The Middle East Media Research Institute highlighted on August 29 a video clip originally aired on August 26, in which Dr. Sallah Sultan, founder of the American Center for Islamic Research in Ohio, called for the death of the Israeli ambassador to Egypt. His call came in response to wide-scale Egyptian protests following an Israeli raid on militants in the Sinai Peninsula, in which five Egyptian officers were killed. While the protests demanded the ruling Egyptian military council to expel the ambassador, Dr. Sultan went further:
As someone who has studied Islamic law, specializing in Islamic jurisprudence, I am calling to kill the [Israeli] ambassador, not just expel him. Our sons were killed in our country, on our land, and our sons are being killed in Gaza by an occupying enemy. Brothers and sisters, the genuine rulings of Islamic law can no longer be silenced. I am prepared to confront any Islamic scholar who says otherwise.
The link to the MEMRI report can be accessed here.
I spoke with Dr. Abd al-Mu‘ti Bayyumi, member of the Islamic Research Academy at the Azhar. While Dr. Bayyumi did not recognize the name of Dr. Sultan, he expressed shock at the statement, which he declared demonstrated Dr. Sultan was not a proper Islamic scholar.
Bayyumi stated that the Israel ambassador resides legally in Egypt on the basis of a diplomatic visa, which was granted by the Egyptian government. In sharia law this represents ‘aqd al-aman, or a compact of security, which guarantees safety to the beneficiary. By calling for the violation of this compact through killing the ambassador, Dr. Bayyumi stated Sultan’s words were not a legal ruling, but backwardness.
Bayyumi believed the Egyptian government must study the issue of what took place on the Israeli border, and then take appropriate steps based on its findings. To begin, there should be a joint investigation between the two nations. If it is found that the Israeli soldiers killed the Egyptian officers accidentally, Bayyumi stated sharia law proscribes each victim be compensated the equivalent of 4 ¼ kilogram of pure gold. If it is found the officers were killed deliberately, then Egypt must take steps commensurate with the assault on its dignity.
Inasmuch as an official investigation has not yet been conducted, Bayyumi stated that any number of political outcomes are possible. Perhaps the ambassador could be expelled, or the Egyptian ambassador to Tel Aviv could be withdrawn. It would also do well for the two nations to take another look at the Camp David treaty to amend it so as to provide better security for both Egypt and Israel. He stressed, however, that this was his opinion, and that this was a political matter and not one of Islamic jurisprudence.
I like many things about Egyptian culture, and am happy to be raising our children here, but one aspect of the way many Egyptians interact with children has been grating on me recently. This is something I have noticed in Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt, so it may be safe to say it is a tendency across the Arab world to do this. Before I mention it, let me remind the readers that we have found a tremendous welcome and interest in small children in every country we have been in. I can’t count the number of strangers I’ve passed on the street who have verbally blessed our children, wanted to kiss them or give them lollipops. In general, Arabs love children and aren’t afraid to show it.
And now for the flipside: we have often experienced that if children do not respond in a favorable way, no matter their age, they are told they are bad. And this isn’t the big problem. What I have usually witnessed goes something like this:
A stranger or friend greets baby Layla enthusiastically, and Layla reaches for her or smiles at her. (This makes the stranger/friend very happy).
After this, the stranger/friend greets 3-year old Hannah just as enthusiastically, wanting a kiss or handshake from her, and Hannah promptly frowns at her, turns her head away and definitely does not reach to shake hands. (This does not make the stranger/friend happy at all).
Inevitably, the response of the stranger/friend is, “inti wahash wa Layla kwayyisa.” (Translation: you are bad and Layla is good.)
Keep in mind that three-year old Hannah probably knows enough Arabic now to understand she has just been told by a stranger that she is bad but her baby sister is good. And why? Because she didn’t want to kiss someone she never saw before? So how does that make her want to respond the next time? Well, if it’s the same person, she probably still won’t care to kiss her. If it is a different stranger, same story. She is three years old and has sense of who she knows and who she doesn’t, and how she cares to interact with them by this point. Being compared like this to her baby sister will not motivate her to change!
