the egypt blog

Fi Balad El Weladفي بلد الولاد

2009-07-11T14:24:00.006+03:00

Fi Balad El Welad (In the Country of Boys), by Mustapha Fat'hee, is a book that tells the story of one young Egyptian gay man's everyday life with all its ups and its many downs in this conservative Muslim country that rejects homosexuality. This is the first ever book that tells of the misery of being gay in Egypt and that speaks for respecting and accepting the oppressed Egyptian gay community on a human level.

The book is now available to buy at "El Balad" bookshop opposite the American University campus downtown Cairo, located on the second floor in the building next to Cilantro café. The book costs E£10.

"في بلد الولاد"، من تأليف مصطفى فتحي، هو كتاب يسرد قصة حياة رجل مثلي مصري بحلوها القليل ومرها الكثير في هذا البلد المسلم المحافظ الذي يرفض المثلية الجنسية. هذا الكتاب هو الأول من نوعه بحيث أنها المرة الأولى التي يسرد فيها كتاب مصري مشاكل المثليين ويدعو إلى تقبل واحترام المجتمع المثلي المقموع في مصر.

الكتاب متوفر بمكتبة البلد مقابل الجامعة الأمريكية في وسط البلد بالقاهرة. ثمن الكتاب 10 جنيهات.

My first HIV test at a government lab

2009-06-23T17:10:00.003+03:00

To my amazement, the way I was received by the doctors prior to the actual testing was pretty welcoming. I found that they didn't ask for a name, but rather for a pseudonym and a birthdate to be my identity there. Then, I was sent to a counselor whose job was to give simple information about AIDS and HIV. The guy didn't show any signs of disrespect for the fact that I'm going to check if I have HIV, which was astonishing. I heard that until very recently AIDS was seen as such a tabboo even by doctors. And after the counseling session they gave me a few condoms and lubricants, and three booklets with information about AIDS, and then I went to have the test. I'll go get the results next Sunday, hopefully it'll be negative, wish me luck!! :-)

Oh, I also didn't pay a penny for any of that.

It was a very nice experience that I didn't expect to have at a government lab, and I'm happy my country is having a more liberal approach to sexually transmitted diseases and is actually propagating against the whole stigma that's associated with them, especially HIV and AIDS.

Egypt moving forward?

2009-06-21T07:53:00.003+03:00

I've been hearing from people who work with UNAIDS in Egypt that we're moving forward as far as AIDS patients are concerned. As I mentioned years ago, there's now free AIDS medication and testing. There's also been talk that we're getting one step closer to gay rights here. A new book about to be published on July 1 discusses the dilemmas that the gay community faces in Egypt, so it seems that things are not as much of a tabboo as they used to be, following the openly gay characters in recent Egyptian movies. It seems like Egypt is trying to clean its dirty human/[sexual-]minority rights history now.

Another 30 years like these

2009-03-28T01:58:00.004+02:00

By Zvi Bar'el

Source: Haaretz.com

It's hard to say about the peace between Israel and Egypt that "time flies when you're having fun." This week will mark 30 years since the signing of the peace agreement, and Egypt is still suspect. It never passed the test of "tourist peace"; masses of Egyptians never came to vacation on Tel Aviv's beaches. Israeli authors do not appear at Egyptian book fairs, and the Israeli embassy in Cairo is closely monitored, not only by Egyptian intelligence but also by intellectuals, journalists and reporters ready to pounce on any Egyptian "spy" who penetrates the besieged structure to ask for a visa to Israel. Professional associations forbid their members from visiting Israel, and when an Egyptian parliamentarian wants to insult his colleague he tells him that "even the Israelis would not do what you are doing."

This is a peace that from the start was based not on love but on the slogan that has remained so important for Israel: "No more war. No more bloodshed." A peace not only free of war but also from the threat of war. Because of this peace, the Arab world's leading country found itself isolated by the Arabs, but maintained its diplomatic ties even when Israel occupied another Arab country, Lebanon, killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians and destroyed hundreds of homes over the past 30 years. And it has kept these ties going even when Israel's current foreign minister-designate, Avigdor Lieberman, called for bombing the Aswan Dam, and when Israel embarked on a war in the Gaza Strip.

One can only guess Israel's reaction if some country did to the Jewish people even one tenth of what Israel has done to the Palestinians. And after all, Egypt still lauds Anwar Sadat as "the hero of war and peace," and President Hosni Mubarak continues to challenge extremist Arab leaders by saying that anyone who wants to wage war on Israel should do so from his own territory. Egypt took the strategic decision not to play this game. True, the Egyptian ambassador may not participate in the 30-year anniversary celebrations because Lieberman is about to become foreign minister, and Egyptians prefer to celebrate the victory of the October War and not the day that peace was signed. But it is only in Egypt where the head of Israel's Shin Bet security service and the head of the military wing of Hamas have been within touching distance of each other.

Cold or hot, this is a more successful peace than that between India and Pakistan, Syria and Lebanon or Egypt and Syria. All maintain full diplomatic ties, replete with a deep sense of revulsion for each other.

This is a strategic peace between states and not between nations. A peace of interests, the kind that suits precisely the threats that Israel has tried to neutralize.

Its test, like that of the peace with Jordan and the peace Israel aspires to have with Syria, is not in the "quantity" of normalization but in the number of border incidents that are prevented. A peace where the meeting of intelligence chiefs is considered by both sides to be a greater achievement than another meeting in Cairo or Jerusalem between an Israeli and an Egyptian author.

The expression "cold peace" has carved out a place in Israel's diplomatic and public lexicon.

But it is interesting to speculate how Israel would respond if a million Egyptian tourists visited Tel Aviv's beaches, hitting on Israeli girls and flooding the hotels, and the Egyptian dialect was heard in every corner of the malls of Rishon Letzion or Ga'ash.

And what would happen to that same peace if hundreds of thousands of Egyptians tried to take advantage of it to work in Israel, or if Egyptian businessmen bought strategically important Israeli companies? Are you feeling a little nervous already? Yes, we want a warm peace with Egypt, but at a distance. Tourists from Scandinavia? Yes. French apartment buyers? Sure. Just not Egyptians - Arabs, I mean.

It seems that both sides enjoy the peace's coolness. In Israel it serves as an excuse for lazy diplomacy because, after all, it's not worth giving up territory for a "cold peace" like this. For Egypt, this "cold" grants it the appropriate degree of distance that allows it to enjoy the status of "respectability" in the Middle East. All we want is to have the opportunity to reach another 30 years of this sort of peace.

Popping up once more

2009-01-29T21:39:00.000+02:00

I haven't been doing much writing much lately, true. The thing is, well, sometimes I regret having told so many people about this blog that I can't really use it anymore as my own, secret place, if you will. You know, my own dirty place where anything can be thrown in and off my back.. So, other than all these cultured articles, the political talk and the religious talk and the minority talk, not much personal talk can be spat out here, 'cuz it'll probably end up the talk of my surrounding society heheh. There's all sorts of shit in my life that I'd like to share with you here, but don't have the courage to risk it being known by my mom for instance (mom, are you reading this? ;-).

Leave you in peace. Enjoy the winter!

What Is It Like to Be HIV Positive in Egypt?

2008-09-05T03:09:00.002+02:00

An Interview With Ayman, an HIV-Positive Egyptian

By Terri Wilder (Source: TheBody.com)

August 1, 2008

The XVII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) is a magnet that attracts thousands upon thousands of HIV-positive people, activists and community leaders from all walks of life and all parts of the globe. We were fortunate enough to meet a few of these people and talk to them about their perspectives and their experiences. In this interview, Terri Wilder talks with Ayman, an Egyptian, about what it's like to live with HIV in his home country.

Ayman, what is it like to live with HIV in Egypt?

Living with HIV in Egypt is very tough, because the stigma is very high in Egypt against people who are living with HIV. We are having a very tough fight in our country to do what we have to do. To be able to have a safe living environment, away from stigma, away from many other things, we have to fight. [We have to fight for] support and care -- we do not have it professionally. We have [HIV] medications, [but] only one line. If you get resistance from this line, you will not be able to get another one. I think we have a very tough life with HIV in Egypt, and we have to fight more and more, so we can get our rights.

What do you think the biggest challenge is?

Our biggest challenge is to lessen the stigma, and also to make our leaders and our government [provide us with better] support, care and treatment.

What do you mean by "stigma"? Are people losing their jobs or their housing?

It's there by all its meanings. People avoid you. They don't know how HIV is transferred. They don't know anything about anything, and they treat you very badly. You can be kicked out of your home. If it's not your property, if you are renting it, you would be kicked out. In your job, you cannot say that [you have HIV], because if you said it, you would be fired. They would find many other reasons to fire you. It would not be HIV. I have been working in a place for one and a half years. I didn't say anything, and I couldn't say that.

Where do people get their medical care?

They give out medications only in our Ministry of Health [in Cairo]. This is the only way we can get it, because it's very expensive. We are a third-world country. Many of us cannot buy medications by ourselves, so we can get it only from one place, which is the Ministry of Health. Even if you live far away, you have to come all this way -- from any place in Egypt, any region in Egypt, you have to come to Cairo so you can get your medication.

