Naguib Sawiris Talk @ SOAS

"We have a long way to go," I though to myself as I left the talk. I just returned to the dorm from talk at London's School of Oriental and African Studies by Naguib Sawiris, who was promoting his newly established political party, the Free Egyptians. I was delighted when a friend informed that the talk was taking place in London because Sawiris is one of my role models. He is splendid example of an "Egyptian success story." Hearing him talk in person truly affirmed my that notion.

There's a lot that happened during the talk that is reflective of the current situation. The main theme of the talk was that the revolution was prone to being hijacked by forces who do not seek to serve Egypt's national interest. Sawiris warned that the demographics of the "revolutionaries" was gradually changing, unfortunately, for the worse... The liberal, intellectual, progressive youth who aimed to steer Egypt to a more desirable future are starting to become replaced by forces of various religious and political ideologies struggling for power to serve their self-interests. Sawiris claimed that many of the youth who spearheaded the revolution thought that they had achieved their objective by overthrowing Mubarak's regime. Obviously he was referring to the recent clashes between extremists (both Copts and Muslims) who had led to recent clashes. When this sensitive subject came up during the talk and the Q & A session, many Muslims and Copts began speaking up. Minorities from both religious groups began making comments criticizing one another. Actually, at one point, a fight broke out when a Copt directly insulted Islam. The situation flared at that point, but fortunately people came to their senses when another Copt formally apologized on behalf of the other Copts to the Muslims, and the apology was accepted.

It was at this point that the true sound of reason spoke to my ears. An old Coptic woman sitting next to me began explaining to a bearded Muslim man sitting behind me the following:

"We are all Egyptians. We should never let this minority break us apart. In the 1948, 1967, and 1973 Wars, Copts and Muslims fought side by side. Their blood mixed with one another. Never in these wars did a Muslim tell a Copt to go fight in front of him or vice versa. We must remain resilient in the face of those who want to break us apart."

These words of wisdom and nobility struck a chord within me. Regardless of whatever faith I adhere to, I shall always let my humanity supersede. What bewilders me is how we Egyptians have regressed to such barbarism. Egypt has always been a land of tolerance. Muslims and Copts have embraced one another for more than a thousand years. Prophet Muhammed was always gentle and just with Christians, and I am sure that he would have put justice above religious allegiance. I even recall reading a Hadith in which a delegation of Christians began praying in Prophet Muhammed's mosque and even though the Muslims wanted to stop them from doing so, the Prophet ordered that the Christians should be left to pray and worship freely.

The point is, people get so caught up in the moment that they forget what their religions actually preach. Any Muslim or Christian who defies religious tolerance and harmony is going against the teachings of his religion, in my opinion. Sawiris put it so brilliantly during the talk when he claimed, "If I have choose between my identity and allegence to Egypt or Christianity, I choose Egypt." Even though we are all faithful Muslims and Christians, we should not let fundamentalists hijack our religion and politics. "We hope to see Egypt as Turkey, and not Iran," Sawiris went on to claim.

The thing about Egyptian politics is that everyone seems to have an ego and wants to be in the limelight. What impressed me about Sawiris is humble approach. He does not seek the presidency, even of his own party...but actually wants to make a positive difference. He claimed to modernize, we need to have a free, liberal, secular system. Secularism doesn't mean atheism, but it recognizes that forces can hijack religion to serve their political self-interests. Sawiris cited Ataturks' secularist revolution and the seperation of the State and the Church in the Western World as sources of progress. Now he didn't encourage the religious nihilism that has prevailed in the West, but recognizes that religion is best kept in the private sphere of life.

I can go on and on to explain the merits of Sawiris' talk, but the chaos in the audience during the Q&A session made me realized that the Egyptians still have a long way to go in fully absorbing the principles of democracy. This was the cream of Egyptian society, and they could not conduct the Q&A session without tension and disrespect to one another. What happened to the civilization, discipline, and tolerance that Tahrir Square taught us? How do we expect to have a full-fledged democracy if we couldn't control ourselves in a small auditorium in London? People were confused and upset. Some people left half way through the Q&A session. For some reason, I did not give up hope. I know that every problem has a solution. I pray that God bestows Muslims and Copts with the wisdom, benevolence, and enlightenment that the old Coptic lady sitting beside me had revealed in the few words she spoke.

Although I heard some in the crowd murmur, "I'm not ready to go back to Egypt." I thought the complete opposite. It is my life's purpose to return to my nation at this point and do what I can, no matter how little I may have to offer.

I pray that God guides us all to the straight path.

مصر القديمة

اليوم ختمت كتاب قصيرعن اجدادي، و هم القدماء المصريين. في الماضي، لم أهتم بتريخ مصر الفرعوني كما يجب على. بعد الثورة، اشعرت بالالتزام أن أزود معرفتي عن هويتي. علاوة على ذلك، كنت أريد أن أتعلم عن تريخ مصر من وجهة نظر مصرية، و ليست من منظور غربي برغم أن معظم تريخنا مسجل بيد الغربيين

في أحد من رحلاتي إلي ميدان التحرير بعد الثورة، قررت أن أستكشف الشوارع الجانبية في وسط البلد. في هذه الجولة وجدت مكتبة المدبولي، و هي من أشهر مكاتب القاهرة. دخلت المكتبة و سألت عن كتاب "الأيام" الذي كتبه طه حسين عن حياته. عندما إنتظرت البائع يبحث عن نسخه من هذا الكتاب، التفتت عيناي إلى جزء من المكتبة تحمل كتب نجيب محفوظ. اعشق كتبات محفوظ خصوصا كتابته عن تريخ مصر. في الماضي قرأت "كفاح طيبة" وعجبني خيال محفوظ وأسلوب روايته. رأيت من ضمن عناوين الكتب كتاب عنوانه "مصر القديمة". شرح لي البائع أن هذا الكتاب مجرد مجموعة من الفصول عن مواضيع مختلفه كتبها محفوظ عن القدماء المصريين . ظننت أن هذا الكتاب مثالي لي في بحثي عن الهوية المصرية. أشتريت كتابين من كتب محفوظ و كتاب حسين الأيام

بدأت رحلتي الإستكشافية عن تريخ مصر أثنا عودتي إلى لندن. أنهيت أول ربع من الكتاب على الطائرة. ماذا عجبني عن الكتاب هو نظرته العامة عن الحياة المصرية من آلاف السنين. يصور لنا محفوظ تفصيل الحاة اليومية وتقاليد أجدادنا الثقافية والدينية . بالإضافة إلى ذلك، يكتب الكاتب عن حيات الفرعون و الجندي المصري. أعجبني كيف عرف محفوظ أن يروي كل هذه الأبعاد المختلفة عن حضارة قديمة بعين للتفاصيل الدقيقة جدا.

أكثر موضوع أحببته في الكتاب هو عن الديانة المصرري القديمة و كيف كان يؤمن القدماء بالأخرة كما نعتقد الأن أن يوجد حياة أبادي بعد الموت. يكتب محفوظ ، "يجب علينا ألا ننسى أن المصريين تواصلوا كذلك لمعرفة جانب عظيم من الحقيقة التي قررتها الأديان التوحيدية، فكانوا يعتقدون بأن أفعال الإنسان في الدنيا هي التي تقرر مصيره في الأخرة وأن الشرير وإن نجا من العقاب في الدنيا فالآلهة لا تتركة في الدنيا الأخرى بلا حساب أو عقاب." إذن، يلخص محفوظ سر و حق هذه الحياة و هو أن العدل سيطبق ذات يوم. مثل جميع كتابات محفوظ، هذا الكتاب يرزقنا بالحكمة والمعرفة

آمل أن اختتام هذا الكتاب فقد أول خطوة لي في رحلتي في التعليم عن بلدي، لغتي، ثقافتي، ديانتي، و هويتي. كما أقول عندما أبدأ أي رحله: توكلت على اللة

A Tribute to the Egyptian People by a Palestinian

The most beautiful words I've heard about the revolution...

