The Rantings of a Liberal Egyptian

We will rock you

2008-03-11T22:29:00.003-05:00

Demanding reform isn’t easy.

Demanding reform from an institution whose bedrock encompasses unwavering thoughts and ideals would be seen by a great many as being nearly impossible.

Yet the inclination of reformation has been persistent quality of mankind. Some social scientists liken this drive to constantly improve, as a thirst that can never be quenched. Throughout time mankind has had an inclination to improve upon itself making the possibilities of improvement virtually boundless. However, in the realm of everything that encompasses religion—there are those that will disparage the efforts of kindhearted reformers—through the use of irrelevant arguments and hatemongering. These efforts are especially manifest when the lights of reform shine brightly.

We can commend and protect our church with incessant praises. We can label those that urge reform as unfaithful heathens. But in the end will that do any good? Unfortunately, it will only hurt us. The below portion is a historical analysis of the partnership that has regrettably worsened our condition.

The Millet System

The partnership between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Egyptian government is reminiscent of the Ottoman Era millet system. As an outcome of Ottoman expansion, the sultans structured their conquered subjects into religious communities, called millets granting them a large degree of self-government.[i] Every millet was headed by a religious leader who had direct authority over the affairs of his community. The millet system allowed religious freedom and the power to “retain their religious education systems and religious legal structures.”[ii] The heads of religious communities were in charge of collecting tax revenues, administering justice, creating educational curriculums and determining the religious affairs of their communities.[iii] Allowing non-Muslims the right to administer their own communal affairs provided the Ottomans the ability to govern a diverse populace with little threat of rebellion. Despite the economic improvement of some groups under the millet system, under Ottoman law they could not be equal to Muslims. Religious communities were tolerated under the system, but were socially discriminated against due to the prohibition against non-Muslims in the military and ruling elite.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Copts had lofty expectations of equality and inclusion, but after decades of authoritarian rule by Mubarak and his predecessors, many Copts found themselves “battling discrimination, violence, marginalization, and the threat of demotion to the old dhimma status in an increasingly Islamized Egypt.”[iv] The partnership between the Church and the State has solidified Pope Shenouda’s role not only as head of the church but also as the leader of the Coptic community. There exists no civilian leadership in Egypt independent of the church and no independent leadership that can effectively address Coptic grievances and promotes a secular vision.[v] Even in the People’s Assembly, more Copts have been appointed by the President than have been elected by the people, making Coptic members of Parliament greatly indebted to the government.[vi]

[i] Cleveland, William L. A History of the Modern Middle East. 3rd ed. Boulder: Westview Press p. 48

[ii] Ibid., p. 49

[iii] Ibid., p. 49

[iv] Sedra, Paul, “Class Cleavages and Ethnic Conflict: Coptic Christian communities in modern Egyptian politics.” Islam & Christian-Muslim Relations, no. 10 (1999): 219-236. EBSCO, via Academic Search Premier, http://p2048-www.lib.utexas.edu.content.lib.utexas.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.epnet.com.content.lib.utexas.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=6061275p.12

[v] Ibid., p.11

[vi] Ibid., p. 12

Politics

2008-03-03T12:07:00.004-06:00

It's Election time! No, I'm not talking about the Democratic/Republican primaries, or even the election of Dmitri Medvedev, but of Student Government ("SG"). I've received more campaign fliers in my mailbox from candidates running for various positions in SG, than I care for.

We all have different opinions about SG.

I don't care about SG, because I view it as 'glorified' popularity contest for individuals who want something to put into their empty resumes. Nevertheless, there has been one instance where the members of SG came together and created a resolution that impacted my experience at my former Alma Mater. I think it was when they worked with city officials and created the e-Bus. The e-Bus took take hundreds of college kids from main campus to 6th Street and back until the wee hours of the night.
_______________________

I haven't been paying much attention to the Democratic/Republican primaries much this election year. This might be due to the fact that I don't own a television. I tend to turn into a couch potato whenever there's a TV around, especially if there's more channels than I can possibly handle.

I don't care much for the Democrats this election year. All of their talk about bringing home the troops, and universal health care scares me. While I consider myself a liberal, I do understand that a strong foreign policy and a sound fiscal policy will do more good than evil. It's safe to say that most Democrats view the Bush as the epitome of all that is evil. But I think 'W' understands the region better than most, or at least his advisers do. We need to mimic Teddy Roosevelt's doctrine of speaking softly and carrying a big stick. As a nation, we're faced with a rising trend of Islamofascists that is in serious needs to be defeated. I know my talk of Islamofascists can be likened to that of Ann Coulter, or Brigette Gabriel, but the Islamofascist ideology threatens our way of life, just as Communism decades ago threatened America's hegemony.

Even universal healthcare scares me shitless. Excuse my French, but do we really want more taxes and an even larger government bureaucracy. Universal health care can be solved by adopting a Romney-isc system, where state governments act as a third-party facilitators, to help individuals find health-care programs that suit their needs. Yet the issues of illegal immigration come into play here, because in system such as the one suggested by Romney, participation of all citizens is mandatory. It's an all-around messy issue. However, the current situation that we're facing isn't perfect. We need a solution that does not substantially burden/bankrupt the middle class.

For all those moral voters out there--the politics of abortion and same-sex marriage don't matter. If change is to come, it would be through the court system and not through the ballot box. If history is a guide to the future, then it's safe to say that women will still have the right to choose and sometime in the near future homosexuals will marry. Justice Scalia's dissenting opinion in Lawrence v. Texas was right on the dot.

Distractions

2008-03-02T14:39:00.004-06:00

I'm supposed to be reading for Civil Procedure. I've got a ton of reading to get through and very little motivation. There is nothing like learning about alternative dispute resolution, (ADR)! Man am I pumped--I can't wait to get started. Unfortunately, I was supposed to begin over an hour ago.

Man this past weekend been 'odooles' of fun. I really should not be having this much fun while I'm at school.

I spent time with people I genuinely care about. Or at least some of the people I hanged out with I truly care about. It's hard being the only single guy in a group where the majority are married, or have a long-term girlfriend. I've been in that situation before and it doesn't seem appealing to me at this juncture in life.

Moreover, I'm the youngest of my friends--many of whom are focusing on on-campus interviews for law firms. While I can qualify for some interviews, I really have no motivation to dress up, print out a couple of polished resumes and a writing sample for an interview with a big firm. I could care less. That scares me.

It's funny how we start school with a group of friends that we automatically connect with on all levels, and after a while slowly begin to drift apart. I've seen it happen to other people and never thought it would happen to me--unfortunately it has. I'll try not to let my pride get in the way. Enough is enough, no more burning bridges.

Disgruntled hungover law student out.

Freethinking, or intellectual arrogance?

2008-03-01T16:45:00.008-06:00

I guess I’m back...and I am here to stay.

I know I’ve promised this before, but I think that a world full of studying and a lack of television can drive any student up the wall. Writing for me is therapeutic. It’s a great way to not only improve my writing skills but to channel my thoughts into something productive.

It’s been a great second semester of graduate school so far. At first I didn’t think that I would fit into a small city where life moves at a much slower pace, seeing that I am an urbanite. However, I have transitioned quite well. My smooth transition is largely in part to the friendships I have formed here, in Smalltown, USA.
________________________

Initially, I wanted my first post to herald my return to blogging. Yet, I have been troubled by an ongoing situation in my life that I would like to discuss. As you all might know, I belong to a group of people that form one of the largest Christian groups within the Middle East. Although we might not be a sizeable minority, such as the Maronites of Lebanon, the Copts of Egypt, claim the title of being the purest descendants of the Pharaohs.

I guess our survival in that turbulent area of the world was largely due to our stubborn, conservative nature. If you step into any church where there is a sizable Coptic population, a visitor would not see any stark differences amongst the congregation. We all dress our best for Sunday liturgy. We all look alike with our brown eyes and coarse black hair. We all sing the same hymns and participate in the same events. Yet if you squint hard enough, a visitor might just see one or two Egyptian liberals in the midst of a sea of conservatives.

While I hate to generalize, it’s safe to say that the vast majority of Copts are unwavering conservatives that are hostile to any form of criticism against the church. I encountered much of this hostility when I created a Facebook group called, ‘Coptic Freethinkers’.

My initial reasoning in creating ‘Coptic Freethinkers’ was to give a voice to the progressive Coptic Christian who was tired of having to deal with the stifling conservative atmosphere present in church every Sunday. I was tired of my priest bashing other Christian dominations, homosexuals, or the idea of women within priesthood. While I may not be a supporter of any of the above examples, I do not feel the need to bash, or label different groups as being blatantly wrong in order to cement my faith. Our church has survived several centuries of oppression, yet our clergy feels constantly threatened.

Additionally, most of the commentators in ‘Coptic Freethinkers,’ automatically assumed that because I had a different opinion from the majority, I suffered from a grave sin. What does advocating financial transparency, democracy within the walls of the Maglis al-Milli, or even demanding the separation of the church from politics, have to do with sin?

It's a crazy, crazy world we live in.

Challenges

2007-08-17T18:21:00.000-05:00

I’m back.

I just returned from a month and half journey across Egypt. It was truly a humbling experience to discuss the issues close to my heart with the common man. Their openness and genuine hospitality over shadowed their close minded nature. Their ideals of freedom, life, liberty mimics our own here in America. They too dream for their children to grow free without the troubles of poverty, racism, and gender equality. They too aspire to have control over their daily lives without the intrusion of the ever power government. However, Egyptian society has a lot of ‘growing-up’ to do in the coming years. The ideals of equality for all Egypt’s citizens regardless of race, religion or gender have still not gained traction among the common man. The average Muhammad is fed-up with the current political situation that he has espoused a hard-line response to the lack of freedom and democracy. The lack of opportunity and the slow pace of reform have forced millions of Egyptians to turn to Islam as a salvation from their day to day problems.