All that said, we are working with both Emma and Hannah to be polite to the adults that we interact with. It is important in this culture to greet people and shake their hands. Sometimes the problem is that when I convince the girls to be kind and return the handshake, they are then pulled in for a kiss on the cheek. That’s not helpful for their learning process! They don’t always feel like responding to people’s greetings, but again, as they are getting older, they need to politely respond and we are working on this. But they don’t often want to smile and answer people who last time they saw them said they were bad!
The crazy thing is, I have been through this with each of the girls over the last couple years. Emma was a friendly baby and smiled at strangers and they loved it. Then she grew a little older and didn’t want to just go to anyone who held their arms out. I think this is natural. Problem is, by the time she reached that stage, her baby sister was the friendliest baby on the block and won everyone’s affections. Then all of the sudden, Emma was “bad” and Hannah was “good.” Now Hannah has grown some and has a friendly baby sister, Layla who gets all the compliments.
I’ve heard from others that this habit of comparing children to each other is quite common and can be quite damaging. So far for the most part, these have been quick and minor occurrences, but I try to let the stranger/friend know that the older one was just as friendly when they were a baby. And I try to talk to the older kid after the fact to be sure they aren’t getting negative messages from people. Sometimes it is a fine line between being polite to adults, and having them take advantage of the kids. As I said, I finally convince my girls to shake an adult’s hand, and then they pull them in for a kiss too …. again, a common form of greeting here, and one they can get used to. But one I wish the adults would ask for and not just take. Of course, I do have friends who are gentler with the kids, and these are the adults my kids like and feel comfortable with. But it is something I have to watch and work on to correct the negative messages and reinforce the good.
Wearing her favorite pink dress, Emma celebrates her new school uniform
Yesterday we got to do an exciting getting-ready-for-school thing when we went to buy Emma’s uniform. It is pretty standard here to have uniforms in school and hers is no different. A couple of weeks ago the school told me where to go to buy one, and we’ve been waiting for a free afternoon to do just that. I told Emma in the morning that we would go after lunch to get it, but reminded her that we have no choice when it comes to school uniforms. Everyone wears the same thing, and we wear the uniform and colors that the school chooses. I wanted her to be prepared for this because she is sometimes particular about clothes. She has a favorite dress that she has worn everyday possible since February when she first got it as a hand-me-down. It is short-sleeved so she had to wear a shirt and pants under it during America’s winter, but now it is at least weather-appropriate. It has a few holes in it, but still she insists to wear it every time it is clean, which is basically every other day. She even has favorite underwear and socks to go with it—all pink. So you can see why I was concerned about her feelings on a school uniform.
We walked down the street to the uniform place and entered a small clothing store which pictured a school-uniformed girl outside. There were at least 10 young men wearing the store’s vest and ready to help any customer who entered. At the time, I was the only one along with my two little girls. I think they were initially quite puzzled that this babbling half-Arabic speaker was buying a school uniform for an Egyptian school. But I had memorized the things I was supposed to tell them…I need a uniform for Wadi Degla Language School, grade KG2.
I noticed neat stacks of different colored shirts on the shelves behind the counter, and a few of these stacks were pink. I silently prayed that the pink was for the girls of this school. But it didn’t take but a minute for the man helping me to put a mostly navy blue, with a red stripe and light blue stripe, polo shirt on the counter complete with a Wadi Degla emblem on it. I reiterated that this was for a girl, but it seems that all the uniforms are the same for this school. Emma was behind me but could see it, and yet didn’t complain. She tried on a shirt to check the size and then we went into a dressing room to try on the navy blue pants which were much too long and a little baggy, but surprisingly fit around the waist. Next she tried on the soccer warm-up that is the uniform for P.E. days. I wanted to take her picture while we were doing this simply because buying a school uniform was a new thing, but the man told me cameras were forbidden in the store. Not sure if they were afraid I would try to make a copy of the uniform or what, but I saved my picture for once we got out of the store. (pic in stroller) After we tried on the sweatsuit, which is Emma’s favorite part of the whole uniform, the man asked if I wanted to see the “sweater.” I put this is quotes because while we were speaking Arabic the whole time, he used the English word here. I said yes since this would be needed in winter and he brought out a fairly thick winter coat. I was surprised at this but he assured me this would be needed in the winter. I thought a sweater would be much more useful, but as they really weren’t trying to push multiple items on me throughout my time there, I didn’t feel they were just trying to “sell” me something.
