CAIRO, Egypt
— On the morning Princess Diana’s death made headlines in Egypt, editorialists were already asking: "Why did British intelligence kill Diana?" Since then, writers have been churning out articles and books (some already in a second printing), answering that very question.
BY NOW, MANY Egyptians have been swayed by the mounting theories that point to a conspiracy by Western intelligence services to kill Diana.
"Of course she was murdered. British intelligence did it. The Palace would never allow Diana to marry a Muslim, convert to Islam and bear Muslim children who would be brothers to the future King of England," said the manager of a popular Cairo bookstore.
He then pulled out three best sellers: "Who Killed Diana? By Orders of the Palace," "The Torture of a Princess" and "Diana, A Princess Killed by Love."
THE LATEST books and articles tend to ignore the allegations that Diana was murdered because she was preparing to marry a Muslim. Writers now tend to now favor a popular belief that Diana was also planning to convert to Islam, or that she already had, and was carrying Dodi Fayed’s child.
Authors of "Diana’s Conversion to Islam" claim that Diana was killed because "the West fears Islam and was shaken when it realized that Diana was planning to convert."
When the imam of a Pakistani mosque met the Princess during an official visit, she allegedly told him that she was fond of Islam and wished to convert but felt she needed a man’s support, the author claims.
One of Dodi’s cousins told reporters that the couple had planned to marry in September and Diana intended to convert to Islam with the assistance of a popular Egyptian TV cleric. The cousin, who did not want to be identified, went on to say that, when British Intelligence got word that Diana told Dodi she was pregnant, the Queen finally gave orders to terminate their relationship.
"Princess Diana, Did She Die a Muslim?" is a variation on the same theme. Author Magdi Kamal claims that Diana was inspired by the conversion of Jemima Goldsmith, daughter of a British billionaire who married a Pakistani cricket star. Kamal concludes, "If works are to be judged by intentions and if Diana had actually decided to convert to Islam before her death, then it is possible she died a Muslim."
In the race to uncover just how Diana and Dodi were killed, what little facts are available have led to a frenzy of conjecture. Speculation ranges from the driver being drugged; the pursuing paparazzi as British agents; a remote-control bomb; a French cover-up; and secret agents at the wheel of the mystery Fiat. These various theories, once reported as news in Egypt, now have taken on conventional wisdom in some quarters.
But why are some Egyptians willing to believe in such conspiracies without proof? "We have to admit that there is a feeling and attitude in the Western world vis-à-vis Muslims and Arabs — a negative attitude that is very strong," says sociology professor Mediha Safty. Support for these theories, he adds, "may be grounded on the basis of the media shown to the Western world."
After Dodi and Diana’s relationship was made public, Egyptian newspapers cried "racist" when British press reports suggested Al Fayed was not fit company for the Princess. The episode also stirred painful memories of Great Britain’s colonial legacy in Egypt.
Prominent Egyptian film director Khiari Bishara belongs to the camp of those who do not believe in the murder theories. He says there are no villains.
Bishara views Diana as a woman oppressed by society, much like many
women in the Arab world. Bishara plans to begin shooting a movie about
her life in February. He hopes to find unknown actors to convey the spirit
of the main characters. Safty says that even without a Diana look-alike,
the movie should be a hit because, "It seems to be a hot issue at present
and it is, shall we say, the crime or the death of the century."