The situation isn’t any better when I discussed the problems of the Coptic Church with family members and church laymen. Many believed the church was on the right track and the main issue lies not with reform but how to safeguard the Coptic nation from the sword of the Islamic fundamentalist. A part of me believes that the sectarian events that occur in Egypt are isolated and are similar to the hate crimes that occurred in America’s south during the turbulent ‘60s. The issue of reform with the hallowed walls of the Coptic Orthodox Church remains close to my heart.

I come from a family that has served the Church each in different capacities. My uncle in an undisclosed location in Egypt has worked over the decades to restore Church property that was once taken away due to President Nasser’s nationalization of private property. Just last year, he turned in the final paper work to regain a Coptic school for Girls back to a diocese in the Delta. Even my father began a campaign of democracy in our annual church council elections. When I was growing up many of these elections was nothing but forums of approval for the candidates that the priest handpicked. Now thanks the effort of my mother and father all members of the church above the age of 18 are able to contest, participate and vote in these elections. Instead of being handpicked they are chosen from a list of candidates and narrowed down over the successive elections. It’s a small victory but we still have a lot more to do.

More to come…

Fcuk the System.

The Holiest of the Holy

2006-06-10T12:28:00.001-05:00

I've been in Israel now for about a week and two days and beginning to understand more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. More soon.

Muslim or Christian?

2006-05-10T10:37:00.000-05:00

Let's go back ten years to 1996... the year that 'California Love' and 'Gangsta's Paradise' were top songs. Who can forget that year? For me that year holds special importance, it's the year that I first laid eyes upon Egypt. The Summer of 1996 connected to me my roots, my humble roots. The sites and sounds of Egypt amazed me, everything from the traffic jams in Cairo to the ancient ruins in Aswan excited me.

I still remember my 'epic' journey to Egypt in the summer of '96, but I'm worried about how much the country has changed especially when it comes to religion. Even in Nady al-Qahiria (Cairo Country Club) there were children that asked me my religion, as if my name didn't already give it away. Being of a certain religion made you apart of the group, excluding or including you based upon your answer. Why does religion matter so much, if we are all Egyptians?

As I'm embarking upon my journey to Egypt and the greater Middle East this summer, I'm scared that the vision that I had of Egypt will be smashed. The news coming from Egypt of sectarian violence and thuggery of Mubarak's regime has opened my eyes that Egypt isn't the land of hope or peace but of tyranny.

Good well

2006-04-18T14:44:00.000-05:00

Instead of bitching and not doing anything, I decided to raise $1,000.00 by the end of this semester for the victims of religious strife in Egypt. If successful I'll increase the amount by another $4,000.00, to my ultimate goal of $5,000.00.

Does anyone know of any good charities other than the Coptic Orthodox church that is secular in thought, and whose goals is national unity? I want a charity that will help both Copts and Muslims. I should be in Egypt for the whole summer, so hit me up with suggestions.

I've raised $11.85 on campus...I have some work to do.

Enough is Enough

2006-04-16T23:28:00.000-05:00

I am ceased to be surprised from the trash the Egyptian media is spitting out. Are all criminals in Egypt insane? I understand that the Government tries to hide overt sectarian overtones, but this insults the intelligence of over 70 million Egyptians.

The government needs to step up and claim responsibility for its half-measures. The police that stand guard outside Coptic churches, do nothing to protect the Coptic Christians praying inside. I'm hearing reports from www.copts-united.com that the police prevented Christians from chasing the 'insane' attacker and even threatened the young men who wanted to capture the stabber. It is a sad case in Egypt, where those that stab and oppress Copts get short sentences.

The young Muslim who stabbed a nun at the Maharem Bek riots got three years! Is Coptic blood cheap? Three years? Until when will this stop?

We need to peacefully protest by raising our crosses in the air. We are the Christians of Egypt who suffered 1400 years of oppression. We will not leave Egypt, but will stay for we are the original inhabitants. We served our country by fighting its enemies, but in the end we are called traitors and agents of the Americans, Zionist etc. Enough is Enough....I'm getting sick and tired of the Muslim Brotherhood and the National Democratic Party's double talk on Coptic Rights. We have been passive long enough...we must fight for our rights.

Maybe it's time to buy a ticket to Egypt, I know if push comes to shove the Coptic community abroad will send hundreds of millions to save our community.

The word Jihad came before Islam, lets show them the real meaning of it.

www.copts-united.com Watch Abouna Markos's call to Peaceful Action
www.copts.net

Aiwa

2006-04-15T00:38:00.000-05:00

I fcuking hate this pig.

This is not Islam

2006-04-14T23:52:00.000-05:00

The events that have transpired in Egypt are extremely unfortunate and need to be condemned by the Egyptian Government, most importantly by its leader, President Muhammed Hosni Mubarak.

I, as an Egyptian Christian, am horrified by these attacks but understand why they occur. The Egyptian government led by Hosni Mubarak and his gang of thugs, the National Democratic Party are trying to stay in power by displaying to the world what would happen if the Muslim Brotherhood were in power. They show the Brotherhood's so called intolerance towards the Copts by hiring thugs to attack churches.*

As proven by the Parliamentary elections, the quasi-secular government of Hosni Mubarak wants to destroy any form of secularist thought by going against al ghad or al wafd secularist parties, leaving them in shambles. It also wants to constrict the debate to be between the National Democratic Party vs. the Islamists. Mubarak's regime is increasingly becoming afraid of the rising power of the Brotherhood, so it threatens the Copts and other secularists through these spectacles. The Copts should not go against Islam or the Brotherhood, but go against the government for playing these dirty games. The NDP cares not for Muslims or Christians, but to protect its on interests.

It's time that the Copts become more vocal in their disapproval of the National Democratic Party, Muhammed Honsi Mubarak and his goons are not going to protect the Copts any more than what has happened in the past. The war isn't between Islam and Christianity, but between Democracy and Tyranny.

Through our silence we have become pawns. It's time to protest! Both Muslims and Copts should band together as brothers to bring Egypt to the future.

Fcuk you Hosni Mubarak and Fcuk all the Coptic NDP collaborators.

* I do not approve of the Muslim Brotherhood. As a side note I do not agree with our Church's policy at fostering hatred towards Islam, this isn't a Christian element and the Islam bashing must come to an end.

I love the LF

2006-04-06T01:05:00.000-05:00

I love this pic.

If all else fails we can do a Coptic conspiracy and immigrate to Lebanon. I'm sure the Christians there would love to have us.

Lebanese Forces

May Chidiac

2006-04-04T02:08:00.000-05:00

May Chidiac started her career on the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) more than twenty years ago, covering everything from the horrific civil war to the independence movement that ushered the end of Syrian Occupation.

Due to her immense courage and determination to lead a normal life, May Chidiac is this week's person of the week. I hope all goes well for a woman that has sacrificed a lot for her country.

Links:

http://www.maychidiac.org/

B is for bullshit

2006-03-31T04:55:00.000-06:00

I don't believe in Creative Design, any biblical stories, hell, the devil, or even my church.

What keeps me 'Christian' is the hundreds of thousands that died over the centuries so that I can be a believer.

I've never questioned so much like I have right now. It's a paradox.

Be cool

2006-03-29T02:52:00.000-06:00

Guidelines to overcoming double crossings.

Rule #1
Be calm, analyze the situation and do not respond unless needed to.

Rule #2
Your response should be calm and hiding your true emotions (or thoughts, wants or needs)

Rule #3
Be sneaky never let anyone now what your thinking or planning, be clever and power hungry.

Rule #4
Use whomever you can get for nothing in return, be a winner not a loser.

Rule #5
NEVER show your true emotions to anyone, no matter what.

Rule #6
Understand your closest friends, because even they can turn on you.

Rule #7
The battle is never over unless you win with their ultimate defeat.

A call for all Copts

2006-03-28T03:43:00.000-06:00

The Free Copts has reported that the Maglis al-Milli elections are coming up and Coptic leaders are urging registered Coptic church goers to vote!

I urge Copts not to vote due to the voting requirements and because these elections are not free but act as a rubber stamp for his holiness.

Here is my beef with the Maglis al-Milli, from a previous post of mine:

The Coptic Orthodox Church like that of the Egyptian government has been led by strong men who are desperate not to give representation to their oppressed subjects. Not many Copts in the land of immigration know that we like our Catholic compatriots have a parliament one that is in charge of the inner dealings of the mother church. The Coptic Parliament or the Maglis al-Melli, is an institution that was created in 1874 to oversee the affairs of the Coptic community and manage church endowments. Briefly during the reign of Pope Cyril it activities came to a virtual freeze in 1956, but were revived in the 1970s. Al Ahram Weekly evaluates the voter restrictions that are placed on average church goers:

Council elections have been plagued in the past by low voter turnout and many blame the strict conditions for voter registration. Under the council's statutes, voters must be over 25 years old and have either a university degree or be registered as a businessman or land owners. These pre-conditions are dismissed by some detractors as "unconstitutional" and blamed, along with the apathy of many Copts, for poor turnout. Only 4,000 Copts are currently registered to vote.
This council has been in the past been a tool to further the rights of the Copts, but currently it is being controlled completely by our Pope Shenouda III. Presently there are no independent council members, nor are there any opposition members who do not have the backing of our Pope.

Even local church councils in the land of immigration follow this same trend of putting extreme power of the church’s finances in the hands of the priest. For the last twenty years my church has participated in ‘democratic’ elections that would even make President Mubarak blush. Just recently due to pressure from the congregation, mostly from my parents, did my priest allow true elections for the church council, one in which voters were chosen individually from amongst the congregation in true democratic elections.

A Copt's dream

2006-03-28T03:11:00.000-06:00

Instead of going to Egypt and Israel this summer and investigating the reasons why Christian minorities feel out of place in these countries, I propose that I start an organization called Copts for Accountability.

What is Copts for Accountability?

Copts for Accountability is an organization of students and young Copts wanting a greater say in the daily affairs of the Church. We urge the diocese to publicly publish all financial statements electronically for all church members to view from the comfort of their homes. Financial transparency is a trait that keeps all organizations in check, making them more efficient in the ways they spend their money.