At the end, we purchased one of everything we thought we would need for the year. I didn’t want to go overboard, although now that I’ve left the store, I realize that I will really need another shirt and pair of pants since she will be wearing these five days a week. Fortunately it isn’t too far for me to head back there. I was a little surprised at the cost of this all, thinking some of the things more expensive than I expected. I am pretty sure most schools in Egypt have uniforms, including the public schools. I wondered how the cost for them varied since many Egyptians are quite poor, I didn’t think a school uniform should be a strain on their budget. For all my purchases which included one pair of pants, one short-sleeved polo, one long-sleeved polo, one sweatsuit and one jacket, it cost me 600LE, or about $100. I guess as I write this that isn’t too expensive to outfit my child for her whole school year, but I ‘m just not used to spending that much in one shopping trip!
This store also carried other school accessories such as backpacks, lunch boxes and thermoses. Emma was sure to point out which of all of these things she wanted and Hannah chimed in on her desires too. I thanked them for their suggestions but assured them they had good backpacks for this school year already and I would consider the lunch boxes if necessary. We headed back home to show our new things to Daddy.
As we arrived home that day, Emma was talking excitedly about her uniform, and Hannah said, “but Emma, it’s black.” I quickly shot Hannah a glance which meant, “Let’s not remind her of the dark color of the uniform,” and we entered the house.
Thankfully Emma is eager to wear her new uniform, especially the sweatsuit for P.E. She is counting down the days until school starts, although is a bit distracted as her birthday comes first and requires its own countdown. I realized I have a lot to learn about this whole uniform thing, and I’m sure, the Egyptian school system in general. I just hope I send her to school on day one at the right time with the right things wearing the correct uniform. She will already have enough differences to overcome; I don’t want to add to them!
Emma and Hannah have been attending a local preschool here in Maadi, for the last two years. Emma started just a few months after we arrived in Cairo, and Hannah joined her sister when she turned 2 ½. One of the main reasons we chose to send the girls to preschool is to help them learn Arabic in a natural way. We searched several preschools and found that many quality ones focused on teaching the kids English. We wanted the quality and the good care associated with these preschools, but didn’t want the English teaching that was included. We eventually found a preschool maintained by one of the local Coptic churches, which had a basic program, but caring teachers. One of the most important factors for us was that the teachers and children were all Egyptian Arabic speakers. We knew our girls would be immersed in the language.
At the beginning, Emma, then age 3+, didn’t really know any Arabic. But since she was so young, we figured she would be able to function without language until she just assimilated into it. I got encouraging reports from the teachers frequently as they told me that she was understanding them, then understanding the children and finally, communicating with the children in Arabic. She didn’t speak with us in Arabic often, but we would try to gauge her understanding by asking her what she learned different days and different vocab words.
By the time Hannah joined Emma, I knew that the big sister would be able to communicate anything necessary for the little one. Hannah was excited to join Emma as she went with me everytime I picked Emma up or dropped her off. She already knew the teachers and some of the kids. And so they both attended three days a week for half a day.
Volunteering in the classroom
Over the months, I got to know the teachers more and eventually did a little volunteer teaching in English/music once a week. It was a fun challenge for me teaching preschoolers who don’t speak English. It stretched my Arabic and gave me a chance to teach some fun things to my own girls too! It was a good situation and we were happy to stick with it for Hannah once Emma enters school in the fall.
