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Yup! That's what it says when you go to check the Cairo International Book Fair official website. http://www.cibf.org/ Seems they've got some unpaid bills!
Anyway that's not our issue here. I want to comment on Jack Attallah's article in Modern Discussion. Although he uses an extremely harsh language in addressing his subject, yet the basis for his argument (concening the Book Fair) are unfortunately true. Only highly intellectual, radical and controversial books are banned from this "international" book fair, while nobody seems to care when they see loads of books on display promoting extremist thoughts or cheap subjects under the name of Islam. These are merely books dealing with Jinn, how to break a spell, sexual matters, or (as Attalla mentions) conventional medicine, but giving them the false attire of sprining from the Islamic heritage. Why do we allow such books while ban others? Although those cheap books have no problem finding their buyers, who don't seek any kind of intellectual enlightenment.
It is clear that Attallah is very furious. Well, I'm furious too. And if I were a Christian, God knows how I would have felt. But I don't like it when fury interfers with writing. I realize where his anger is coming from, and he has all the right to be angry. However, the article was shocking and could have been much better if he had used a calmer tone. And I ultimately disagree with what he had to say about international intervention, even if it is for the sake of retreiving rights.
5 comments:
The only thing he is right about is the MOhammed Omara part and that the Christians should have more rights (freedom in building churches...etc.)
That JOrge guy is impolite, dy elet adab!
Making fun of el teb el nabawi (which of course is misused in those books).
You can sense the safala in his language. when he said:
"بيع بول البعير كعلاج نبوى للسرطان و لانفلونزا الطيور وللفشل الكلوى والكبدى"
And when he said:" الشيخ الشعراوى وافرز زغلول النجار و فهمى هويدى والمهدى عاكف "
Obviously, he has an anti-islamist attitude.
At least AL sha3rawi and Fahmi al houidi were the ones always calling for good treatment with christians.
I read a very good book by Houidi talking about how to treat copts and give christians their rights. The book is called "Mowatenoon la zemyeyoon".
And this is what the responce is!
Not only that, he also is calling for jailing people just becasue he doesn't like them and they have a different ideology when he said about jailing the Ikhwan:
"ويقبض عليهم بتهمة ممارسة تسميم المصريين"
That's instead of asking for freedom..etc.
And then the finally that shows how much he hates Islam (and obviously us being its followers):
"اهمها الغاء المادة التانية من الدستور الكريهة الرائحة والمعنى والفعل "
So islam as a law is stinks?!!! masha2 ALlah Rabena ye7'aleek lee adabak.
Ignoring such black hearted, ill mannered people who don't want to have a civilized discussion is better.
I know that the language and tone of his article are not appropriate, but it is only anger. I don't believe he has anything against Islam or Muslims, honestly. I am a Muslim and I share the same idea about the Brotherhood poisoning the Egyptian society. I also wish that the second article of the Egyptian constitution will be changed because some people misinterpret it and use it for political purposes. We are a country that embraces 2 religions and should continue to be this way. Law and order is something that is applied to all people, regardless of their religion, and this is what the constitution is for.
"I also wish that the second article of the Egyptian constitution will be changed because some people misinterpret it"
Ya umluji, just because some people as you said “misinterpret or misuse” Islam, that doesn't mean we throw away the whole system, sa7 wala eh?
Ya3ny, democracy has people manipulating it, does that mean we throw it away?...la2 tab3an.
We see where the problem is and fix it.
The problem is that Islam “IS NOT” being applied asasan 7adretek.
We only apply the werasa (heritage) and marriage parts of the islamic law.
Look around you and you'll know what i mean. Liquor is being sold by muslims (no regulation laws), we have gambling casinos, no strict human laws (unlike within the islamic state at it’s might)...etc.
For instance, do you know that the son of Amr Ibn Al Aas hit a copt only becuae he beat him in a horse race (note: Amr Ibn Al Aas did not know). The copt then sent a letter to Umar Ibn Al Khattab (the leader of the whole Islamic nation) complaining about this. Umar ibn Al Khattab asked the copt, Amr ibn Al Aas and his son all to come to Madinah (note: Madinah which is only for muslims to enter, a copt was allowed into it because there was injustice upon him). When they arrived Umar told of Amr and his son : “who gave you the right to enslave people while God created them free?!”. Not only that he asked the copts to hit Amr Ibn Al Aas’s son infront of all of them.
This is the typr of Islam we should hold on to… the proud and just Islam.
Islamic fikh as i mentioned before is vast, and in it we can find what will please all.
Another point, you are ignoring (unintentionally of course) the historical fact that Egypt and the whole area has been an islamic state (or in one) for 1400 years. Of those, at least 800 were high times. In all aspects (human rights, science ..etc.).
Do you know that there were non-muslim people in the role of prime ministers and governors in the Islamic state. Not only Christians, Jews as well.
There are so many good example that would need a book to mention.
Yes, of course there was misuse here and there. But, in all ideologies and systems there will be abuse.
The solution is not by taking out that second article, the solution is finding more open minded or progressive applications of Islam (from within Quran and Suna).
That's the way to go...
I tried to reply to this jack Attalla who wrote el article el 3azeeem da... da shaklo mota3aseb gedan gedan...w b3den el ma3rad ah kan we7esh..bas da mayedeeehoosh el 7a2 eno ye3mel keda...w b3den el m3rad still fih 7agat tanya...makansh kolo kotob eslameyya y3ny...anyways..lw te3rafy ay taree2a tewasaly beha my reply leeh ya reet...his email is not working. shaklo msh 7atet email sa7...Allaho a3lam...
Good Morning Mr Jack...
I never agree upon what you said in your article about the book fair. Ok, I know it needs a lot of organizing and modernizing, but this never means that you have the write to insult every writer and every book over there...
It seems that you are christian, and that's why you are so furious because of that kind of books that talk about Islam which are found over there. However, seems that you never visited the "gena7" of "Dar el Ketab el Mokaddas"...at this area you can find all the books which are concerned about christianity. You might even find some books that deny the Islam as a whole...
Even though I don't agree with that kind of books writen by those moslems, but still, I am telling you, you owe them your appology, because you did a great sin, which is insulting them in a very misbehaving way... Everyone has the right to right down whatever he pleases and you have the right whether to read it or not...that's what they call opinion freedom
And let me highlight something very important...Opinion freedom never means insulting...You sould have said your opinion in a better way than than...rather than being, am sorry for that, so rude..
It also seems that you never visited except 2 o 3 halls, because there are many other halls that contain great scientific books, novels, dictionaries, literature books, nearly everything... And most important of all, with very reasonable prices, and affordable by any one.
This doesn't mean that I am satisfied with the book fair as a whole. When I went there, I was very displeased that the visitors are mainly couples, who aslan never enter those wholes. Not only this, but also because of the many books which are banned, and instead they put other stupid ones like those of jokes and horoscopes. But still, if you search well, you'll find many great books, trust me...
Sorry, Mr jack, but you never ever have the right to insult all the writers and the books just because you didn't search the fair well...Even if the books are, as you say "as stupid as flies and cattle urine" you still don't have the write to insult them that way... unfortunatly, the fair is over.... if it hadn't been over I would have suggested meeting there to show you some of the great books ... but next year b2a insha2 Allah..
Yasmine Samy
Well, I don't know Jack Attallah and the only email I know for him is the one he puts on his articles, which you tried. So the only hope is that one day he will visit my blog to read your reply.
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