Why is their a need for financial transparency?

All organizations, charities and corporations have this information readily available to their members, so that they can rest assured that their money is being accounted for. No one is accusing the Southern Diocese of misusing monies donated to them from church members but greater accountability is needed to ensure that these monies go where they are supposed to.

Why do Young Copts need a greater say in the affairs of the Church?

My experiences with St. Philopateer Coptic Orthodox Church in Richardson, TX is one where I believe that monies were misused without the consent of the majority of the congregation. It's not that my priest drives a Mercedes or has a mini-mansion in an up-scale neighborhood, but I believe instead of building a $ 5 million dollar Church some of this donated money could be used to help the poor of Egypt who are converting to Islam on a daily basis. It is our responsibility as Coptic Americans to use our wealth to help those who are less fortunate, something I rarely see in my church back home. There are no movements to do a youth mission, where a group of Copts goes to Egypt and teaches English for a summer (www.copticorphans.com). Instead of being concerned with converting Americans, we should be concerned with strengthening the mother church.

Copts for Accountability is only a dream, something that most likely will not become a reality.

Is this dream too far fetched? please give me feedback.

Copt of the Month

2006-03-27T02:10:00.000-06:00

Naguib Sawiris
CEO of Orascom Telecom
Net Worth: $ 2.6 Billion
Country: Egypt
Religion: COPTIC ORTHODOX

Diversity

2006-03-17T18:08:00.000-06:00

The diverse cultures that I encountered at the University of Texas at Austin made the world seem larger than what it had previously had seemed. Being raised in an ultra-orthodox Christian home sheltered me from the different religions and cultures that the world has to offer. For the first time in my life I met Egyptian Jews, Muslims and Armenians, along with Israeli Arabs and a couple of Palestinian Christians.

As an officer in the Arab Student Association I dealt with an even larger number of foreign exchange students from the Gulf and a lot of students of Syrian or Palestinian descent. In the University setting, religion did not come in the way of being a leader in a Pan-Arab organization, unlike our homeland where religion is a major consideration for upward mobility. Although there was a Coptic Student Organization on campus, it was not appealing to me because it was centered on the church, not around the student.

Egypt was once a land where Jews, Christians and Muslims worked and lived together in the same areas. An Egyptian-Armenian, whose parents had immigrated to Switzerland following Nasser’s nationalization of industries, told me that her parents “lived in a country unparalleled in the world, one that was both cosmopolitan and parochial.” An Egyptian-Jew told me “there was a time in which I could consider myself as an Egyptian, but that time has passed.” The rise of Islamic extremism in Egypt has divided this once cosmopolitan country, pitting devout Muslims against secular Christians and Muslims. We should be weary of this trend and fight against it.

A Flock without a Shepard

2006-03-16T12:45:00.000-06:00

One might ask how a flock can function without a Shepard to lead the way. Hundreds of sheep that follow the Shepard are weak, vulnerable and can easily be preyed upon by predators. The flock needs a strong Shepard, one who is willing to go the distance to make sure that every member of his flock is safe.

Parallel to this analogy of the Shepard and his flock, is that of the Coptic Pope and his children. The Coptic Orthodox Church which prides itself in protecting the tenets of Christianity through the Creed and being the birthplace of monasticism is on the verge of collapse.

His holiness Pope Shenouda III, came to power after the populist Pope Cyril died in 1971. Pope Shenouda’s III proactive approach openly challenged the discriminatory policies of the Egyptian government by expanding the services and even building new churches without obtaining building permits from the government. His Holiness’s new approach ushered in a bright era within the church, one in which new ideas such as the ‘Protestant’ idea of Sunday School could be accepted and used to educate thousands of children about their religion. During this era thousands of religious books were published, not just in Arabic but also in English and French, reflecting the rise of immigration to the Americas and Europe. The Coptic Church spread throughout the world with new churches being built in major metropolitan areas all around the world. America, Canada, Australia and Europe became the major regions of Coptic immigration.

President Sadat ordered major crackdowns (1979) following great disturbances in Egypt. Mass arrests of journalists, religious leaders, syndicate leaders, political party leaders and followers were perpetrated in hopes of stabilizing a quickly fragmenting society. Even the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church was imprisoned within the walls a monastery as a measure to show even the Copts who was top dog of Egypt. President Sadat’s paranoia that other groups were secretly plotting against him prompted these harsh measures but they had gone too fat. The man who made peace with Israel in 1979 was assassinated by blood thirsty Islamists.

Five years after the assassination of President Sadat and his appointed Synod, his holiness Pope Shenouda III was finally released from the monastery to rejoin his flock. President Mubarak took on the reins of governance after the assassination of his predecessor Anwar As-Sadat. Mubarak’s rein didn’t differ from that of Sadat’s but became even harsher on those ‘troublesome’ Islamists who wanted to create an Islamic state.

Pope Shenouda came out of the monastery a lot meeker than when he went in. Instead of complaining against the government as his did before, he now worked with the government, instead of building churches without permits, he now urged the President to allow churches to be built, instead of butting heads with the government after sectarian violence, he allowed the authorities to let the inciters of these massacres go free.

The Coptic Church isn’t any stronger than it was before Pope Shenouda’s rule. Our once venerated Church is now filled with corruption and even infested with a clergy that has dhimmitude mentality. We as children of the Coptic Orthodox Church only have ourselves to blame, since we do not ask for more accountability from our Clergy since they are doing ‘God’s will’. We poke fun at Catholics for thinking that the Pope is infallible, yet we never question his decisions because it is simply the will of God. The abdication of Bishop Mathias, the Bishop over the Mahalah district, did not even raise eye brows but only reaffirmed our trust in a Pope that wants to rid any descent within the ranks of the clergy.

Without protest from out Church or any other civilian organizations, Coptic women have been abducted, raped and even forced to convert to Islam. Not a peep has been heard from our ‘infallible’ Pope who comes to America and tells his flock there not to complain about Egypt, because everything there is fine. Pope Shenouda’s monopoly on power has to be broken if we are to move forward in terms of equality, liberty and secularist thought for every Egyptian regardless of race, religion or creed.

Is everything really fine?

Haraam!

2005-11-21T10:15:00.000-06:00

This is the future of Egypt... time to send money to the relatives...get the fuck out of Egypt!

Peek-a-boo! Anonymous enta fien?

2005-11-20T16:15:00.000-06:00

Why Egypt needs the Copts.

The current flow of Copts from Egypt has spiked since the riots in Alexandria occurred. Hundreds of thousands of Copts already troubled by high unemployment rates and discrimination against them have decided to start a new life abroad. Already 1.5 million Copts reside outside of Egypt, and this number continues to rise. America like other western nations has a very selective process of immigration, thus helping to weed out potential welfare problems and selecting applicants that are industrious and ambitious.

The current ‘braindrain’ that Egypt is experiencing comes from years of discrimination and a lackluster economy that drives both Copts and even Egyptian Muslims away from the Motherland. The Copts in general have been over represented in the lands of Emigration solely due to fact that they feel unaccepted and even overly discriminated against in their own country. The danger in allowing this trend to continue is Egypt will suffer as its best and brightest search for employment elsewhere.

The Coptic race prides itself in having a highly educated and industrious populace. The Coptic Orthodox church needs to develop a plan to stem the flow of Copts from Egypt. If this ‘brain-drain’ continues Egypt’s smartest and brightest will leave their homes to go to another country that understands and respects them and their historic heritage. Diversity and minority rights must be protected in Egypt, because over time Copts will vote with their feet and leave Egypt devastated just like the Jews and Armenians did when Nasser came to power.

Politicization of the Copts isn’t something that should thing that should be feared as Islamists and government officials would like ordinary Egyptians to feel. If the Copts through a political channel can voice their grievances and have them rectified then many of them would feel wanted and apart of Egyptian society. The Egyptian constitution must be enforced so that the country can move forward as well as protecting “minority rights from the tyranny of the majority.”

In response to the anonymous writer who bemoans the efforts of Micheal Mounir and others like him, by tearing apart Egypt through sectarian strife. Maybe he should look at the extremists within his own community and speak out against them, especially in their quest in oppressing the Copts. Sectarian strife within Egypt has its roots in the foundation of the Muslim Brotherhood party. Since the release of the Brotherhood leaders during the late 1970s, Egypt has taken a downward spiral and has been bogged down in a worthless debate of whether Islamic law should be the sole source of legislation. Egypt should be focusing on improving the economy and providing jobs for the millions of unemployed. Instead through the manipulations of the Brotherhood has the debate taken an uglier face of Copts vs. Muslims.

The Copts have been very silent about their ill treatment. This silence has finally been broken by Pope Shenouda and other leaders within our resilient community. We will not back down nor will we leave. We will fight peacefully, just like our religion prescribes for an Egypt that provides justice for all its citizens regardless of race or creed.
Either through International pressure or through sanctions the Coptic Lobby and other Middle Eastern Christian associations have sided with the Bush Administration at changing the outposts of despotism so that democracy can finally take root and ease society’s problems. Our call for politicization of the Copts is an easier way for acquiring equal rights, other than actively calling for the aid that Egypt receives from the international community to be lessened or even ceased.

Through Dhimmitude have we gained success. Through oppression have we gained strength to leave our towns, villiages and history to start anew in a foreign land. Presently there are a mere handful of Arab Christians who are members of Congress and as assimilation increases will we gain the strength to pressure governments into change. The Maronite Lobby actively pressured the Bush administration even before former Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri was assassinated with the Syrian Accountability act.

I am not ashamed of being Coptic-American nor does that necessarily make me less Egyptian. The Coptic community in the Lands of Emigration has actively instilled the belief in every child that we are the original inhabitants of Egypt. Our patriotism towards Egypt should not be questioned, nor should we be called traitors in our own land. Our fathers, grandfathers, uncles and brothers fought side-by-side along with our Muslim compatriots against the enemies of Egypt and in the end we are called traitors for asking that our basic inalienable rights be protected. We will never cease our call for Freedom and Equality, the suffering that we have gone through is testament to the coming struggles up ahead.