The Guardian's Contribution to the Revolution

I just left my Strategy seminar awed by an inspirational talk by the Managing Director of the Guardian, Tim Brooks. Recently, with the unfolding of the Arab Revolutions, I have held independent media in high esteem for its ability to shape world events. The Guardian always offered an insightful perspective on what takes place behind the scenes. As a professional news agency, its journalists seemed committed to the truth.

Although the class discussion was about the Guardian's business model and how the news agency is coping with the inevitable shift from print to digital media, I was fortunate enough to approach Brooks at the end of the talk to ask him a question that boggled my mind for sometime, " How did the Guardian get a hold of a true estimate of Mubarak's fortune?"

The reason meeting Brooks meant a lot to me was because of how the Guardian's article about Mubarak's $70 bn fortune tipped the scale in favor of the Egyptian revolution's success. At a time when my nation was at an inflection point, and Egypt's destiny stood on a thin line between revolution and counter-revolution, it was this news about the abhorent corruption that had plagued our governing system that drove the final nail in the Mubarak regime's coffin.

I was curious to find out how the Guardian had obtained exclusive access to this piece of information. According to Brooks, Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, got hold of 200,000 diplomatic cable leaks. Instead of releasing them all, he collaborated with news agencies, such as the Guardian and the New York Times, to filter through them and release ones that would have a strategic impact. It was during the climax of the Egyptian revolution that the Guardian decided to release the news of Mubarak's fortune and expose the a secret that the U.S. and Egyptian governments had withheld thus far.

It was amazing how a single piece of information could shape a nation's history. I personally thanked Brooks as an Egyptian for his agency's decision to commit itself the truth. Athough a lecture by the head of a news agency that has been around since 1821 was a treat in and of itself, a conversation up close and in person with Mr. Brooks about how his agency contributed to my nation's history was more than I could ever ask for!

Tahrir: The Friday of Purification & Trial

Since the 25th of January, 2011, I had constantly been dreaming of the day when I would be able to join the crowds in Tahrir Square who celebrate the victory of the Egyptian Revolution and inch towards a liberal and democratic Egypt each day. April 8th would be the day.

Since the collapse of the Mubarak regime, the revolutionaries have made it a tradition to unite each Friday in Tahrir Square to express the solidarity of all the different colours of the Egyptian political and religious spectrum, keep the revolutionary fire burning, and demand that cronies of the former regime be brought to justice. Hence, April 8th was deemed the Friday of Purification (of Egypt from corruption) and the Trial (of Mubarak and other corrupt members of the former regime).

As I entered Tahrir Square at approximately 10am from the adjacent Abdel-Meneim Riydad Square, I was surprised to see the square quite empty. There were various stages set up on the various corners of the square. At first, it almost seemed like I had entered a carnival. Each stage showed different talents. The first square showcased political poetry by different youths. One filled his poetry with satire, another with comedy, and a third with hope. I then walked around the round-about in the middle of the square to see a second stage with a person from the Muslim Brotherhood preaching social justice. A third stage was headed by a Nasserist declaring solidarity with revolutionaries in Libya, Palestine, and Syria.

I had heard many stories in London of people who had witnessed Tahrir Square first hand, and they painted a utopian image of the Square in my mind. They made it seem like a place euphoric place where Egyptians epitomised human creativity, virtues, principles, comradeship, respect, and dignity. They were true to their world. As the influx of people into the Square grew, the scene became so much more vibrant. Despite the various stages chanting different patriotic slogans and playing various revolutionary songs, there was a sense of tranquility and magnificence amongst all the chaos.

The experience took on a divine dimension during Friday prayer. When the call to prayer took place, the square all of the sudden became dead silent. I was awed by how the call to connect with God had unanimously been respected by all, Muslims and Christians alike. As everyone faced al-Qibla, and the Imam who was giving the Friday prayer speech, I thought to myself that this must be what Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca's Ka'ba must be like. The Imam's sermon focused on the fact that justice must be upheld and that the treason and corruption of the former regime must be persecuted. He also emphasised that we are all Egyptians; it did not manner what political ideology or religious affiliation you ascribed to, we are all Egyptians. He also preached the importance of tolerance and respect of other's opinions. When the Friday prayer took place, it was quite emotional. Many around me began to tear because the Imam had made several invocations to God calling for Him to bring about justice, improve our situation, protect the gains of the revolution, and have mercy on the revolution's martyrs.

After the prayer, the crowds resumed their chanting. It was so crowded on the ground that I could literally feel my rib cage about to be crushed! Despite the hustle and bustle, people were very courteous to one another. Amidst the crowd of men, there was a women who seemed trapped. I wanted to suggest to her that it might be a good idea if she made her way out, but it seemed impossible. Once some of the other men noticed her, they called on everyone to give her space and make a safe passage for her to exit the crowd. It was this respect and chivalry that made Tahrir Square quite a special place.

As I struggled to make my way out of the crowd, I noticed that some photographers stood on the roof of an apartment building. Suddenly, I realised that that would be an ideal location to take panoramic photos of what was going on on the crowd. I wormed my way through the crowd until I finally was able to make it to the sidewalk, where I could finally take a full breath of air. I then scouted the area until I found the building's entrance. I ran up the nine or so stories of the building. To actually make it to the roof involved some unconventional climbing, but I eventually made it. The sight from the building's top was absolutely breathtaking. The scene below appeared to me as if I were staring at a sea of people. Like an ant colony, the demonstrators were miraculously very well organised. As one would expect, the three dominant colours were red, white, and black... From up there, once could see the whole picture. Together, the Egyptian people were a force to reckoned with.

The New Revolutionaries

"On behalf of the University of London Egyptian Student Association," I kicked off the post-lecture Q&A session, "I would like to express my utmost gratitude, Ms. Ahdaf Soueif, for your endearing account of your experiences in Tahrir Square, and Professor Gilbert Achcar, for your insightful analysis of the Egyptian Revolution."

This was the first official event that we, as Egyptian students in London, had organized to commemorate the our generation's revolution. I was pleased to see a large turn out to this event at the School of Oriental and African Studies. Supporters of all stripes and colors came out to hear of a revolution that symbolized fundamental human values: freedom, dignity, and justice.

Although I wasn't privledged to play a physical role in the Revolution, I felt it to be imperative to lend a hand to my compatriots back home. After engaging in an intellectual debate regarding the role of the Egyptian Army in the Revolution with Professor Achcar, I was amused to witness the passion in the air about what this revolution meant to people. There was a gentleman in his 80s who, in awe, exclaimed, "What these youth have achieved is a miracle! I am an Egyptian expatriat, and when I was 19, I witnessed the 1952 Revolution first hand. That revolution was stolen from the people by the army! But this time, this is a people's revolution thanks to you the Youth!"

Hearing various similar accounts made me realized that my generation has achieved something that my parents' generation could not have achieved in the past 30 years! I was humbled by the power of my generation's ideas and activism. To be honest, I doubted that we could ever achieve such glory. I always thought I was a loner, hence the name of this blog. I thought I would always be a "Romantic Revolutionary" and that the revolution I had always dreamed about would be a mere bourgeoisie fantasy. I guess I didn't have enough faith and hope in the possibilities. Although my imagination was limitless about the possibilities of taking Egypt and the Arab World forward, I wasn't a believe. But I can tell you one thing, this revolution has lit a spark in that will blaze forever in my and the hearts of my generation's compatriots.

