Gee's Blog

The Egyptian m

2011-04-03T22:21:00.001+02:00

What are they trying to prove?

2009-09-08T12:47:00.002+02:00

Egyptian police arrests 155 people for not fasting in Ramadan!!! Since when? It was always known that Egypt has its own form of tolerant Islam contradicting to the Gulf or Iranian practices and intolerance.

The news is a real shock to me, because we Egyptians never cared about who fasts and who don't. Another thing it's the individual right to fast or not to fast and the government can't impose religion on everyone using this way. The problem is we're living in an environment that has some extreme religious views and sectarian problems from time to time, so we can't afford the police stopping every non fasting person on the street. The point is that Egyptians are polite when it comes to matters of not fasting, I've always seen Christians shy to take a cup of coffee or breakfast at work so not to hurt their fellow Muslims feeling in Ramadan. So why the hell are they arresting people with no discrimination?

Suppose some of them are foreigners or maybe they aren't arrested but what would they say about Egypt? This gives a very negative image really, we'll be equal to Saudi in the treatment of non Muslims this way, which is something I don't like. Also there might be some people who has their own excuses to stop fasting, what did they do to deserve this? It shouldn't always be blasphemers who eat in Ramadan mornings though everyone has his own freedom to do what he wants, but if the rationale behind this is that they hurt their fasting colleagues feelings or that we won't to imitate the some Gulf states than that would look more Islamic, then sorry I don't buy this crap at all.

A Fictional Situation

2009-06-08T10:57:00.007+03:00

Let's imagine this situation, imagine (and I said imagine) a president is elected democratically in Egypt who possesses wealth of knowledge and an intellectual civil background, imagine this president came to a revolutionary idea of appointing a non military person as a defense minister (which isn't a revolutionary idea in many countries but still revolutionary enough in Egypt).

Now here's the deal if all this imagination are to be happening, what would be the outcome of such a decision? My take on this given the backgrounds of the Egyptian ruling elite in the last 50 or more years; this would never happen because if there's someone both bold and dumb to do this, he would lead us to a definite coup and chaos as the army leadership won't agree to be lead by a non military persona as their minister, actually they might no even agree to be lead in the first place by a non military president since he's considered the highest commander of the army.

This fictional situation leads me to think about the possibility of change in Egypt. Is there a peaceful way for a liberal/democratic state in Egypt someday where laws and legislation rule, or is the future hiding what's would be worse than our worst nightmares? Honestly I am not optimistic at all, hope I am the only one.

He had more than this lame execuse

2008-12-05T15:41:00.002+02:00

To be honest I didn't care about the buzz about the head of Al Azhar shaking hands with the President of Israel, but the silly excuse he mentioned regarding the incident couldn't be passed so peacefully. I am not with the people who criticize such act though I am not a fan of Tantawy at all. What really made me write about it was an incident that happened at work that I thought I could share.

There is a guy from a partner company who comes around a lot this days to do some work with. He's the typical Islamist type of person you can recognize from his beard, the language he talks which he avoids talking in Egyptian dialect for the sake of talking in a more religious manner. What happened is that a colleague opened the subject in front of him in which he had a point of view that Islam isn't tolerant enough for such and act and that whole complains around it isn't as good as people might seem. He got a negative feedback from the Islamist guy that this is not tolerance this is absolute submissiveness as how come he shakes his hands with someone who kills Palestinians and all the known crap.

Actually it come into my mind something that made me take the side of colleague I see it's tolerance to shake hands with the president of Israel even if the head of Al Azhar didn't have this intention and I believe he didn't because of the lame excuse he said, because if it was for tolerance he could have told just the same story I told to that guy that made him drop the whole subject (forever I hope). It's all about the story of a jewish person who used to throw garbage around the house of the Prophet and in the way he walks, and someday the Prophet woke up and didn't find garbage around his place, all he did was that he asked for the Jewish man and he knew he was sick and he visited him.

In my humble point of view there's some analogy between a Jewish man hurting the Prophet of the Muslims and the head of a Jewish state fighting the Muslims. And in the end the prophet showed them some tolerance like Tantawy did in the handshake. I believe we weren't told this stories just to feel proud about our Prophet or our religion, we should go a further step and try to act in a more civilized manner or maybe in a more intelligent manner than telling just stupid excuses as if Egyptian are idiots to believe whatever Tantway says.