There is no God but God, and Jesus Christ is the son of God.

Is there hope for the Copts?

2005-11-18T20:42:00.000-06:00

These past couple of weeks has been rather surprising for millions of Copts both within Egypt and in the lands of emigration. One recurrent theme throughout many of the blogs I’ve been reading is the events which are occurring in Egypt have to rectified or else our once vibrant community will be no more. I’m not saying that with the rise of the Brotherhood, there will be a genocide but we have to begin the process of political mobilization. The Copts simply cannot depend solely on the Church, or our spiritual leader as our protector, but we must develop a political party with civilian leadership to work for a secular Egypt.

It’s time that we stop being subordinate to our Muslim brothers and completely join them in the political liberalization process that we are witnessing in Egypt. The riots which took place in Alexandria have spurred demonstrations by Copts everywhere else than where they should occur: Egypt, the motherland.

I’m very saddened to see our spiritual leader weep in front of thousands of believers because the events that took place have no simple remedy. The immense pressure on Pope Shenouda III should not be there, but on the hearts and minds of all Copts throughout Egypt and the Lands of Emigration. Elites of our community should rise up and defend the rights of the lowly so that we can once again rise up from our subordinate position and join as equals.

In my ‘Rise of Authoritarian Regimes’ Class I learned that the only opposition to the secular National Democratic Party is the Muslim Brotherhood. To my disbelief I was taught that this vile intolerant Party was both tolerant and peaceful towards Copts. My professor, who wrote his dissertation on the Brotherhood and how they should be accepted as a party in Egypt actively, preached to the class that the Brotherhood if and when in power would actively protect the rights of the Copts to the fullest extent. I find this hard to belief especially when many of their campaign slogans are ‘Islam is the solution’ and the ‘el Aqbat homa Ahl el Kitab’. How can an organization who actively preaches that Islamic law be installed as the sole source of law protect the rights of a minority when they can not rise from the shackles of dhimmitude?

Lets protect our future…lets get political.

United against Dhimmis.

2005-10-16T00:31:00.000-05:00

Fcuk the System.

It's always refreshing to get comments on my posts, calling my call of action fundamentalist. First off kid, it isn't fundamentalist---it's extremist. It isn't ignorant to be damn mad that the once proud race of Egypt, has been reduced to dhimmitude. It's about time the Copts started to stand up for themselves and take matters into their own hands. We shouldn't immigrate to America, Europe or Australia but help build our country with our hearts, minds and knowledge. I will not be a dhimmi and watch my brothers and sisters continually be raped, discriminated or oppressed. When will we wake up from this nightmare? When will we show our fellow countrymen that we too deserve to be equal?

Call me what you like, but until the Christians of the Middle East gain the self respect that we deserve I will not play the dhimmi and be subservient to the enemy?

P.S. fcuk you dhimmis.

Bush's Coptic vixon

2005-10-08T03:43:00.000-05:00

Dina Powell -- Department of State
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs
Dina Powell most recently served President George W. Bush as the Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel. In this capacity, she managed the recruitment and vetting of the thousands of candidates for top positions in the Bush Administration and provided final recommendations to the President for all political appointees throughout the Executive Branch, including Cabinet, Sub-Cabinet, Ambassadors and Presidential Boards and Commissions. Prior to joining President Bush’s Administration, Mrs. Powell worked as Director of Congressional Affairs for the Republican National Committee. In that role, she served as a senior advisor to the Chairman of the Republican National Committee and principal liaison to the members of the U.S. Congress. Previously, Mrs. Powell served as a member of the senior staff for then U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX). Mrs. Powell graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelors degree in Humanities. She was born in Cairo, Egypt and speaks Arabic.

She was my babysitter and sunday school teacher when I was a youngin'. Whoa.

Dhimmitude has its payoffs.

Fienak ya LF?

2005-09-29T09:57:00.000-05:00

May Chidiak, the 'Peter Jennings' of the Christian owned Lebanese Broadcasting Company International (LBCI) was critically injured by a cowardly terrorist act aimed at silencing the mainly Christian led anti-Syrian opposition. Although there are many leads to the perpetrators of these vicious terrorist acts, there yet remains any concrete evidence to link any single individual or group. With the FBI and other international agencies in Lebanon, the investigation is certianly heating up especially since those who are being targeted are so influencial in Lebanon. With the exception of the former Prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, all the targets of these cowardly terrorist acts have been mainly Christians.

The Victims

Samir Qassir an influential editor and journalist at the An Nahar Newspaper was killed in a car bombing earlier this year; Elias Mur the defense minister survived an attempt on his life; and just a couple of days ago May Chidiak survived a car-bombing in a Christian suburb north of Beriut.

The Solution

Samir Geagea must return to Lebanon and demand Emile Lahoud resign immediately so that the complete transition to independence from foriegn-influences can occur. Christians of Lebanon must unite with the former warlord, and not with Michel Aoun who has in the past undermined Christian priorities and concerns. The Lebanese Forces must respond to these cowardly attacks, so that the systemic flow of the Christians from Lebanon can be stopped. Neither Terrorism nor discrimination will keep us from our land that our forefathers lived on. We will not be driven away, but fight for our God given rights.

It's time for the Arab Christians to teach the terrorists the real meaning of Jihad. The Cross must be firmly planted in the Middle East.

Whoa.

2005-09-16T03:20:00.000-05:00

Things aren't the way they seem. Your bestest friends can become your worst enemy, the same can be said about your worst enemies turning out to be trustworthy friends. Live life free of what other people think because in the end it doesn't matter what they think but what you think.

It's easier said than done, but this experience of living on my own and finding out who I really am is both disconcerting and liberating. I still have a long way to go and a part of me wishes my parents could of let go a long, long, long time ago, so I can live for myself and myself only.

I don't know what I want from life, nor do I know where I am going with this mirage of what I call a life. So much to experience, sometimes I should loosen up and just experience the smells, noises, rough texture and sights that the world has to offer.

I've gotten over what in the past has made me mad as hell, soon it will be I Mr. Foom who will take over the world...one country at a time.

bum bumm Bumm!

2005-09-09T02:42:00.000-05:00

What does one do when life offers no happiness?

As I walked to campus I passed a thirty year old African American man crawling on the pavement speaking to himself and laughing. I've seen this kind of stuff before in the Austin area, but never like this. There are about 17 grown adults panhandling on the 'drag', sadly many of these people have mental health issues that need to be dealt with. Life in America isn't all that it is cracked up to be, I mean we have a high standard of living but everything has a price. It's the mad drive to be successful and attain a large amount of material goods that drives thousands of Americans of all ages to escape their problems through alcohol, drug abuse and prostitution.

Sleepless nights.
A dangerous mind.
Paranoid thoughts abound.
Life wasn't like this before,
Oh to return to the life of before,
Is it too late or have I strayed too far,
Give me life.

G-money where u at?

2005-08-27T01:44:00.000-05:00

I love this _______.

(Blank)?

50 piasters prize if you can guess correctly.

2005-08-19T13:52:00.000-05:00

For other pictures of Egypt, click here.

Not in my Name.

2005-08-18T19:47:00.000-05:00

Campaigning has finally begun for the ten contenders for the Sept. 7 2005 Egyptian Presidential Elections.

Pope Shenouda is coming to Corpus Christi in a couple of days to open a new monastry that was purchased by the diocese. Maybe he'll answer why he supports a murderous tyrannt.

Wish me luck.

He's done it again!

2005-08-14T15:46:00.000-05:00

Not again!

Pope Shenouda, has once again played the dhimmi to the government and dismissed a priest who did not support the incumbent President Muhammed Hosni Mubarak's bid for a fifth term. Instead of joining the ranks of the National Democratic Party, Priest Philopateer Gameel, of Giza's Virgin Mary Church joined Mubarak's contender for the presidency, Ayman Nour of the Al Ghad Party.

It is not customary in the Coptic Church for a priest to break ranks with the Pope, but Priest Philopateer Gameel, had many reasons to go against Mubarak and work for change within Egypt. The Al Kosheh Massacre of 2000 in which 30 Christians were killed without anyone being prosecuted is the main reason for joining the Al-Ghad party. It's been five years since justice has been reached for the families that lost their children, grandparents, cousins, sisters and brothers.

Priest Philopateer Gameel had a vision for Egypt, one in which Christians could live right next to their Muslim neighbors without feeling unequal or harbor feelings of unease. This revolutionary priest saw an Egypt where churches could be built with ease; where discrimination was a distant thought; where Copts could become governors, mayors, university deans, ambassadors, elected members of parliamant and even president of Egypt. Unfortunately our Pope has abandoned his flock to please the government.

The suspended priest is a victim of our silence. The majority of Copts look at their Pope more than a spiritual figure but as a loving father, who would sacrifice his life for the good of his flock. There are murmurs within the Coptic Community but nothing serious can come of it, because the catastrophe has yet to come. Pope Shenouda has made a deal with the devil, supporting a corrupt murderer who sees not the Copts as equals but as dhimmis.

Confessions of an Islamist

Ahmed Awny Shalakamy, was formerly an Islamist who preyed on young Coptic women during the 70's. Shalakamy who was firmly raised in the Islamic faith and worked closely with his father who oversaw construction projects for an Islamic charity. This Islamic Charity forcefully brought Islam into the homes of thousands of Copts by sheer trickery. Millions of dollars flowed from the Gulf so that Egypt can become completely Islamic by the next fifty years. Although he was very successful in making many Christians convert to Islam, he felt something missing from his life, something not found in his faith. The following story gives a glimpse at how Islamists convert Copts:

D.B.A

When I met DBA, she was studying in a college located one and a half hours from her home. She came from a wealthy family. Her father and mother were physicians and her brothers were physicians in the Egyptian armed forces. Though she was a churchgoer, she was not religious. DBA was outgoing in her friendships with both Muslims and Christians. Yet despite her congeniality, we did not find it easy to get to her and had to resort to foul play. As Muslim men, we believed we were in a perpetual war with the “filthy infidels,” and therefore it was OK to trick them.

