Miss Pantene 2007

From time to time I like to provoke myself by different methods: reading official newspapers, watching stupid music videos, visiting websites and blogs that promote extremist thought.. etc. I don't do that out of a desire for self-torture, but I believe I have to stay in touch with things happening around me, even those I don't approve of.

Last night I got engaged into one of those episodes as I decided to watch the finale of Miss Pantene (ex-Miss Egypt) 2007. I don't know how much money it cost Pantene to have its name on the contest, but I never saw this done with any sponsor in the world, no matter how generous the amount they poured in. Anyway, I had seen a promo for the event where all the contestants were trying to gather votes (just for the sake of nourishing the SMS business in Egypt, as the votes don't count in deciding who really wins the title.) The majority of the contestants were as far from beauty as Egypt winning the World Cup kedda. However, this was not a problem if there had been any kind of charisma or intelligence to balance that. After all, I'm against beauty contests altogether. Yet, I like Egypt to have a representative at any international event, even if it was Miss Universe. Better have any kind of presence than none.

Anyway, I didn't have the nerves to watch the contest from the start, so I watched Al 3ashera Masa2an while I kept switching to see how far they've gone. I started watching when it was time to ask questions to the 5 finalists. The girls' eyes could tell that I would be the loser if I expected anything from them (even below average), so I kept my expectations low, but couldn't still to make them as low as the answers which were enough to make me jump off my seat with disbelief. One of those finalists had pure European features (she sure has got European origins) and couldn't even speak Arabic, so she gave her answers in English!

The organizers announced that this year the prize for Miss Egypt will be making her wildest dream come true. They had asked all the contestants about their wildest dreams and the answers of the finalists were as follows: "I wish to visit a Perfume Factory in Paris," "I wish to spend a day in Paris," "I wish to travel to Italy," I wish take part in an international fashion show," "I wishto spend a day with my favorite star." (Begad no comment ya3ni) Anyway, the final question that was asked to all 5 was "If you could bring back a great woman from the past, who will she be and why?" Not a bad one, but the answers were so lame. Of course none of the finalists could answer the "why" section. Two of them chose Huda Sha'rawy, one chose Mother Theresa, one chose Princess Diana, and the last one chose Cleopatra.

Up till here I have absolutely no problem. What really enraged me was that the chosen Miss Pantene (supposedly Miss Egypt) was the European girl, Ehsan Hatem! "Oh my God!" Of course she was the one who chose to bring back Princess Diana, for I bet she doesn't know anything about Egyptian women or Egyptian history. Ehsan looks 100% European, you can't even suspect from her name that she might be from the Middle East. In short, everything about her is so not-Egyptian. How can she represent Egypt then?!

Of course it's not her fault. The organizers and judges in this pageant should have known better. However, their choice reveals a shameful trend that is not only spreading in Egypt, but in all the Arab countries. It reveals a sense of inferiority, lack of national pride and a severe identity crisis. They didn't choose a blonde or a green-eyed girl, they chose someone who only holds the Egyptian nationality without the identity; that is without the features or the language.

Egyptian beauty used to be the magic that lured the world in ancient times. The ancient Egyptian woman's wide eyes with her dark hair and sun-kissed skin used to be the ultimate measures for beauty. Up till now the biggest cosmetic companies and fashion houses are using this image for inspiration. But those in Miss Pantene have got other thoughts; they may think a girl who looks Egyptian is not good enough to show to the world. They decided, " Let's show the world that we have blonde chicks who look just like Europeans and speak like them."

Well, I say shame on them. Those folks have got an inferiority complex. If they can't appreciate the real beauty in their country, let this be their choice. But they have no right to make our young girls feel they are not beautiful when they see the European Miss Egypt! The mass audience for such ridiculous shows is young teenage girls, who already have got enough insecurities to deal with. Now, when those girls see that the most beautiful girl in Egypt has got white skin, blonde hair, and green eyes, and doesn't speak their language, what does this teach them? How do we expect them to have self-confidence and carry their Egyptian identity proudly? These guys must know that they are messing with a whole generation who unfortunately follow their crap and form their models out of it. Damn it!