This was until a few weeks ago when I took Hannah into school in the morning and only the two aides were present. They asked me if I had been to the parents’ meeting the night before and I told them I hadn’t heard there was one. They then proceeded to tell me what was going on.
Apparently, one of the little girls in the class had gotten out of the classroom one day the previous week without the teachers noticing. Now this classroom is located inside a building which is set back a ways from the main gate of the facility. This building is by no means set up to be a preschool as it belongs to the villa-coffeeshop of the Coptic Church across the street, but it works. I couldn’t quite understand from the conversation, all of it in Arabic, if the girl had just gotten out of the classroom, only to be apprehended by someone sitting in the coffeeshop portion of the facility, or if she made it all the way out the gate before being noticed by a passerby and then returned to the room. There is a difference here, of course, as the second scenario is more serious especially given that a busy traffic circle is close to the gate, and also that a stranger returned her. I am thinking this is what happened. Praise the Lord there was no harm to the little girl, but you can imagine her parents’ fear and anger when they learned what happened. This news quickly reached the school’s supervisor and then ultimately, the bishop in charge of preschools in the area. By the time I talked with the teacher aides that morning, they were planning on all being fired even though some had served there for more than 20 years.
I was really sorry to hear this story and the plight of the teachers. Yes, it is definitely an oversight which could have been catastrophic, but I don’t know where all the blame lies. Ultimately, the teachers are responsible for each one of the children during the day, and so, the fault lies with them. At the same time, they felt they were being taken to task without any chance for answering for themselves, or any consideration for their previous years of service. I felt bad for them and told them I would give a good word for them if asked.
I immediately had the opportunity for this as I left the room that morning, leaving Hannah in the classroom with just a few other children whose parents either hadn’t heard the news or trusted the teachers anyway. I ran into one of the men responsible for the preschool program and he told me the story once again after apologizing for not informing me of the parents’ meeting, but he didn’t have my phone number. He was definitely upset with the teachers and said two things needed to be done: 1) reconfigure the classroom to keep the children contained, moving the bathroom within the facility; and 2) replace the teachers. I did my best to support the teachers saying that if they fixed the first problem, then this shouldn’t happen again. He didn’t seem convinced, but let me know the preschool would remain open the rest of the week before closing for a period of time.
Hannah finished out the week with the two teachers aides as the two teachers themselves refused to return to the place where they were being treated unfairly. I was told that I could check back within about a month to see when they would re-open. Or at least, that is what I understood them to say in Arabic. By this time, Emma had begun a summer course, so she was at that five days a week, and now Hannah was home with me and Layla five days a week! The first few days were rough for her as she couldn’t wait to go pick Emma up from school so she had a playmate! It had been a long time since she wasn’t with Emma during the day, and she wasn’t sure what to do with herself. We did get some quality time in, going shopping and cooking lunch, but I did have to restructure my day from what I was used to.
After a few weeks, I returned to the villa to check on the progress. I ran into one of the teacher aides who was now working the cash register at the coffee shop. The other aide had found work in the baby section of the preschool and the two teachers were hoping to open their own preschool within a couple months. I was glad that there was some reshuffling rather than everyone being totally let go, but this aide told me that the preschool would not re-open at all. That was a surprise to me, but that was the decision that was reached. She then told me about the other preschool opening and gave me the teacher’s number. I was glad to hear of that option as I really had developed a relationship with the other two teachers and the girls and I were all comfortable with them.
So that is where we are today. After talking to the teacher on the phone, she said I can come see her new place in a couple weeks and decide if Hannah will attend or not. In the meantime, I’ve told Emma and Hannah what happened at their old preschool, and they seem to understand to a point. The other day, Hannah related the story to her grandmother this way: “My school is locked. A kid got out and the policeman brought her back.” Hopefully she can have a new school soon.