One day I received a visit from a young Muslim man who told me he wanted to marry DBA and asked me to help him convince her to convert to Islam. After much planning, I found out that this girl’s best friend was a religious Muslim. But she still considered the Christian girl her sister and I was disturbed by this. So I paid a visit to the Muslim girl and talked to her about the corrupt beliefs of Christianity and reminded her of what Allah says in the Quran (Jews and Christians won’t accept you until you follow their religion) and also (Ye believers do not take Jews and Christians as friends and those who befriend them are from them, as Allah does not show the right path to the unjust). I told her that jihad against them is the duty of every Muslim and she should contribute to the victory of Islam. The Muslim girl was convinced that I was right and asked what was required of her. I told her not to show hatred toward her Christian friend, but to treat her as usual and even try to strengthen their friendship and follow all of my instructions.

I then went to a Muslim pharmacist who is a member of our association and asked him for a drug to induce hallucinations. I told him why I needed the drug. He told me he wanted to contribute to the victory of Islam and therefore he agreed to provide it. I then gave the drug to the Muslim girl and told her to dissolve two tablets in a glass of milk and give it to DBA to drink, and then call us as soon as she noticed any changes in the girl.

The Muslim girl called us as soon as DBA started to hallucinate and lose control in her apartment. When my friend and I arrived, we had a camera and a video recorder. We started joking with DBA and she was responding, not realizing what we were doing until my friend managed to strip her of her clothes and took her to the bedroom.

I recorded everything on video and took pictures for about three hours. When DBA came around, she realized what had happened and started screaming and crying. She insulted us, Islam and the prophet of Islam, and tried to tear up the Quran, which was with her girlfriend. I showed her the video tape and the photos and threatened to make copies and distribute them to her family, as well as to other Christian families. I reminded her that she would be humiliated by the scandal. She cried and fell to the ground kissing our shoes pleading with us not to do this, but we insisted that she had to do whatever we told her to do, as she knew her brothers and relatives might even kill her if they were to see that video.

She gave in. Her tears and desperation made me ecstatic. Over the next few weeks, she accompanied us to the association where she was brainwashed by the sheikhs. She could not argue with anything they said. She was miserable and never stopped crying.

We taught her what to say before it was time for her to go the police department. She followed our instructions when she was interviewed by the police. And when a police officer asked her why she wanted to convert to Islam she said that the Prophet Mohamed came to her in a dream and greeted her with the Islamic greeting calling her Aisha. Jesus was also in the dream, greeted her with the Islamic greeting and denounced all Christians saying there is no God but Allah. She said that Jesus told her that he is Allah’s slave and prophet and Mohamed is Allah’s prophet. Then, she said, Jesus kissed Mohamed’s head and asked her to repeat after him Allah’s words from the Quran (those who believe in any other religion but Islam, Allah will not accept it from them in the end, and they will be losers).

She not only said this in front of the police officers, but also to her family members and the priests who came to visit her. Her reactions during these visits, which were called counseling sessions, were staged by us and agreed on by the police before the meeting. It was all a fraud and though she was visited by different priests, she could only tell them what we had coached her to say.

After all the legal procedures were completed, we got her new ID and new Islamic name: Aisha Abdalla Elmahdy. We had achieved our plan and the Muslim man, Yasser, a Mujahid, got the girl he desired along with his financial reward, which was quite hefty because she was from a prominent Christian family. I received 25% of his share, plus my share of the amount I paid to the collaborating persons involved.

Aisha’s family was dishonored and humiliated as expected. As a result, her mother sold her pharmacy and her father sold his clinic. They moved to a place where they could disappear away in the crowd in order to flee the scandal.

So Aisha married Yasser and lived as an outcast, because she was despised by her in-laws. She was married for two months when Yasser said he had enough of her and did not want to keep her anymore. He divorced her and threw her out into the street.

Since she was our sister in Islam and cannot be homeless, I took her to the association where she lived and worked as a maid, cleaning the clinic for her food and board. She stayed there for three months until she was legally allowed to re-marry. The groom to be was a Muslim who knew her story. He was a coolie and was already married with six children. During the day, he labored in the maintenance workshops of the governorate administration. Aisha did not want to marry him and begged us not to allow her to go through with it. We ignored her, and she was forced to marry a man she did not like.

She lived in misery. She worked as a maid to clean homes and sold vegetables in order to feed her husband and his children. It was impossible to imagine that she was once a girl from a wealthy family of physicians and a college student. Her life was ruined. Her second husband divorced her after five months. Since she had been married twice she did not re-marry and because many had found out about the video tapes and photos taken of her when she was drugged, she was considered unclean. She became homeless and had to spend the night in emergency camps where she lived in sub-human conditions. As she hit bottom she cried: God have mercy on me. God showed mercy and answered her prayer.

During the time she was homeless, I became a Christian was looking for the girls I tricked into converting to Islam. I found out what had become of her and went to visit her with my wife who had returned to the church. My wife and I offered to take care of her in our home. We sought to inform her parents about her situation, so I sent a relative of my wife together with a priest who talked to them. They all cried at the news and expressed their desire to see her. The family reunion was arranged in one of the churches in Cairo. It was an impressive reunion. Though I expected the parents to chastise her, they didn’t and were happy to see her.

As her family hugged and kissed her, I was so touched by the love I saw that I wondered why we were hurting Christians the way we did. I have always despised the smiles they had on their faces when we criticized, hurt or humiliated them. I used to tell myself that they were smiles of malice because they were a minority and could not stand up to us Muslims. Now I know the reason for their smiles. It is their love, forgiveness and tolerance toward their enemies. It is the Christian characteristic of making peace.

After DBA met her family, she went back home with them and they welcomed her with love and kindness as the scripture says in the story about the prodigal son. Her mother bought her beautiful clothes and her father bought her jewelry. They celebrated her coming home and repeated the words of the Bible (Our daughter was dead and now is alive and was lost and is now found).

A request was submitted to the Clerical Council to endorse her return to Christianity, which was approved. A Christian lawyer volunteered to petition the court to give her back her Christian name and identity card. The court ruled in her favor. She now lives in France where she serves in the Coptic Church with her husband and daughter.

Whether this story is true, isn't the point. It has striking similarity to the Wafaa Constantine episode. What the Islamists wouldn't do to make Egypt fully Islamic.

Coptic Pride.

2005-08-13T14:29:00.000-05:00

Fcuk the System salute to our Copts abroad.

The Coptic Nation strikes another achievement in the land of immigration. A non-profit charity, Coptic Orphans has recently been mentioned by the Washington Post for the 2005 Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management. It also received a “grant for $2,500 to be used for organizational capacity building in our Washington DC office.”

Coptic Orphans was founded in 1989 with the sole purpose of alleviating the effects of poverty on children by providing them with “spiritual, physical, economic, and social - through programs that provide both tangible and intangible benefits.”

Currently the charity is helping over 10,500 children throughout Egypt. “Coptic Orphans has four programs in Egypt that include Child Assistance (the largest in scope and geographic coverage), the Valuable Girl Project, the Emergency Housing Program, and Serve to Learn. Our services cover most of Egypt, including Cairo, Alexandria, Benisuef, Minya, Assuit and reaching as far south as Sohag, Luxor, and Aswan, not to mention many remote village and slum areas.”
This group is testament to Christian values of helping others in the face of discrimination and strife.

Donate Now!

The Coptic Path

The following is an article written by Jonathan Eric Lewis, who is a writer for the prestigious Wall Street Journal.

“On the day before Christmas, as we prepare to worship and to celebrate, let us not forget the plight of the Coptic Christians of Egypt—a people who are, to put it with supreme understatement, less free than we are to practice the religion of one’s own choosing.
Egypt is the most populous of the Arab countries, and in many ways the most sophisticated. Its path will determine the fate of a region stagnating under archaic economic and political systems. And no group in Egypt would benefit more from democratization than the beleaguered Copts, particularly when democracy is defined not simply by voting rights but by pluralism and the respect for the rights of minorities. Indeed, for Egypt to democratize, it must end its discrimination against its Coptic population, arrest and prosecute the Islamic extremists who have repeatedly targeted the Christian community, and include the Coptic community in all aspects of civic and political life. This would not only go a long way to foster democratic change in Egyptian society, but would also serve as an impetus for other Arab states to begin to better include their ethnic and religious minorities in the region’s cultural and political life. Most significantly, the protection of Coptic rights within a stable, pluralistic Egypt allied with Washington is in America’s national interest.
* * *
Constituting 15% of the population, Coptic Christians, though technically a minority, are an integral part of the Egyptian nation. Indeed, the term “Copt” is the Greek linguistic root of the English word “Egypt.” Although castigated by Islamic extremists as agents of the West, Copts maintain cultural, linguistic, and religious traditions that long predate the advent of Egyptian Islam in A.D. 641. They trace their strong Christian faith back to St. Mark the Evangelist’s mission to Alexandria in the 1st century A.D. Although they primarily belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church, they also maintain smaller Catholic and Protestant communities. Having had to live under dhimmi, or inferior non-Muslim, status for much of their history, Copts nevertheless produced a rich corpus of theological literature for Near Eastern Christianity, particularly during the 13th-century Coptic Renaissance.

It was not until 19th-century Ottoman reforms, however, that Coptic Christians were freed from their subservient status under Islamic rule and were released from paying the jizya, a discriminatory tax mandated for non-Muslims. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Copts, like Christians in other parts of the Ottoman Empire, experienced a cultural rebirth and reasserted their distinct identity. Partially due to British imperial influence in Cairo, Copts began to take an active part in political life of the modern Egyptian state.