Who are those people?

Watching this video brought the tears to my eyes. I first saw it here and then thought what a shame! Who are the people working in this infamous channel? Are they human beings? Do they know the ABC of child psychology? What do they expect after exposing kids to such a scary experience? Isn't there a tiny bit of conscience in their hearts?

I, an adult, had goosebumps by merely watching this horrible thing on a computer screen. Now, what about those poor kids who are left with this crazy man? This is a crime of the highest degree.

This is dirty business that has nothing to do with religion. To prove my point. Excuse me in asking you to watch it again, but this time try to read the text messages at the bottom. You will think it is a dating service not a religious channel. And those texts are displayed during what is supposed to be a lesson for the kids! Disgusting!!

Isn't there anything that can be done about it? I've learned that El Nas channel is Egyptian. If this is true, really it will be such a disgrace.

Nuclear Spy

A second spy was caught in just a few months time from the fall of Al Attar. But this time he is a nuclear power engineer who was about to hack the computer system of the Egyptian Nuclear Agency for Israel. Click here to read details>>

I watched a reportage on Al Jazeera yesterday, where they've interviewed his neighbours and his mother. I was shocked to see the place where this engineer who has such a sensitive position lives. It is a very poor place, and his neighbours (no offence meant) are very low class people. It is also clear from his published photo that he is not young (I am totally against publishing photos of suspects before a trial proves they are guilty), but we learn that he still lives with his parents in this place, which means he was financially unable to get married or have a better residence.

I'm not implying that he has any excuse for what he has done (if he is found guilty). But for God's sake, what are those people thinking? How can a person in this position be suffering from a poverty that will make him so vulnerable in front of any temptation? Do they have any common sense? What do they expect? Human beings are not angels. You need to at least secure the basic human conditions if you really care about the security of this facility.

Now, what's the result? Yes, he is caught, but it is a blow on our faces. It is another scare that we will carry in our hearts and wound that shall remain to pose the question: Who's next?

Factory of Cheaters

Ever wonder why corruption has widely spread in our beloved country in all its life aspects? Ever wonder why unemployment is increasing by an enormous rate among our youth? Ever wonder why our development rate is much below our needs? Ever wonder why you have to visit many doctors when you're sick, as each of them has a different diagnosis for your illness? Ever wonder why buildings have many technical problems, and why some of them fall onto their inhabitants? Ever wonder why new roads are full of accidents, where the drivers face their doom for the absence of any safety measures? Ever wonder why you have to tip people all the time just to get your basic rights? Ever wonder why in every celebration hundreds suffer from food poisoning?

Well, miraculously, I've got an answer. It's cause we are surrounded by cheaters. But these cheaters are not born with the cheating syndrome, rather they developed this skill since a very young age while receiving their education. Yes, they learn it at schools.

Do you need a proof? Check out the on-going investigation about mass cheating in Gamal Abdul Nasser Experimental School. If you pay attention to the details involved in this case, you'll find the proof that cheating has become a common practice in our life, that even the Ministry of Education is protecting it and those who promote it. Click here for more info

I first learned about the incident from the TV programme Al3ashera Masa2an. Of course, being a former teacher I wasn't shocked or anything. For I know that the so called Ministry of Education is perhaps the most corrupted institution in our country. But what really drove me crazy was the stupidity of the people involved in this scandal (It became a scandal cause it was exposed by the media). The representative of the board of trustees is called Sheikh Gamal Kotb. 7'allo balko mn "sheikh" di. The honorable member of the board didn't even say that cheating is wrong. He didn't even imply that in case this incident is proven to have taken place it would be such a shame. No, no, he said nothing of this. He was so concerned about the "psychological health" of the students, who, according to his story, have been horrified by the investigation process. Ya 3eeny. Ya3ni They weren't horrified when they were ordered to lie while answering the questions of the investigator, but they were terrified when the investigator knew they were lying. Shofto el3abath?

Elsheikh kaman had a point of view. This was a Computer exam, its results are not added to the total score. What's the fuss about ba2a? The students didn't receive their text books till the time of the exam. What's wrong with giving them the answers just to pass the test? See how respectable this sheikh is?