This week, we have been working prolifically to organize events to raise awareness about what Egypt's victory means, commemorate the freedom, and prepare for the future.

More about our (i.e. Egyptian students in London) activities to follow...

The Realization of Al-Nahda

Yesterday I picked up the latest edition of The Economist magazine, proud to see that the spotlight is on Egypt once again. But something was different about this edition. Upon looking at its cover, something resonated within me. There was something alluring about its title, "The Awakening." At first, I didn't quite realize what attracted me so much to these two words, but I toyed around with the phrase in my mind until it struck me later that night as I flipped the glossy pages of Egypt's contemporary history. The Awakening was finally the realization of Al-Nahda the Arabs have always dreamed about!

I had lived my whole life wondering what the solution to the "Egyptian Problem" would ever be. I was sure there had to be a solution. I was trained as an engineer, a profession all about problem-solving, but for some reason I always felt like the "Egyptian Problem" was unsolvable. What could ever reverse our course of history and return us to our magnificent past, the Golden Age of Islamic Empire and the splendors of Ancient Egyptian civilization? It seemed like we Egyptians, in particular, and Arabs, as a whole, were destined to rot under political repression, ignorance, and poverty. Whenever I travelled abroad, I felt that the world was running. Having lived in China, India, the U.S., and Turkey, I felt like there was so much momentum in these nations. People across the world were racing to gain a competitive edge over one another. Yet, when I returned to Egypt, I didn't feel the same energy and dynamism. Unfortunately, people always thought I was naive because of my optimistic thoughts. They were always pessimistic, looking at the empty half of the glass. I swore to make it my life mission to prove them wrong. Hitherto, I dedicated as much effort and resources as I could to make a positive impact on Egypt and its people.

I have always been inquisitive about Al-Nahda, the period in Arab history deemed to be its Renaissance. The reason this period had such an allure in my mind was because it was quite recent, beginning in the 19th century and lasting through the 20th century. It was the period when we gained our independence from Western colonialism and when Arab political and social thought literature. It was a bold attempt at modernizing the Arab World that manifested itself in the works of Mohamed Abdou, Refeh el-Tahtawi, al-Jabarti, and Ahmed Shawqi. These great men looked at the West and sought to emulate its civilization's great achievements in the Arab World. For the first time in the modern era, the Arabs embarked on an intellectual discourse that sought to define their modern identity while preserving the jewels of their Islamic and cultural heritage. I had the honor of being a student of Professor Sawaie, an expert of Al-Nahda at the University of Virginia, where we read primary sources of what was going on in the minds of Al-Nahda's pioneers. I've always believed that it was Al-Nahda's ethos that would awaken the Arabs and make them realize that they have a pivotal role to play on the world stage.

My confusion about the Egyptian Problem and my dreams of Al-Nahda coming into fruition finally confronted on another on January 25, 2011 when young Egyptians took to the streets to declare to the world that their time has come to take matters into their own hands and emerge. For the past 200 years, no philosopher or public thinker had been able to make a breakthrough significant enough to spark Al-Nahda into reality. Al-Nahda, up to that historic date, had always been a figment of the Arabs' imagination, remaining unrealized in many dusty books and studied only in theory. Finally, its time had come to take birth. The Egyptian youth showed the world that the Arabs and Muslims vie for the same things that the rest of the world needs to live harmoniously, namely prosperity, democracy, and modernization.

The Egyptian Revolution of 2011 had finally answered the Egyptian Problem and sparked the long-awaited beacon of Al-Nahda. The Arabs have finally regained control of their destiny and their consciousness that they are worth something and that they have a crucial role to play in the world as their ancestors did. The Egyptian Revolution has had reverberating effects across the region, with revolutions flaring up from the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf. Soon, the dictators that have imprisoned the Arabs will fall and their repressive regimes will crumble. It is only then, when we have achieved true free freedom will the Arabs have their say, domestically through democratic systems, and internationally through a true representation of the Arab people's ambitions and aspirations in shaping the new world order.

My Egyptian generation, I salute your bold accomplishments. You have achieved what many men have dreamed of their whole lives but have passed away without seeing come into existence. You have written history with your tears, sweat, and blood. But even more importantly, you have lit the kindle that will ignite the flame of realizing Al-Nahda.

Solidarity with defenders of justice and freedom

I had long renounced my days of radical revolutionism with the delusion that justice was unattainable through resistance, defiance, and struggle in these days, and, if anything, Egyptians were apathetic to their injustice. Well, if anything, my compatriots proved me wrong, and I'm proud of them for doing so.

The events that shook Egypt and captured major international headlines this week have never made me long to be in my motherland so badly. I had avoided writing about politics in Egypt due to the sensitivity of the issue, but the Egyptian uprising in light of the nation's evident need for justice and freedom has shown the world that dictatorships are a thing of the past and that its only a matter of time until people prove victorious in attaining their right to self-determination.

Although I would do anything to be on the streets of Cairo advocating for social justice, I know that there's a reason why I'm here in the UK laboring night and day to help write Egypt's brighter page in history.

My prayer and solidarity with my countrymen...

The Triumphant II

Photos of Al-Mu'izz Street by night during Ramadan (August 29, 2010).

The Triumphant I

Photos of Al-Mu'izz Street around sunset (August 26th, 2010).

خلفية النهضة العربية

مقالة من مقالات كتاباتي هذا العام...

ركود الحالة العلمية والإجتماعية والسياسية في مصر والشام قبل القرن التاسع عشر

كانت النهضة العربية حركة فكرية وثقافية تستهدف إصلاح حال البلاد العربية المتأخر بالمقارنة إلى بلاد الغرب. تختلف أصول النهضة من وجهات نظر مؤرخين مختلفين. يقول الفرنسيون إن النهضة بدأت عندما احتل جيش نابليون مصر في عام ١٧٩٨، ولكن يختلف المؤرخون المصريون. يجادل المصريون بأن بداية تاريخهم الحديث عندما أصبح محمد علي حاكم مصر. بغض النظر عن الفترة التي بدأت فيها النهضة، ليس هناك شك بأن حال العرب قبل القرن التاسع عشر كان راكدا في جميع أبعاد العلوم والمجتمع. هذه النقطة الأخيرة هي أساس موضوع هذه المقالة.

أسباب ركود العرب قبل القرن التاسع عشر مختلفة:

أولا، تدخل العثمانيين في شئون العرب أثر على الحياة العلمية بشكل سلبي في مصر والشام. يكتب جمال الدين الشيال أن انتقال الخلافة الإسلامية إلى القسطنطينية سبب جمود الحركة العلمية في مصر والشام. بسبب موقعها كعاصمة الدولة العثمانية وعرش السلطان، اجتذبت القسطنطينية افضل علماء العالم الإسلامي. علاوة على ذلك، كانت التركية لغة التأليف في العلوم بدلا من العربية. إذن، أصبح ضياع المفكرين نتيجة هجرتهم إلي عاصمة الإمبراتورية العثمانية. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، إنقطاع الصلة بين العالم العربي وبين العالم الخارجي ساهم في ركود العرب.

