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Rabi' al-Awwal 10,1432/February 13, 2011 # 7
Latest news from Pakistan:
Feb. 12, 2011. A court has ordered the arrest of former
dictator Musharraf in the murder case of Benazir Bhutto.
[See Bush below.]
February 11, 2011. Jamaate Islami and other Islamic groups
held rallies in EVERY big and small city in Pakistan calling
for the trial of Raymond Davis, the American arrested for
killing three Pakistanis in Lahore. Some demonstrators
called for his execution.
In front of Mansoora, in Lahore, a huge rally was addressed
by Liaqat Baluch, a senior JI leader, who called for
investigation of American intervention in Pakistan and trial
of all accused now hiding in the US embassy.
February 10: A martyrdom operator hit General Kayani's elite
regiment in the cantonment of Mardan [outside the tribal
areas]. At least 34 Paki troops were killed and 54 wounded.
[New mujahideen activity is also reported from Mohmand and
Swat inspite of heavy military occupation by Kayani's
US-backed forces.]
A must read:
Please scroll way down.
A thought provoking article by Br. Shamim Siddiqui [Long
Island, NY] on how Islamic activists should respond to the
uprisings in the Arab world.
Visit the Islamic Movement in America on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=878015450#!/pages/Jamt-Al-Muslimeen-International/135993416460209
(You must have a facebook account, and be logged into
facebook to see this page.) Help publicize our page by
"liking" it, or inviting your friends to view it.
Zionism/Racism are Rooted in the Language of Oppression and
Enslavement.
by Dr. Abdulalim Shabazz
[
DrAAS.info
]
In truth and reality there is no biological or genetic basis
for Zionism/Racism. This mental disease is based upon the
lie that the human family is divided up into a hierarchy of
races, with the white at the top and the black at the
bottom. This fiction is shown to be false in the Qur'an
(Yusuf Ali interpretation) 49:13: "O mankind! We created
you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made
you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other
(not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most
honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most
righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well
acquainted (with all things)."
Zionism and Racism are alive and well, for words make
people, words make up the language of racism, and education,
formal and informal, by way of books/literature and the
media ingrains the false concepts and thinking in the human
family from birth to death. For example, consider some of
the main meanings of the word "black": (1) figuratively,
dismal, gloomy, sullen, forbidding, or the like; destitute
of moral light or goodness; mournful; calamitous; evil;
wicked; atrocious; thus Shakespeare speaks of black deeds,
thoughts, envy, tidings, despair, etc. (2) soiled; dirty.
(3) disgraceful. (4) without hope, as a black future. (5)
inveterate, confirmed, deep-dyed, as a black villain. (6)
humorous or satirical in a morbid, cynical or savage way, as
black comedy. Contrast these with some of the following
main meanings of the word "white": (1) having the color of
pure snow and milk ... opposite of black. (2) morally and
spiritually pure; spotless; innocent. (3) free from evil
intent; harmless; as white magic; a white lie. (4) happy;
fortunate; auspicious. (5) (a) having a light colored skin;
Caucasian; (b) of or controlled by the white race; as white
supremacy; (c) (from notions of racial superiority, slang)
honest; honorable; fair; dependable. (6) favorite.
The problem in the western dominated world is that the
culture and the history of the oppressed populations are
neglected, ignored, and belittled as primitive or as
non-existing. For example, Arnold Toynbee, a respected
British historian, stated in one of his historical treatises
that of all the civilizations known to man not one was
established by the blacks. Of course, this is false, but
the average person, who does not read and who has not
travelled, believes what the scholars are reported to have
said; and that is, indeed, why scholars make the best liars.
When one points out that Egyptian and Ethiopian
civilizations existed when Europe was savage and
uncivilized, and the fact that "all authorities agree in the
statement that, however far back they go, they find no
uncivilized state of society" in Egypt, some deceiving
scholars counter with: "The Egyptians and Ethiopians are
dark Caucasoids."
The consequence of this kind of writing and teaching of the
culture and history of formerly enslaved and colonized
people is very low self-esteem or self-worth, which
naturally leads to demoralized destructive behavior and low
expectations.