From the Peace Fountain and Biblical Garden, New York City
I would honestly say that if I could choose a religion, I would choose Christianity and its ideal of universal acceptance, love, and forgiveness. It is all so beautiful. It is just so unfortunate that the history of Christianity has nothing to do with these ideas.
Eyad Sarraj, head of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program and of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens’ Rights
This quote comes from a book I have been reading, entitled ‘The Body and the Blood’, which I referenced once before in this post, concerning Palestinian refugees and the ‘right of return’. The book is a journalistic account of the exodus of Christians from the Middle East, focusing on Palestine. When I finish I hope to write a short book review, but for now, I will only highly recommend it.
One of the author’s themes highlights that the Middle East has witnessed violence upon violence, in the form of Israeli occupation, Muslim resistance, and terrorism. Yet while Christians have also at times joined in the violence, their religion’s focus on nonviolence could potentially equip this minority to assume a role of peace, either in highlighting the injustice of occupation, or in rebuking the assault upon it through stones, suicide bombers, and rocket fire. Yet the Christian exodus from the area not only removes this voice from the equation, it also allows for popular Western definition of the struggle as between Muslims and Jews, in which both get dismissed as the problem then appears both foreign and intractable.
The above quote means to put the issue of nonviolence before the Western Christian audience. Not for Palestine per se, but for world history and current Christian attitudes. Eyad Sarraj is introduced as a secular Muslim from a deeply religious family. Conversion is not an issue as the entrenched religious lines of Palestine do not allow for movement between faiths, certainly not toward Christianity, and in any case as a secular individual he might not see religion as an important personal matter. The issue is his perception. Within his Islamic heritage and Palestinian politics he speaks boldly about the beauty of the Christian message. Unfortunately, he does not see its historic reality.
May the question be asked: What would have to change in order to change his perception?
Without pretending that Western governments represent Christian values, should Christians better pressure their governments according to nonviolent principles? What might this do to world affairs? What might it do for the Christian message? What kind of nonviolence is intended? What are its limits? Does nonviolence as a principle apply to groups as opposed to individuals? Does it apply to nations?
The author highlights that Jesus’ principle of ‘turn the other cheek’ is often misunderstood. Rather than passive acceptance of violence, it is an assertion of equality. To strike the right cheek, as the gospel emphasizes, requires a backhand slap from the aggressor’s right hand. In the culture of the time, this was a great insult. It was punishable by law if administered to an equal, but legally permissible if targeting an inferior. Jesus’ teaching says to turn to him the left cheek, in order to receive a proper blow. The invitation is to be struck as an equal, yet all the while not returning the violence.
If this interpretation is correct, it forces reevaluation of Jesus’ teaching of nonviolence, but also removes the popular notion that is it ethereal and hopelessly pious. It may yet be foolish, but it becomes foolishness with a purpose. It is a foolishness from utter strength, no matter how much it forsakes the worldly use of strength.
Yet what does this interpretation say to the one who possesses strength in the worldly sense? This is the position of most Western nations, and many Western Christians. Perhaps it is only to note that Jesus does not address these, at least in this passage. His interests lie elsewhere. They lie with the suffering and oppressed. Interestingly, his message is not to rebel, but it is to resist the status quo of their position. It is to stand strong.
Certainly Jesus would care for all, the strong and the mighty among them. Yet may the contemplation of these questions, regardless of where the answers lie, help Christians evaluate with whom they stand. Where Christians exist among the strong, may they exercise this strength on behalf of those not yet standing.
A few weeks ago, Emma drew her first self-portrait. Actually, I think it was her first attempt at drawing a person at all, and she chose herself. I’m not sure where this falls on the list of developmental milestones or if she is on track, but up until now she hasn’t drawn many things. She likes to color and stays in the lines well, and usually likes to use many colors on her pictures. She is working on writing her letters and numbers and can draw shapes and such, but pictures of things have been few.