Much of the 20th century, however, has not been kind to the Copts, who have seen their distinct identity denied and their faith assailed. Copts face severe discrimination in the public sector, as there are currently no Christian governors, mayors, or police chiefs, and they are substantially underrepresented in national politics. They likewise face educational discrimination, ranging from the lack of school curriculum on Coptic history to being barred from attending the state-funded al-Azhar University. Copts also face hostility from local officials when they complain about harassment and violence from Islamic extremists who continue to force Copts to pay the jizya under the nose of the local police.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While Americans only became aware of the dangers of Islamism terrorism on Sept. 11, Coptic Christians were subjected to a campaign of intimidation and violence throughout the 1990s when Islamists repeatedly targeted Coptic civilians. Given the fact that Egyptian Islamism was an incubator for al Qaeda, one can justifiably view Copts as the victims of the same sort of Islamic extremism that, left unchecked, went on to cost innocent lives from New York to Bali.
Coptic intellectuals in Egypt have sought various means of addressing this systematic discrimination, while promoting peaceful coexistence with their Muslim neighbors. Many Copts, however, have chosen emigration to the U.S. over the alternative of living as second-class citizens in an increasingly Islamic Egypt, and now maintain vibrant communities in California, New Jersey, and Texas. This has allowed for a degree of Coptic political activism in the Diaspora that would be inconceivable back in Egypt. The U.S. Copts Association, formed in 1996, seeks to give a voice to the approximately 700,000 Egyptian Christians in the U.S. and to advocate on behalf of their brethren on Capitol Hill. This promotion of Coptic rights by Diaspora activists is in America’s long-term national interest. Yet Washington should realize that a heavy-handed approach by congressmen to this sensitive issue would only further enrage Egyptians already seething with anti-Americanism. Michael Meunier, president of U.S. Copts Association, has likewise warned of how “the fury expressed towards the United States has been manifested in hostility towards the Christian minority.”

In officially designating Jan. 7—Orthodox Christmas—as a national holiday for the first time in Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak has finally taken a welcome step toward better weaving Copts into the greater fabric of Egyptian civic life and in countering some of the anti-Christian forces in Egyptian society. Such a move should be complemented by gradually introducing more Coptic culture and history into Egyptian school curricula and by curtailing incitement in the media that portrays Christians as infidels and America’s Middle East policy as being a “Crusade.” The Egyptian authorities should likewise vigorously investigate cases of kidnapping and forced conversions of Coptic girls and make it clear that the government does not tolerate such acts.
The advancement and protection of Coptic rights should not be viewed as a Christian issue, but more broadly as a human-rights issue within the larger context of the Middle East’s democracy deficit. The Bush administration should promote energetically the understanding that democracy does not simply mean free elections and majority rule, but also the protection of minority rights under the rule of law. An Egypt in which Copts feel insecure and are subject to violence by Islamic extremists should give way to an Egypt in which all citizens, Christian, Muslim, and secular alike, can take part in the full civic life of the nation. A democratic and pluralistic Egypt allied with the U.S. and respecting minority rights will be a beacon for liberty throughout the Middle East.”

Immortal Egypt

2005-08-12T20:03:00.000-05:00

These pictures were made possible by GoogleEarth. It's a good program especially when bored and homesick. Download it and travel the world.
Here are some pictures of Egypt.

Al Ahzar Gardens.

A church in Cairo.

CityStars Mall from space.

Cairo's most fashonable corniche.

The Pyramids of Egypt.

Lets play a game of pin the tail on the dhimmi!

2005-08-08T20:57:00.000-05:00

The Nazarist Spirit

The term Nazarist comes from Muslims linking Jesus’ birthplace in Nazareth, Palestine to Christians all over the Middle East. It isn’t a term that invokes violence but one that fights in a peaceful way for the inalienable rights of man. Nazarists have no need for violence like their predecessors in the past (Hizb al-Umma al Qubtiyah), who in 1954 in the face of Islamic extremism kidnapped Pope Amba Usab and made him abdicate for his ‘nonchalant’ stance over rising discrimination against Copts. Although President Nasser disbanded this group by heavy force, the dream of a pan-Arab Christian group of lawyers, professionals, doctors, teachers and engineers working hand in hand to fight against injustice that many of our brothers and sisters deal with everyday, remains on the collective conscience of many.

You won’t find the term on google.com or even copts.net, it is a term that is close for all Christians in the Middle East.

Egypt

Immortal Egypt.

Egypt today isn’t the same as it was in the past; with rising unemployment and low foreign investment many Egyptians suffer even to have basic commodities that make us human. Unfortunately, the battle on the street for the hearts and minds of the Egyptian people isn’t about unemployment but about Islam. Extremists like the Muslim Brotherhood have brought the Islamist dialogue to the forefront of the National agenda, but fortunately for us they now use in their demonstrations ‘token’ phrases like “the Copts are the Sons of Egypt too.”

Why hasn’t a Coptic organization risen up to defend the rights of Copts and other Christians in Egypt?

There needs to be a new organization to promote the rights of the Copts because our church is to busy pleasing the government and trying to keep the Coptic community aboard silent to do anything else. In an interview with Pope Shenouda, a question was posed asking him whether it is acceptable for a Copt to run for the President of Egypt against incumbent President Mubarak, our holiness replied that “the President should represent the religion of the majority.”

With this kind of talk, we don’t need the Muslim Brotherhood or the ‘tolerant’ Egyptian government to limit the inalienable rights of the Copts. Our dreams are being inhibited by our Pope and our history denied from the public schools. We can’t build churches legally without papers from governors, police chiefs, presidents and even chief engineers but increasingly our churches are being surrounded on all sides by mosques. There are no Coptic ambassadors, even though there are more Copts outside Egypt than Muslims. No deans, syndicate leaders or even elected parliament represented are Copts. We have to depend on his grace Mubarak to give us a few seats in the Parliament.

Aren’t we Egyptians?

Unfortunately, we are complacent in being dhimmis. It’s sad that our government says we are less than 10% of the population yet we are more around 15-20 percent. Our church is so afraid of having a census that we have denied ourselves our right to join the political process, in so doing we have denied a part of humanity.

What about Neguib Sawiris or other successful Coptic businessmen?

President Nasser’s attempt to destroy the ‘corrupt’ upper classes caused many industrialists to lose their businesses, including a great number of Coptic entrepreneurs who controlled approximately 45% of Egypt’s economy. Arab Socialism was really a guise to transfer the wealth from the wealthy to the lower classes, but with an Islamist agenda. Following the revolution, many Egyptians transferred their wealth abroad. Presently this amount equals more than 150 billion dollars, which could help the economy grow if democracy and property rights were introduced. Sawiris got lucky; no doubt having a large wealth outside helped him get back on his feet when he went to Libya then America. The Coptic businessmen bounced back but political reforms must come forward in order for Egypt to join the developed world.

Egypt in the Past

It ceases to surprise me that instead of going forward, Egypt is instead going back to the medieval ages thanks to the Islamist agenda. Whatever happened to the March 1919 demonstrations that united all Egyptians under the flag of the Crescent and Cross?

“Leave Religion for God! Egypt for the Egyptians!”

With the Copts silent and progressive Muslims murmuring quietly all is lost. Silence is the enemy and currently we are losing the war. Egypt needs to improve; denying mistakes and problems only creates more problems in the future. Ordinary Egyptians must rise up in an organized manner with concrete goals of reform instead of demanding the resignation of the president or ministers.

Coptic Links

I know this website is a joke, but it’s so cool
http://www.amcoptic.com/

I've become an Nazarist!

2005-08-07T16:02:00.000-05:00

The events unfolding in the Middle East have made me embrace radical thoughts, these ideas if acted upon could bring the nations of the Middle East on the verge of collapse.

Nazarism- is a political movement among Christian Arabs, who are tired of the centuries of discrimination and oppression forced upon them by a faith that views Christians and Jews not as equals, but as dhimmis--- a subservient class. Nazarists want to keep the cross firmly planted all over the Middle East without the threat of forced conversions or rapes that currently plague our nations. It’s time to throw it up and create a new system one in which we are in control of our own lives and most importantly our futures. We owe it to future generations to fight for our way of life.

Endangered Christians Groups

The Christians of Egypt
The Christians of Lebanon
The Christians of Palestine
The Christians of Jordan
The Christians of Iraq
The Christians of Syria

In the coming days, I’ll be writing a series of essay about each of these tortured groups and how they survived centuries of prosecution and torture.

Christians of the Middle East Unite!

2005-07-26T20:01:00.000-05:00

After 11 years, 5 months and three days, Samir Geagea is finally free from his underground prison cell in a Ministry of Defense Prison cell in Lebanon.

He appeared on Lebanese Broadcasting Company TV today before departing on an Air France flight to Paris quite emaciated but nonetheless a champion. This historic meeting brought representatives from all groups including several Muslim representatives whom personally fought against during the civil war.

Could this be a new chapter in Christian-Muslim relations in Lebanon? Maybe, we'll see if everyone behaves themselves, hopefully bloody Hizbollah will disarm. Terrorism is a headache for us all!

Dr. Samir Geagea is my personal hero, above all else solely due to the fact that he fought a losing war against enemies who wanted to destroy Christianity in Lebanon. With the increasing fragmentation of Christian forces towards the end of the bloody civil war, Dr. Samir Geagea led his forces to work for a Lebanon without Syrian Occupation or dhimmitude.

Long Live Samir Geagea and the Lebanese Forces.

Huh?

2005-07-24T12:41:00.000-05:00

I don't know what I'm feeling right now, but the events that are occuring around me only strengthens the belief that the world is going to shits. I used to be of the thought that the Iraq war was going to change the Middle East for the better, by removing the authoritarian regimes from power and replacing them with democratically representative regimes that had the full backing of the people. With the elections in Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine that far-away dream of democracy still has not been reached. Saddam's removal has not made the world safer but unfortunately made Iraq and the Middle East as a whole a terrorist epicenter.