[The writer is Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at
Grambling University, Louisiana, and philosopher of Jamaat
al-Muslimeen.]
Imam Badi Ali [National Shoora Leader] North Carolina.
After Mubarak
[Feb. 12. Imam Ali has just returned from a rally in
Greensboro to celebrate the victory in Egypt. Now he is
looking for flags of Algeria and Yemen as the people are
rising up there.]
Spotlight #1: The Pharoah's magicians were clever. They
tried everything but Allah's miracle was stronger and
swallowed up the Pharoah's snakes.
Spotlight #2: The US media were worried about "security"
owing to the uprising. They forgot about 30 years of tyranny
when there was no security for the masses.
Spotlight #3: Concern was expressed about the danger of
blood flowing in Egypt owing to the uprising. The western
media forgot that blood has been flowing in Egypt for 30
years. The tyrant arrested, tortured, raped and murdered
countless people. Where were the US media?
Spotlight #4: Mubarak's secret bank accounts and his
"religious scholars" were two sides of the same coin. These
"scholars" were willing to give religious sanction to all of
Mubarak's crimes.
Spotlight #5: The Muslim Brotherhood [Ikhwan] has shown it's
inability to think ahead. They condemned the killing of
Sadat. Then they tried to win the favors of Mubarak. He
kicked them around. Finally they entered "elections" under
the fraud of his system. He allowed them to win seats and
then kicked them out in the next election. During the
uprising, they rushed to talk to Israeli connector VP Omar
Suleyman who is worse than Mubarak. The Brotherhood movement
have lost their moral direction and are a blot on Islam.
[They are not very different from CAIR and ISNA in America
who were very friendly with Bush and now with Obama.] They
are educated but politically inferior to the Egyptian
masses.
Latest Khutba: Americans do not hate Islam.
Learn Peaceful Resistance to Oppose Zionism & Oppression:
Egypt & USA Need Islam
"Islamophobia" is a fake concept.
On February 11, 2011 Dr. Kaukab Siddique gave the juma'
khutba at a mosque in Baltimore, Maryland. It was much
appreciated and its main points are given below.
Texts:
O you who believe! if an evil-doer comes to you with a
report, look carefully into it, lest you harm a people in
ignorance, then be sorry for what you have done. [The Qur'an
49:6]
[From 'Umar, r.a. {excerpted]. Allah's messenger smiled
while he was lying on a mat made of palm tree leaves with
nothing between him and the mat. Underneath his head there
was a leather pillow stuffed with palm fibres, and leaves of
a saut tree were piled at his feet, and above his head hung
a few water skins. On seeing the marks of the mat imprinted
on his side, I wept. He said.' 'Why are you weeping?' I
replied, "O Allah's messenger! Caesar and Khosrau are
leading the life (of luxury) while you, Allah's messenger,
are living in destitution." The Prophet then replied. 'Won't
you be satisfied that they enjoy this world and we the
Hereafter?' " [Bukhari 6/60/435]
Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, said: "Do not wish to be like
anybody except in two cases: the case of a man whom Allâh
has given wealth and he spends it in the right way; and that
of a man whom Allâh has given religious wisdom and he gives
his verdicts according to it, and teaches it to others."
(Bukhâri 9/419)
MAIN POINTS:
-
The Egyptian tyrant has stepped down. It is a stupendous
victory for the Egyptian people, for the Muslim world, for
the Arab nations, for Africa and for humanity.
-
The victory has come about through Faith, unity and
brotherhood/sisterhood of Islam.
-
The world is changing and, inshallah, all the tyrants will
be swept away.
-
We must apply the example of Egypt and Tunisia to our own
conditions in America.
-
Behind the revolution in Arab countries stands the example
of the Prophet, pbuh, when he was in Makka.Like the
Prophet,pbuh, we must study America and understand who are
our friends and enemies.
-
Do not be like the young Hispanic convert to Islam who was
recently arrested in Maryland for allegedly planning violent
attacks on the US military. Violence is not the answer.
-
Also, do not be like the funded Muslim organizations which
support Israel and are silent on the occupation of Muslim
lands. These have sold out and are Muslims only in name.