Now, we come to the Ministry of Education and its spokesperson, the Deputy Minister and nothing less. His name is Reda Abou Sree3. Mr Abou Sree3 agreed tab3an with Sheikh Kotb and he accused the prosecutor of "unjustified quick action"! He also sees that a computer exam is not important cause it is a practical subject. (The parent who reported this incident said that the computer teacher only gave two classes in the whole semester.) Again Abou Sree3 said nothing about cheating, and when asked what he would have done if he were in the position of the schoolmaster, he said, "I wouldn't have allowed things to go this far." Check the reaction of the ministry and the school

Wow begad! Akeed you wonder why this man is defending the school. I tell you there are many reasons:

1. The fees for the coursebooks were paid to the ministry, but the school never received them.

2. A thorough investigation will reveal that the minsitry had known about this. Cause for sure the school had complained.

3. The ministry quickly sent its Chief of Security to the school when they had learned that the prosecutor was investigating students. Apparently he has intervened into the course of investigation.

4. The ministry knows about such common incidents of cheating and one investigation would lead to another.

Therefore, I suggest that the Ministry of Education will change its name to suit its current goal, to become Factory of Cheaters.

*To be continued..

Chicago

Alaa Al Aswany's latest novel, Chicago, is absolutely a must read. Not only is it gripping, fast-paced, witty, fresh and amusing, but also it is rich in characters that so down-to-earth.

Unlike The Yacoubian Building, his former bestseller, all the characters in Chicago are more types than individuals. You can swear you have met them before in your life, seen them face to face and dealt with them. You can name each character according to your own experience and knowledge. In this novel simplicity and stereotyping is found to be more shocking than what Al Aswany has yielded in Yacoubian. You won't find homosexuals, or a shoe sweeper who turns into a millionaire, or a former aristocrat, or any of these unique characters that you only meet in novels but you know they do exist in real life. Instead you will meet college students and professors, whose lives are exposed in a deeply analytical and shocking manner. Their sexual lives are described, sometimes in details, just to give you a look inside them and to expose a face they hide from society. And most important of all, the novel stresses that inspite all of our apparent differences, we are all human, sharing the same basic needs and surrendering to our weaknesses. Nobody is perfect, nobody sees themselves as bad, nobody cares to analyze his/her true motives, and every single one sees the world through his/her own eyes.

No work of art has reached perfection, and I believe it is unfair to demand perfection from the author just because his novels are bestsellers. Therefore, I consider much of the criticism that Chicago has been subjected to as unneeded exaggeration. I am not implying that we should praise the work anyway, but to come up with the conclusion that it is stereotypical and provides a deformed image of different societies makes people who haven't read the novel have preconceptions that would really spoil their reading of it. I particularly didn't like Abdel Monem Saeed's critical review of the novel. Click to read

Yes, it is stereotypical. Yes, it is all negative. Yes, it recreates the same images we have of the East and the West. But it is a very consistent work of art, that deserves admiration for its artistic quality and carefully woven characters. It makes the familiar so unfamiliar through its daring exposition and its smooth psychological surveillance.

The novel also raises the issue of the extreme polarity that exists in Egyptian society nowadays and how it affects the younger generation who are full of insecurities, as well as tackling the contradicting urges inside the older generation of Egyptian immigrants to the USA, which caused some of them to have an identity crisis. There is also the implication that due to the polarity between the East and the West, their marriage can never result in a healthy off-spring. (I liked Nousha's discussion of this aspect of the novel, and the awkwardness it reveals about the position of Egyptian girls.)

There are minor things I didn't like about Chicago, especially how some threads are suddenly cut in the end. But overall, I enjoyed reading it and I strongly recommend it.