ثانيا، وضع البلاد العربية الداخلي كان كذلك كئيبا. تميز حكم المماليك في مصر بإستغلال السلطة والمنافسات الحربية بين البكوات من إجل القوة والثروة. نتيجة هذه المنافسات غير شرعية كانت ظلم الشعب وحالة رعب في مصر. مصدر أخر للركود في العلوم داخل البلاد العربية هو الإهتمام البالغ بالعلوم الدينية والنقلية وعدم الإبتكار في العلوم العقلية والرياضية. في ذلك الوقت، كان جامع الأزهر أكبر معهد علمي في مصر. يعتمد الأزهر وجميع المدارس والمساجد الأخرة في مصر على تقنيات تعليم تقليدية. عندما استفهم الوالي العثماني أحمد باشا عن حالة العلم في مصر، فأجابه شيخ الأزهر بأن العلوم الرياضية تحتاج إلى "أدوات وشروط ولوازم وصناعات لا بد من الحصول عليها للتقدم في هذه العلوم." يدل غياب وسائل المعرفة عن هذه العلوم على حالة التخلف في مصر في ذلك الوقت.

إذن، ركود العالم العربي كان بسبب التدخل العثماني في شؤن العرب، والحكم الفاسد تحت سلطة المماليك، وعدم إهتمام نظام الدراسة التقليدي بتطوير المنهج لإدراج العلوم العقلية. إذن، ما هي الأشياء التي انجبت النهضة؟ من وجهة نظري، برغم أن الحملة الفرنسية كانت تستهدف مصالح نابليون الإمبريالية، فتحت الحملة عيون المصريين وجعلتهم يدركون أهمية التحديث. ربط مشروع الديوان العلماء الفرنسيين مع نظرائهم المصريين. يكتب سواعي أن نتيجة الديوان الإجابية هي إنها أعطت "العلماء في مصر ونظائرهم من الفرنسيين الفرصة لعلماء الشرق أن يعوا أمورا كثيرة كانت تدور آنذاك في الميادين العلمية في الدول الأوروبية المتقدمة." هذا الإتصال الحضاري جعل العلماء والمفكريين المصريين أن يفكرون كيف ممكن بناية مستقبل أفضل للشعوب العربية. إذن، من هذا المنظور، يمكن لنا أن نحدد أصول اليقظة العربية منذ التفاعل بين المصريين والفرنسيين حين احتل جيش نابليون مصر.

برغم إنشاء فكرة تحديث مصر والعالم العربي أثناء الإحتلال الفرنسي في مصر، بدأ تنفيذ هذه الفكرة تحت حكم محمد علي. كان محمد علي يريد أن يتنافس مع العثمانيين للسيطرة علي الأراضي الإسلامية. رؤية الحاكم الألباني كانت أن يقوي جيش مصر من أجل التعليم والتحديث والتصنيع. أدرك محمد علي أن قوة الغرب تأتي من إندماج العلوم والجيش. إذن، بعث محمد علي مجموعة من الطلاب المصريين إلى باريس للحصول على علوم لها علاقة بصناعة الاسلحة الحربية الحديذة. كان هدف محمد علي بناء جيش مصري حديث و قوي. شهد مشروع تحديث مصر أول مطبعة تطبع بالعربية وترجمة كتب من الفرنسية إلى العربية. علاوة على ذلك، أنشأ محمد علي كثيرا من الأكاديميات الحربية والبحرية. وبالإضافة إلى ذلك، شهدت مصر إصلاحات زراعية، وصناعية، وتعليمية، وطبية. برغم أن هدف محمد علي الأساسي كان تحسين الجيش المصري، ساعدت سياساته في حركة انفتاح مصر والنهضة العربية بشكل عام. إذن، يمكننا أن نستنتج بأن مصادر النهضة متنوعة وأن تأثيرها على الشعوب العربية كان إجابيا علي مستوايات مختلفة.

Will there ever be peace?

Its one of those questions that we've grown up asking. One of those questions that envelops the human intellect day and night; one of those questions similar to "Does God exist?" or "Why do we exist?" Now the question I pose shouldn't have the same gravity or existentialist connotation to it, but it seems to be one of those questions that deserves its place in the panthenon of questions about humanity and the divine.

All this pondering began as I was stranded in the traffic rush hour of Istanbul. Enveloped by automobiles of all sort, I flipped through radio channel after radio channel hoping to find something decent. It was one of those days when every song on the radio sucks. I then landed a channel that was playing a pretty groovy Mediterranean beat. I was satisfied and left the channel on for a while. After my ear began picking up the deviance of the lyrics from Turkish, I realized that it was Greek song. What a second...I'm in Turkey listening to a Greek song. Weren't these two nations arch enemies less than a century ago? Don't I always get a look of disappointment whenever I tell a Greek friend that I'll be traveling to Turkey?

As the channel returned to the Turkish commercials, I thought to myself... Will I live to the day when an Israeli song will be aired in Egypt? History seems to blow the sands of time no matter how stagnant they are...Change overtakes all. But will this ever be the case in our region? Its seems that this is one of the questions that the world's greatest intellectuals have failed to answer over the millenia... So do we really have to passively submit to the test of time to answer this question?

Globalizing the Arab World

I couldn't get any sleep, so I thought I'd write for a change. Recently, I've been thinking a lot about the future and I'm optimistic. I'm actually looking forward to going back to Egypt sometime after graduation, at least if not immediately because I realize that it is once more becoming the land of opportunity, at least if its a blessing in disguise. What's interesting is that I see the complaints of every Egyptian to be an opportunity. I feel like the war, corruption, and inequality in the Arab World to be an opportunity. If you think about it mathematically, its as if there's a problem waiting for a solution and the one who finds the solution wins the prize, be it money, the Noble Peace Prize, or what have you....

I feel like there's a void of goods and services in the Middle East just waiting to be filled. The only problem is that our people are just so disconnected from the rest of the world. I can honestly attest that I feel absolutely no cultural shock when traveling from America to Turkey to China, economically speaking. This is a globalized worlds and the markets in each country should be identical. Unfortunately, I don't feel the same in Egypt. Egypt, when it comes to media, industry, markets, etc... is behind. For example, I was watching MTV Turkey today and couldn't distinguish between the Turkish and American music videos... at times the Turkish ones blew my mind by how well they were choreographed. In comparison, Egypt's media is simply lacking, except for Orascom's channel, which I love! The point is, there is such a dichotomy that's needs some mending.

This is when we step in. When I say we, I refer to the youth of the Arab World. The lucky few opportunists that have made it big in the Arab World were the ones that saw this void and filled it in by connecting the world to their countries. In Egypt, the Smart Village is just an example of kids who did a really good job of connecting Egypt with the rest of the IT world. I believe that the fastest way to bring about this connection with the rest of the world will be through technology!

I might be biased when saying this because of my engineering background, but I believe that technology, throughout history, has been what made empires ascend or collapse. But more than ever, with the advent of the Internet, people can connect to the world and shape their lives. The internet is not only the best means of expression, it allows interactivity between people at the furthest corners of the world in a matter of seconds. This has made competition so intense, but this is where the opportunity comes in. There is barely any opportunity in the Arab World. When Western markets are almost completely saturated, it is the emerging markets of the Arab World that are still in needs of goods and services. It is for this reason that through Internet and technology that we can bring the globe to those who might not otherwise have anyway of engaging with the world.

Its almost as if I've just had an epiphany, but I believe the Internet is the most powerful tool out there. It is for this reason that I shall strive to upgrade my skill set to accommodate the future demands of this new market I call home...