-
There is no such thing as "islamophobia" in America. There
are 300 million people in USA. Muslims are 7 to 9 million.
If they hated us, we would have been wiped out.
-
In fact the Zionist media have suffered a mortal defeat.
They have tried for TEN years to stir up the American people
against us but have failed miserably.
-
Know your friends and enemies. Remember that the Prophet,
pbuh, used the tribal system in Makka to protect Muslims. If
one tribe was against him, another protected him.
-
We have the right to speak, organize, mobilize, protest and
rally, as long as we are within the limits of the law.
-
Who are our friends? African-Americans first, owing to the
legacy of Malcolm X and Imam Jamil al-Amin.
-
Then come Hispanics [latinos] who are still religious and
need a religion like Islam which honors Jesus, pbuh.
-
Then come the people of German descent. Many of them feel
deeply humiliated by the constant propaganda against Germany
with reference to World War II. The story of the "holocaust"
is backfiring.
-
Most important of all: The women of America, of all races.
Zionist ideas have objectified, trivialized and humiliated
women. Decent women find that they have to go around half
naked before they will get a job.
-
Look at the storm of adultery, fornication, rape, child
molestation and battering/murder of females in America. Our
sisters are coming to seek refuge under the banner of
Muhammad, pbuh, who never raised his hand against a woman.
We must respect, honor and protect ALL women.
-
Christianity cannot save America. Evil and good clash in
America and evil always wins. Look at the issue of GAMBLING.
In spite of al their efforts, the Christians could not win.
Why? because the Bible does not speak against gambling or
liquor.
-
Look at homosexuality. Again the Christians have lost. Even
the President of the United States supports homosexuality.
-
Christianity has no concept of HARAM and HALAL. Hence there
is no divine support for Christian morality. The Zionists
have infiltrated Christianity. International Jewry has
America by the throat!
-
We do not hate all Jews. Among them are good people, as the
Qur'an affirms. However, most Jews support Israel which is
an illegitimate and terrorist entity.
-
Make sure that your money is not going to support Israel
through American Jews and Christian Zionists. Use PEACEFUL
MEANS only to undermine Israel. Boycott businesses which
support Israel,such as Coca Cola, Nestle, Disney, Gap,
Calvin Klein, McDonalds, Starbucks, etc.
Be kind, compassionate, honest, caring and generous towards
all people, like the Prophet, pbuh, was. Pray 5 times a day
and remember that Allah is the Creator of ALL.
Du'a:Please pray! O Allah! Help the people of Tunisia and
Egypt to complete their victory and establish an Islamic
state.
O Allah! Help the ummah to topple all tyranny. Help the
people of Algeria, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan to establish
Islamic rule.
O Allah! Help the people of Kashmir against India! Help the
people of Chechnya against Russia! Help the people of
Afghanistan against NATO! Help the people of Pakistan
against the munafiqueen, help the people of Iraq against the
US.
O Allah! Help the Muslims of Baltimore, of Maryland and all
America to unite on the Qur'an and the authentic Hadith.
O Allah! Above all we pray that you help the Muslim ummah to
defeat and drive the yahood out of Palestine! Ameen!
With thanks to Dr. Omar Afzal [Ithaca, NY]
Tunisian Poet Sha'abi's poem [much before the
revolution].
To the Tyrants of the World
Oppressive tyrant, lover of darkness, enemy of life
You have ridiculed the size of the weak people
Your palm is soaked with their blood
You have deformed the magic of existence
And planted the seeds of sorrow in the fields
Wait -- don't be fooled by the spring
The clearness of the sky or the light of dawn
For on the horizon lies the horror of darkness,
Rumble of thunder, and blowing of wind
Beware, for below the ash there is fire
And he who grows thorns reaps wounds
Look there, for I have harvested the heads of mankind
And the flowers of hope
And I have watered the heart of the earth with blood
I soaked it with tears until it was drunk
The river of blood will sweep you
And the fiery storm will devour you
- Translated by Abdul Iskander for NPR
[With thanks to Mark Weber, Los Angeles.]