For a summary of the plot you can check Baheyya's blog

Watch an interview with the author about the novel

Light at the End of the Tunnel

An Egyptian court refuses to drop charges against a police officer who tortured a suspect to death, although his defence provided a document which states that his wife has withdrawn the case. Read more details>>

Thanks to news like that, although in fact very few, for giving me hope that there might be a beam of light at the end of the dark tunnel we're all squeezed into nowadays. I would like to congratulate this court and the judges who stood by the victim's family. We can all imagine what they are going through nowadays and the amount of pressure and terror they are subjected to. Actually those judges stood by us all to bring back the faith we lost in ourselves as citizens. We see how our votes are handled for us in elections, how we are not allowed to say no, how we can't preserve our dignity, how we get bitten in our streets by a princes' dogs, how we get beaten and harrassed in demonstrations, how we get the worst treatment in the governmental offices, how we are denied our basic rights.. and we wonder if we are still human. This court came to say, that even on a tiny scale, we still can keep our humanity.

Thanks to those decent judges, you all desrve badges of honor, ones that are much better than what the government can ever give you, ones that are inscribed into our hearts. And to all those who are reluctant to take a similar stand. I say, don't loose faith in us. We might get scared and throw away our rights (as the victim's family in this case did) but we only need a helping hand to save us from falling. If we are allowed to see a way out of the darkness, we'll all run towards it.

School Days Tag

So many tags, I know. This one is from Ma-3lina. Thanks a lot for it, it really brought many nice memories of the good old days.

1. Did you use to be a good student at school?

Oh yeah! I was so good, but I didn't study as much as the others. Honestly, I only studied before exams, but I was very focused and I made good use of the time. Other than that, I was so organized. My copybooks were like works of art. I cared so much about keeping them neat and using the best handwriting. I also read A LOT, which I believe served me much better than reading the stupid curriculum.

However, I never showed off how good I am at class. I tried as hard as I can to keep the image of the average student, cause I was the leader of a gang.. oops, I mean group of friends (za3eemet elshella ya3ni) so it would have really shaken my image if they found out that I was in fact a bookworm.

2. What were your most loved and most hated subjects?

My favorite subject was English, but I also loved History and Geometry. My most hated subject was Algebra, I was never good at it. I didn't like Arabic either. Teachers also affected the way I feel about a subject. A bad teacher made me absolutely unable to like whatever he/she teaches. Teachers were either good or bad, nothing in between. And hence the subjects were also divided into white and black. Teachers either loved me or hated me, again nothing in between, cause I cared to let the bad ones know how I feel about them. I gave them this look (you know what I mean?) that said it all.

3. When young, what did you want to become?

I wanted more than anything else to become a teacher. There is nothing like communicating with children on a daily basis. I still believe it is the most rewarding job, of course not financially, but emotionally.

When I was very young I wanted to become lots of things: a doctor, a dance creographer, a waitress, an actress, a president, and a fashion desginer. But each of these dreams lasted for a limited period and I would always go back to the teacher thing. I loved writing on the blackboard and the traces of chalk on my hand.

Here you have it. Now I tag them:

Fadfadation

Myra

Nousha

Salama Moussa

Alina

Zeinobia

Juka

Constitutional Amendments Song

Got this on my email today. Don't know who wrote it but thought it would be the best way to celebrate the referendum day. Kol referendum wento taybeen :)

واتزحلق واجرى
ع الدستور
واللى يعاندنى
بالساطـــور
احسن لك طعنى
و عيش مستور
الورث ده ورثى
وابوك طرطور

عسكر حراميه
يا حلـــق حـــــوش
لا قضاء يحكمنى
وعـــرف فاشوش
اصل الشرعيه
كلام مغشوش
معنى الحريه
اهبش وأحوش
تفصيل ترزيه
صهينه من بوش
زغلله من كــــــوندا
يا أبو راس مهبوش
كلك طعميه
وبصل مدشوش

وانا حاكم امرى بالمظبوط
واللى يعاندنى اسجره فى تابوت
هــا ادى المعارضه بالشلوت
شـــارك اوقاطـــع يا هلفــــــوت
بردك هاتكلها وبالنبوت
جاهز فى صوانى العيش ملتوت
تطبيخ حلوانى انشاالله تموت
بالسم الهارى تقول بسكوت
انجزت مهامى وشح القوت
وبنيت فى مقامى هدمت بيوت
رتبت مكانى شوف الملكوت
ولا واحـــــد تانــــــــي
على ورثــــــــى يفــــــوت