A Walk Down Memory Lane in New York

I can't hold my craving to write any longer, especially after watching this movie. I just finished watching The Visitor, a heart-warming movie about a past life of mine. Through the eyes of the protagonist, Tarek, I was able to relive the New York I adored so much. Simply put, the plot is about the daily lives of immigrants in New York City and their dilemma of being stranded between their new home and their past ones... Now I can't say I can relate on this exact level as I will always know where my home is, but this story dealt with the idiosyncrasies of post 9/11 America. NYC, the portal of immigration, the portal to the land of opportunity, the portal to liberty has become a paranoid city after 9/11. Now I can definitely relate in terms of living in New York, pre and post 9/11. The plot of this tale takes a particular twist particularly when shedding light on the lives of Arabs subsequent to 9/11.

With all its ironies, New York will always have a place in my heart. The movie's particular amazing cinematography displayed the diametric contradictions that are inherent in New York. While the Statue of Liberty stands as the beacon of American ideals of freedom, justice, and democracy, the movie shows the very inhumane and unjust facets of American society. I can attest that living in the States for over 7 years as a foreigner, I never felt a sense of belonging except when I was in New York. There is no better way to describe New York than to describe it as the nucleus of the world, where cultures from the four corners of the world are brought together, meshed, and tossed together like the different colorful ingredients of a salad. I could have never imagined living in a more exuberant city than New York... before 9/11... when antagonizing banners where lifted everywhere with the words "We Will Never Forget." It was almost as if we lived in 1984 with Big Brother always watching you. But I would have to say that this paranoia of America has begun to fade away as time passes, so I am optimistic!

But back to the movie...The scenes of the movie were truly like a walk down memory lane for me. In a word, the story is about a college professor fed-up the monotonous life of one of America's college towns, which I can definitely relate to in terms of the stillness of UVa at times...but for the time being, I have come to accept that it is my fate to be here, at least for the time being, so he finds liberation from this dull life by breaking lose in Manhattan... So just when I realized that "I" was the sole determinant of my happiness, I was proven wrong by seeing scenes of Manhattan in the movie, and like flashbacks from distant memories, they made me so content! Scenes of Washington Square of NYU's campus brought back such nostalgia when I used to aspire to attend NYU someday... Oh well, who ever though life would bring me here to UVa...You never know what life has in stock for you...it works in mysterious ways.

The movie chronicles the adventures of this college professor when trying to liberate himself in the city. It is natural to do so because big cities like New York are such a crossroads for different cultures and walks of life that it is so natural that you will run into some spontaneously strange combination of events that will define a new chapter of your life. At least that's what I've learned from my own soul-searching liberation trips to DC. The movie epitomizes this notion so succinctly by bringing together so many different people from different backgrounds. The characters are a combination of a middle-aged white American, a Syrian and Senegalese couple, and a Syrian woman. The crisis of the unfair deportation of the Syrian Tarek is what sets the stage for the remaining unfolding events of the story.

I don't think that there had every been a movie that I could relate to more than this one, especially since what sparks the whole row about Tarek's deportation is his arrest in a NYC Subway station for supposedly jumping a turnstile, which is so coincidental since the only time I had been arrested in my life was during the New Year's eve of the 2003 during which I, Lusuki, and Mike (two of my friends from UNIS) were also arrested for jumping a subway turnstile (fortunately, I did not end up getting deported).

About the whole issue of deportation, I did not like how the Syrians made it seem like it was hell going back the Arab World. I take pride in my home land and wouldn't mind going back, but to make it seem like the worst place on earth was a bit pathetic. I take America for what it is, but I know where my roots belong. But I know the case in Syria might not be sufficient to compare to Egypt. I know that Syria is unfortunately a more oppressive state to live in, but what amazes me is that the Syrian immigrants that I have met here in the United States are some of the most respectable and intellectual people I have come across. Both my Arabic professors here at UVa were Syrians and I owe it to them for making me love my mother language. Imagine the potential that a country like Syria might have if it were not for their draconian government. Its sad to see that Syrians have to settle for less by coming here. Similar to the Syrian characters in the movie, my current Syrian Arabic professor had to seek asylum here in the U.S. for political reasons.

Aside from the lessons I drew from this terrific movie, I learned that one must always explore different channels of learning. I haven't watched a movie since watching The Reader quite sometime ago, simply because I thought movies were a waste of time and that it was through books that I would be able to expose myself to the world and life. I was wrong. Movies open your eyes as you see the lives of characters unfold before you and it is like you are there in New York City living among them. The colors, sounds, voices, music all put you on a stream of consciousness that leads on a unique journey to New York. These two hours of the movie allowed me to relive the four years I had lived in New York, but now seem like such a distant memory. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to come across this movie, which taught me more about myself than I knew a movie could do!

تحليل مسرحية عنترة

مسرحية عنترة تحفة أمير الشعراء أحمد شوقى حيث يعرض المسرح الشعري و الغنائي العربي في أحسن صورة أمكن لكاتب مسرحي أن يعرض هذا النوع من الفن و الأدب العربي. قد يمزج شوقي علم لغة العربية القديم مع فن المسرح الجديد عندما يضم تقنيات المسرح الأوروبي مع العربية الجاهلي. علاوة على ذلك، عنترة مسرحية تتألف من المأساة، الحب، غناء، رقص و جميع المكونات التي يجب على أي مسرحية مثيرة أن تكون عندها. إن شوقي كان يحاول أن ينافس شخصية عنترة التاريخية في كتابتة عندما اختار أن يكتب المسرحية بشكل شعري و بالعربية الجاهلية. لقد كان عنترة شاعر و فارس مشهور في جزيره العرب قبل قدوم الإسلام للعرب. لا نعرف كثير عن هذا الفارس المبهم الا أنه كان شجاع و وسيم. لذلك، نعتمد على شوقي ليرسملم لنا صورة خيالية لهذا الشخص التاريخي و يحيية في أذهاننا.


يقدم لنا شوقي حبكة المسرحية بإنها في زمن قبل الإسلام عندما كان العنصرية شيء طبيعي. بسبب ولادته لأم سوداء، عنترة كان له ظروف صعبه في تربيتة و لكن تعوض لهذه العيوب بملامحة الوسيمة، و قوتة الشرسة التي يقارنها شوقي لشراسة الأسد، و شعره الشهير. مسرحية عنترة كذلك مسرحية دراماتيكية لأنه تحكي قصة حب بين عنترة و عبلة مثل ما تحكي مسرحية "روميو و جولييت" الشهيرة. مثل ما روميو ينتظر محبوتة تحت نافذلها، عنترة ينتظر عبلة خارج مضارب بني عبس. شعره العميق أيضا يعرض حبه العذري لعبلة. و لكن حبهم لبعض ليس متبادل. هدة واقعية مسرح شوقي الذي يتميز عن "روميو و جولييت" لأن عندما شخصيتان شكسبير يحبان بعد هما بإخلاص، سخرية مسرحية شوقي هي أن تمثل واقع الحياة. نشاهد أن عبلة تحب عنترة فقط لإنجازاتة الشعرية و الحربية و لا تحبة لشخصيتة العاطفية. برغم إنها لا تهتم بعنترة بنفس حبه العميق، حبه لها سبب وضع عبلة "كنارا على رأس علم". نشاهد مواضيع أخرة تبيين النواحي المختلفة في مسرحية دراماتيكية مثل عنترة. حوار صخر مع عبلة يعرض غيرتة من عنترة. و ايضا، حب عنترة لعبلة يبيين شجاعتة في نهاية القراءة عندما ينوي أن يضحي بنفسه في سبيل إنقاذ عبلة. هذه الأمثلة تببيين لنا أبعاد انسانية مختلفة لشخصيات المسرحية.


