opponent that brazenly declares its refusal to abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement signed with the Najib Mikati caretaker government — which stipulated that Israel must withdraw from Lebanese territory within 60 days of the agreement's implementation.

Despite this, Tel Aviv has gone back to threatening Lebanon that it will resume its strikes if the Lebanese resistance is not completely eradicated.

Lebanon also has a presidential election session due this week aimed at finally filling the presidential post which has been vacant for years.

Not only that, but the country is facing the mammoth task of rebuilding the vast areas decimated by Israel, which targeted Beirut, the south, and the Bekaa Valley.

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It's hard to imagine how abandoning all these critical issues to focus on how they can extract gains from entrapping and auctioning off a dissident poet – at the expense of his freedom and very possibly his life (and this is someone who wept with grief at every bomb strike on Beirut) – could be helpful in addressing these formidable problems.

Moreover, it does no favours to Lebanon to forsake any semblance of sovereignty and transform into just another cog in the machinery of oppressive Arab despotism.

Abdulrahman al-QaradawiÌýhas been held hostage all this time — while political bargaining takes place over his fate — and various Arab decision-makers exchange pleasantries while deliberating the ominous fate in store for an innocent Arab citizen.

This case first and foremost represents a total rupturing of basic human values, and then the stark violation of international law – in a country not previously known for being a pliant tool in the hands of Arab tyranny.

Nor is this the first instance in which attempts have been made to crush Lebanese autonomy – its former prime minister Saad Hariri was held hostage in an Arab capital to politically subjugate Lebanon, and wasn't released until after international intervention by powerful states.

With all the above in mind, al-Qaradawi's continued detention, and Lebanon's failure to make an independent decision on a matter concerning the life of an Arab citizen who has committed no crime, wielded no weapon, and holds nothing but his pen, is incomprehensible.

It is especially so amid regional circumstances which seriously threaten Lebanon's continued sovereignty over its own land.

Whatever the motivations, this clamouring by Arab regimes to enact an arbitrary punishment against an Arab civilian being held prisoner in an Arab country is indefensible – especially when juxtaposed with the fight being waged by the same Arab officials to secure the freedom (and lives) of the Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.

These officials have applied every form of pressure possible on the Palestinian resistance to free the Israeli captives (meanwhile, the leader of the empire that claims to be a haven of democracy and human rights threatens to burn Gaza, Palestine, and the entire Middle East unless Hamas is forced to return the Israeli captives).

With every day that passes in which the Lebanese authorities continue to detain a dissident Egyptian poet (hinting repeatedly at handing him over to those who wish to silence him) the entire Arab region and all of its regimes are placed before a series of questions.

First, is the sole function of these regimes now limited to mediating on behalf of Israel in its efforts to recover its hostages from Gaza, whether in response to Donald Trump's threats or, before him, Joe Biden's demands?

Second, is targeting an Arab poet well-known for his stances against the Arab pro-Zionism movement, and the imposition of normalisation with Israel as a given, part of bowing to the winds of change being ushered in by Trump, Netanyahu, and the Arab normalisers who are eagerly awaiting the remaking of the new Middle East according to US-Israeli specifications?

More importantly, what does Najib Mikati stand to gain if he delivers the poet's head on a platter to those demanding it at any price, an act which evokes the tragic and abhorrent murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi?

Finally, what is the position of Lebanon's cohort of enlightened and humanist intellectuals regarding the continued presence of an Arab poet and activist being held hostage to political bargaining in their country? ÌýÌý

Wael Kandil is an Egyptian author and journalist, and former editor-in-chief of Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

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This is an edited article from our Arabic edition. To read the original article click

Translated by Rose Chacko

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