وادحرج واجرى __يارمان
قال جاى يحاسبنى ابن التعبان
ويقول ياحقوقى
وياعدل كمان
فين نبضى وصوتى
يحييى الاوطان
فاكـــر له وزن بين الاوزان
يابن الحشرية ابوك عريان
ياسى بعجر متبعتر وجعان
ولا كان لك قيمه بين الرعيان
ومحدش غيرى يغنــــى آمان

حاكم فردانى_____ضانى
مين قال اه يانى____ يانى
افنيه فى ثوانى ____وانى

For a complete list of the "amendments" and their analysis please click here

Read the Egyptian Constitution?.. Anyone?

Here I am again after a series of personal posts, where I sought refuge from current political and social matters. I found out that my despression because of the news is doubled when I write about them, but it seems inevitable. Anyway, once again I delve into the whirlpool of Egyptian politics. Our parliament has recently approved the list of constitutinal "amendments" suggested by the president. Read more here

For those who don't know: Egypt has one of the oldest constitutions in the world. It has been subjected to several "amendments" always in favor of the ruler, till we finally reached the one we are "amending" nowadays. But this is by far the biggest one, targetting 34 constitutional articles, most of which have to do with the outdated and the unrealistic socialist nature of the state. After the mass privitization that Egyptians have been witnessing during the past few years, it became rediculous to consider Egypt as a socialist country. So the majority of the changes are for the sake of erasing the last trace of a time when the state was responsible for its citizens.

Despite the huge opposition that faced those "amendments," the parliament has managed to declare its approval of the whole suggested list earlier than orginally scheduled (Monday instead of Tuesday) , and the popular referendum is to take place also earlier than scheduled (26 March instead of 4 April). But of course you all know how we like accomplishing things fast, especially huge matters.. matters that shall define the future of our country and the coming generations. You know that time is highly valued in Egypt. You know we don't believe in sayings such as "Ya mesta3gel 3atalak Allah," ( It's no use being on a hurry) or "Fel 3agala elnadama," (You shall regret being on a hurry) or "Ya 7'bar enharda bfloos bokra yeb2a bblash," (Today's news will be known tomorrow) or the most famous "Foot 3aleena bokra" (Come back tomorrow).

It is sad to see that the only efficient oppositional force nowadays is the Muslim Brotherhood, whose members only care about the article which will deprive them from having an official political party. The Egyptian constitution originally states that there should be no differentiation between Egyptians, whether based on race, gender or religion. Now, they will add that there can be no religious parties; i.e. political parties that have a single religious ideology. To me, this is the only article that makes sense. It just came to fortify the rule of banning any kind of discrimination among Egyptians.

The other faint voices of the non-biased opposition call for what really matters: changing Article 77 which gives the president the right to stay in power forever, and changing Article 2 which states that Islam is the basic source for legislation. Both articles are left untouched by the "amendments". There are other demands that they share with the Brotherhood, and that is disapproving the articles which aim at invading people's privacy and abolishing their civil rights for security purposes, (for all opposition is treated the same by security forces, who make use of such rules and laws to conduct massive captures and carry on brutal acts against opposers,) and disapproving the absence of judical supervision over elections.

However, what I care most about is this: How many will go to the polls on Monday? How many of them will have an idea about what they are voting for? How many will not care to place their votes cause they already know the result? How many will stay oblivious of what's going on? How many have never ever read the constitution and don't even care to know what it says? How many give a damn about the future of their country?

I'm Hitler!

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

I took the test 3 times (You have the option to choose the number of questions in the test) and I kept getting the same result. What can I say?

I'd like to thank Alina for this post.

To Luji, who is 6 months today

A giggle over the rainbow flies,
Gathering sunshine and fairies' lullabies,
To scatter hope and warmth,
To plant joy on earth.

Her delicate lips draw a lazy crescent,
That showers the world with a tender scent;
And cause the cherry to flee its stem,
To define her smile with a crimson rim.

Those eyes that glitter like happy stars,
Like a beam from heaven guarding her charms;
With angels envious at her grace,
They shyly stare upon her face.

A blossom caressed by butterflies,
With blushing petals delicately sighs,
And yields its fragrance in a flare,
To embrace the infancy they share.

Life dances to her rhythm with glee,
When she stretches her tiny hand to me;
Her curious fingers toying with the air,
As they make their way to my hair.

A giggle over the rainbow flies,
And carries me through the seven skies;
My heart melts like sugar in a pie,
Every time I see my daughter's smile.

I am The Empress

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

I'd like to thank Nousha for this post.

International Women's Day!

Happy Women's Day! Yes, it is today. March, 8th. Have you guys congratualted any female you know? Have you girls remembered this date, or even know about it? I bet not.

I don't think the Egyptian women nowadays are too marginalized to this extent. Why don't they seize this opportunity to take pride in their achievements and the bravey by which they are facing their challenges? Why don't we celebrate our women and make them feel how appreciated they are by members of their family, community, soceity and country?

This day also marks the pain I feel whenever I remember the fierce campaign that female judges are facing in Egypt, and how they are denied their rights by fellow male judges. Instead of pushing this experiment forward, the guradians of justice could not forget that they are males. They could not tolerate the idea that their chairs will soon be filled with their female colleagues, who were long deprived of their right in acquiring this position, although they have been serving justice as long and as sincerely as they have. I can't believe that those judges whom we all stood behind, men and women, in front of the injustice of authorities, are now standing against the rights of their own colleagues, only for being women. What a shame!

This world would not have been able to accomplish anything without its women. Let's at least not prevent them from having their basic rights as humans.

Tagged

Thanks Nousha for the tag. It's too long. Hope I did a good job.

SECTION 1 - Last 1s?
1. last beverage? Nescafe
2. last phone call? Abu Luji
3. last instant message? Yasmine
4. last cd played? Favorite Children Songs
5. last time you cried? Can't remember
6. last text message? "I'm at the supermarket. Do you need anything?" bardo Abu Luji

Section 2 - 6 Have You Evers:
1. dated someone twice? Ya3ni eih twice?
2. been cheated on? No
3. kissed someone & regretted it? No
4. lost someone special? No
5. been depressed? Yes
6. been drunk and threw up? No

Section 3 - List 3 Favourite Colors
1. Pink
2. Lilac
3. Baby Blue

Section 4 - This month have you
1. Made a new friend? Yes
2. Fallen out of love? No, God forbid.
3. Laughed until you cried? Yes
4. Met someone who changed your life? No
5. Found out who your true friends were? I already know
6. Is there something you want to tell someone? Yes
7. Would you kiss anyone on your top friends? What's up with the kissing?
8. How many people on your top friends do you know in real life? Most of them
9. How many kids do you want to have? 2 max.
10. Do you have any pets? No, but I used to have a dog.
11. Do you wanna change your name? No, I love it.
12. What did you do for your last birthday? I didn't do anything. Abu Luji threw me a surprise party.
13. What time did you wake up today? 8 am
14.What were you doing at midnight last night? Trying to get my baby to sleep
15. Name something you CANNOT wait for? Lose weight
16. Last time you saw your father? the 2nd of November
17. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life? I wanna workout more
18.What are you listening to right now? Luji playing
19. Have you ever talked to Tom? Who's Tom?
21. Have you ever talked about someone behind their back? Rarely. But never in a negative way.
22.What’s the last piece of clothing you borrowed from anyone? Abu Luji's jacket, when it was cold.
23. Who’s getting on your nerves right now? My maid! I wanna kill her.
24. Most visited webpage? Google mail.
25. Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi
26. Have you kissed or been kissed by anyone in the past week? Yadi elobssession with kissing! Yes. Moot b3'ezak ba2a :P
27. Mac or PC? PC

La2 mat2olesh.. It is over? Really? .. Sigh. Now I tag:
Ma3lina
Myra
Salama Moussa
Loulou
Saso
Alina

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.