المسرحية أيضا ترسم صورة تاريخية واقعية عندما تبيين الخلافييات الطائفية بين القبائل العربية المختلفة. مراجعة شوقي لمواضيع الزمن الجاهلي تعرض أصالة أفقاره حيث يشير إلى الدين العربي قبل الإسلام عندما عبلة تصلي "لطارا"، و هو أحد من إلة العرب القدماء. ايضا، استخدام شوقي للغة القديمة شيء مهم في المسرحية لأنه يعرض لنا العبارات التي كانت تستخدم في ذلك الوقت و لنستفيد من أصل لغتنا العصريه. كلمات مثل مطرح و هاتف لها معنى مختلف في الجاهلية، و لكن تعرفنا من أين أصل إستخدامنا لهذه الكلمات في العربية الآن. كذلك نشاهد ثروة اللغة العربية عندما نقرأ كلمات تعبر عن أوصاف كثيرة بكلمة واحده. كمثال، صفة "الحاشية" تعبر عن أن شخص يأتي من بيت ثري و أن ثيابة رقيقة و ناعمه. نرى أن في الجاهلية، الكلمات البسيطة ترسم لنا صورة عميقة. إذن، إستخدام شوقي لأدوات مسرحية مختلفة ترسم صورة واقعيه عن حبكة خيالية.


برغم إننا شاهدنا فقط نموذج قصير من مسرحية عنترة، يجب على أن أصدق علي أن كتابة شوقي تعرض ناحية من لغتنا مدفونة تحت قرون الزمن و لكنها مهمة جدا لأنه أساس لغتنا الجميلة اليوم.

تقدم كتابة وشهر شخصية فدوى طوقان في عالم الأدب العربي

حينما قرأنا قصائد فدوى طوقان في مساق النثر الحديث، أردت أن ابحث عن حياتها الأدبية من خلال مذكراتها و هذه نتيجة:

تقدم كتابة وشهر شخصية فدوى طوقان في عالم الأدب العربي

تعتبر فدوى طوقان من اشهر أداب الشعر العربي في القرن العشرين. حينما كانت مصر المركز الثقافي للكتاب العرب، نجحت فدوى أن تنشر كتابتها خلال علاقتها الشخصية مع جميع نظرائها في مجالات الشعر والرواية العربية. تعترف فدوى أن شهرتها في هذه المجلات بسبب "إخلاصها لمصر العظيمة" حيث قضت جميع عطلها هناك. تأثير مصر على كتابتها ظهر من خلال سحر القاهرة الذي أسس علاقتها النفسية بينها وبين المدينة. علاوة على ذلك، إنتشرت كتابة فدوى من خلال صحافة مصر الأدبية، مثل مجلة "الرسالة". صحافة مصر كانت وسيلة إنتشار قصائد فدوى، وتعرف القراء العرب بشخصيتها.


تشجيع فدوى الأول كان شقيقها، ولكن موته في بداية طريقها الأدبي أثر عليها بشكل عميق عندما تعترف أنه كان "أستاذها ومعلمها الأول والأخير". نلاحظ من هذة المشاعر انها مدينة لشقيقها ولمصر لنجاحها الأدبي. بعد رحيل شقيقها، مردت فدوى "بانعزال خانق" بسبب عدم وجود أي فكر أو ثقافة أدبية في "سجن الحريم والحجاب" التي فرض عليها من خلال المجتمع والبيئة المحافظة في الوضع الراهن في العالم العربي وتعامله بحقوق النساء. في هذا السجن، اكتشفت أن هناك "لا ستسشف من خلال رأيه فيها مدى توفوقي أ فشلي". حينما فرت من هذة البيئة المضرة لطموحها الأدبي، ذهبت فدوى إلى مصر.


عندما ذهبت الى مصر في عام ١٩٦٨ بعد هزيمة النكسة، حلم عمرها، وايضا حلم أي مواطن عربي، تحقّق عندما إجتمعت بالزعيم العظيم جمال عبد الناصر. قبل تحقيق حلمها، كان هناك تفاعل أدبي بينها وبين كتاب مشهورين من مصر مثل فاروق شوشة، وأحمد حسن الزيات، وصلاح عبد الصبور، وأحمد بهاء الدين. هذا التفاعل ساعدها من ناحية تشهير قصائدها في الإذاعة المصرية. شهورة فدوى كان له سبب آخر. مقابلتها مع وزير دفاع إسرائيل ديان سبب أزمة سياسية في العالم العربي. تناقض فدوى رد فعل العرب السخيف عندما تكتب: "فهكذه نحن دائما، نستجيب لردة الفعل السريعة لدينا، دون الوقوف لحظات الخبر أو الحدث للتأمل فيه." برغم ذالك، كثير من الشعراء والمذيعين رحبوا بها عندما زارت دار الإذاعة المصرية. من خلال لقاء فدوى مع الصحفيين، سمعة فدوى إنتشرت حتى سمعت جيهان السادات عن وجودها في مصر، عندما دعتها إلى تناول فنجان شاي. تحدثت فدوى عن لقائها مع ديان.


من خلال كرم السادات، ظهرت فرصة فدوى عندما دعاها الرئيس ناصر في بيته. تصف فدوى مقابلتها مع ناصر بالتفصيل. وصفها عن ناصر مثل ما كنت اتخيل الزعيم في ذهني. توصفه وبيته بصفات مثل: بسيط، متواضع، خالي من أي مظاهر الفخفخة. تصور فدوى ناصر كأب مهتم بأبنائه عندما يسألها عن احوال الفلسطينين في الضفة الغربية. يظهر أن حب ناصر للفلسطينيين وحبهم إليه كان متبادلا لأنهم يهتفون باسمه في المظاهرات. فلسطين أولوية من وجهة نظر ناصر، حتى قبل رجوع سيناء للمصريين. ايضا مذكرات فدوى تبين لنا حال مصر السياسي والإقتصادي. بسبب الغمة، حال مصر الداخلي كان مريعا وكانت تعتمد على مساعدة من الإتحاد السوفييتي. اهم شيء من هذه السيرة الذاتية أن نعرف حال العالم العربي التاريخي. نرى أن إجتماعها مع ناصر سبب موهبتها الشعريه التي تعرضها عندما تعبر عن مشاعر الفلسطينيين تحت الإحتلال. هذه الشهرة ايضا سببت لقائها مع زعماء الشرق الاوسط مثل ديان وأشهر كتاب العالم العربي في وقتها.

The Modern Nahda

Sometimes I wish that I could write down the dialogues that Omar and I exchange on our road trips back and forth to and from DC. But one expression that Omar mentioned to me kept whirling in my head this whole week and it ran something along the lines of "Sometimes I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders when I remember the responsibility bestowed upon us." What exactly did he mean by this? At least the way I interpreted it suggested that this "weight" is what defines our purpose here. Why have I left Egypt to come half way across the world to study in Charlottesville? I sometimes ponder. Then I remember that I am part of a greater movement. It is people like Omar and me that fuel the engine for the awakening, the renaissance, call it what you will..., but heed my words, there is a subtle movement bubbling from the grassroots that will revolutionize the world.

There is no denying that the Arab and Muslim world is going through its dark ages. Although I do not wish to convert this blog entry into another "clash of civilizations" story of how we are the underdogs in comparison to the West, why deny that we have yet to have a revolution on the scale of the European Renaissance, Enlightenment, and Scientific Revolution? I believe that our forefathers had sowed the seeds for such a revolution, but it had never really materialized. Our revolution was called Al-Nahda.