The other day I went to pick her up from a church nursery and she proudly showed me her picture (on left). She pointed out that she had very long hair and flowers on her dress. I think her friend, Emma, who was in the same class may have drawn a self portrait as well, so maybe that is where the idea came from. Since then, I have seen her draw herself two more times. The last time is pictured on the right. There have been a couple variations, but some things remained the same.
One of my favorite aspects of these pictures is the arms. I love how they come out of her head, and am curious to know why this is, and also when she may notice that coming out of the sides might be more accurate. One of the variations between pictures is her dress. In her first picture, she drew a flowery dress, which is a normal thing for her to wear, especially as she basically wears nothing but dresses these days. Her second picture she colored her very favorite dress on herself, or so she told me. It looks a little red to me, rather than the actual pink color of the dress, but its close enough. I thought the colors on this last drawing were interesting as they reminded me of Egypt’s colors, but I don’t think that went through her mind.
The one constant through all three of her self-portraits was her long hair. You’ll notice that her hair is incredibly long in these pictures, reaching way down below her feet even! It’s not the same color in both pictures, but I don’t know if that is a conscious choice. I do think, however, that her drawings of very long hair are reflective of a struggle she is having. She really really really wants long hair, but at this point, it is only medium-length. She has fine, slow-growing hair. I did cut the back a few times, over a year ago, as I thought it looked better a little on the shorter side, rather than long and thin. But she has said many times that she doesn’t want it cut, and wants it to be long. Sometimes her desire is to be like me, which often takes me by surprise. Some days she wants a ponytail because “mommy has a ponytail.” She doesn’t realize I just do it to keep cool and it’s something I can do quickly in the morning. It’s all about practicality. She just looks at my long hair and wants hers to be the same. I think, though, that this desire for long hair is coming more from the children around her.
We are in Egypt, and most Egyptian girls have lots of long, thick hair. They are born with a full head of hair and it grows quickly after that. Mine are born with just some hair, and then it seems to take forever to grow. Hannah is three and I can barely get a ponytail out of her hair, and I’ve never cut the back. Emma’s is growing, very slowly, but it is something she notices that is different between her and the girls at school. It doesn’t help the situation when one of the girls said to her the other day that her hair was short. She took a real offense at that since short hair is for boys! She didn’t come home crying about it, but she did think to bring it up to me and was quite upset when she recounted the remark. I comforted her as best I could telling her I was sorry that hurt her feelings, and that probably most of the girls she sees here have a lot of hair! I assured her that one day her hair would be longer, but regardless of hair length, she was a beautiful girl.
When I saw her self-portrait that she drew tonight, and noticed the hair reaching beyond the floor once again, I remembered this comment of the schoolmate, and saw this picture as a little white fair-haired American girl trying to fit into the picture of girls she sees around her … dark, long-haired Egyptians. I’m sure there will be many such drawings, conversations, stories, and tears throughout the years of us living cross-culturally as our girls try to fit into a place where they want to belong. God, give us wisdom and the right words to comfort and encourage our little girls.
Civil society is one of the hallmarks of a strong nation. Conspicuously, it was rather absent in pre-revolutionary Egypt. President Mubarak did his best to depoliticize the people, with even extension of social services neglected. While religious groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and the Orthodox Church picked up the slack on both counts, this also contributed to the increasing polarization of the two religious communities, especially Christians, who felt discriminated against in the public square and thereafter largely abandoned it.
These faults have been recognized since the revolution; overcoming them is the current challenge. Yousry Fu’ad Abdel Latif is one man who is trying.
Yousry is a lawyer, aged 44, who lives in Hadayak al-Maadi. Following the revolution he has created and coordinated the Coalition of Dar al-Salaam Youth, submitting paperwork to establish it as a legally recognized community association. Dar al-Salaam is a traditional, working class area to the north of the affluent Cairo suburb of Maadi; Hadayak al-Maadi belongs more properly within its ensign.