There is no other support or care. If you go to a doctor for an operation and say that you have HIV, he will not give it to you. Actually, right now, we have HIV-positive pregnant women, and we don't know how and where they are going to give birth. And the places the government does give us are of very, very low standards. The kid, if he does not get HIV, will get another disease.

What kind of support do you get from family and friends?

My family, they are very supportive. When I first knew [that I was positive], I did not have that much information [about HIV]. I was waiting for death. My mother, she was the one who first told me that what has happened has happened, that I had to look ahead. How you are going to live -- what happens to you -- this is decided by God, so you have to try to live your life in a normal, nice way.

I don't have too many friends whom I can tell. One friend is my sponsor in a Narcotics Anonymous program. The other one is an HIV-positive person who is living with me -- not "living with me" [in a romantic sense], but she is the closest one to me. She has been helping me in many things.

You get your medical care from the Ministry of Health. Are you on medications right now?

Yes, I am.

What medications are you on?

I am on Norvir [ritonavir], Invirase [saquinavir] and Combivir [AZT/3TC].

How have you been feeling since you started taking these?

I have been taking medications almost for two years. I'm getting well. I remember that when I started, my CD4 count was about 68. I weighed about 60 kilograms [130 lbs.]. Now my CD4 count is 164, and I'm past 95 kilograms [209 lbs.]. So it's good.

Do you feel good?

Yes. I feel much, much better.

In what year were you diagnosed?

It was 28 June 2006.

Thank you so much for speaking with us today.

Thank you very much, Terri.

This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

Egypt: Court Upholds HIV Sentences, Reinforces Intolerance

2008-09-05T02:59:00.002+02:00

Five Convictions in Fear-Driven Crackdown a Blow to Health and Justice

(Cairo, May 29, 2008, Human Rights Watch) – A Cairo appeals court’s decision to uphold the sentences imposed on five men jailed in a crackdown on people living with HIV/AIDS underscores the Egyptian government’s dangerous indifference to public health and justice, Human Rights Watch said today. The May 28 ruling upheld the maximum three-year prison terms for each of the five, following a months-long campaign targeting men with HIV/AIDS. A total of nine men have been sentenced to prison so far.

“To send these men to prison because of their HIV status is inhuman and unjust,” said Joe Amon, director of the HIV/AIDS program at Human Rights Watch. “Police, prosecutors, and doctors have already abused them and violated their most basic rights, and now fear has trumped justice in a court of law.”

On May 7, a court of first instance in Cairo had convicted the five men on charges of “habitual practice of debauchery,” a phrase that in Egyptian law encompasses consensual sexual acts between men.

Before their first trial, a prosecutor told the men’s lawyer that they should not be allowed to “roam the streets freely” because the government considered them “a danger to public health.”

Since October 2007, Cairo police have arrested a dozen men on suspicion of being HIV-positive. The crackdown began when one man, stopped on the street during an altercation, told officers he was HIV-positive. Police arrested him and the man with him, beat and abused them, and interrogated them to name sexual contacts. Police then began picking up others based on information from those interrogations.

On January 14, 2008, a Cairo court sentenced four of those men to one-year prison terms on “debauchery” charges. An appeals court upheld those sentences on February 2. The present five defendants were referred for trial separately in March. Authorities released three other men, who tested negative for HIV, without charge, after months in detention.

While the 12 were in detention, doctors from the Ministry of Health forcibly subjected all of them to HIV tests without their consent. Doctors from Egypt’s Forensic Medical Authority performed abusive anal examinations on the men to “prove” they had had sex with other men. Human Rights Watch has documented that such examinations conducted in detention constitute torture. Police and guards beat several of the men in detention. A prosecutor told one of the men that he had tested positive for HIV by saying, “People like you should be burnt alive. You do not deserve to live.”

The prisoners who tested HIV-positive were chained to their beds in hospitals for months. After a local and international outcry, the Ministry of Health ordered the men unchained on February 25.

“Putting these men in prison serves neither justice nor public health,” Amon said. “The Egyptian government and the country’s medical profession must act to end this campaign of intolerance.”

Egypt Tourism Ad

2008-08-19T16:18:00.000+03:00

Nothing compares to Egypt...

Persepolis 2 (Trailer) - Safeguard the Innocent

2008-08-19T16:11:00.003+03:00

Sequel to Persepolis exposes the reality of the suffering of the Baha'is in Iran since the Revolution and until today, and calls for action on their behalf. Note: The images for this clip were borrowed from Marjan Satrapi's film "Persepolis", an admirable work which serves as inspiration to us all.

2,500 years ago, Cyrus the Great penned down what is regarded as the first declaration for human rights, affirming the right of freedom of worship. But centuries later, what is the condition of Iran's largest religious minority?

For more information on Baha'i human rights abuses please visit: www.bahairights.org

To see more MEY work please visit: www.mideastyouth.com/censeo

Egypt demanding data from cyber cafés users: NGO

2008-08-10T15:49:00.000+03:00

Source: Middle East Times

CAIRO (AFP) An Egyptian NGO on Saturday accused the Egyptian authorities of forcing cyber cafés to gather personal information on Internet users, saying the measure was a violation of privacy.

"The Egyptian government imposed a new measure which increases the extent of censorship on Internet users and violates their right to privacy," the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said in a statement.

According to the NGO, clients at Internet cafés must provide "their names, email and phone numbers, before they use the Internet."

Once the data is provided, clients will receive a text message on their cell phones and a pin number allowing them to access the Internet, the NGO said.

The rights group called this a "censorship procedure" which it said has "become a widespread reality" in Egypt.

"This severely abusive procedure proves that the security policies aim to impose constraints and censorship on Internet users," it said.

An Egyptian security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that "the measure is not an official one" although he acknowledged that "some cyber cafés have been instructed" to obtain such data from their clients.

Egypt earlier this year arrested bloggers and Internet activists for security reasons, prompting criticism by Amnesty International and calls for their release.

© 2008 Agence France-Presse

Religion on ID cardsالديانة في بطاقات الهوية

2008-08-07T05:59:00.002+03:00

Of what use is the mentioning of religion on official papers? Or, more specifically, what's the need for it on identification cards? This kind of discrimination is not consistent with the principle of citizenship mentioned in the Egyptian constitution. What different type of treatment should one receive if "Christian," "Baha'i," or "Muslim" is written in their ID card? For instance, if someone goes to see a doctor, would they be treated with Bible verses if they're Christian and with Koran verses if they're Muslim? Or if they go to get their driving license, would they be forced to have a Star of David hung in their car if they're Jewish and a cross if they're Christian? How strange! These examples are mere imagination, but even if such ways of discrimination occur somewhere in the world, they still are not compatible with the principle of equality on the basis of citizenship. What's the importance of knowing someone's religion in matters of civil dealings that have nothing to do with the personal type of religiousness an individual has.

ما هو استخدام خانة الديانة في الأوراق الرسمية؟ أو بشكل أكثر تخصيصًا، ما حاجتنا لها في البطاقات الشخصية؟ لا يتماشى هذا الأسلوب من التمييز مع مبدأ المواطنة المذكور في الدستور المصري. أي نوع مختلف من المعاملة يتلقاها مواطن ما إن كان مكتوب في بطاقته مسيحي أو بهائي أو مسلم؟ مثلاً إن ذهب شخص ما إلى الطبيب، هل يعالجه الطبيب بالإنجيل إن كان هذا الشخص مسيحيًا أو بالقرآن إن كان مسلمًا؟ أو إن ذهب لاستخراج رخصة القيادة، هل يعلــَـق له نجمة داود في السيارة إن كان يهوديًا أو صليب إن كان مسيحيًا مثلا؟ هذه الأمثلة هي من وحي الخيال وإن كانت تحدث في بعض الأماكن في العالم فهي لا تتوافق ومبدأ المساواة على أساس المواطنة. إذًا فما هي حقــًا أهمية معرفة دين شخص ما في أمور المعاملة المدنية التي لا علاقة لها بنوع التدين الخاص بالفرد؟

Egyptian identification card controversy

2008-07-28T00:03:00.005+03:00

Source: Wikipedia

The Egyptian identification card controversy resulted from a ruling of the Supreme Administrative Council of Egypt on December 16, 2006 against the Bahá'ís stating that the government may not recognize the Bahá'í Faith in official identification cards. The ruling left Bahá'ís unable to obtain the necessary government documents to have rights in their country unless they lied about their religion, which conflicts with Bahá'í religious principle. Bahá'ís cannot obtain identification cards, birth certificates, death certificates, marriage or divorce certificates, or passports. Without those documents, they could not be employed, educated, treated in hospitals, or vote, among other things. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) stated that the press release issued by the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court did not respond to any of the evidence and legal arguments presented by the EIPR in the case and that instead the press release discussed only the tenets and beliefs of the Bahá'í Faith, which should have had no effect on the decision of the court. On January 29, 2008 Cairo's court of Administrative Justice, ruling on two related court cases, ruled in favour of the Bahá'ís, allowing them to obtain birth certificates and identification documents, so long as they omit their religion on court documents. The ruling accepted the compromise solution offered by the Bahá'ís, allowing for them to obtain identification papers without the Bahá'í Faith being officially recognized, however as of April 22, 2008 the Egyptian Ministry of Interior has yet to implement the ruling, and Bahá'ís remain without identification cards.

Historical context

In 1924, Egypt became the first Islamic state to legally recognize the Bahá'í Faith as an independent religion apart from Islam. Despite a historically active Egyptian Bahá'í community during the early twentieth century, Bahá'í institutions and community activities are currently banned by Law 263. This law came into being in 1960, seven years after the declaration of the Arab Republic of Egypt, at the decree of then-President Gamal Abdel Nasser. All Bahá'í community properties, including Bahá'í centers, libraries, and cemeteries, were confiscated by the government. The current Egyptian Bahá'í community, estimated to number between several hundred and two-thousand, has also had fatwas issued against it by Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Center, which charges Bahá'ís with apostasy.

Legal context

The Egyptian identification card controversy stemmed from the Egyptian government's decision, now being implemented, to computerize the national identity card system. The system had been set up to exclude Bahá'ís, depriving them of valid ID cards, making them virtual non-citizens, without access to employment, education, and all government services, including hospital care. Individuals without a valid ID card would even be unable to buy groceries from state markets. A number of Bahá'í young people are without valid ID cards, a situation that has forced them out of universities and the army, placing them on the margins of society.

All Egyptian citizens must carry ID cards, which must be presented not only for any type of government service, such as medical care in a public hospital or processing for a property title or deed, but also to obtain employment, education, banking services, and many other important private transactions. ID cards are also required to pass through police checkpoints, and individuals without such cards are accordingly deprived of freedom of movement.

In Egypt, ID cards require a statement of religious affiliation. Moreover, the system allows for one of only the three recognized religions of Egypt — Islam, Christianity, or Judaism — to be entered. Bahá'ís have long refused as a matter of principle to falsely list themselves as Muslim, Christian, or Jew. Not only would such a step constitute committing fraud against the state, but also such a denial of faith would effectively play into the hands of those who seek to eliminate the Bahá'ís in Egypt. Accordingly, Bahá'ís have simply left the religious affiliation slot blank, made a dash, written "other," or even sometimes listed "Bahá'í." With the old paper ID cards, Bahá'ís were thus able to obtain cards and survive as individuals in Egyptian society.

In the 1990s, the Egyptian government announced it would be upgrading its identification card system by issuing computerized cards that would be less susceptible to forgery. This, the government indicated, would help to combat militant Islamic unrest, and improve data collection and access. The government indicated the shift to the new system would be gradual, but set January 2005 as the deadline for everyone to have the new cards — a deadline which has apparently been extended to 2006.

The system had apparently undergone modifications since it was set up. In 2003, for example, four Bahá'ís sought and obtained new computerized cards in which the religious affiliation field listed "other" — a designation to which the Bahá'í community does not object. More recently, however, the software had been updated so that only one of the three recognized religions can be entered. If the field is left blank, the computer refuses to issue the card.

The Bahá'í community of Egypt had approached the government on numerous occasions to plead for a simple change in the programming, if not the law, so that they could be issued valid ID cards under the new system. Such pleas, however, had been met with rejection and refusal.

Accordingly, all members of the Egyptian Bahá'í community faced the prospect of being left wholly without proper ID cards by 2006 — a situation in which they would essentially be denied all rights of citizenship, and, indeed, would be faced with the inability even to withdraw their own money from the bank, get medical treatment at public hospitals, or purchase food from state stores.

As the new cards were being issued, the government had asked young people to start coming in for the new cards, and a number of Bahá'í youth had accordingly been stripped of paper identification cards. Once stripped of ID cards, the Bahá'í youth essentially become prisoners in their own homes, since the authorities often set up evening checkpoints to verify the identity of young men. Individuals without proper ID face detention. Likewise, young people without ID cards are denied entrance and continuing enrolment in colleges and universities, as well as service in the armed forces.

Court case

On April 4, 2006, a three-judge panel of the Egyptian Administrative Court upheld the right of a Bahá'í couple to lawfully state their religion on their ID cards. The cards had been confiscated by the government after the couple sought to have their passports updated to include their daughters. The couple, Husam Izzat Musa and Ranya Enayat Rushdy, sued, stating that the confiscation of the cards was illegal under Egypt’s Constitution and international law. The court ruled for the couple, citing existing precedents and Islamic jurisprudence that allow for the right of non-Muslims to live in Muslim lands "without any of them being forced to change what they believe in." and ordered the civil registry to issue new documents that properly identify them as Bahá'ís.

The court wrote:

It is not inconsistent with Islamic tenets to mention the religion on this card even though it may be a religion whose rites are not recognized for open practice, such as Bahá’ism [sic] and the like... On the contrary, these [religions] must be indicated so that the status of its bearer is known and thus he does not enjoy a legal status to which his belief does not entitle him in a Muslim society.

In the aftermath of the court ruling, various news media in Egypt and the Arab world reported on the ruling. Human rights groups in Egypt were supportive of the decision, while representatives of the Al-Azhar University and government were negative. Newspapers in Bahrain, Kuwait and elsewhere in the region also wrote about the case, with many going into long explanations about the Bahá'í Faith. Some statements by other organizations after the initial ruling include:

▪ IRIN, a news service of the United Nations serving the region, wrote, "Human rights activists have welcomed a landmark ruling by the Administrative Court recognizing the right of Egyptian Bahais to have their religion acknowledged on official documents."

▪ Al Arabiya, an online service of the television network, carried the headline, "They were forcing them to register themselves as Muslims; An Egyptian court recognizes the Bahá’í religion despite refusal by the Azhar."

▪ Al-Watan (Homeland), a newspaper of Kuwait, carried the headline: “They described it as the Greatest Setback; Al-Azhar scholars demand that the Egyptian judiciary review the ruling of acknowledging ‘Al-Bahá’íyyah’ [the Bahá'í Faith] as a religion.” The lead of the article says: "A number of Al-Azhar scholars condemned the ruling of the Egyptian judiciary that acknowledged the Bahá’í creed, stressing that it is considered a great legal setback and a tragedy that must be drawn back, emphasizing that Bahá’ís are not Muslims, rather, they are agents of Zionism and colonialism and are enemies of the country; they demanded a review of the ruling that acknowledges this creed."

▪ Al-Ahram, one of Egypt’s leading daily newspapers, carried the headline: "Crisis in Parliament Over a Judicial Ruling About the Bahá'ís; The Deputies: ‘Al-Bahá’íyyah’ [the Bahá'í Faith] is not a Divine religion … and the ruling contradicts the constitution." The article also stated that the government had decided to appeal the ruling.

On 28 April 2006 after reading that the Egyptian government has asked for information on the Bahá'í Faith from members of Al-Azhar University, and knowing that much misinformation about the Bahá'í Faith has been published in the Egyptian media, the Bahá'í International Community’s United Nations Office wrote to leaders of the Al Azhar Islamic Research Council to explain the essential principles of Bahá'í belief. The letter, which contained a brief statement of basic Bahá'í principles and doctrine, also asked that facts about the Bahá'í religion be obtained from trustworthy sources that were "uninfluenced by the misconceptions" that are being spread about the Bahá'í Faith.

The Egyptian government formally appealed the Administrative Court's ruling on 7 May 2006. The appeal came after attacks on the ruling in the Egyptian parliament and by representatives of Al-Azhar Islamic Center. According to the IRIN news service, an Interior Ministry official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said: “We presented an appeal to revoke the previous ruling on the basis that neither the Egyptian constitution nor Islamic law recognize Bahaism [sic] as a religion unto itself.” Then on 13 May 2006 Kifayah, a loosely organized group of civil society organizations, journalists, writers, artists and academics, issued a collective statement calling for an end to discrimination against Bahá'ís. The group which is composed of the Popular Group for Change, the Egyptian Democratic Centre, the Centre for Socialist Studies, Socialist Horizons, the Arabic network for Human Rights Information, and Civil Watch for Human Rights, along with some 40 journalists, writers, artists and academics wrote:

"We confirm that this is not a case of the followers of the Bahá'í denomination only; it is the case of all minorities and faiths that are suffering from discrimination in Egyptian society for decades... Our attitude springs from a deep belief that calls for constitutional and political reform cannot be separated from demands for the guarantee of freedom of belief and expression equally for every citizen, regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender or color, otherwise, reform would become merely ink on paper and lose all meaning ... Today, the followers of a small denomination are sacrificed to fanaticism, but whose turn will it be tomorrow….if we be silent now?"

Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court on 15 May suspended the implementation of the earlier lower Administrative Court ruling that allowed Bahá'ís to have their religion recognized on official documents. The court agreed to hear the appeal starting on June 16, which continued to September 16. During this time, the state-sponsored National Council for Human Rights held a major symposium on the issues surrounding religious affiliation and identity cards, at which the Bahá'í community offered some testimony. The hearing was, however, postponed by the Supreme Administrative Court on 21 September 2006 until 20 November, to await the completion of an advisory report by the State Commissioner’s Authority.

During the court's wait, the Egyptian newspaper Rose al-Youssef published a story on October 14, 2006 stating that the advisory report was completed, and that the State Commissioner’s Authority is urging the rejection of the lower court’s ruling. Then on 2 December a final hearing was held; the court indicated that its judgement would be issued in the case on 16 December. The Supreme Administrative Court issued its final judgement in the case of Husam Izzat Musa and Ranya Enayat Rushdy on 16 December, upholding the government’s policy of allowing only three religious affiliations on state ID cards and government documents.

After the ruling, various Egyptian human rights organizations, such as the Cairo Centre for Human Rights Studies, issued statements of support for the Bahá'í community of Egypt in their struggle for basic civil rights. The Universal House of Justice, the highest governing body of the Baha'i Faith on 21 December addressed a message to the Baha'is of Egypt in the wake of the Supreme Administrative Court's decision stating that they should continue in striving to continue to uphold the principle of the oneness of humankind and other Bahá'í principles.

On January 29, 2008 Cairo's court of Administrative Justice, ruling on two related court cases, and after six postponements, ruled in favour of the Bahá'ís, allowing them to obtain birth certificates and identification documents, so long as they omit their religion on court documents; the government may, however, still appeal against the judgement. The director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, who has brought the two cases to court, stated "This is a very welcome decision. It addresses a great injustice suffered by Bahai citizens who face arbitrary and discriminatory practices based on their religious beliefs. We urge that the authorities implement the Administrative Court's decision." The chief judge in the court case stated that while the Baha'i Faith is still not recognized as one of the three officially recognized state religions, they will enjoy the right to refuse to identify oneself as one of those three religions, and will have access to state religions. As of April 22, 2008, however, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior has yet to implement the ruling, and Bahá'ís remain without identification cards.

Other court cases

Since the December 16, 2006 decision by Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court, two other court cases addressing the rights of Egyptian Bahá'ís to obtain basic identity documents and education have been brought up. The first case, which was filed on February 2007, was brought forward by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) on behalf of a Bahá'í university student, Hosni Hussein Abdel-Massih. Abdel-Massih was suspended from the Suez Canal University's Higher Institute of Social Work since he was unable to obtain an identity card due to his religious affiliation. The Court of Administrative Justice in Cairo was to decide on this case on September 5, 2007 but postponed the decision to October 30, 2007. The case was further postponed, for the fifth time on January 22, 2008, for an anticipated verdict during the 29 January 2008 court session. On January 29, 2008, Cairo's court of Administrative Justice ruled in favour of the Bahá'ís, allowing them to obtain identification documents, so long as they omit their religion on court documents.

The second case involved two 14-year old twins who were unable to obtain birth certificates unless they converted to a recognized religion. While the father of the twins had originally obtained birth certificates when the children were born in 1993 with their religious affiliation as Bahá'í, he was unable to obtain new birth certificates which contain the national number. Without the national number on the birth certificate, the children were unable to enrol in public schools. Since the Supreme Administrative Court's decision in 2006 found that the government had the right to deny Egyptian Bahá'ís identity documents recognizing their religious affiliation, the EIPR modified the requested remedies in the case; the issue before the Court of Administrative Justice is whether Bahá'ís can obtain documents without any religious affiliation or without falsely identifying oneself as one of the recognized religions. This court case was also set to be decided up on September 5, 2007, but the decision has also been postponed to October 30, 2007. As with the other court case, Cairo's court of Administrative Justice also ruled in favour of the Bahá'ís, allowing them to obtain birth certificates, if they omit their religion on the documents. The EIPR stated that they will immediately seek to obtain papers for the twins.

"I Dream of the Day of Peace" / "باحلم بيوم السلام"

2008-07-27T01:22:00.003+03:00

This is a very nice song, performed by an Egyptian Baha'i, about the wish for world peace, based on Baha'i principles. Nice words and music! :)

That Thursday Night

2007-12-03T23:33:00.001+02:00

Following is a story of true events as written by a reader of my blog, who has permitted me to post it here, without him being identified:

I think most of us have gone through the experience of having to lie about our sexuality when a direct question is put to us. Since coming-out and revealing one's sexuality in this society is not something to be taken likely or done without ample thought of its consequences.

In particular in the Egyptian or Arab context, coming-out to one person you know, might mean coming out to a dozen (at least) who you do not know. Hence the consequences have to be weighed carefully.

On a personal experience, after having been away from Egypt for a long time and returning as a gay man, my first experience of this situation was with my old school mates in my "home coming evening."

It was in 1999 when contemporary gay life was booming in Egypt. That evening my friends unknowingly chose the gayest place in Egypt to go arrange for our get together on a Thursday night.

Of course, the subject was bound to come out when, few minutes after midnight, the place became predominantly gay. I was lucky, then, that I wasn't personally acquainted with any of the gay crowd there except one tourist I had met the previous day for a coffee and found a bit too camp, hence coffee was the extent of our relationship.

The comedy started when my friends started noticing the unusually expressive hand gestures, the closeness of the bodies, and the obvious gay environment particularly as they all are well-traveled people. And there started the comments and the subject was wide open, like you know what!

I managed not to use my vocal chords to reply to any of the homophobic comments they started exchanging, and kept nodding and painting a smile on my face. However, the silence act did not last more than ninety seconds after which I found myself exploding in their faces.

Arguing their flawed logic whether it ranged from morality, decency, social or religious grounds, and, believe me, they didn't spare me any argument to throw in my face about how "unnatural," "indecent," "immoral," "anti-social," "sick," and of course the famous "sacrilegious" behavior this all was.

I found myself as if in an arena with six hounds attacking me with their collective age of social brainwashing, monolithic attitude and religious dogma (of all denominations, just to increase the open fronts.)

In my enthusiasm I got very immersed in responding, until the inevitable question came up which I should have seen coming: "Why are you so worked-up about the issue? Why are you so defensive of it?"

And there I felt like a ten-ton brick fell on my head. I should have seen it coming with how much I was so red and engrossed in the conversation. Twelve eyes stared in my face for seconds that felt like eternity.

I felt all the blood in my body rushing to my head, feeding those few poor grey cells left puzzled on how to act after my hot blood and big mouth put them in such an unenviable position!

Would they trigger that mouth to spit-out in those six dear faces the truth about my sexuality for the first time ever? Alternatively, what plausible lie could be put on those lips that would satisfy the curious questioning minds in front of me?

I was lucky, or maybe I was just being myself ("gay").

In 30 seconds, the compulsive liar in me burst into them claiming professional interest in human rights, of which gay rights are part. Although not entirely a lie, it certainly was not the main reason I was playing the defendant role.

That evening was the last with my childhood friends. I did not want to be put in that position again, and hence I found myself avoiding them for any other occasion to meet up over drinks or socially. Now that was the price for not coming out to them.

In fact, that night, I reached a conclusion that I could not comfortably socialize openly with so called friends unless they knew about one major aspect in my life: that I am gay. That is the price which some conservative societies and their taboos levy on us for staying discrete and unseen.

It is not a cheap price; it is years of intimate memories of childhood friendship that are lost.

Pity.

Questions

2007-11-21T15:13:00.000+02:00

I've been living a life of confusion for many years now about what's right and what's wrong; about the existence or non-existence of God; about many questions following the one of God's existence. Why was I born into this life in the first place? I didn't choose that. I didn't and don't think i would have chosen to live such a life full of confusion.

Is God there or is he not? Should i be Muslim or Christian or Jewish or Baha'i or what?

Why was i born in this specific time period when most of what goes on in my head seems to be forbidden? I'm even forbidden of just ending this whole misery. It is a misery to me when I am expected to be things i don't think i can be, or things that i just don't know if i should be or not.

Muslims, Christians, Jews, Baha'is, atheists, agnostics, gays, lesbians, straights, bisexuals, asexuals, transsexuals. These are just a few of the many religious and sexual groups in this world. How can you tell who's right and who's wrong? Who has this right? Why does God prefer specific groups and reject others?

Life is quite a confusing thing, life is full of confusion that it's hard to set specific rules for it.

It's even more confusing to die, because you never know what happens next, so it is also scary. When I think about this it just feels like I don't know what to do really. Life and death are both full of unanswered questions.

Will I live again after dying, or will I live a totally different type of life, or will I vanish? Will I meet God after death or will I not? Will I go to heaven or hell, or neither?

أول فيلم تسجيلي عن حال البهائيين في مصر

2007-11-20T23:13:00.000+02:00

شاهد هذا الفيلم الرائع الذي يتناول حال المصريين البهائيين ومعاناتهم في ظل استمرار الاضطهاد الذي يتعرضون إليه.

A Plastic Plate

2007-11-03T15:12:00.001+02:00

A video about a gay person with HIV/AIDS in Egypt.

Free Love

2007-10-30T21:35:00.001+02:00

Ahmad Sherif's "Free Love" video, also with English subtitles by me.

Free Women

2007-10-30T21:33:00.001+02:00

This is the "Free Women" video by Ahmad Sherif with English subtitles by me.

Researchers Knock Out HIV

2007-10-24T18:51:00.000+02:00

ScienceDaily (link) (Oct. 21, 2007) — With the latest advances in treatment, doctors have discovered that they can successfully neutralise the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The so-called ‘combination therapy’ prevents HIV from mutating and spreading, allowing patients to rebuild their immune system to the same levels as the rest of the population.

To date, it represents the most significant treatment for patients suffering from HIV.

Professor Jens Lundgren from the University of Copenhagen, together with other members of the research group EuroSIDA, have conducted a study, which demonstrates that the immune system of all HIV-infected patients can be restored and normalised. The only stipulation is that patients begin and continue to follow their course of treatment.

HIV attacks the body’s ability to counteract viruses

Viruses are small organisms that have no independent metabolism. Consequently, when they enter the body they attack living cells and adopt their metabolism. The influenza virus occupies cells in the nose, throat and lungs; the mumps attaches itself to the salivary glands of the ear; while the Polio virus plays on the intestinal tract, blood and salivary glands. In all these instances, our immune system attacks and eliminates the invading virus.

HIV is so deadly because the virus attaches itself to a crucial part of the immune system itself: to the so-called CD4+T lymphocytes, which are white blood corpuscles that help the immune system to fight infections. The Hi-virus forms and invades new CD4+T-lymphocytes. Slowly but surely, the number of healthy CD4+T lymphocytes in the blood fall, while HIV relentlessly weakens the body’s ability to defend itself from infection. Finally, the immune system erodes to such an extent that the infected patient is diagnosed with AIDS. The Hi-virus mutates constantly as it forms and this is why, scientists face a constant battle to find a cure or a vaccine.

Combination therapy knocks out HIV

Combination therapy prevents the virus from forming and mutating in human beings. When the virus is halted in its progress, the number of healthy CD4+T cells begins to rise and patients, who would otherwise die from HIV, can now survive. The immune system is rejuvenated and is apparently able to normalise itself, providing that the combination therapy is maintained. The moment the immune system begins to improve, the HIV-infected patient can no longer be said to be suffering from an HIV infection or disease, already declining in strength.

Findings from the study are published in the medical journal The Lancet - Vol. 370, Issue 9585, 4 August 2007, Pages 407-413

Adapted from materials provided by University Of Copenhagen.

من موقع EveryScreen.com:-على الآلهة: حوار مع صديقي المؤمن!

2007-10-12T02:08:00.000+02:00

س : من يوجد وراء كل هذا الكون ؟

جـ : لا نعرف !

س : كيف ، وكل شىء دقيق مضبوط ولا بد له من خالق دقيق ومبدع . يا سلام شايف الإعجاز ! خذ مثلا ، الأوكسچين نسبته فى الهواء 20% وهى النسبة المثالية بالظبط بالظبط لحياة الإنسان ، أو خذ مثلا طبقة الأوزون المصممة لحمايتنا من الإشعاعات الضارة وقد نهلك جميعا إذا ما استمر العبث بها ، أو خذ مثلا …

جـ : كفى ! كفى ! أنا أعرف كل تلك الجدليات جيدا ، وردى عليها بسيط : من وجد قبل من ؟ غلاف الأرض والأوزون أو أية ’ معجزة إلهية ‘ أخرى تخطر ببالك وجدت قبل ظهور العرق البشرى ، عندما ظهر البشر ظهروا متكيفون جدا لها ، وإلا ما ظهروا أصلا . بل هم ظهروا وازدهروا وتسيدوا لأنهم ببساطة بدوا من منظور البيئة المحيطة الأكثر تكيفا إطلاقا من كل من عداهم من كائنات . قل لو كانت نسبة الأوكسچين 5% على سبيل المثال ، لظهروا كديدان تحت التربة أو شىء كهذا ، ولما ظهرت الثدييات كما نعرفها قط . كواكب كثيرة ليس بها غلاف جوى وليس بها أوزون أو غاز يقوم بوظيفة مشابهة ، ومن ثم ليس بها نوع الحياة كما نعرفها ، وهكذا ، وهكذا .

صديقى ، كل المعجزات والحكم الإلهية الجليلة والخارقة تلك ما هى إلا أوهام ، وبقليل من الخيال ستكتشف أنها آليات طبيعية منطقية وبسيطة ، وتخضع كلية لما يسمى بالسببية . ومن ثم لا يجدر بالإنسان العاقل إلا الإيمان بما يثبته له العلم التجريبى ، ثم بما يصححه من نفسه لنفسه ، بحثا عن حقيقة أدق وأدق بلا نهاية . هو ليس مطلقا ولا رائعا كنظرياتكم الدينية التى حلت كل شىء بخبطة واحدة اسمها الإله ، لكنه كل ما نملك ، وكل ما لا نملك إلا الوثوق به كمنهج متواصل لفهم العالم والطبيعة وفهم كل شىء بأفضل فهم ممكن !

س : أنت تؤمن بداروين ؟

جـ : أنا أومن بالعلم . ولو أثبت خطأ داروين لرفضت داروين ، لكن هذا لم يحدث حتى اليوم ، بل بالعكس كل شىء يؤكد هذه النظرية ، بل أنها تتوسع لتشمل حتى أمورا غير مادية كالأفكار مثلا . التطور يا صديقى يكاد يكون قانونا .

س : ألا يمكن ولو على سبيل الصدفة المحضة ، أو باحتمال واحد فى البليون ، أن تكون نظرية الأديان عن الإله صحيحة ؟

جـ : مستحيل ! اسمح لى أن أرد على سؤالك بسؤال : لماذا كان الرومان يحرقون المسيحيين أو يلقونهم للأسود ؟

س : طبعا لأنهم كانوا يرفضون إله العقيدة الجديدة .

جـ : خطأ ! الحقيقة عكس هذا 180 درجة . اقرأ مثلا كتاب ميرى ليفكوويتز Greek Gods, Human Lives —What We Can Learn from Myths أو كتاب أليكساندر كراڤيتشوك عن آخر سنوات الدورات الأوليمپية ’ الوثنية والمسيحية ‘ وهو مترجم للعربية ، [ وغيرهما ] كثير جدا ، وأضمن لك أن يشيب شعر رأسك المنتصب هلعا كلما سمعت مستقبلا عبارة ’ من لطمك على خدك الأيمن حول له الأيسر ‘ ( طبعا أنت أذكى من أن تتصور أن عمرو بن العاص كان وحده السفاح الأثيم ، وعلى أية حال ’ سماحة ‘ الإسلام قصة أخرى ، وخلينا فى سماحة المسيحية ! ) . اليونان والرومان كانوا يرحبون بظهور أى آلهة جديدة ويتعبدون لها فى معابدهم . المسيحيون ’ هم ‘ الذين كانوا يرفضون الآلهة غير إلههم . وبالنسبة للرومان كانوا بذلك شيئا شاذا للغاية وبدعة مطلقة لم يعرف عالمهم مثلها من قبل ، ومن ثم كان حرق المسيحيين أو إطعامهم للأسود هو الموقف الحضارى الوحيد الممكن فى تلك اللحظة . يا صديقى ، فى تلك العصور لم يوجد قط فى سوق الآلهة والأديان من هو أكثر تسامحا أو رحابة أفق من الديانات الوثنية ، أما التوحيد فمعناه أنك ’ وحدك ‘ على صواب وكل من عداك تجديفى ومزور . التوحيد يعنى تلقائيا التعصب ، يعنى تلقائيا الانغلاق ، يعنى تلقائيا التكفير ، يعنى تلقائيا الجهاد ، ويعنى تلقائيا الاستشهاد . أديان ما يسمى بالتوحيد يطرح كل منها نفسه على أنه الوصول الفعلى والنهائى للحقيقة المطلقة . بما أننا نتحدث عن مطلقات ، فإحتمال أن يكون غيرك على صواب يعنى تلقائيا وقطعا أنك على خطأ . ربما تعترف أديان التوحيد بما جاء قبلها ، لكنه اعتراف منقوص بل ملغى أصلا . ربما تعترف بها كحقيقة تاريخية ، لكن ليس عقائديا . العقيدة الجديدة لا بد وأن تلغى كل العقائد القديمة . العقيدة عقيدة ، وكلمة عقيدة تعنى أن كل ما سواها خطأ . هى ليست علما يحتمل الصواب والخطأ والتطوير والتعديل . الأسوأ ، بل ربما الطبيعى جدا ، أن كل عقيدة دوما ما تقول إنها نهاية المطاف . على الإنسان أن يقبل بها كوصول غائى للمطلق المفقود ، أنجز بالفعل مرة واحدة وللأبد . باختصار المسعى قد أغلق . لقد تم الوصول للحقيقة الكاملة ، وعلى الإنسان أن يلغى عقله يلغى واقعه ويلغى مستجدات هذا الواقع ، ويتجمد عند تلك ’ الحقيقة ‘ المقدسة إلى الأبد . أديان الشرق بالمناسبة لا تأتى بحقائق مطلقة ، فقط تستحث الناس السعى إليها من استطاع إليها سبيلا ، وهؤلاء ليسوا كل البشر بل قلة خاصة جدا روحانية جدا ذات عزيمة خاصة جدا ، وقبل كل شىء يعنيها الأمر ولم يفرضه عليها أحد فرضا بالميكروفونات والهراوات . وهنا ردى على سؤالك عن الصدفة فى صواب الأديان ، وهو رد قديم جدا . من عصور قالوا إن تعارض العقائد يلغيها جميعا . خذ هذا المثال : تخيل أن كل إله يقول لشعبه أنتم شعبى المختار أو أنتم أبناء الملكوت أو أنتم خير أمة أخرجت للناس ، وهلم جرا ! أو خذ مثال أن كل دين يقول إنه آخر دين ، من بعدى الدجالون المزيفون ، وطبعا من قبلى المحرفون الضالون . ستكتشف إذن أن الهراء هو نفسه ، لا يتغير من دين إلى دين ، أو من إله لإله ، ذلك أن البشر اخترعوها جميعا لنفس الأهداف تقريبا . فقط تتغير الأسماء ، وفقط من أجل وضع الأسس لحروب دينية لا نهاية لها . يا صديقى ، الدين حصد من الأرواح أكثر ما حصدت أى حروب أو أمراض أو كوارث طبيعية أو أى شىء آخر فى الدنيا . صدقنى ، التوحيد الذى اخترعه إخناتون وتلميذه موسى وبقية الشلة التى تعرف أسماءها أحسن منى ، هو أكبر جريمة ضد الإنسانية ارتكبت إطلاقا فى تاريخها كله !

س : أوه ! هناك تناقض لم أفهمه . يبدو أنك تذهب فى الطريق الخطأ ، وتريد إثبات عكس ما قصدت . بدأت بالقول إن تعارض الأديان يلغيها والآن وكأنك تقول إن تشابهها هو الذى يلغيها !

جـ : فعلا ! أول مرة آخد بالى . هذا صحيح بالطبع . لكن ما أريد قوله إنه سواء اختلفت أو تشابهت فمن المستحيل أن يكون أى من تلك الأديان صحيحا ، ليس فقط لأن تلك النظريات تتناقض مع بعضها البعض ، وليس فقط لأنها جميعا تتناقض مع ما أثبته ويثبته كل يوم العلم التجريبى ، إنما لأن كل نظرية فى حد ذاتها تتناقض أجزائها بعضها البعض على نحو مخجل لا ينطلى على طفل عنده 99% إيمان و1% عقل !

س : ليكن ! دعنى أجاريك فى نظرية السببية تلك ، والتى تسمونها المنهج العلمى . لكنك لن تقنعنى أبدا أن كل ذلك جاء من فراغ . من البديهى و’ العلمى ‘ وبناء على نظرية السببية بتاعتكم فإن لكل شىء خالق ؟

جـ : حلو الكلام ! الإله خلق الإنسان . ماشى ! ممتاز جدا منطق أن لكل شىء خالق ، فقط قل لى إذن من فضلك من خلق ذلك الإله الذى تتحدث عنه . إنها دوامة لا نهاية لها ، صدقنى أنت الخاسر فيها ولست أنا .

س : الخلاصة أنت ترفض مفهوم المطلق برمته ؟

جـ : هناك شىء اسمه النسبية . هذه النظرية ألغت كل ما اعتقدنا أنه مطلقات الكون ، ولم تبق سوى على مطلق واحد هو سرعة الضوء ، ولن أدهش إن اتضح يوما من منظور فوق‑كونى ، إن لم يكن من منظور كوننا المعروف نفسه ، أنها هى الأخرى ليست مطلقة . ربما شديدة الثبات ، لكن ليست مطلقة . صديقى ، هناك فجوة بين مفهومنا للإشياء وبين حقيقتها . من يتخيل مثلا أن الأرض كلها لو خلصت من الفراغات بين جسيماتها لأصبحت فى حجم حبة قمح ؟ فى قول آخر لا يوجد شىء اسمه جسيمات أصلا . الجسيمات نفسها ما هى إلا موجات ، وإحساسنا نحن بالأجسام الصلبة حولنا ما هو إلا وهم تعودنا عليه . وبالمناسبة ربما لأن كل شىء ما هو إلا موجات ، ربما تأتينا يوما نظرية تفسر الظواهر الخارقة كالتخاطر مثلا أو تحريك الأشياء ، والتى تولعون بها جدا أنتم المتدينون ، بأنها ترجع لتوافقات موجية من نوع ما بالغ الندرة أو بالغ الضعف أو كلاهما معا ! أو حتى تفسر بعض ألغاز الحياة العادية المستعصية ، وأذكر أمور كان داروين نفسه من أوائل من تحيروا أمامها ، وحاول معرفة دورها فى البقاء ، ولم ينجح . مثل تجاوب البشر جميعا مع الموسيقى والإيقاع ، أو مثل اتفاقهم على معايير معينة للجمال ، وكما تعلم لا توجد قوة على الأرض تستطيع أن تقنع أحدا أن صوفيا لورين ليست أكثر فتنة بكثير من بنتى عصرها المغرورتين أمك وأمى .

س : ربما تلك القوة أقنعت أباك وأبى .

جـ : هل سألتهما ؟ وكمان جايز التفسير موجات برضه !

س : خلينا فى موضوعنا . وبعدين ؟

جـ : وبعدين لا نعرف ، وربما لن نعرف أبدا . ربما لو عرفت الحياة الذكية الموجودة فرضا بالصدفة على أحد إليكترونات جسمك أنك موجود ، لعرفنا نحن ماذا يوجد هناك بعد هذا الكون . على الأقل هى مسألة أحجام . نحن نحتاج لفوتون واحد على الأقل لنرصد وجود شىء ما . لكن ماذا لو كان هذا الشىء من الصغر بحيث يكون الفوتون بمثابة قنبلة نووية عملاقة للغاية ، من الحجم بما يكفى لمحو أكوان كاملة فى ذلك العالم فائق الصغر من الوجود . هذا ليس كلاما جديدا من عندى هو نفس كلام أينستاين فى مناظرته الممتدة الشهيرة مع بور ، الحقيقة المطلقة موجودة لكننا لن نعرفها أبدا ، وجهدنا لمعرفتها ( بفوتون ) سوف يدمرها . بالمثل نحن فى المقابل أصغر حجما من أن نمتلك أدوات رصد لرؤية ما وراء هذا الكون ، الذى ربما هو مجرد ذرة فى كون آخر أكبر ، أو ربما رذاز تنفس أو براز كائن ما ضخم ، أو ربما أى شىء . إنها ذات القوانين أيضا بالنسبة للماكروكوزموس . حين نتحدث عن مسافات شاسعة تحتاج أزمانا طائلة وسرعات هائلة لوصولها ، فإن الكون ، أو الزمان‑المكان ، الزمكان ، ينحنى حسب تعبيرات نظرية النسبية ، ولن تستطيع الإفلات من هذا الكون أبدا ولو انطلقت بسرعة الضوء ، أو كما قيل على نحو أكثر تحديدا لن ترى فى النهاية إلا قفاك !

س : بدأنا بمشكلة وانتهينا بمشكلتين . هل يعرف ذلك الكائن الضخم أننا موجودون ؟

جـ : إذا كنا لا نعرفه فلا نعرف بالأحرى أى شىء عن طبيعة أجهزة الرصد عنده ! الأرجح أنها أيضا مسألة أحجام ، وأنه مثلك حين لا تستطيع رصد الحياة الذكية على أحد إليكتروناتك . ثم أين المشكلة أصلا : فى كلا الحالتين نحن نعرف أننا لا نعرف ، أليس هذا علما كافيا يستحق الفخر بالنسبة لعشيرة حثالية كالعشيرة الإنسانية ، لا يختلف مصيرها الأبدى عن مصير أى صرصور يدهس ويموت ، مما يشاركها السكنى ذرة الغبار الكونى المسماة الأرض ؟ وبعدين ليه كل وجع دماغ ده . بعدين ده أصلا شخص مريض ، بيقول عن نفسه أنه ما خلق الجن والإنس إلا ليعبدوه . إيه السيكولوچية المنحرفة دى ؟ أنا أعرف مليون حاجة أفيد وأنفع وأعظم ممكن تعملها غير أنك تحط وشك فى الأرض سجودا للهو خفى لا حد شافه ولا حد كلمه ، إعمار الأرض مثلا ، تنمية التقنية مثلا ، مليون حاجة . حتى لو موش مريض ، أو حتى لو صديق للإنسان زى ما بتقول أديان تانى ، هو ليه واحد عظيم و’ ضخم ‘ زى ده إللى بتقولوا عليه يهتم بسلوكيات واحد فى قرية استوائية أو فى الصعيد الجوانى ، ويحاسبه ويعاقبه ، بعد ما يحفظها له فى سجلات حاسوب أو أرشيف فى الدور الأرضى مليون ولا بليون سنة . بذمتك ده موش عبط . إزاى تعبد واحد أهبل وهايف للدرجة دى ؟

س : يعنى موش عاوزه يحاسب الناس ؟

جـ : ويحاسبهم ليه ؟

س : علشان هو إللى خلقهم .

جـ : يا سلام ؟ معنى كده الإنسان مسير . وبما أنه مسير ، نفسى أعرف يتحاسب ليه وعلى إيه ؟

س : لأ هو مخير ، وعلشان كده بيتحاسب على قراراته وتصرفاته ؟

جـ : أنت متأكد من الإجابة دى وموش هتغيرها ؟ لما هو مخير يتحاسب ليه ؟ منين مخير ومنين يتحاسب ؟ مين إللى خير الإنسان يبقى مخير ؟ مين إللى خير الإنسان يتوجد أصلا ؟ يعنى هو برضه مسير فى إنه مخير ، وفى الحالتين من الظلم إنك تحاسبه ؟ افرض إنه موش عاوز يبقى مخير يا سيدى ، ولا هى كل الحكاية إن صاحبنا إللى فوق غاوى تجارب وسادية ؟ مريض يعنى !

يا صديقى ، العملية زى ما قلت لك عبط فى عبط . ولحسن الحظ نحن نعرف على وجه اليقين من أين أتت الأديان ، وليس فى هذا أى لغز أو أية أسطورة ، بل حقائق معاشة ، وأسباب ومسببات دونتها لنا بإسهاب كتب التاريخ ، وحتى كتب العقيدة نفسها . لحسن الحظ نعرف على وجه اليقين وبالاسم الأشخاص الذين اخترعوا فكرة الإله المشخص الخفى ساكن السماء . نعرف ظروف حياتهم ومجتمعاتهم وخلفياتهم الثقافية ومستوياتهم التعليمية ، ونعرف خريطتهم النفسية المشوهة تماما التى أودت بهم لمثل ذلك الاختراع الفاحش الذى أدى لتآكل وانهيار روح الإنسان تحت نير العبودية المطلقة لذلك اللهو الخفى ولوكلائه المزعومين على الأرض المنصبين ذاتيا للقوامة والوصاية على كل البشرية بالترغيب حينا بحرق الكتب وسفك الدماء والرجم وقطع الرءوس أحيانا أغلب . وكما أن بإمكان البعض تقديس هؤلاء ، من حقنا أيضا أن نطالب بتحويلهم لمحكمة التاريخ لمحاكمتهم عن إنحرافهم النفسى وعن جرائمهم المدنية والجنائية التى تشمل السرقة والقتل والكذب ، أو للدقة شملت كل شىء دون استثناء واحد بما فيه پورنو الأطفال . وعلى رأس كل ذلك طبعا محاكمتهم على أعظم جريمة على وجه الإطلاق ارتكبت فى حق البشر على امتداد كل التاريخ وهى تزييف وجود هؤلاء الآلهة الخفية الثلاثة ، ومن ثم ما سفك من دماء بسببهم سواء عنفا ضد أفراد اتهموا بالزندقة أو بأى شىء ، أو لم يتهموا لكن ملأ الرعب قلوبهم هلعا من عذاب النار مستقبلا ، وأكل الخوف أرواحهم تحسبا لبطش السماء بهم فى أية لحظة حاليا ، أو سفكت عنفا وحروب إبادة تجاه شعوب كاملة حيث أن باسم هؤلاء الآلهة شنت حروب أودت بحياة مئات الملايين من البشر ، ولا يوجد عبر كل التاريخ سبب آخر أدى لإزهاق مثل هذا العدد من الأرواح مثلما حدث باسم آلهة التوحيد هؤلاء ، بل أن كل الأسباب الأخرى للحروب مجتمعة لم تقتل مثل هذا العدد أبدا ! إنها ‑أقصد هذه الأديان‑ لحسن الحظ ذات خصائص معروفة ومميزة : كلها ظهرت فى منطقة محددة هى الشرق الأوسط ، فى كوكب محدد هو كوكب الأرض ، وبواسطة عشيرة بيولوچية محددة هى الإنسان ، وتحت ظروف محددة هى الجهل المطلق . نعم ، هى أتت ، والأهم أنها لم تكن لتأتى إبدا بطريق غير هذا ، أتت من عقلية بدائية محدودة المعرفة والتصورات لدرجة مفزعة . إنسان العصور القديمة والوسطى ، ذو الجلابيب والشباشب الذى لا يتجاوز من حيث المعرفة والقدرة العقلية طفلا معاصرا فى إحدى المدارس الحديثة فى السادسة من عمره . فى تلك الأيام كانوا يتخيلون الهواء وقد امتلأ بالعفاريت ( لو شئت تخيل الجو حقا فقد لا تجد أفضل من الصفحات الأولى جدا من ثلاثية القاهرة لنجيب محفوظ ، وستعرف ساعتها ماذا كانت تصارع الست أمينة بالضبط طوال الليل ) . كانوا يرون فى الكوارث الطبيعية أو حتى كسوف الشمس أو شح المطر ، هى نذر غضب مشئوم ونقمات من الآلهة على عصيانهم وخطاياهم . بالمثل كان المرض خللا أصاب الجسد بسبب تجربة إلهية أو عقاب . المطر كان أما نعمة إلهية خير مطلق ، وإما نقمة غضب لو صاحبته البروق والرعود والعواصف ، أو حتى أحيانا مجرد إله يبكى ناعيا ما آل إليه حال الدنيا . كانت السماء سقفا أزرق اللون يمكن الوصول له لو أمكن بناء برج بالارتفاع الكافى ( فقط اختلفوا هل هذا السقف المرصع بالثريات مسطح أم نصف كروى ، لكن كما تعلم لم يختلفوا قط على أن الأرض نفسها مسطحة ! ) . أو بالمثل كان كل المطلوب لمعرفة أين تغرب الشمس السفر بالقدر الكافى غربا ، وأحد أبطال قرآن الإسلام مثلا تطوع وقام عنا فعلا بتلك المهمة الشاقة واكتشف أنها تنام فى عين ماء ملتهبة ( أكيد ملتهبة ، وده طبعا من الإعجاز الثرمودينامى للقرآن ! ) . ذو القرنين فى الكهف 86 والمزيد هنا والإرشاد لها من القارئ خليل اسحق على أنه من غير الواضح إذا ما كان بطل القرآن الهمام ذو القرون الطويلة الذى ربما رأى الشمس تهبط فى الأطلنطى وتخيله عينا وتخيلها ’ تطش ‘ فيه ، قد ذهب شرقا لبحر الياپان ليرى من أين تولد شمس اليوم التالى ، أو لعله ذهب ولم يفهم كيف تخرج كتلة النار الملتهبة تلك من المياه الباردة جدا هناك ، فآثر الصمت ولم يخبر أحدا ، أو لعله قال ’ فى سره ‘ الكلمة الأثيرة جدا على ألسنة أهل ذاك الزمان إن فوق كل ذى علم عليم . فى كل الأحوال الواضح أن قرونا طويلة مرت حتى دون أن يقرأ هؤلاء شرق الأوسطيين الجهلة معارف اليونان العلمانية القديمة التى كانت لها نظريات ونظريات أفضل كثيرا ، أقلها ما يذهب لكروية الأرض .

س : الإنجيل والقرآن يقولان بكروية الأرض !

جـ : هراء ! إنها عينها الكلمات المبهمة شبه الشعرية التى تتكون منها كل مادة كل الأديان ، والتى قال عنها على بن أبى طالب يوما ’ القرآن حمال أوجه ‘ . أنا متأكد أن لو حدث وثبت أن الأرض مسطحة ، لما وجدتم فى هذه الحالة مجرد آية مفردة مبهمة شعرية مثل ’ الجالس على كرة الأرض ‘ أو آية مفردة مبهمة بلا معنى تقريبا مثل ’ دحاها ‘ التى ربما قصد كاتبها بها انبعاجات الجبال والهضاب ، بل المؤكد أنكم كنتم ستجدون ساعتها مليون آية وآية تقول إن الأرض مسطحة ، ثم تقولون انظروا ها هو الإعجاز العلمى للنص المقدس . أرجوك دعنى أولا أكمل كلامى عن العقلية الخطلة لإنسان القرون القديمة والوسطى . الجهل لم يقتصر على المطر وأجرام السماء وغيرها من ظواهر الطبيعة ، بل كان جهلا جامعا شاملا . طبعا وإذا كان الحال كذلك ، فإن الإنجاب والتكائر ناهيك عن الخلق والحياة نفسيهما ، كانت بالنسبة لهم معجزات مخيفة الجبروت لدرجة لا يمكن أن تتم بها دون نفخة مباشرة من روح الرب شخصيا . لم تكن هناك فيزياء نووية ولم تكن هناك بيولوچيا جزيئية ، ولم يكن هناك داروين ولا فرويد ، ولم يكن هناك أنثروپولوچيا طبيعية أو حتى علم أمراض جيد . فقط كذلك كانوا يفكرون ، وتلك ’ الأديان ‘ هى علومهم التى كانت تفسر لهم كل شىء ، وبدرجة مرضية جدا من وجهة نظر عقولهم المسكينة !

س : ليكن . لكن أتنكر أن الأنبياء أتوا بحكمة عظيمة تستحق التفكير والتأمل ؟

جـ : طبعا لا أنكر ! حكمة عظيمة ، تساوى عقلية طفل معاصر فى الثانية عشرة ! هنروح بعيد ليه ؟ أنا عندى موقع على الإنترنيت بأتنبأ فيه مليون مرة أحسن من أى نبى من بتوعك ؟ إللى بيقوله الموقع غالبا بيحصل . عارف ليه ؟ لأنه بيحاول يتمسك بالعلم والتفكير العلمى . مفيش حاجة بتجينا م السما !

س : ما هى المرجعية إذن ؟ لا بد أن ثمة مرجعية ما لهذا الكون .

جـ : بالطبع هناك مرجعية . إنها الكون نفسه . على الأقل بالنسبة لنا هذا هو ما نعرف ، أو بالأحرى أقصى ما نعرف بقدر ما يعطينا إياه العلم التجريبى . دورنا وخطوتنا التالية أن نستلهم من هذه المعارف والقوانين ، حقيقة ما تريد المادة ، أو كيف تفكر المادة . والواضح أنها تسير نحو مزيد من التطور والتقنية والاستعقاد ، وما إليها .

س : وكأنى أسمع أصولية تريد العودة بنا بلايين السنين للوراء !

جـ : سمها ما شئت ، لكنها ليست أصولية تتمحور حول تهاويم مريضة لنجار رث أو بدوى جاهل عاشوا فى أحد الأركان المنزوية لعصور الظلام الغابرة ، ولم يرتدوا قط الكراڤتة أو البنطلون مثلنا . أصولية أساسها العلم والمنطق وقوة التاريخ الطبيعى وجبروت التاريخ الكونى . أصولية تستلهم 4 بلايين من السنين من التاريخ البيولوچى للأرض ، بل قل 14 بليون سنة من تاريخ الكون وصراع القوة الرهيب فيه . لو لم نفعل هذا لن تكون لدينا البوصلة الصحيحة للمستقبل ، وسنتمحور حتى نموت حول ذواتنا الإنسانية ندلك فيها غريزة التميز والكبرياء ، بنظريات إنسانية سواء كانت دينية أو حتى ’ ملحدة ‘ بمصطلحاتكم ! دفع عجلة المادة ، أقصد التطور والتقنية والاستعقاد للأمام ، سوف يعطينا كائنات بعد‑إنسانية حاسوبية أو بيولوچية خارقة الذكاء والقدرات ، وهلم جرا ، بل ومما لا نعرفه الآن بالضرورة . هذه حتمية لا فكاك منها ، وإلا كانت عجلة التطور قد وقفت يوما عند الصرصار أو الحمار أو القرد .

س : الخلاصة أنت عاوزنا نسيب الدين .

جـ : إطلاقا ! مين قال كده ؟ تسيبوا الدين تروحوا فين يا عم ؟ ما عندكومش تعليم ، ما عندكومش اقتصاد . ما عندكومش أى ميزة تنافسية فى الصراع الرهيب إللى حوالينا . حتى ما عندكومش فكرة عن أن حكاية المنافسة دى موجودة أصلا . أنا لو متدين فعلا زيك وشايف كل يوم إسرائيل بتعمل فينا إيه ، لقلت من دون أى تردد ولو لثانية واحدة إن الله بتاع الإسلام ده إله مزيف والإله الصحيح هو يهوه القديم العبيط بتاع التوراة . لسوء حظى أنى موش متدين وموش معترف بده ولا ده . حبيبى ، أقولها لك بصراحة ، لو هتسيبوا الدين كنتوا سبتوه من زمان ، زى ما عملت بقية شعوب الدنيا . دى مسألة چيينات ، موش حاجة تانى . انتوا لاقيين تاكلوا ؟ تسيبوا الدين تروحوا فين يا عم ؟ كده كويس قوى ! بص ، وبصراحة أكتر ، العلمانية موش نادى مفتوح ، وموش عاوز أتوههك أكتر وأقول لك هى نادى لليهود والپروتستانت بس ، أو أقول لك لاحظ أن اليهود ( إللى ما عادوش دين طبعا إنما شعب علمانى بل أول شعب علمانى فى العالم منذ ظهور الأديان ) إنهم تاريخيا ‑وعكس كل الأديان‑ لم يبشروا بل لم يسمحوا لأحد بالانضمام لعقيدتهم . أو بالمثل لاحظ أن الاستعمار الإنجليزى ‑وعكس كل الاستعمارات‑ ما كانش بيحاول يخلى حد من الشعوب المستعمرة يبقى زيه . علشان كده الأنجلو‑يهود ، أو إللى بأحب أسميهم شايلوك وچيمس وات ، هم حضارة الثورة الصناعية وهم حضارة النهار ده وهم حضارة العالم مليون سنة لقدام . العلمانية حكاية موش سهلة زى ما أنت فاهم ، وموش أى چيينات تنفع ليها . أنتم ما لكوش مكان فى الدنيا . جايز لكم فى الآخرة ، لكن فى الدنيا لأ !

س : يعنى عاوز تقول أنتم صفوة وإحنا حثالة ؟

جـ : أنتم إيه ما أعرفش . إحنا صفوة أيوه . الغالبية الكاسحة من أعضاء الجمعيات العلمية الكبرى فى الغرب ، يعنى إللى أنتجوا العلم والتقنية بجد ، لا يؤمنون بالأديان . وبعدين يخترعوا إزاى أو يخلقوا إزاى إذا كانوا عبيد لحد ؟ حثالة وصفوة ؟ حلوة ! كل إللى أنا متأكد منه أن فيه فارق واضح جدا فى مستوى الذكاء بيننا وبينكم ، ونروح للمكن يحكم بيننا .

س : أنا فعلا تهت ، والحوار واضح رايح حته تانية . هذا كان رأيى على أية حال ، كما أن موعد الصلاة قد حان !

جـ : چيينات ! مسألة چيينات ! لا أعرف لماذا كلما أجريت حوارا مع أحد ، أتصرف وكأنى أسمع چييناته وأكلم چييناته ، وكأنه هو غير موجود ؟

س : ماذا قلت ؟

جـ : لا شىء ! وأنا أيضا ذاهب لكن للاستمتاع بزجاجة من النبيذ الأحمر ، مع وجبة شهية ، وبعض الأفكار ’ المنحرفة ‘ الجديدة . ألا تسموننا ملحدين أى منحرفين ؟

س : لماذا لا تستمع لنصيحتى يوما وتجرب أن تكون عف اللسان ، ولو على سبيل التغيير ؟

جـ : چيينات ! مسألة چيينات !

س : ماذا قلت ؟

جـ : لا شىء ! لم أقل أى شىء على الإطلاق . أنا أيضا لا أقول أى شىء على الإطلاق !

Normal relations with Israel

2007-10-06T02:30:00.000+02:00

It's been about 30 years now since Egypt and Israel signed their famous historic peace treaty, but, from a normal friendship aspect, did any kind of real change happen in the everyday relations between the two countries?

Egypt makes it very hard for Egyptians to visit their Israeli peaceful neighbor (come on, people, it's been damn peaceful for quarter a century and more), while Israelis are very much free to visit Egypt, because apparently it is okay with Israel that Israelis come to Egypt for vacation every now and then.

On the other hand, it seems to be a really big deal for Egypt if an Egyptian ever thinks of paying a little visit to an Israeli friend on the other side of the border (that is if there is a chance to make an Israeli friend, in the first place). Israel has always been a big red limit for the normal Egyptians to ever think of paying a visit to. Why is Egypt always scaring Egyptians from Israel and the Israelis? Why isn't any step of a normal relationship on Israel's part given the chance to occur?

Why does Egypt deal with Israel any worse than it would deal with India, or Canada, or Turkmenistan for instance? Why is Israel always seen as a threat, or at least shown to the public as a little red devil that no-one should ever approach or think of approaching?

Why do you need to get a special governmental permission to visit Israel? No, seriously, why the hell?

Natacha Atlas - Mon amie la rose

2007-10-04T15:48:00.001+02:00

This is the first song I ever heard for the GREAT NATACHA ATLAS, that was back in 2001. ENJOY!

Nicole Saba - Tab'ee Kidda ("This Is Just How I Am")

2007-10-03T00:16:00.000+02:00

Actually I'm not a big fan of Nicole Saba, but i just love the rebellious kinnda feminist spirit of this song...

نيكول سابا - أنا طبعي كدة

أنا طبعي كدة، وبحب كدة،
وبحب أعيش، وماعنديش إلا كدة.
دي حياتي أنا، دي ملكي أنا،
وأنا مهما يكون بردو هاكون زي ما أنا.

عايشة سني وباغني وبحب الحياة،
قلبي عايش سنينه وحياته بهواه،
باعمل اللي بحبه وباحسه أكيد،
ثانية ثانية يا دنيا هاعيشك أنا.

عايزة أفرح وأرقص وأدحك يا ناس،
هي دنيا وبنعيشها مرة وخلاص،
ياما قالو وعادو ولامو كتير،
بس بانسى وباكبر دماغي وخلاص.

في حياتي حاجات تتعبني ساعات،
مابقولش في يوم مهما يكون "عمر وفات."
دنيا هاتتعاش، ويا كدة يا بلاش،
الجاي والفات، دول حسابات ماحسبهاش.

Here I come!!!

2007-08-26T01:24:00.000+03:00

Okay, it's been a long while since I last posted anything here. The thing is since May 2006 I moved to a new house on the Suez Road (the road itself; somewhere between Rahab and Shorook). So I literally live with my family in a house built in the desert.

The more important part of why I'm posting this, is to also mention that I don't yet have a phone line here, as there are no phone centrals anywhere nearby. Hopefully when Madinati starts we'd be able to buy a phone line from there (we live right across from Madinati).

So, this being said, I won't be publishing as much posts as I used to, for the time being.