I have familiarized myself with this movement through my readings of memories, autobiographies, and documentaries that I have read in my Arabic studies here at the University of Virginia. It is truly an eye-opener to see the plethora of great works that came out of the Arab World since its decline since the so-called Golden Age that spanned from the 8th century to the 13th century. The Nahda was an intellectual moevement that took place during the early 20th century in Egypt and Lebanon to define an Arab identity through literature. This was an intellectual movement aimed at reform, modernization, and the revival of the Arab fortitude in a modern world where ideologies were competing for supremacy.

The Nahda encouraged an open eye to learn from the world, which was essentially what brought Islam to the forefronts of the world when it embraced everything from Greek to Hindu philosophies.

Why do I embrace the Nahda? Partly because I feel like I am bestowed with an opportunity that the 19th century proponents of the movement were given. I was bestowed with the opportunity to study in the civilizational beacon of knowledge. I am given the unique opportunity to study the Western intellect through science and education. Before my eyes, I have seen one of the most epic shifts in power in the world, the transition of the U.S. government from regime to another. Some in my part of the world couldn't even fathom seeing such a shift in their governments in their lifetime. It is my submergence in Western life and its instutions that motivates me to bring back to Egypt with me a toolkit of methods to modernize, reform, and advance the state of our nation. My tone is ambitious, but my heart is determined.

Upon his return from Paris, Rifa El Tahtawi, an emissary by Mohamed Ali Pasha suggested that we have a lot to learn from the West, but that we should always keep an open-minded approach to modernism that is tailored to the values of Islam.

My particular interest in the Nahda stems from my readings. I have taken several Arabic literature and prose classes at the university and they have exposed me to a period where Arabic literature had seemed to reach its prime. Since Arabic is the lingua franca of most of the Middle East, the exchange of ideas and information quickly led to the ascendence of the Nahda in major cities like Cairo and Beirut and there was an ardent interaction between the two sides through the circulation of literary publications, as I shall outline in my later entries. Magazines such as Al Resalla (The Message), Loghatna al-Gameela (Our Beautiful Language) and al Fagr (The Dawn) exposed Arab readers to the talents around their world. Today, these magazines have sadly disappeared. Moreover, due to the partitioning of the Arab world by the West, many sought opportunities abroad.

My particular interest stems from the Lebanese diaspora, and especially those who traveled to the West. Some of the greatest writers the Arab World has ever seen has been those in exile. This is where the likes of Khalil Gibran Khalil sprung from. To some extent, I feel the same distance from my home like them. I wouldn't be surprised if this same nostalgia that I feel is what inspires me to read and wrte so much about my home land.

Homegrown talents such as Naguib Mahfouz, Taha Husseuin, and other Egyptians pushed this movement forward. But it is worth noting that Taha Husseuin also experience the same Western exposure that I am undergoing myself. The West offers a distinct atmosphere for the exchange of ideas, where you have access to every piece of information known to humankind at your finger tips. This is an advantage that no other civilization can offer nowadays. Despite my reservations about living in the West, I know that this is the suitable environment to develop one's intellect.

The essence of the Nahda was an exposure of the Arab World to the free thought and health competition of ideas that propelled the West to forefronts of the world. Unfortunately, the paranoia of modern day fundamentalist ideologies, both religious and secular have chocked any breathing space for new ideas to be brought to the table that could potentially change the current system. My experience here in the States has been an one that has taught me to be open, rational, progressive, and a distinct love for knowledge. I hope to bring back this spirit of intellectual inquiry to have some impact back home. But my quest from knowledge is far from complete. As I learn more and more about this movement of the Nahda, I will strive to emulate it more and more in my endeavors.

Obama, I'm Finally Listening

So the pessimist cynic in me was just waiting for this whole Obama fad to pass by so that we could return to reality. I remember sleeping through what will be deemed the most memorable moment of the decade, if not the century, the election of Barak Obama. While America was raving for their new prince charming president, I was busy reading some radical communist doctrine. I was sure nothing would change. Sure, America might better itself under Obama, but the world will remain in peril as long as America flexes, its muscles, I thought to myself. We of the Middle East, I thought to myself, are hopeless. America has its dogmatic neoconservative agenda, and it will carry it out regardless of who's in the white house. I was like the three monkeys, each of whom would either cover their eyes, close their ears, or shut their mouth. I was completely indifferent to what was going on regarding the elections. As a foreigner, I thought to myself, this is "their" election and it should concern me. Deep down inside, I was jealous that the Americans could enjoy such a sound electoral system, where as we, those of the Arab World, would never be able to enjoy such liberty in the near future.

At the same time, I had been thinking to myself, who out there could possible set a role model when it came to my future aspirations to lead? My admiration for the likes of Che Guevara, Nasser, Nekruma, Nehru, and other revolutionaries of the 20th centuries has not waned the slightest bit, but I have come to realize that their ideologies aren't necessarily compatible with today's times. So I looked around me...Sarakozy, Putin, and Gordon all seem like laughable jokes! Was this ideal that I'd been searching for all along before my eyes? Could it really have been the guy I'd been so skeptic about this whole time? Could it have been Obama?

I never really knew much about Obama or his beliefs as a politician. The revolutionist in me only paid attention to Obama whenever he was compared to having socialist tendencies. In any case, my thought was that he must be the lesser of the two evils when it came down to him running against McCain. I only started paying attention to how Obama's intentions truly aligned with mine when visiting Washington DC during the inauguration weekend. Never in my life had I seen so many people rally in the streets from one man. I thought the days of popular support for figures like Gandhi, as one can still see in the black and white documentaries, were long gone. I was proven wrong on the 18th of January when walking across the national monumental "Mall" in Washington DC.For the pre-Inauguration party that I attended with several friends who study in DC, I had never in my life seen so many people from so many different walks of life, creeds, and ethnicities come together to celebrate one man. The Lincoln memorial was like the colosseum Rome, with trumpets horning to celebrate the glory of an empire. After some entertaining shows put on by U2, Beyonce, Usher, and Shakira came the moment the million or so people had been waiting for, Obama's oration .

Obama's reference to America's ancestors is a clear reminder of the foundations on which this empire is founded. He gives the Americans purpose of existence, hope, motivation, and inspiration for this country to move forward. It is this nationalism and values of freedom and equality that American is built on, which Obama reminds Americans where they came from. He reminds America of its ingenuity, innovativeness, prosperity, and grandeur that is incomparable in the world. This is the power of America that can prove to be an unprecedented in history. Could America's ability to renew itself, to repeat a renaissance every couple of decades, prove to be essential to allow this empire to never face a decline or collapse as every other empire in history has experienced?

Obama has inspired me. I am not another political sheep who follows the herd, but after hearing Obama live and feeling the energy in the crowd, I am convinced that an idealist revolutionary is now in the rightly crowned the most powerful man in the world. He gives hope and motivation to all to strive to defy reality to fulfill the ideal. I am convinced that this is a new era that every human being should look forward to, that the world's leading superpower is now steering a new course than the one it has led for the past decade. I am optimistic. Even if Obama can't go through with all of his promises, I am convinced that his mere aura is one that gives hope to revive a nation and a world. I am inspired that if we can import this inspiration and hope from a country like America to the Arab World that we can bring about justice, egalitarianism, and a reason for the oppressed to rise and stand up for their rights. Finally, by lending an ear to an inspiration to Obama, I myself am inspired to work for a better future for me, for Egypt, and for the world.