George Bush Cancels Visit to Switzerland After Complaints
about Torture
Reuters
Former President George W. Bush has canceled a visit to
Switzerland, where he was to address a Jewish charity gala,
due to the risk of legal action against him for alleged
torture, rights groups said on Saturday Bush was to be the
keynote speaker at Keren Hayesod's annual dinner on February
12 in Geneva. But pressure has been building on the Swiss
government to arrest him and open a criminal investigation
if he enters the Alpine country. Criminal complaints against
Bush alleging torture have been lodged in Geneva , court
officials say.
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
"EGYPT IS FREE" -"EGYPT IS FREE", ALHAMDULILLAH
by Shamim A Siddiqi, New York
The moment the VP of Egypt Omar Suleman announced that the
President General Hosni Mubarak has stepped down following
the will of the mass uprising, the masses at the Tahreer
Ground and every nook and corner of the country were echoing
with the captioned slogan in an endless chain of enthusiasm
and ecstasy. These were the rightful moments of deliverance
from the clutches of a total dictatorship and the people
were quite honest to acclaim it with their spontaneous
welcome.
It is the glorious reward of 17 days and nights of constant
fighting of young "kids" of Egypt who were dauntless and
fearless in smashing the mightiest Pharoah of 21 Century.
Their sincerity of purpose, the haunting memories of three
decades of deprivation of human liberties, the total denial
of human rights under false emergency for 30 long years,
their miserable living condition hardly meeting body and
soul together, just pulsating anyhow within less that two
dollars a day and the mockery of the Western democracies
that nourished and maintained the image of Mubarak as stable
power under false sense of stability and keeping the hoax of
Islamism away from the tentacles of power. Ultimately the
oppressed people broke it into pieces under the immeasurable
mighty weight of Egyptian youth.
The despotic Mubarak who constantly tried his best to break
the courage and stamina of youth on false pretensions,
evasive promises and dictatorial mockeries has no choice but
to surrender to the will of Egypt's brave sons, daughters,
students, labor, doctors, law students and the common folks.
He is now hiding his "ugly" face in the "waters" of
Sharm-al-Sheikh at the borders of Saudi Arabia where the
Muslim rulers take refuge generally when ousted from power,
and his bosom friend Israel, the other potential "safe"
harbor for Mubarak.
This is the open success of mass movements against sitting
tyrants and the resounding replica of Tunisia where Mohammad
Bouazizi, the fruit vendor of Sidi Bouzid, the city 200
miles South of Tunis laid down the foundation of mass
uprising by putting his body on fire in protest against the
oppressive regime of Zine-el-Abidine who ruled that country
ruthlessly for 23 years and ultimately people forced him to
run away to SA as a refugee. The dominant role of military
was very constructive in Tunisia as was in Egypt. Now it has
become the fact of history that a national army could not
and cannot shoot her own patriotic people when on revolt
against the oppressive regime of their own kith and kin.
Pakistan military refused to shoot the young demonstrators
on the streets of Karachi when PM and Martial Law
Administrator Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto ordered to fire. As a
result, he had to go and General Zia-ul-Haq came to power.
Likewise in Iran, military refused to fire on its own people
in Tehran and the Shah of Iran had to leave the country and
take refuge ultimately in Egypt and where he is buried in a
mosque in Cairo.
These are the encouraging signs as how to bring revolution
in a country where the sons of the soil through wrongful
means usurp the power and then try to perpetuate their
regime as their life long episode under martial law, or
emergency, keeping the fundamental human right, the election
process, democratic institutions all suspended at the behest
and active support of the so-called democratic countries of
the West. The Mass Movements get momentum only when the
masses are hard pressed, human rights are denied, elections
if held at all are marred with fraud, rigging, forced
balloting accompanied with a lot of disqualification both of
the candidates and the voters making the election a farce.
Simultaneously, people suffer from mass scale unemployment,
higher cost of living, increase in foreign debts and face
extremely harsh and hard terms of loan if IMF is involved in
it. Thus the country is ruined and the masses have no choice
but to come to the street in protest and agitation demanding
the change of regime in power and they succeed very often
when the national army becomes neutral and refuses to take
any action against general uprising.