لو لم اكن مصريا لوددت ان اكون مصريا

2008-09-15T12:45:00.001+02:00

Meaning: "If I wasn't Egyptian I would have wished to be Egyptian" said by Mustafa Kamil; one of the leading figures of Egyptian nationalism in the beginnings of the 20th century.
This reflects the rising demand for an Egyptian identity in the early 20th century in response of the British rule of Egypt at that time.

So to discuss the Egyptian identity we have to be acquainted to the long Egyptian history since the days of the Pharaohs passing through the Persians, Greeks, Ptolemies, Romans, Arabs, Ottomans, French till Mohamed Ali's family and the 1952 revolution and the declaration of the current republic. It's very obvious that the Egyptians and the Egyptian culture are a perfect blend of all the previous cultures which makes Egyptians unique in their very own sense. This would be bring me to the point I am writing this whole post about, since we Egyptian are the mix of all these diverse cultures yet some of us now reduce the whole issue to one sentence "Egyptians are Arabs". I am not with this concept cause we might relate to Arabs in some contexts yet we differ in many other.

What makes me disagree with this theory is that Egypt has its unique history than the Arabs and a very different culture, and the Arab conquest to Egypt didn't change Egyptians completely; maybe we adopted the Arabic language but we speak in a much different accent than any other nation around. Moreover the idea that relates Egypt to Arabs on the basis of Islam as the religion that ties us all, I don't believe this is the issue as Indonesia and Malaysia are the biggest muslim countries and they don't speak arabic not they are considered Arabs.

We may share common issues but in the end, each has his own issues, and the talk of Arab unity can't be for real as no unity could ever happen based on cultural basis alone, unity means that there would be some benefit and I don't see it beneficial as a union is about powerful allies taking advantage from each other and I don't believe there are any powerful Arab nation on the map now. In European Union, they don't admit any country except under certain conditions otherwise it would be a burden for the whole union.

Another problem arises from a religious point of view, is when we denounce our own Pharaohs past out of the idea of they were blasphemous or they used to oppress the people. As if we now aren't living under oppression now and as if it wasn't the time of pagan religions. I was taught to have pride in my past cause that what shapes my future, and the Iranians themselves -who are very tough in their religious practice- take big pride in their pagan Persian past. I believe we as Egyptian should hold on to our roots and cultures and preserve our identity that shaped the time of our liberation from the British, instead of denouncing our past and trying to hold to what is not ours and what is not making us any good.

The so called justice

2008-08-13T12:38:00.013+03:00

I will not compare the Mamdouh Ismail's verdict to Saad El Din Ibrahim's one like everyone is doing because it's pretty obvious that the regime deals with double standards. What's really insane about the justice system is the great ability to just twist laws and to add new types of accusations every time there's a critical opposition figure that needs to get rid off.

Let's say we can categorize the accused into 3 categories, depending on this category there would be a set of charges than he can be accused off.

First he's abroad and this is the easiest one of them. He either gets charged of defaming the reputation of Egypt or harming the interests of the country abroad. Also it can go as far as accusations of espionage.

Second case if the defendant is living in Egypt. It's either affecting Egyptian economy or stock market, spreading insecurity within the people (as if they are feeling secure enough) or disturbing the public order.

The third case works when he's not illegible to the above, then simply it would be the religion factor which would be religious disdain in case of a secular activist or terrorism or igniting sectarian fire in case of a hardcore islamist. Sadly enough this kind of religion persecution attracts a lot of followers specially in the case of insulting religion as Egyptians nowadays are very easily to be manipulated by religion.

Frankly speaking, Justice is raped!

And what the hell makes him talk in politics?!

2008-07-31T18:32:00.002+03:00

The Mufti announced this week a Ftawa regarding power inheritance that he stated it's prohibited, but the ruler can name his successor! Pretty awkward, isn't it?

I guess that is not the only contradiction in his statement since he said that Islam doesn't impose a ruling system, which means monarchy is OK though power inheritance is a main issue in monarchy. I guess that guy lacks a lot of logic in his words cause what I see that he's contradicting himself. I think it's better for people in his position to leave politics to politicians as well as it's better for politicians to talk politics.

Hassan and Morcos

2008-07-21T09:56:00.006+03:00

At first I was reluctant to watch the movie when I first heard about its shooting, I believed it would be another lame Egyptian movie that talks about the sectarian issue in the brothers and fellow country men way with nothing to do with reality at all. When I heard about it after it was shown in the cinemas I got the feeling that it might be different and I got many opinions about it and read about many controversies surrounding the movie.