The Cartoon Revolution

Ever since writing my old post (i.e. A Voice for The Arab World) on Carlos Latuff, the Brazilian political cartoonist, I had started corresponding the artist himself to express my admiration for his cause and his art. I was ecstatic when Carlos replied to me to thank me for comparing him to the likes of Guevara and Nasser for voicing the plight on behalf of the oppressed and speaking out against injustice.

As the current crisis in Gaza is escalating, I am saddened to see the world stand by in idleness as more than a thousand Palestinians have been killed. My sympathy for the Palestinians is not one out of my Arab identity, but one out of the fact that I am a human and cannot stand blind as such a humanitarian genocide takes place. It is in this light that I believe that every human who has emotions should take action, no matter how minuscule his or her impact may be, to put an end to the war in Gaza and bring about Peace in the Middle East. I know that it starts with us, the new generations of the Middle East to bring about any peace and justice. It is for this reason that I have joined the Students for Peace and Justice in Palestine organization here at the university. I and Assad are heading the Publicity initiative to raise awareness by puttying up fliers to keep university students informed of the latest news regarding the crisis. I truly hope that our efforts will make some sort of impact.

Tying this back in with my correspondence with Carlos, the artist encouraged me to spread his work. He informed me that "my art is your art". It is this selfless spirit that will allow us to achieve our dream of bringing about justice in the region. Especially in a country like the US where ignorance tends to be prevalent, I think it is imperative that everyone one who is informed carry out their share of duty to inform those who are ignorant. In the words of Carlos,

"I beg you reader, my brothers and sisters-in-arts, to spread these cartoons. Reproduce them in posters, newspapers, magazines, zines, blogs, everywhere. Let's make the voice of the Gaza people to be heard all around the world."

Likewise, I encourage everyone to do all that they can to raise awareness regarding this issue, even if with a cartoon, to bring about an information revolution that can bring about justice about the genocide taking place in Gaza.

For more of Latuff's artwork, check out: http://tales-of-iraq-war.blogspot.com/
For more artwork to raise awareness about the current situation: http://www.gazaresist.com/

On the Exoticism of the Orient

Since my arrival to China, I have observed many similar traits that transcend the borders of what has come to identified as the Orient. These traits have been observed, imagined, and recorded by Western Orientalists. Through my readings of oriental works ranging from Gustav Flaubert to Edward Said, I have come to the conclusion that there is a intricate entanglement between fact and fiction of the Oriental world. During my readings of my part of the world and that of the Far East, which I have been trying to familiarize myself with even more, I was astounded to see that there is a truly exotic flavor to what the orient truly is. Through my literary journeys with Flaubert, Delacroix, Voltaire, Defoe, Goethe and even Pamuk, I have come to identify some sources of this multifaceted identity of the Orient that has come to intrigue some of the greatest philosophes to walk this earth.

Before divulging into my findings, I would like to make two points clear. Primarily, my investigation of the Oriental world should not be confused with Edward Said's criticism of Western stereotypes of the Arab and Muslim world, but is an embracement of the literary and artistic achievement of Western philosophers in emulating the virtues they witnessed on their travels to the region. The second point is that although I will aim to extend my investigation to reach the furthest corners of the Oriental World, from Turkey in the Far West of the Orient and China in the Far East of the Orient, my bias will tend to drift to a focus on the center of the Orient, Egypt.

It is in this spirit that I will strive to romanticize the land of the Orient by exploring the various avenues that it has led to occupied in the fantasies of Orientalists for many centuries. First and foremost, Orientalism is a result of the mutual cultural exchange between the West and East and the apprehensions each of of sides had of the other. Various artistic and literary emulations of the East have ranged from Turquerie to Chinoiserie, which respectively are imitations of Turkish and Chinese art forms in the West. I can divulge about Montesquieu's Persian Letters or Van Gogh's emulation of Japanese art, which both seem tremendously exotic to me, but instead I choose focus on land that, although dubbed oriental, doesn't seem to exotic in my eyes, mostly because of my ardent familiarization with it. Although the exotism of Egypt "as a distant land" doesn't quite appeal to me, its ancient history is one that boggles my mind. How could single land have hosted some of history's renown men and women, face so many cultural changes, influence the world and be influenced in so many ways and yet retain such a firm identity. This mere notion excites me with the exoticism of my homeland and fills me with expansive, lovely, glorious, poetic dreams of a land that seems so exotic even though I can claim right to calling it my own. These are the stimuli that exoticism have on one!

Flaubert was once quoted by characterising the orient with a single phrase:
"Long live the sun, long live the orange trees, palm trees, lotus flowers, and cool pavilions paved with marble and wood-panelled chambers that talk of love! the Orient with her burning sun, her blue skies, her golden minarets, her caravans through the sand, the tanned, olive skin of Asiatic women-the Orient!"

The imagery of this single quote is what fills my imagination like a pot filling a cask of cool mint tea on a sunny day in the desert. Reading of the orient quenches my thirst for exoticism, for the desire to continue living and traveling in oriental lands.

Now the Orient isn't just the beauty that the European romanticists depict to be, it is also the dreggy slums and backstreets of Cairo and Istanbul, but I have come to admire the dust and filth as a characteristic that defines the Orients modern day melancholic condition as Pamuk recounts in his memories of Istanbul. I could sit in the midst of the chaos in Khan El Khalili bazaar for hours on end and embrace and appreciate the shouting of the sales bakaals, the multilingual bargaining of merchants with what seem to us as exotic blonde foreigners, the Athan broadcasted above the minarets of El Huessain Mosque, the various aromas of the spice market, the colors of the various Chinese silk and Egyptian cotton garments, the moaning of donkeys, the sparkling lights of the Sufi night shows. Isn't this the colorful clamor that defines the Orient? Isn't the legendary Silk Road the bond that defines the fraternity of the Eastern cultures?

I understand that you may be wondering where this entry is going to take me... but that is another trait of the orient: the fluid, non-structured, and eclectic stream of conscious that might seem heretic to the orthodox mind. The chaos that defines the orient is the natural tendency for life to be all over the place, to be natural, free from the man-made structures and systems that we constrained the freedom of life to flow. Orientalism is the realization that life is the water that flows with volatility when shattering a glass filled with water. Tidiness and neatness disgust the orientalist as he seeks the natural tendency of life! We cannot deny that humans are not the divine, G0d-made creatures that we always envision them to be in their best light, but they are also animals that can be reckless and wild, and the Orient is the epitome of the jungle that defines the freedom for their imagination to flow. This best evident in the arts of Tunisian tiles where flowers, fruits, and nature are intricately intertwined to produce master pieces of art. Moreover, Persian poetry, which is so light and free flowing is what paints these images in words that can allow each individually to paint such imagery with his or her own imagination.

Moreover, the orient is a land where duality is defines the nature of people with an acceptance of the glorious palaces while the witness of the poor and filthy, a history of several milenia while the latest trend setting sky scrapers of the modern cities, the sexual fantasies of the harem and the purity and sacredness of religion, and so on and so forth. It is this duality that makes the Orient so bewildering to the Western mind. How could a culture have such diametrically opposite directions of aims.

To this day, the orient boggles our mind with a vast array of historical novels, films, photos, paintings, etc... Fortunately I can relive this exotic world of the orient through my readings and travels and see what remains of what truly fascinated the Western travelers that came to be known as the Orientalists. I sincerely hope that my fortune to travel and read such an expansive array of works will enlighten me and allow me to carry the torch that has shed such positive light on the Orient in what seem to be the Orient's dark times of today.