Have You Ever Read a Book by Nawal ElSaadawi?

I've been reading a lot of articles and posts about Nawal ElSaadawi nowadays. Aside from news about her fleeing Egypt, which she herself denied in El Hayah, Elmasry Elyoum, BBC Arabic and Al-Arabiya, many found this as an opportunity to attack the woman and all that she stands for. Many make fun of her statements, implying that she is lying. Well, even if, I believe in her old age she has the right to save herself from the humiliation she's subjected to by fanatics and those fame-seekers. This is not the first time for her to face law suits concerning her writings. As a matter of fact, she was imprisoned in September 1981 and she wrote about her experience in prison in several of her books and articles. This woman is in fact proud of being put into jail because she spoke her mind freely.

It is needless to say that El Saadawi has been the object of severe criticism and controversy all her life. But she insists to complete writing and to publish her works in Egypt whenever possible. Of course, in doing so she doesn't seek money or fame, for translations of her works are sold worldwide and even taught at American universities. She is a true feminist who didn't betray her cause for any reason: whether it be fear, pleasing the public, being rich, or having a high position.
It is sad when I see that many of those who attack her have never bothered to read a single word she wrote. They simply read what is written about her and are ready to pass judgement, in complete absence of integrity. Hence I pose the question: "Have you ever read a book by Nawal ElSaadawi?" It is easy now to find her books. I remember 10 years ago when I had to search for her works in English in order to be able to read them. I then read them all again in Arabic and I admired them even more.

El Saadawi, a novelist and feminist critic, has written her autobiography "A Daughter of Isis," in which she frankly tells all about her early years and upbringing. This woman dared to say it all, she would tread where no other Egyptian woman would dare to go. She exposed her personal life, with all the painful experiences and her deepest inner thoughts. She exposed our double-faced society and its cruelty towards young girls and women. She even wrote about her own infibulation at a young age.

I hereby provide a list of her works for those who care to check them out:

FICTION:
NOVELS
Memoirs of a Woman Doctor (Cairo, 1958)

The Absent One (Cairo, 1969)

Two Women in One (Cairo, 1971)

Woman at Point Zero (Beirut, 1973)

The Death of the Only Man on Earth (Beirut, 1975)

The Children's Circling Song (Beirut, 1976)

The Fall of the Imam (Cairo, 1987)

Ganat and the Devil (Beirut, 1991)

Love in the Kingdom of Oil (Cairo, 1993)

THE NOVEL (Cairo, 2004 )

SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS

I Learnt Love (Cairo, 1957)

A Moment of Truth (Cairo, 1959)

Little Tenderness (Cairo, 1960)

The Thread and the Wall (Cairo, 1972)

Ain El Hayat (Beirut, 1976)

She was the Weaker (Beirut, 1977)

Death of an Ex-minister (Beirut, 1978)

Adab Am Kellat Adab collection (Cairo, 2000)
PLAYS (in Arabic)
Twelve Women in a Cell (Cairo, 1984)

Isis (Cairo, 1985)

God Resigns in The Summit Meeting (1996)
NON-FICTION
MEMOIRS

Memoirs in a Women's Prison (Cairo, 1983)

My Travels Around the World (Cairo, 1986)

Memoirs of a Child Called Soad (Cairo, 1990)

My Life, Part I, Autobiography (Cairo, 1996)

My Life, Part II, Autobiography (Cairo, 1998)
My Life, Part III (2001)
BOOKS

Women and Sex (Cairo, 1969)

Woman is the Origin (Cairo, 1971)

Men and Sex (Cairo, 1973)

The Naked Face of Arab Women (Cairo, 1974)

Women and Neurosis (Cairo, 1975)

On Women (Cairo, 1986)

A New Battle in Arab Women Liberation (Cairo, 1992)

Essays: El Ma`ara Wa lguorba (Cairo, 1997)

Essays: Taw`am el Sulta Wa l guins (Cairo, 2001)

Essays: Kadaya el Ma`ara wa l Fikr (Cairo, 2002)

Essays: Kasr El Hedoud (Cairo, 2004)

Fiction and Non-Fiction (Cairo, 2004)

It is because of her fearless honesty, that many people can not tolerate her. Even now, when she is 76, she is still fighting her battle, and they won't leave her alone.

