Faruq Hosni, Egypt’s cultural minister, was the nation’s highly-publicized UNESCO candidate; the United Nation’s cultural preservation agency. Egypt has its sights on seeing one of its own hold the prestigious title as UNESCO president and the nation’s President Hosni Mubarak and Egyptian diplomats publicly lobbied for him. Hosni’s candidacy should have sailed through. As an Arab Muslim nation, Egypt could take for granted votes from akin nations and Europeans nations would had no reason to oppose Hosni and more reason to support the appointment of an Arab-Muslim in an effort to further build bridges between the West and Islam. But then some inconvenient facts emerged: In front of an Egyptian parliamentary committee, Hosni was asked about Israeli books in Egyptian libraries. Upon hearing criticism by MPs of such a fact (and such is the cold peace that Israel deserves), Hosni remarked that he would personally burn all Israeli books in Egyptian libraries. Of course, it was just a figure of speech, but some Zionist “intellectuals” got hold of the committee and publicized it in an Le Monde editorial where the declared their opposition to Hosni candidacy. The argument is reasonable enough: how can the UN appoint as a world cultural ambassador a man whom preaches the burning of books of another UN member? Ironically, Israel did not oppose Hosni’s appointment in an effort to trade Hosni appointment for Egyptian efforts to release an Israeli occupation troop held by Hamas. Israel did initially oppose, however. Hosni did apologize for his remarks and made it clear he’d reach out to Israel as UNESCO head, despite his apology and Israel’s reluctant agreement his candidacy was nonetheless defeated after a UNESCO committee vote yesterday. How much effect did the campaign against Hosni matter is not clear.

This loss by Hosni should not be mourned by Egyptians or Arabs. Besides uttering myopic views (burning books is wrong no matter the target), Hosni is a corrupt tool of the tyrannical Egyptian regime. During his youth while an international student, Hosni used to spy on fellow Egyptian students and whenever a fellow Egyptian made a critical comment against the regime; Hosni would write up a report naming the student and send it to the Egyptian ambassador. Who knows what happened to those students and their families?

Hosni is simply a demagogue, a thug, and a support of tyranny and human rights abuses. UNESCO is one of the better UN organization, Hosni is simply unworthy.