To talk about the movie I liked both actors I believe they did a good job, the direction wasn't the best but it wasn't bad either. They showed the real big picture about the muslim-christian relationship in Egypt. The side of the relation that is never admitted in public although the tensions that arise from time to time. The movie just gave the real image without pointing out to a solution or even it didn't introduce a normal character who'd have a position away from extremism so people might sympathize with this character and think about the whole issue. Nevertheless, the movie dialogue was really serving the whole plot.

Overall the movie is a great start, at least there was admittance that we lacked which could bring the solution later on. But I have only one concern, which is there could be negative effect since it shows the negative image from religious extremists point of view, so people who are having second thoughts about the religion thing and watch the other religious personnel in the movie shouting hatred about their religion can just join the ship and instead of opening the public eyes for the problem we discover that we made a generation of new idiots who will bring nothing but disaster.

And I remembered I had a blog!!!!

2008-07-09T11:01:00.005+03:00

I don't know why I stopped writing in this blog (as if I really started!!), I was always reading and watching what's happening around me and I always felt the urge to write but I never really did, I just don't know why.

I always liked writing but I never did, I thought blogging could a good step to begin with. I hope this time I could manage to do something different.

Hypocrisy

2007-03-28T14:00:00.000+02:00

Read the news as usual online while I was at work, then when I get home I got Al Ahram newspaper that we usually get at home for a reason none of us knows why. I never was a fan of the newspaper at all but it the most widely issued daily paper in Egypt plus it is maybe the oldest press institution in Egypt and has a lot of history, so I guess that's why we get it till now.

The thing is that I was following the constitution thing like any single normal person in Egypt, I don't want to get into details of the whole thing but I was and never will be with the boycotting theory because I believe that we should always stand for our rights, and boycotting is the simplest act of cowardliness. What really pissed me off was the titles of Al Ahram during the whole constitution issue. I am beginning to think that they treating the Egyptian people as if they are total idiots.

I never read any of the main titles that had anything to do with reality, specially yesterday when they talked about the constitution referendum day, it was said that the voters exceeded all expectations and the good people of Egypt didn't care about the opposition cries for boycotting and hit the streets to vote, and what is even stranger that some of the opposition members didn't boycott at all and voted as well. Nevertheless there was other articles as well such as that all religious preachers said that is is a great sin of you don't vote, I don't think they do understand what are we voting for, anyways this is another complicated story.

Are we really that naive to believe all this, didn't whoever who wrote this think once that there are still other sources for information people can get news from it. Well this even will make them loose their credibility between their readers and I don't know for the sake of what. I know that Al Ahram used to be bigger than all this but I don't know how they came all the way down to this.

I got sick from this hypocrisy, I guess all we need now is to start boycotting those hypocrites instead of boycotting the regimes constitutional referendum.

Sinai

2007-01-07T14:52:00.000+02:00

Just back from a trip to Sinai, visited Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba. I didn't have enough time to move around but that was OK to me. I stayed in Basata -a camp somewhere between Taba and Nuweiba, although not my first time to be to these places but every time I go I am always fascinated like the first time I was there. Actually I am looking forward to make a trip again in the near future to Dahab to visit the protected area of Abu Galoum, but unfortunately there are no upcoming long vacation for this but I guess I'll try my best to manage some free time to go exploring the desert.

Anyways it is not that sad to get back to modern life, still have lots to do before getting back to work ;)

If

2006-12-12T23:48:00.000+02:00

One of my best poems ever:

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same:
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling 1895

In support of freedom of expression

2006-11-23T10:26:00.000+02:00

Heard about Faruq Hosni's comments regarding hijab and the crisis escalating around it. Really I'm getting furious about the whole issue, I do support Hosni in whatever he said, I guess he had some point that the thick minded people here in Egypt could never get.

I believe that the Egyptian culture minister wasn't mocking Islam at the first place when he talked about the rising population that are adopting hijab, I don't see him offending Islam in anyway. The point is that he said that he sees the growing number of women wearing veils is a sign of regression and it was a personal opinion which doesn't mean he would be asked to resign just because he said what he thinks about Actually I am defending Hosni here in the name of freedom of expression. I even believe that there is a point in what he said. First of all the veil is not mentioned in Quran and if God wanted women to wear head covers it could have been stated, so this goes to the hadiths of the prophet that mentioned what should be covered and what shouldn't be covered. In that case I do believe that the veil is the same as keeping the beard for men, and this brings an important question why do we always hear from religious figures that women are to be veiled but we never heard about men's role about their appearance. You know what is the answer, the answer is that we are living in a double standard society that treats woman in a different way than man. I don't think that religion to woman is all about appearance as what we have here now but years ago we didn't have it at all. So when someone says that the veil thing here in Egypt is a regressive trend I totally agree with the guy because we are going way behind with our ultra conservative ideas (which is something I am gonna talk about in a later post).