Miracle Tree

My heart was torn apart when I learned about the "tree" on Ismalia Road, which had turned into a site for pilgrimage. I couldn't believe that people have become that desperate that they seek the blessing of a tree: T.R.E.E! How is it possible that people have become that delusional? What kind of pressure can possibly cause them to lose their minds and degrade themselves till that extent? Have people become that gullible? Have their brains been switched to believe in superstitions instead of logic and common sense? Have they become that helpless that they are only waiting for miracles? Have they decided to quit working on changing their lives and solving their problems?
Is it because the sick can not afford to buy medicine or receive health care at a public hospital? Is it because the poor has found it so hopeless to realise their humanity? Is it because they can not afford the basic essentials of life? Is it because they can't get private teachers for their children? Is it because they are not allowed the leisure of dreaming?
Is it because of injustice? Is it because of corruption? Is it because of cruelty? Is it because of ignorance? Is it because of indifference? Is it because of oppression?
Or, is it because of the insanity we're living in?

Anyway, I found myself writing those lines, imagining one of the tree visitors:

Oh, Holy Tree!
Shower your blessings upon me.
For I have traveled a long way,
And I have a prayer to say.

Oh, Holy Tree!
Give me the strength to see
That there is still tomorrow,
Without any more sorrow.

Oh, Holy Tree!
Let me find the secret key
To open closed doors,
And break down walls.

Oh, Holy Tree!
I need a miracle, immediately,
To cure my only son,
Make him able again to run

Oh, Holy Tree!
He's all that matters to me.
We only need a strike of fate
To find a bed before it's late.

Oh, Holy Tree!
I became so weary.
Fear grows as fast as the pain,
And with them hope does wane.

Oh, Holy Tree!
Listen to my helpless plea.
Work your wonder quick
To save the poor and sick.

Oh, Holy Tree!
Have some mercy.
We believe in your powers,
Please, don't let us down like others.

Three Articles and One Message

Today's issue of Modern Discussion is so rich. It took me hours to read this fully nutritious meal of thought. Yet, I've chosen only 3 of these articles to discuss here, as they are more or less tackling the same issue that is one of my major concerns, that is the relation between our cultural, political, scientific, economical and intellectual deterioration, on one hand, and the current "religious" fanaticism, on the other.

First, there is the beautiful, brief, research-like article by Amal Fouad Ebeid entitled The Entaglement of the Political, the Ideological and the Religious. Ebeid chose to investigate into the origins of this entaglement in our Arab world and why we failed in getting out of this dilemma which the west had suffered from during the Middle Ages. She found out that instead of learning the lesson of establishing a harmonious existence, where those three forces can have their seperate spheres without clashing with one another, we tend to insist on this distructive entaglement. Certain groups of each sphere find this chaos very beneficial that they would do everything possible to maintain the status quo and push the mobs into rejecting any form of enlightenment. She traces the historical sequence of such groups and how they used this as a tool for hindering the advancement of their nations, while blocking the road to knowledge and healthy cultural interaction. [click to read article]

The same approach was utilised by Said Elqemany in his article The Brotherhood and Its Islamic Solution. He explains how the Islamic Jihad which was originally a way of gathering the scattered pieces of a tribal Arab Peninsula, for the aim of creating a stong unified nation was later on used as a method for occupation. He then moves on to clarify how this has served to cover up many crimes in the dress of Islam, up to the present terrorist groups and their ideological stance. He also discusses the fact that some Sheikhs are against the idea of national loyalty, giving periority to religious and sectarian groups. (An idea I had earlier discussed in my post Whatever Happened to National Loyalty.) Elqemany concludes by showing how the Brotherhood operates in Egypt using the same methods in spreading a deformed version of Islam, one that is extreme and aims at political hegemony. [click to read article]