The Neo-conservatives have failed me and most importantly have failed America, with their lack of planning and understanding of this diverse region. I do not think that American troops should leave anytime soon, on the contrary I think they should stay until peace is restored and then some. I have a feeling that this 'war against terrorism' is going to last a very long time. I guess it's true that without any pain there isn't any gain.

Personal news: So I went out yesterday with a couple of buddies to a chicks house in a very nice part of town. I guess it was fun hanging out instead of being a hermit at home hours upon hours. I am beginning to understand that I'm not special, having been born an only child it is something that I need to adjust to. So as I said before the worlds going to shits, and it's all everyones fault.

Terror in Paradise

2005-07-23T10:51:00.000-05:00

Naama Bay
Naama Bay
Movenpick Jolie-Ville Golf Resort Sharm el Sheikh
July 23, 2005- A day that will live in Infamy

Sharm el Sheikh has been known for tranquility, luxury and as a paradise amongst the dry desert mountains. Unfortunately, the city that has been known for peace has been desecrated by the vilest scum. Terrorism has hit Egypt’s tourist crown jewel, killing mostly Egyptians and injuring thousands.

The blasts occurred around 1 A.M. as tourists were relaxing at local cafes or returning to their ultra-comfortable resorts. The three blasts, two of which were at the entrances of 5 star resorts were almost simultaneous and could be heard almost a kilometer away. The third blast hit the ‘old market’ quarter of the resort city injuring hundreds of unsuspecting tourists who were enjoying life to the fullest.

Sharm el Sheikh is not only an Egyptian City, but an International City. The last time I visited, I saw many Italians, Russians, French, Belgians, Germans, Gulf Arabs and Israelis all congregating on the beach without any problems.

It isn’t an irony that these blasts occurred on the 53rd anniversary of the Revolution that brought the likes of Nasser, Sadat and currently President Mubarak to power. This day was a national holiday for all Egyptians to celebrate their independence from colonization, imperialism, and the birth of a socialist nation.

The effects of these bombings will catastrophic if the Egyptian government does not take immediate action to prosecute those responsible for these vile actions. Over eight million Egyptians derive their livelihood from tourists visiting the great sites of Egypt, whether it is Sharm el Sheikh or the great pyramids of Giza. More than 8 million tourists visit Egypt and deposit 6 Billion dollars into the economy annually. Tourism is the second largest earner of foreign currency right after oil production.

For the sake of humanity, Arabs Christians and Muslims must stand up against the hard-line Islamists who preach nothing but hate. Egypt must change its tactics and crush these evil-doers at all cost.

“Blessed be Egypt my people” (Isa. 19:25).

all photos compliments of www.goredsea.com

Double D's

2005-07-21T16:36:00.000-05:00

Coptic Discrimination

Over the years I developed a personal relationship with an insider in the Coptic Orthodox Church, whose name was Bishop Matias. His Grace was formerly a priest of my church fifteen years ago and built up the church in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area to what it is today. During the early 90s, he was ordained a Bishop over the Mahallah-al-Kubra diocese. This diocese was once a ‘hot-bed’ of sectarian clashes, one of which led to the death of a priest. This case like many other cases involving Christians has been unsolved and will remain unsolved unless Copts take it upon themselves to fight for their rights.

While having his yearly medical-checkups here in America, a couple of weeks ago he stopped by my parent’s house for dinner and friendly conversation. Political mud-slinging has forced this Bishop to resign, something unheard of in the history of our church. We shouldn’t keep silent because our Pope is hell-bent on silencing opposing views… We shouldn’t just fast and pray for a miracle, but use the intellect that God gave us to help ourselves. I’ve been told by countless people, whether clergymen or congregation that our church simply is not political in nature. This response took me always by surprise because our Pope’s actions always prove otherwise. Our Pope would rather support the Palestinians in their pursuit of a state, by boycotting meetings with Israeli Rabbis, excommunicating any Copt who goes on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and by constantly pointing out Israeli aggression against the Palestinians.

Our spiritual father has in a sense abandoned his flock so he can please the ‘ever-powerful Egyptian Government’. The Al-Kosheh Massacre is a continuous reminder to the Coptic Community of how Egypt’s justice system is severely flawed. Bishop Wissa was forced to break his silence of the massacre to the international community and for this he is viewed as a traitor. Even though Pope Shenouda worked tirelessly to seek justice for the deaths of 30 Copts, both trials were declared mistrials and all defendants were set free.

During a dinner meeting with Pope Shenouda in Nashville, TN I wrote a question regarding what the American-Coptic community can do to bring justice to the victims of the Al-Kosheh massacre. His response surprised me because he said “that everything was going alright in Egypt and that justice would prevail…,” he also warned that “we shouldn’t distort Egypt’s image abroad for this worsens the burden on those at home.”

I'm tired of hearing that our church can play no role in the face of discrimination. Pope Shenouda should emulate the late Martin Luther King Jr. so that the Copts can be viewed as 'equals' in all aspects of the law. As in the case of Wafaa Constantine, hundreds of Coptic youths demonstrated against the government, and although there were many arrests, Wafaa Constantine is back home with her family. The Copts must not stay silent or call on America to solve our problems. We have to demonstrate in large numbers so that we can have a Coptic police chief, university dean, mayor or governor. We must demonstrate so that we can build churches of our own free will, we must demonstrate so show our brothers and sisters that we are EQUAL in all aspects to them.

Civil disobedience has worked in the past and in even worse conditions like that of 60’s civil rights movement in America.
I’ll write about divorce in my next posting.

Keep that Frown Rightside up?

2005-07-19T20:25:00.000-05:00

I'm getting tired of summer school. I'm not having fun, especially since the class feels more like it belongs in a highschool rather than in a community college. I have a test almost everyday, but I haven't studied for any of them so you can only imagine what my grade will turn it to be. I just need to get through these next 14 days. It's just 14 days right? I think I can... I think I can...I think I can...Choo! Choo!

In other news, the commander of the Christian Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea is expected to be freed after the Lebanese Parliament unanimously voted for his amnesty without any conditions. He is the only 'criminal' in prison for so-called crimes commited during the civil-war. The Bush doctrine finally worked in these region by allowing the Lebanese to govern their own country, without any foriegn soldiers. The Christian community is recovering, but the diaspora which occured in the last couple of decades may subside with many returning home especially after the Syrian withdrawal. We need to keep the Cross firmly planted in this part of the region, forever. Long Live the Lebanese Forces. I just which we had a similar organization in Egypt, one that defended the lives of Christians, but did it in a non-violent way.

A Coptic Intifada

2005-07-18T18:20:00.000-05:00

Coptic Reform

Having been baptized and raised in the Coptic Orthodox Church my whole life it saddens me that what I thought was the Church of Salvation, has been corrupted by political mudslinging and an inept leadership.

My Salvation turned sour.

Every Sunday morning I would wake up excited at the thought of going to church and getting closer to God. Although I enjoyed the mass, my favorite part of my spiritual experience was going to Sunday school. Learning about the saints that laid the foundation of our resilient church gave me hope that our church can survive under the most severe prosecution. Unfortunately there was a darker side to my ‘spiritual experience’ that has affected me until this day.
For a period of eight years I suffered from verbal abuse from many of the most highly respected deacons of my church. I still remember being pushed around and even being verbally abused in front of my friends and family who did nothing but just watch in disgust. Several of my Sunday school teachers and even my priest viewed this behavior as just ‘boys playing around’ and did nothing to stop the torture. I turned from a boy who found sanctuary in church to one that hated and made any excuse not to go to it. Perhaps it was my fault for not complaining to anyone or fighting back, but I always believed that God would get my revenge for me.
My parents for a couple of years forced me to go to Church and with this my depression increased tenfold. I did not have very many friends and the ones that I did have often viewed me as a social outcast. As a finally matured and progressed to high school, the verbal abuse decreased but the memories of the torture that I went through in my childhood have never gone away. It’s hypocritical that those same deacons who wake up early every Sunday morning and dress up as angels in front of the All Mighty are the same ones that as children used to verbally abuse and sometimes physically inflict pain on me. Everyone tells me to move on and to forget the past, but I still see in their eyes that they view me not as an equal, but as the same child who was weak and defenseless against their aggression. I guess it’s the verbal abuse that made me work hard and be persistent in everything I do. Regrettably, this isn’t is a story about a boy hell-bent on revenge, but one of an entire race being pushed aside by the very clergy that was supposed to protect us and give us sanctuary.

Decline or Golden Age?

The Coptic Church in Egypt has been witnessing a cultural decline as many members of its congregation convert to Islam or other dominations. The once so-called sanctuary that the church was supposed to provide from the outside aggressors has begun to decline. Instead of helping the weak, the leaders of our church have begun to tout the official government line, that there is no discrimination against the Copts and everything is just dandy in the land of the pyramids. While the Coptic Church is flourishing in the land of immigration, the exact opposite is happening because our leaders refuse to confront the government on the issues of forced conversions, rampant discrimination and outright oppression.

There’s no problem with Wafaa Constantine!