I stumbled upon this group quite by accident. Wandering through the Hadayak neighborhood I saw signs posted calling the youth of the area to join in a trash cleanup campaign. Two things were noteworthy: One, the signs were posted on both the mosque and the church, opposite one another across the street. Two, the campaign was taking place the very hour I was passing by. I met three or four of the youth, wearing surgical gloves and mouth coverings, hauling garbage bags behind them. They introduced me to Yousry, and we set up an appointment.
Poster for the Coalition of Dar al-Salaam Youth
The goal of the coalition is to begin transforming Egypt from the local community outward. Individuals must take responsibility for themselves and their area, seeking reform, development, moral consciousness, social justice, and cultural awareness. It is meant to deliberately include Muslims and Christians together, ultimately producing a democratic society in which all are free to participate. Though the coalition organizes seminars and medical testing to accomplish its goals, garbage collection was the starting point. It is the practical work that will forge youth of the area together as a team.
Yousry introduced me to a few members of the coalition. Mahir Fayiz is a 24 year old Copt, of Orthodox heritage but involved with an evangelical social group. He possesses a high school diploma and works in his family’s neighborhood shop, selling rugs and tapestries. One day he heard the calls of a few youth, who he knew but was not necessarily friends with, to come out and clean the streets of Hadayak. Thinking it was a good idea, he joined in.
Mahir asked specifically if he could clean the steps of the mosque, and was so designated. He saw the goals of the coalition as worthy in their own right, and wished to promote community integration by taking this symbolic act of service. He stated that doing so earned him respect among his peers in the coalition, most of whom were Muslim. “The more we focus on our nation,” he says, “the more our country will grow. The more we focus on religion, the more we will divide.” Yousry was particularly impressed by his attitude and actions.
Sharif Muhammad Zakaria is a 21 year old Muslim. He possesses a high school technical degree and works as an interior painter. He knew of Yousry previously as a neighborhood lawyer, and as such has been involved from the beginning. What originally took his attention for the garbage cleanup campaign, however, was the pile of trash accumulated on the side wall of the church. This was unacceptable, he said, and dishonorable for a place of worship. Sharif is a practicing Muslim, but finds groups like the Muslim Brotherhood to focus too much on religion. “Religion is for God,” he says, “but the coalition is united around service to our country, which is for all.”
Yet despite the intentions of the coalition to integrate community Muslims and Christians, so far it has been slow going. Yousry states there are about 70-80 committed members of the group, but only 3-4 of these are Christians.[1] Meanwhile, though the coalition consists of eight separate committees, none are coordinated by Christians.
Fayiz stated that he hoped to bring other Christians into the coalition, but as his friends are primarily among the fewer evangelicals in Hadayak, he is not part of the much larger Orthodox youth group. Sharif stated he has found a good reception to the coalition among his friends in general, but he has not yet invited the one Christian friend he has. He plans to, however.
Yousry noted this was an issue, and stated he desires to increase Christian participation in the coalition. He noted his instructions to the youth to ask permission at the church and mosque before posting their flyers. In separate conversation with Fr. Arsanius of the local Orthodox church in Hadayak, he signaled receptivity to meet Yousry, which was appreciated when I relayed the news. Hopefully, the two will be able to sit down soon.
Yet instead of critiquing the coalition makeup, it should be remembered the effort is only five months old. The forces which have worked to separate Muslims and Christians in Egypt have been operating for decades, largely overcoming the inherent national inclination for tolerance and cooperation. What is necessary now is commitment to fight the status quo.
Sharif noted that about 80% of his friends reacted positively to the ideal of the group, but far fewer have joined. “They are used to initiatives coming to nothing,” he says. Post-revolution Egypt has given new hope, but old mindsets are hard to change. The power of inertia requires great effort to reverse.
Time will tell if Yousry and his team possess the dedication necessary. Time will tell if Christian youth will emerge from the church to join a Muslim majority community effort. Yet Yousry’s focus may appeal to their Christian virtue: “Love is the basis of my organizing. If they feel you love them, they will follow you.”