The third article is what we can call a "black comedy;" a highly sarcastic piece by George Faik, entitled O Secularits! Learn from Us How to Build a Civilization. He adopts the persona of a religious fanatic who only sees the ugly face of the West and fails to see the ugliness of his own society. He makes fun of how we keep cursing the corrupted ethical basis of foreign societies while we don't seek to learn from what their modern civilization has to offer. Very hilarious article that makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time. [click to read article]

So what is the message?.. I leave that to my intelligent readers.

Blowing Up Valentine

What a greeting to receive on this beautiful day! As you can see, these are the latest fashion for Valentine greeting cards. I won't discuss here the genius person who did the impressive artistic work and wrote these tender messages. I only wonder about those who forward such a sick email! Why do they want to spoil people's happiness on a day dedicated to celebrating the reason behind life itself: LOVE. In its rare existence, love isn't even allowed a room for celebration. It is getting stabbed by haters of life, who want to destroy any beautiful meanings in our world.

The utter ignorance and fanaticism expressed in those messages show the extent of the tragedy we are living nowadays. Extremists search for new ways to ruin the minds of youngesters who don't bother to question such messages signed by "Islam CG". (CG stands for Computer Graphics. Tab3an el2ebhar bta3 elgraphics wade7.) Reading the word "Islam" gives the message a religious nature, which will make its receiver unable to criticise its content. But I care enough to expose such people before they poison our lives.

First, here is a wonderful simplified introduction I found about Saint Valentine on http://www.pictureframes.co.uk/

St. Valentine's Story
Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine. I lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn't the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.
Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!
Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favourite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.
One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.
I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.
One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."
I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can't be beaten!

Yes, love can't be beaten. It is clear now that the Valentine we celebrate today is no longer a religious event. The origins of the story only gave us the name and date for the celebration, while we use it as an opportunity to express feelings.

I would like to draw the attention to the conflicting messages in those above displayed "cards". In the first two, the event is said to be Christian and named after a Christian Priest. But in the third one it is said to be pagan, while having a picture of a candle with a cross on it. (Mesh 2oltelko graphics mobhera!) Ya3ni this Islam CG doesn't know the difference between Christianity and Paganism. Not only that, but they also don't know the difference between Christians and Israelis (See the 1st pic to the left)! Or maybe they know the differences very well, but they want those stupid people who forward this around to get mixed up and confused (even more than they already are mixed up and confused).

I certainly hope that we can see the dirty hands behind such things, which aim to break up the unity of our country and destroy the natural love we have among us.

To all of you, I say: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY. May we always remember the love that unites us as Egyptians.

Shortcut to Paradise

It's clear that he never saw it coming. The famous da3eya Amr Khaled has been exposed by Al Azhar to be quoting verses from the Holy Qur'an incorrectly. [click here to read details]

I've referred in a former post to Amr Khaled as a nominee on my 5 Most Hated People list, but if it wasn't for his Azharian colleague, Khaled El Gindy, he would have appeared as number 2. There is nothing I hate more than the kind of brainwash that Amr and his buddies perform. They mess up with the minds of our youth, taking advantage of their ignorance and vulnerability to gain money and fame. Religious talk, which has become a profiting business lately, doesn't cost anything. Anyone who finds in himself the needed charisma and basic religious information can make huge profits in a short time. Thanks to the age of media and open skies. People like Amr Khaled can reach a wide audience in just a matter of months. Then the business gets bigger. The established familiar face can then sell his product on cassette, CD, books, videos or even the internet.

Amr Khaled as most of you know is an accountant. The sign on his office can still be seen in Mohandeseen, Cairo. But with a simple calculation, this accountant was able to see what the brainwashing business can do for him. His acting skills also made him more suitable for the job. He can control the tone of his voice to make his talk authoritative and touching. He knows his audience well. They are young people who have no fixed aim in life and who are ignorant or semi-ignorant when it comes to religion. This lost and confused generation is an easy victim.

But why wasn't he careful when quoting verses from the Qur'an while writing his books or recording his tapes? I guess, the right question would be why be careful. Why give a damn if those people take whatever he says for granted? They will never care to check what he is saying and will never stop to analyse his speech. Yes, they are that desperate! The masses that make up the audience of Amr Khaled are people who are simple-minded. They want a simple religious meal to swallow and sleep. It is a new kind of drug that encourages more isolation and detachment. Amr Khaled and his group offer what can be called "a shortcut to paradise." You don't have to investigate into your current conditions or seek knowledge. They think for you and they get you the magical formula to be the best. Just attend their classes, buy their books and listen to their tapes, and you are the best person that can be. You become better than the western inventor in his lab, better than a Nobel prize winner, better than Bill Gates, better than your successful neighbor who doesn't attend the same classes or listen to the same tapes. All your problems will be solved, just sit there and pray.

Amr Khaled's business prospers the more lazy people become. He has no market in the developed world, where everybody knows his/her aims and works to achieve them. They don't need someone to mess up with their minds. And they won't allow someone to play all the roles of a shrink, a sociologist, a man of religion, a show host, and a counselor together (while being disqualified for any of them). But it in our underdeveloped, or as they like to call themselves "developing," countries he can pass as a highly respectable figure and even a role model for our youth who haven't learned to use their heads. He needs to drain their minds even more. He is like the undertaker who thrives on dead corpses. Thus, he cares to hit famous celebrities, making an actress wear a head scarf, or convincing a football player that he can become a TV da3ya. His audience will then get more and more attached as they see those popular figures revolving in his orbit. And because they have been well trained to cancel their minds they never pause to notice what his teachings have done with Ahmed El Fishawy for example. The once promising star, was well known to be one of Amr Khaled's students. He appeared on many shows on Iqra' satellite channel to show off how religious he has become on the hands of Amr Khaled. Then the next thing we see them as the father of an illegal child. His "teacher" didn't tell him that what he did was a sin, but encouraged him to escape responsibility, while meantime carefully drifting away from a student he was once very proud of (after El Fishawy became a "burnt card" as the saying goes). And all of a sudden the boy faces the scandals without his teacher, who for sure told him all the rotten talk about how a child can never be named after his/her father unless he agrees to it. He rested assured that there is no DNA in Islam and that he won't perform the test against his will. Where has God gone in all his calculations? It is heart breaking how the religion that Amr Khaled and his group offer make people turn to the crust of what this and that Sheikh said about so and so, while moving further from the real essence of religion. God is Just. God is Powerful. God is All-knowing. God doesn't need people like Amr Khaled to enter the hearts of his creation.

Whatever Happened to National Loyalty?

I almost started to believe that Egypt and the Arab world have forgotten about who their real enemy was. All of a sudden everybody was focusing on how dangerous Iran has become and was holding it responsible for all the violence in the region. The Arab media keeps illustrating howIran is fueling the conflicts in Iraq and Lebanon, and how Iran is seeking to have a nuclear weapon (at the time when Israel, for the first time, openly declares its possession of nuclear weapons). Iran was even held responsible for the kidnap and murder of the Egyptian Ambassador in Iraq, Ihab Al Sharif (Al Ahram newspaper 28/01/2007)! Meantime Israel was continuing its killings in Gaza, which were of course overshadowed by the bloodbath taking place between Fatteh and Hamas (25 killed in 24 hours). Ya hanaky ya sa3dek ya Israel!

I bet Israel was having its best time in the region. Nobody seemed to care anymore about what Israel is doing or planning to do. Everybody was afraid of Iran and talking about its evils. I am not implying that Iran is totally innocent, but I can't see that it is seeking anything more than any other powerful country would seek; that is, securing its sources of energy and expanding its region of influence. Yes, the strategy for its latter goal has led to violence, as it relies on strengthening the power of the Sheia, but violence, after all, is the choice of its users. These Sheia groups are already armed and have been (or believe they are) under suppression inside their own countries. For them, the situation is so desperate that they seek external help.