The success of mass movements in Tunisia and then Egypt
foretell the trend that is likely to be repeated in almost
every Muslim country with a few exceptions only of Turkey,
Malaysia and to some extent Indonesia. The rest are the bad
stigma in the name of Islam that guarantees all the
aforesaid rights, freedom and liberties to all its citizens
within its jurisdiction irrespective of the fact whether
Muslim or non-Muslim, in majority or minority. As such, mass
uprisings are knocking at the doors of Syria, Jordan, Yemen,
Pakistan, Algeria, Bangladesh and Sheikhdoms of Persian Gulf
States. Everywhere the regimes are shaky and they are likely
to face their masses uprising sooner than later for their
human and democratic rights and falling standard of living.
In these mass movements and the would be uprising in the
near future the role of Islamic Movements have been very
nominal or marginal. Unfortunately, they could not feel the
pulse of their youth who organized the mass uprisings
through Internet services on mass scale and have given new
dimensions to the use of Internet services which enabled
them to contact millions and millions of people in no time
and call them to assemble at a given point for mass rallies
and demonstrations, picketing and public meetings. They with
flash button could tell the public to attend such and such
places in such and such number where they will be addressed
by such and such people. It is a kind of mass whispering
campaign secretly and silently and no despotic ruler could
or can disturb their program or agenda.
Islamic Movements could not muster this system so far and
hence were no where there in their orbits. As such these
mass uprising were neither pro nor anti Islam. They were
simple younger generation of their country and played havoc
with the well-establish dictatorship of their respective
countries, even beyond the imagination of their western
masters in America and Europe.
Muslim leadership should learn from the organized efforts of
Tunisia and Egypt and immediately reset their strategies and
programs towards creating mass uprising by taking the full
advantage of Internet services. They have to do home work
for the countries listed above and prepare their movement
oriented youngsters for this job and spread it to the grass
route levels of the targeted countries. All these countries
are now well set for mass uprising on the pattern set by the
two African predominantly Muslim countries. If they delay,
they will be the losers and will be nowhere in taking part
in the reshaping these countries on ideological lines. The
time is very short for them and they have to get the lost
lessons updated.
The second task before them is to build the team of Da'ees
and increase its numerical strength to the level that when
the uprising happens and mass awakening takes place, the
team of Da'ees, irrespective of age factor should and must
be in the field to cover and sustain the results of these
uprisings in favor of Islam and the Islamic Movement and the
opportunists and secular leadership is not able to pocket
the results of mass uprising. This is the game of
preplanning, precaution and preparation for the preemptive
struggle when the iron is hot. This is also called the
wisdom of a Mumin who foresees the events before hand and
makes himself or herself ready to face all the eventualities
in no time.
May Allah bless the Muslim Ummah everywhere.
Shamim Siddiqi
Jamaat al-Muslimeen Outreach
Muslim/Christian Dialogue
Allah Rejects the religion of the blood and all human
Sacrifices to God
by Sis. Ashira [Baltimore]
This presentation was made following a series of meetings
with Christians. The participants had agreed to be very
clear in presenting their religion.
"Bismillah. We want to start this presentation by reminding
ourselves of God's
supreme wisdom. Allah is so wise that we cannot even
quantify how wise He is.
How is this relative here now? Let us look at the Prophet
Ibrahim whom we all
claim, the Christians and the Muslims and also the Jews. We
all believe in
Abraham and we agree that after his willingness to sacrifice
his son, God told
him not to do so but rather to place a lamb on that altar
for sacrifice and that
this should put an end to anyone offering humans on altars
for sacrifice. He
said kill an animal and feed the hungry people.
No blood or flesh reaches Allah but it is one's piety that
pleases God.
So, we bring it here to show that God in His wisdom has
pre-empted the lie that
He knew the writers of religious Dogma would come with--the
lie wherein they
would say that God Himself gave His son (God forgive us for
God has no son) to
be sacrificed. Such a fabrication is a contradiction to
what God has already
declared during the time of Abraham (and there is no change
in what Allah (God)
says or does). No human sacrifice; the crucifixion is not
true. God says in His
last revelation to all mankind, the holy Quran, "they
neither killed him nor
crucified him"--speaking of Jesus (Isa).
This is the truth. The Quran stands for the past 1400 years
as a testament to God's ever living words. What is true of
the books before it is included in it and it is the only
revealed book that has kept its original
wording--untouched!!"
[With thanks to Sis. Hamdiyya, Jamaat al-Muslimeen,
Charlotte, NC]
Saudi women protest, web activists call for reform
Saturday, February 5 [Courtesy Reuters]
About 40 women staged a rare demonstration in the Saudi
capital Riyadh on Saturday, demanding the release of
prisoners held without a trial as part of the kingdom's
efforts to fight al Qaeda insurgents, activists said. Skip
related content
Women clad in black gathered in front of the Interior
Ministry in central Riyadh watched by a heavy police
presence, a Reuters correspondent said.
"God, free our prisoners," read one poster held up by a
woman.
Police officers at the scene declined to comment.
"The women demand to free people imprisoned in the campaign
against terrorism. Many people have been held up for a long
time without trial, or have nothing to do with al Qaeda,"
activist Mohammed al-Qahtani told Reuters by telephone
later.
Amnesty International and other human rights activists have
accused Saudi Arabia of having detained thousands of reform
activists in its sweep against al Qaeda which staged a
campaign inside the kingdom from 2003-06. Riyadh denies
this.
It was not immediately clear if the demonstrators were
related to the prisoners.
The protests took place at a time when hundreds of thousands
of demonstrators have rallied in the streets protesting
against poverty, unemployment and authoritarian rule in
Tunisia and Egypt, sending shock waves through the Arab
world.
In a rare sign of rising discontent in Saudi Araba, a group
of Saudi web activists also launched an online campaign
calling for political reform in the world's biggest oil
exporter.
The Saudi campaign, which was launched on Facebook on
January 29 and has 264 members so far, called for a
constitutional monarchy, an end to corruption, an even
distribution of wealth, and a serious solution for
unemployment, among other demands.
"Before it is too late, I call the government, and the king,
to reform the country and heed our requests...if they wish
to continue ruling this country, " one group member, Safaa
Jaber, posted on the group's wall on Friday.
"I call on our people to take on the responsibility of
demanding their legitimate rights for complete reform of our
country before the situation evolves into something
undesirable," she said.
Activists in Egypt have used the social media websites to
rally supporters online and coordinate protests.
Saudi Arabia does not allow public dissent. Last month,
police detained dozens in the port city of Jeddah after they
protested against poor infrastructure following deadly
floods.
King Abdullah of Saudi, who is around 87, has tried some
cautious reforms since ascending the throne in 2005 but
diplomats say his room for manoeuvre is hindered by
opposition from powerful members of the royal family.
(Reporting by Ulf Laessing and Asma Alsharif; Editing by
Rania El Gamal and Angus MacSwan)
With thanks to Dr. Ismail Zayid [Canada]
WikiLeaks: Suleiman vowed to prevent Hamas rule in Gaza
Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman promised Israel in
2005 that he would prevent Hamas' rise to power in the Gaza
Strip, according to a document leaked to the WikiLeaks
website and published by Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.
According to the memo, the then-Egyptian intelligence
minister told Israeli defense official Amos Gilad during a
meeting six years ago that he would "do all in his power to
sabotage the Gaza elections in order to prevent a Hamas
victory." (Elior Levy) [Israel News.]
Under Mubarak, Egypt was the land of the Dead Where Coptic
Churches were More Prominent than Mosques
Dreaming in Egyptian..........
[Courtesy Asqfish[dot]wordpress[dot]com]
**The Dreaming is a term used by Aborigines to describe the
relations and balance between the spiritual, natural and
moral elements of the world.
I have arrived in Cairo alone. I am a day ahead of the tour
that is supposed to take me on an educational tour of the
Middle East.
At the airport a man from the tour company dressed in a suit
is waiting for me in a limousine. I am seated and we are off
to a hotel on the Nile...I drift to thirty years ago when I
had arrived with my newly wed husband in the middle of
Ramadan and were on our way also to a hotel on the Nile.
The roads are the same but the inhabitants on the road are
different. I am stuck in rush hour traffic in Cairo. In the
one and half hour drive to my hotel I enjoy the scenic route
at a slow pace.
I notice unlike thirty years ago, most of the women drivers
and passengers in the cars are in hijab (head covering). The
second major change is that the Coptic orthodox churches are
very prominent and have an "in your face" visibility.
Isn't this the city of 2000 mosques?
Now traversing the highway it feels more like the city of
churches. Every Coptic Church is lavishly lit up with neon
sign crosses galore.
The third not inconsequential difference is popping up of
the luxurious, handsome opulent buildings of the armed
forces and the Government. They look elegant, solidly
permanent with beautifully manicured gardens.
The driver points out in a cynical tone to a barricade where
the entry road and all surrounding roads are barricaded
"That is the road to Hosni Mobaraks palace"
I arrive at the Hotel and opt to pay extra to get a room
with a Nile view.
The Bell boy (man) is extremely polite and engaging. He is
of that indeterminate age somewhere between 35 and 45,
strong enough to lift my luggage but has aged with the lines
of worry and strife written all over his face.
We exchange pleasantries in the traditional Muslim way I ask
about his family and he asks about mine. He tells me he has
two sons and his eyes light up in the tired lined face. He
asks me what sort of a Doctor I am, and then promptly shares
his concerns about one of his sons and asks for advice.
He tells me wistfully that he does not get to see them awake
as he travels one and half-hour by bus to get to the hotel
at 6 am, and when he returns they are already in bed
asleep.
He is of the few who are fortunate to have a paying job.
"Why don't you live in Cairo?" I ask thinking about downtown
housing at home.
A look comes over his face, "I cannot even dream of it" he
says, a firm and accepting look on his face, unquestioning
of the impregnable divide between the have's and the
have-nots and resignation to that fate................
That night at 9 pm he will take the bus for one and one half
hour to his home in the outskirts of Cairo and his boys will
be asleep.
That was before Jan 25, 2011.
I meet a young college student, who tells me that when she
goes to the mosque for Jumma she is followed and later
questioned as to her relationship with other Muslim
political groups, she thus gave up going to the mosque.
For Eighty years the older generation of Egyptians stopped
dreaming and kept adjusting to what ever oppression was
foisted on them. The fatalistic cynicism that comes with
atheistic thinking has overtaken them.
Others feel that either God has forsaken them or that God
has allocated them oppression and more oppression and this
is their fate. yet others feel that their only way out is to
immigrate to another country.
However immigration to the most popular country in the world
(USA) is not possible, as it does not want Egyptians
anymore. Right wing TV News has already drummed into the
mind of the American TV Watchers that Egyptians are Arabs
and that is another word for terrorists.
However I was all wrong..........about every thing and
everyone in Egypt. Historically Egypt has grown strong,
steadfast levelheaded practical men and women in the past.
Why not now?
What I did not know that unbeknownst to all, a generation of
Egyptian men and women were growing up in the land of
oppression, who were dreaming of a life of dignity. They had
set their sights for a nation without oppression, without
fear of no one except God and a lack of attachment to
things.
With the New Year 2011, came the drawing of the first blood.
The Dictator of Tunisia crossed the line and the public took
him down!
On Jan 25..............the generation of Egyptians who were
dreaming decided to take action and make their dream come
true.
To the horror of their elders who were well entrenched in
the service of the establishment, these youth picked up the
first stone to cast at the huge photo of Hosni Mubarak and
the Egyptian dreaming morphed into the Egyptian
Intifada................
I wonder if the sons of the bellboy at the Hotel will grow
up with out the fear of oppression. Whether the girl I met
will be able to go to Jumma at the mosque without being
harassed, and whether for once in eighty long years Egypt
will rise as a Phoenix instead of being held down in stone
near the Pyramids of Giza and show the way to other
oppressed nations?
Of course I may just be Dreaming in Egyptian............
2011-02-15 Tue 18:34:37 cst
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