Love can be a fickle emotion, or it can be the most powerful force in the world. To be the latter, it requires commitment to serve the interest of the other. May the youth of Dar al-Salaam find the means to discover it together.
[1] This equals about 4%, whereas the Christian population in Egypt is about 6-7%. I am unaware of the percentage split in the Dar al-Salaam area.
Last year we made a video of our home here in Maadi, Cairo, Egypt. While it was the perfect spot for us at the time, we knew our time there was limited since the landlord’s son was slotted to take it over once he got married. So in anticipation of that event, we searched on and off for our second place in Maadi.
We desired to find an apartment with a yard within our price range, but Cairo is a major city, and even in the green, upper-middle class neighborhood of Maadi, private yards are not so affordable. But we tried our luck and called a real estate agent with our price limit as well as the requirement of some sort of garden. Within a day or two, he called us back and offered to show us what is now our current home. We decided within a few days to move in, and our first landlord agreed to let us out of the contract early, as well as return our security deposit – two things which rarely happen here – as he was eager to begin getting the apartment ready for his son. And so, with our newborn baby and two toddlers in tow, we moved down the street about five blocks.
We were able to borrow a friend’s car for the gradual move, and this allowed us to move almost all of our things to the new apartment over five trips in five days. I would take two girls in our double stroller, with a few things in the basket underneath, while Jayson took a car-load and one girl to the new place. He usually beat me there, but not always! Sometimes walking in Cairo is faster than driving. And by the end of the week, one truckload of furniture completed our move.
We have now been in this apartment for a whole year, and have renewed our lease for the coming year. It has been a good place for us. We look forward to what the next year brings here in Egypt and in our home on Road 73.
My Grandfather passed away yesterday and it brought to mind the last times we saw him in the early spring when we were visiting the States for a couple months.
My parents are empty-nesters, as all five children have married, moved out, and have kids of their own. Much to my mom’s joy, they are all living within 20 minutes of each other, except for me who lives overseas. A little over a year ago, their nest was refilled a bit, when they moved houses to accommodate my dad’s aging parents. They found a house in a beautiful setting with a large back yard, which, most importantly, could allow for an in-law suite. And so, my 96-year old grandmother who was in excellent health and had full mental capabilities moved in along with my 94-year old grandfather whose health was also decent, but who was suffering from dementia. They were so happy with the arrangement, and proud of their two sons for making this work out for them. My grandmother, though getting weaker, could care for my grandfather on a normal day. But to be living with my parents gave them extra security should something happen to one of them.
Unfortunately, about two months after they moved in, my grandmother suffered a debilitating stroke which left her in the hospital and a nursing home for several months until she passed away on her 97th birthday. She never regained her physical capabilities or her speech and eating functions. This left my grandfather mainly under the care of my father.
About six months after my grandmother’s passing is when we arrived on the scene for a couple months. We were able to observe daily life as my father now cared for his father, much the same way I care for my three-year old toddler.
The similarities were striking. We would all eat dinner together, and much like I decided which food and how much went on my daughter’s plate, my father had to divvy out his father’s portions. Sometimes my grandfather would reach to take more of one thing or another, but knowing his dietary and diabetic restrictions, my father would have to tell him no. This reminded me of my limiting some of the less healthy things for my daughter. I usually avoid talking about desserts or offering too many to my kids. I personally love sweets, but they aren’t that good for me. Why should I encourage my kids to regularly consume them? It was the same with my grandfather. Even though the freezer was filled with three different kinds of ice cream, both “toddlers,” were kept in the dark, for their own good.
Some of the more awkward parts of caring for a parent were also part of a normal day. My grandfather is functional enough to go to the bathroom when he needs to or let my Dad know he needs help. And yet, it is more a matter of routine now. Before bed, my Dad will put my grandfather on the toilet and this is his time to go. At night, he wears Depends, but unfortunately, these do not always do their job. