The Ikhwan (Muslim Brothers) Strike Again

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I don't know why these Ikhwan news keep falling practically into my lap. This is just in:
Some guy I know who lives in Nasr City, reported that some guys came knocking on his door, and when he did answer them, they told him that they're here to convince him of voting for the Ikhwan candidates in the People Assembly elections, and asked for his mobile number so that they can inform him of where and when to vote.
I don't know what to say. On the practical, pragmatic level, I have to say that I am impressed with the level of organization, and commitment these people are exhibiting. I didn't think that I'll live to see the day when candidates will go door to door to try to convince their constituencies, here in Egypt. On a more ideo-political level however, I am starting to get nervous, cuz these people are determined, and there is nobody in the opposition who is taking the matter half as seriously as they do.
On the ground, I feel that all is set for a magnificent showdown between the NDP and the MB in Nasr City. I think that Nasr City is especially important for the MB because it is one of the constituencies with a high concentration of middle-class educated professionals, same as Dokki, with the difference that many of Nasr City inhabitants have actually lived some part of their lives in the Gulf, and will be consequently more open to the MB ideology.
Overall, I think that the NDP's Mustafa El-Salab will prevail over the MB's Makarm El-Driri, after all he has got much more resources, and to be fair, a very good reputation among people of Nasr City especially when he played a major role in reconnecting the main water pipe-line to Nasr City which was down for almost two weeks last year. On the other hand, I think that the MB's workers' candidate (I can't remember his name, sorry) has a very good chance against the NDP's Thwrya Labna, who have a very week presence over there in Nasr City.
TB's prediction for Nasr City & Heliopolis:
NDP 1, MB 1

Tags: ikhwan, egypt, politics, elections, parliment, nasr city, muslim brothers,mubarak,ndp

Clarifications

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It seems that I committed a major faux-pas by trying to present an idealistic point of reference to think about the AbdulKarrem-Gate from, when emotions are high, and everybody is demanding somebody's head on the altar. Miss Mabrouk thinks that what I said is unfortunate:

Seems like Tomanbays only argument is that the detained bloggers writing is so repulsive and anti-free speech itself that it disqualifies him from that particular human right. Alaa got a lot of similar comments. It's unfortunate and I don't think those bloggers and commentators themselves would like to be dragged away by seven security agents in the middle of the night.

Well, here is my unfortunate opinion in bullets (I hope this works out!!):

• Nobody have the right to deny anybody the particular human right of free speech.
• The government most certainly doesn't have the right to detain anybody on the basis of his opinions, whatever they are.
  
• People on the other hand have the right to sue anybody how they deem have insulted, or incited hatred or oppression against them. (Which is different from denying them free speech)
  
• Being from a majority doesn't deny you that right.
• Christians in Egypt's need to make use of that right more often, as there are much more hate-talk and inflammatory speeches made against their religion than Muslims.
• I am not supporting AbdelKarim, but nevertheless opposing his detention, because the government doesn't have the right to represent my own religious beliefs, or defend them on my behalf.

Finally, standing equally, and humbly in front of law is the greatest guarantee against the oppression of state. In the first amendment of the American constitution, a document that I have much respect for, freedom of speech and the right to petition for the redress of a grievance are mentioned in the same sentence for a reason:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The easy way out

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History is a repetition of mistakes -- me
That's why I think that those two sayings are perfect for the whole mess we're facing today, with the detention of AbduelKarim, the Egyptian blogger and all:

اللهما لا تؤخذنا بما فعل السفهاء منا
(Oh God, don't blame us for what the fools among us did)--interpret it as you wish.
&
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
Voltaire

Exodus?

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I recently read this post by Nora Younis, and to tell you the truth, I slipped into a severe case of depression. Not that it was the first time I encountered the fact that most Christians are trying to flee Egypt (I get the same feeling everytime I am in the Airport while Canada's or Australia's flights are boarding, or when I notice that there are less Minas and Gerges Christians, and more Marks and Johns, who would integrate easier in a Montreal school, or a Sydney university), it is just that Nora puts the matter in the dramatic-separation-of-a-person-from-his-own-home-tragedy perspective that it really is.
And to think that this whole dis-integration of the Egyptian fabric is happening because some cassette sheiks, and teenage Imams who didn't even grow pubic hair, much less an educated mind or informed opinion, is making the thing all the more tragic.
I really don't know what should be done at this point, the rift is much too deep to try to talk it into healing again, but I have this to say to everybody who is going around planting hate and dismay towards your fellow citizens: If you don't think that a 'Muslim' state (if you like) shouldn't be the safest place for any person (ANY person) then you're not a true Muslim. Here it is I said it.

Tags: egypt, copts, muslims, religion, tolerance, exodus

Dilemmas of Free speech

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Like many people interested in the Egyptian blogsphere (here is another cliche for you) I have been following the case of the detention of Egyptian blooger Abdel Karim Suliman by Amn El-Dawla (Egyptian state security).
Like most similar cases, our reactions are often quick, emotional, and short-lived. We rarely take the time to think about the situation and come up with conclusions that will protect us from going into the same vicious circle of hate-blame the next time a similar situation comes around. Our recent history is abound with similar cases (The riots against the book Muhammad taught at AUC, the riots against A Feast of Sea Weed, stabbing Naguieb Mahfouz for a book published 50 years earlier, the killing of Yusuf El-Sebai for his opinions, and most recently the riots against the play in Muharem Beh's church, which the DA said never existed). The common factor between those incidents? The rioters, murderers, and stabbers never read Muhammad (the book or the person), A Feast of Sea Weed, Awlad Hartna, or watched the play. They were effectively amassed and mobilized to attack ideas, or persons, their puppet-masters thought were dangerous and threatening to their ideologies. That's why the Khawareg walked away on Aly Ibn Abi Taleb, causing the first rift in the Islamic state, and why the Assassins tried to kill Salah El-Din (Saladin). Note here that I gave those two particular examples, because they are now considered to be heroes of Islamic tradition, but were portrayed at the time as a threat to the very same religion.
Trying to avoid the same mistake, I set out to try to read some of the man's writing before rushing into this blog or any other trying to offer my opinion. (some may say that this is irrelevant, as the outrage is against a violation of free speech and not in support of the man's views, which I respect and agree with, but you can't form any opinion or defend or attack anything without knowing what the thing is; I can't defend somebody on the basis of free speech if he is, for example, calling for their invalidation, got it?) So, I read this article, and to say the least, I was furious. But as the subtitle of my blog suggest, I tried to remain cool-headed as is humanly possible.
The guy is obviously not an objective fellow. He is stereotyping Muslims in a way that most genuinely educated persons would despise. He is angry, repulsive, and takes a lot of liberty with the truth (for example, I know of some Muslim-owned liquor stores in which extremists have lobbed Molotov cocktails on some occasions). If you ask me what would I have done if I read the article a couple of weeks ago, taking him to court would be a very plausible idea.
BUT (and that's a very crucial 'but'), I would take him to the court as an individual who thinks that his religious beliefs were unduly insulted, and was labeled as a savage just for following a certain religion. I wouldn't prosecute him if I was in an official position, because it is my own belief that the government shouldn't serve as a defender of one religion or the other, but rather should preserve the right of its citizens to sue each other and stand accountable to law. In other words, the government, should respect freedom of expression as much as it should respect freedom of affected parties to seek redress and protection of the law against religious discrimination. In a truly liberal country, Muslims, despite being the majority in numbers, should have the same immunity from religious discrimination as followers of any other religions.
Now, I know that I may have gone on a somehow idealistic hyperbole, but in such matters, we need some sort of firm principles which we should return to for guidance.
Following my own principles, I don't think that the government represented in Amn El-Dawla should prosecute the guy (they are doing it for purely political reasons, to appease the masses who may sympathize with Muslim Brothers especially before the parliamentary elections; just as they did when they arrested some rock kids as Satan-worshippers, to balance their crack-down on Islamist terrorists in the mid-90s), and his freedom of expression should have been protected; but you won't see me walking in any rallies supporting him, as he and similar enticers (whether Muslims, Christians, or Jews) are as much a menace to freedom of expression as Amn El-Dawla is.

Tags: egyptian, blogger, abdel karim, egypt, politics, blogging, freedom, expression

Human left-overs

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If a picture is worth a 1000 words, then this photo essay by the excellent Nora Younis speaks millions of words more eloquently than all the essay, articles, and blog posts written about the extent of misery and humiliation most of the Egyptian citizens are facing.