So the debate that is going on right now about the resignation of the culture minister right now is nothing but an absolute nonsense, I think there are more important issues for the parliament to discuss other than Hosni's comments, we still living in the same country that needs much more to discuss regarding poverty, corruption and political reforms.

At the end I believe that we all have the right to talk and Faruq Hosni used this right and whoever who disagrees could say what he has without insulting or asking him to resign or better shut his mouth up.

About Bloggers and Blogs

2006-11-09T14:55:00.000+02:00

I was asked by a friend I know who is a mass com student in her final year to comment about blogging in Egypt in a project she is doing for college. I know I am just a novice at blogging but I am an old follower to blogs that makes me a good source to comment.

I thought it was a good thing actually to discuss blogging from the social and political point of view and it was the reason that I accepted her offer. Mainly I care more about the social issues but you can never leave politics aside as it always affects every aspect in life. I thought of sharing some thoughts.

We were talking about if the blogs are really replacing the traditional news sources I think it is not the case but they are a great addition to them, but in Egypt they could be a reliable way to get news as it has another dimension here, it is more like an eye witness to the current events that sometimes journalists can't get to it. I think is that what made a popularity to blogs other than opening the controversial topics that weren't discussed at all.

She then went to another topic which is if bloggers are to enter the press syndicate, I said that the ones who talk about topics other than personal issues have the right to ask for it, as many of the political bloggers get arrested and have no one to support them and I believe they need someone to support them as they do the journalists job in many cases.

That was mainly our main conversation outline, more to come later.

Yet another incident

2006-11-01T11:21:00.000+02:00

After being shocked with the news of the downtown sexual harassments I began to tell my female friends who don't know about it as they should be more aware of what is happening around.

So yesterday a friend called me to say: "Gee you remember yesterday's story? It was about to happen to one of my colleagues at work."

Oh...Not again. It happened that while leaving from work it the girl had her driver waiting outside the company building and there was about 4 or 5 street boys who didn't bother that she wasn't alone (there was a driver waiting for her and there was the building security guys standing outside). Bottom line of what happened is that when the security and the driver tried to defend the girl the boys didn't run as they might do, instead they stood and fight as if they had a right and were about to be deprived of it. My friend got so scared that she hid in her car through the whole fight as they were starting to notice she was there and throwing some of their scum comments.

The point is that the whole incident happened in Maadi this time which is not as crowded as downtown and at the same time it is a more wealthy place where people should be more civilized.
I don't know what is happening but I have a feeling that this won't be the last incident I will hear about.

What a Shame

2006-10-30T19:54:00.000+02:00

Heard what happen what happened downtown last week. Case you didn't hear you can check it out here or and here is the English translation.

I don't believe what is happening. Cairo downtown once was the most expensive and attractive place all over Egypt now it happens that girls are almost raped in the streets there in a place where the elite used to live before. Actually until the seventieth girls used to walk around wearing whatever they liked and never heard the word sexual harassments.

I don't know what happened to the Egyptian society, is it the over conservative Islamic currents that are happening? Is it poverty?. I don't know but we are in a real mess, what a shame??!!!

Streets of Egypt

2006-09-27T17:07:00.000+02:00

Yesterday while driving I got through a hole in the street that I couldn't notice (you know how it feels like when driving while fasting in Ramadan), the point is that the asphalt hit my car body so hard that it got crashed at some place and this made contact with my left tire that made me unable to steer right......All this shit because of a hole on the road, Can you believe it??
I wonder why do we always suffer from such streets in Egypt as if we were the ones that made them this way, I've never seen streets so damaged this way anywhere before. I guess that demanding to go home safely is a right for everyone, so do the people in charge really walk down these streets or are they living somewhere else?? Just asking anyways

Why not?!!!

2006-09-22T13:13:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone,
I was thinking of doing this long ago, don't know why today I woke up early after a tough week of work, had my morning coffee then decided to make some french toast then suddenly felt like why not?!!! Why don't I start blogging from now on?!
So here I am. See you soon folks.