The after-effects of the Wafaa Constantine affair have sent shockwaves throughout Egypt and Coptic communities across the globe. I remember hearing the news from the ultra-radical http://www.copts.net/, that a priest’s wife in Egypt was kidnapped and drugged by Muslim extremists. I’m not a fan of Michael Munier or his tactics of twisting facts in the favor of our ‘uber-discriminated’ race. His sort of tactics remind me of the pushiness of the Jewish organizations here in America, except no official of high regard in the government gives the time of day for this individual.
Mrs. Constantine is going through what hundreds or even thousands of women in Egypt are going through everyday, a marriage that is on the rocks. Due the orthodox character of the Coptic Church, one of our main principles is the sanctity of marriage. Divorce is not allowed except under extreme cases in our church, and even then it is difficult to remarry because many of the clergy view the second marriage as a sin that they can not bless. Constantine was locked in a verbally abusive marriage with no way out. Her only hope was to break the cycle by doing something drastic that would shock the church into action. The church knew about this ‘disastrous’ marriage for over two years and did nothing about it. The half-hearted response by the couple’s father of confession Bishop Bachomious did not solve the acrimonious relations between the two. Added to this with many members of the community, especially in her workplace knowing of her uneasy marriage, the easy solution of just converting to Islam became increasingly attractive to the desperate Wafaa.
The response to her forced conversion was so immense that even communities outside of Egypt called on the government to free the priest’s wife. Petitions were signed, letters were sent, and congressmen were called all in hopes of pressuring the regime to find the militants who took our beloved mother. In Egypt, thousands of youths stormed the Cathedral during the funeral looking for answers from our leadership. The demonstrations outside the Cathedral turned sour as a lack of information coupled with an absent leadership made the situation worse. Stones were thrown at Government Anti-riot police who then arrested over thirty youths on trumped up charges of trying to undermine the national security of Egypt. As a response to the failed negotiations between the government and the Church, our Pope fled to a local monastery telling all that he would not return until this crisis was resolved.
The cover-up began within the church when the leadership chose to withhold information that Wafaa Constantine went on her own freewill to start the process of conversion. When she safely returned to her family and church, there started a silent debate within the Coptic community about reform.

Reforms

Divorce

The Wafaa Constantine experience showed to millions of Copts the frailties of how domestic squabbles can head south extremely fast. Several newspapers in Egypt began demanding that the Copts seriously look at the issue of divorce so that future episodes like this do not damage the national fabric of the country. For the most part the debate has been silenced by higher powers using the archaic interpretations of the bible to justify that the current system is correct.

Domestic Violence

Leaving the issue of divorce behind, the issue of domestic violence is one that should be brought into light. Thousands of women are daily beat each day in pious Coptic homes all across the globe. Many of the priests who serve these homes know of the abuse, whether it be verbal or physical and choose to do nothing about it because of our patriarchal society. Confession is usually the medium through which the abuse is first known, but instead of telling many of these women to seek help from the police, they tell them to pray for their abusive husbands. The Constantine affair, if anything, should have changed this sort of passive view towards abuse and caused many priests to take a pro-active role in raising awareness about this horrible issue.

Kidnappings

I’ve personally heard reports of true kidnappings especially in the Southern part of Egypt where teenage girls are abducted and illegally forced to convert to Islam either through rape or intimidation. On http://www.amcoptic.com/ there are several recordings of hysterical mothers pleading for help from our Pope in the issue of these kidnappings. Our leadership as been politically inept in dealing with these cases, especially in the case of Neven Malek, a seventeen year old who was kidnapped from the village of Kolosna, Samalout, in the Province of Menya. Since 2003 her kidnapping has still been unsolved and has even caused her older sister, Heba Malek, to go on a hunger strike so that government officials could be pushed into reopening her case. Although the south has been rocked by crimes in the past, there is currently a new wave of discrimination following the acquittal of the defendants in the 2000 al-Kosheh massacre. Our church unfortunately has abandoned these victims and has not demanded justice for thirty Copts who have died without justice.

Financial Transparency

A constant joke by many Copts, particularly those who are just beginning college and wondering about what they are going to do with their lives professionally, often joke that since Abouna drives a Mercedes then why not become a priest? This subject has been the debated constantly with the great many dioceses refusing to show where donated money is going to. Corruption within the church could be halted if the congregation knew where and how much money was leaving the church’s coffers.

Democracy

The Coptic Orthodox Church like that of the Egyptian government has been led by strong men who are desperate not to give representation to their oppressed subjects. Not many Copts in the land of immigration know that we like our Catholic compatriots have a parliament one that is in charge of the inner dealings of the mother church. The Coptic Parliament or the Maglis al-Melli, is an institution that was created in 1874 to oversee the affairs of the Coptic community and manage church endowments. Briefly during the reign of Pope Cyril it activities came to a virtual freeze in 1956, but were revived in the 1970s. Al Ahram Weekly evaluates the voter restrictions that are placed on average church goers:
Council elections have been plagued in the past by low voter turnout and many blame the strict conditions for voter registration. Under the council's statutes, voters must be over 25 years old and have either a university degree or be registered as a businessman or land owners. These pre-conditions are dismissed by some detractors as "unconstitutional" and blamed, along with the apathy of many Copts, for poor turnout. Only 4,000 Copts are currently registered to vote.
This council has been in the past been a tool to further the rights of the Copts, but currently it is being controlled completely by our Pope Shenouda III. Presently there are no independent council members, nor are there any opposition members who do not have the backing of our Pope.

Even local church councils in the land of immigration follow this same trend of putting extreme power of the church’s finances in the hands of the priest. For the last twenty years my church has participated in ‘democratic’ elections that would even make President Mubarak blush. Just recently due to pressure from the congregation, mostly from my parents, did my priest allow true elections for the church council, one in which voters were chosen individually from amongst the congregation in true democratic elections.

Conclusion

The Coptic nation has endured discrimination on a large scale for many centuries. For over three hundred years our ancestors endured countless horrors so that future generations can keep the Christianity deep rooted in Egypt. As we approach a new era of political freedoms, many Copts should stand up to their Clergy and demand reform from the politically inept leadership. Corruption is rampant within the walls of our churches and it is about time that we as a nation stand up and help each other instead of giving in to our greedy urges. Thousands of Copts each year convert to Islam not for their love of the religion but because they lack food, shelter and an occupation. Our church isn’t poor, nor is our race. God has given us what discrimination took away; we still control the economy and are the most educated citizens of Egypt. Let’s work together in solving our Church’s problems instead of pretending there isn’t a problem. My story is similar to that our my race, we stay silent about abuse, discrimination and corruption until it is too late.

Pull & Make a Wish.

2005-07-12T00:18:00.000-05:00

I guess drama always seems to find me wherever I go, but tonight wasn't so bad due to the fact that I had intelligent conversation with a mysterious girl. I don't know if I could say that I like her but I'm going to keep my options open.

Tangent: So I'm starting my last session of what I call hell. Community college absolutely blows especially when you have to wake up at 6 o'clock in the fucking morning to get ready and attend a class that in your opinion isn't relevant to anything you're majoring in. Thanks to the Texas Education Board, I'm required to take core classes that are boring but are in some twisted way the state wants to endoctrinate us into being model citizens. It's all a conspiracy.

I hope I have fun for the rest of the summer, it isn't what I expected but generally thats how life goes for me. I'm tired.

Hidden behind a smile.

2005-07-11T10:56:00.000-05:00

Depression it's real and out there. We've all been biten from the bug that makes us sad and lackluster, but there is hope out there. We shouldn't dwell in past mistakes or future problems. Handling each day as if it were the 'best' day of your life is hard at first, also getting adjusted to the fact that we aren't immortal and have a limited time to impact others got me over my depression. As a side note, you can get over this I've seen a lot of my friends battle through it with some measure of success, it isn't a battle that can be fought easily.

Going to al Amir's yesterday reminded me of Edward Said's 'Highclass Society' song. The place could be so much better if they did not play the happy birthday song frequently. Added to the cheesyness of the birthday song, which I may remind you is remixed in Arabic, al Amirs doesn't have much to offer as a place to go to cool down after a hard at work. As if I had work to go to, but thats much beside the point that no one dances. Theres a mixture of Arab, Somaili (they aren't Arab nor do they speak Arabic) and Kurdish men (not good company, nor loyal to Saddam) who just watch the one or two white girls dance. Why don't these men bring girls here instead of just thinking they'd be there? Without much ado al Amir's sucks without a huge group or large amounts of alcohol. I enjoyed it though because I was amongst friends but it could have been a lot better.

Change for the better?

2005-07-10T01:22:00.000-05:00

Yeah yesterday was a somewhat dramatic for my taste, but then again thats how we roll especially when you come from my family. I try not to be dramatic and I've worked hard on it but sometimes when I have my guard down the beast within comes creeping out. Yes I'll admit I was extremely drunk and might have said a couple of things I did not mean, but anyone who really knows me should understand that I'm an angry Arab whose life is shitty and I mean NO one any harm.

First off, please do not drink red wine for fun because when you wake up the next day I guarantee you'll be feeling like shit. I wasn't any help to my dad this morning but I guess when your son is hungover and barely coherent in the morning you'll let him off easy. The old man did. I'm thankful that he did not chew my ass off today.

My head itches, damn male pattern baldness. I don't know whats worse the Rogaine or the fact that my fucking scalp is on fire. I hope this shit actually works, cause you know I have so much going for me right now that being bald is the cherry on my fucking ice cream sundae I call life. I feel sorry for Michele, I said somethings to her that I really did not mean...I should have went easy on her and just accepted the fact that she doesn't like me instead of acting like a child who didn't get his fucking candy. I'm not much of a religious guy but if there is anyone that needs a prayer, she is definitely the one.

Just a tangent, I don't think I really liked her...I guess it was the fact that it was something that I couldn't get that made me chase after her. She makes me laugh, anyone who has the gift of making other people laugh in my opinion is someone you shouldn't let go of. Maybe this is all for the better, I just wish my parents could get off my back with the insinuations of marriage and my future life. As if I don't have enough pressure into trying to keep my grades up so that I can go to law school. I just want to be happy. I just want to be happy. I just want to be happy.

So I went to the hookah bar with people that don't really connect with me, I wouldn't call them close friends but acquaintances. We hang out a lot, but seriously if I was in a bind I don't think any of them would help me out. I've never had close friends and the ones that I do have don't last very long due to my erratic behavior.

I guess we all want something in this world, there is no true love it's all shit to me. Maybe I'll be womanless for the rest of my life...fuck it...when you have Rosy you don't need anything else. Ha Ha.

Introduction

2005-07-07T01:16:00.000-05:00

Fcuk the System.

I guess this is where it all starts. I started my last blog on xanga.com and found out it was a little too childish to continue with. MySpace.com only seems to be a place where horny teenagers get off at and this seemed to be the best place where one can vent about how shitty life can be.

I guess it's to be continued...