In short, if these groups actually understood what national loyalty is, they would never have been swayed to kill their fellow citizens and turn against each other. But a history of suppression, in the case of Iraq, has led the Sheia to lose faith in citizenship. While in Lebanon, the threat of political marginalizing, has led to a kind of struggle for existence. In both cases, the internal factors within a nation _ from the lack of tolerance for different religious groups, to the constant feeding of the idea that sectarian loyalty is more important than one's loyalty to his country _ have led to these conflicts. They whirl around in their pool of dogma, while the whole ship is sinking. This is the kind of situation you end up with when religious identity overlaps national identity and citizenship; a thing that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt calls for *. [*See my post Caliphate in the 21st Century where I comment on the Murshid talking about the irrelevance of the Caliph's nationality]

But, suddenly, Egypt officially accused 3 Israelis and an Egyptian of spying. Tab3an lazem yeb2a feeh Egyptian fel nos kedda. Mayenfa3shy ya3ni for these Israelis to work alone without internal help. La2 wmesh ay Egyptian, he is a student at the faculty of Science, Al Azhar University. Ya3ni he gets educated in Al Azhar to work as a spy for Israel. What an education!

Or maybe I was too hard on the guy. Yemken he got confused, who knows? Ya3ni, after all, he didn't spy for Iran, wl3yazo bellah. He merely helped our friendly neighbors in gathering information. Ya3ni by7'dem dawla shaqeeqa. But akeed he would never have done that with our Iranian enemies. Elragel ma3zoor sa7ee7. He sees Olmart raye7 gyy, while he never saw Ahmadi Nejad in Egypt even once.

What happened with the family of the Egyptian spy, however, was too painful. Publishing his national ID and questioning his parents publically is a very unneeded episode. The guy comes from a respectful lineage and his parents hold respectful positions in the Egyptian society (the father is a fighter pilot and the mother is a school principal). They certainly don't deserve this kind of treatment from the media. (Even when a journalist like Amr Khafagy shows sympathy, he keeps referring to the spy using his family name all through his article. [click here to read] ) Why do we need to expose the whole family, specially when it comes to the most shameful crime of all: spying. Isn't it enough for this family to deal with their own shamebrought about by their own son? Can anybody imagine the psychological agony they are passing through? Why can't the media just mind its own business and treat this spying case in a more professional manner. It is a serious issue that has to do with national security. Trying to link the case to the guy's family life and upbringing is just off-context. Many young men have lost faith in their country due to a lengthy list of factors which I don't find room to discuss here, but only very few were able to snatch away their loyalty and dignity as this guy has done. This is a personality issue. He didn't only choose to go after money, but he also chose to team up with the devil to get it.

Well, I certainly hope this spying case may act as a wakeup call and help turn tables. I hope we remember who our true enemies are and act more responsibly towards our countries.

Five things you DON'T know about me:

Thanks ya fadfadation for the tag. It took me a while to come up with all 5:

1. My personality type according to Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is INTJ (*Thanks to Nousha for it)
Introverted (I) 89% Extraverted (E) 11%
Intuitive (N) 73% Sensing (S) 27%
Thinking (T) 70% Feeling (F) 30%
Judging (J) 50% Perceiving (P) 50%

2. I don't wear Hijab and don't intend to do so in the future.

3. Right after graduation I became a school teacher. I loved the experience and the students, but I hated the retardedness of our educational system and those in control of it.

4. I've been writing poetry in English since I was 10 years old. But the first time I published any of my works was at the age of 23. I actually won the Editor's Choice Award in the same year.

5. I love interior design and gift wrapping. People say I am truly gifted, and I plan to make more use of these talents in the future.

Them victims:
Myra
Nousha
Salama Moussa
Loulou
Ma-3lina
H.O.P.E