Young Egyptian Political Leaders Visit Wheeling

By SHELLEY HANSON
WHEELING — A group of Egyptian political leaders visiting Wheeling this week described Americans as kind and generous.

For many, it was their first trip to the United States. They were in town to learn how government works at the local, state and federal levels, thanks to the American Council of Young Political Leaders, a federally funded program.

The group included Egyptian National Democratic Party members Salah Atteya, Yasser Gebreel, Ahmed Abdel Hady Elgohary, El Chimmaa Abdel Hamid and Heba Said Ismail. The NDP is Egypt’s ruling political party. Egypt’s leader is President Hosni Mubarak.

Remon Edward Shohdy represented the Tagamoa Party, an opposition party. Reda Fouad Salama, Alaa Mostafa Huseein Ghorab, Yasser Abdelaziz Hasann represented another opposition party named Al Wafd.

Hamid is a reporter with Le Progres Egyptien, a French language publication, while Shohdy is a reporter with Al Masry Al Youm, an independent newspaper.

West Virginia Sen. Andy McKenzie, R-Ohio, said this is the third group of foreign political delegates to visit Wheeling via the program since 1998. He noted other nations represented in the past included former Soviet states and Taiwan. He said to be eligible, participants must be younger than 40 years old.

‘‘Americans are extremely kind and sincere and are very, very organized,’’ said Gebreel, coordinator of the NDP Policies Committee, through an interpreter.

The delegates met with a variety of officials and community leaders, including U.S. District Judge Frederick Stamp, U.S. Attorney Sharon Potter, Ohio County Administrator Greg Stewart, Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron, Ohio County Commissioner David Sims, Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce President Terry Sterling, chamber Executive Committee Chairman Scott Reed, Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Frank O’Brien and Mike Myer, executive editor of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register.

Hasaan, secretary general of the Al Wafd Party’s Media Committee, noted the United States and Egypt have some differing views on various topics, but communication is important.

‘‘Between Egypt and the U.S., our differences are solved because of a constant dialogue. It plays a pivotal role; you must hear the views of our country and we listen to your perspective on important issues. This provides the optimal opportunity to solve a disagreement. This is outreach,’’ Hasaan said via an interpreter.

While visiting the newsroom of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register, many had questions about general media practices in the United States. Because of what they have read, some said their impression of the United States was that it was a dangerous place to live. Myer noted crime is often focused on to let readers know what is happening in their communities, though some do tend to sensationalize it.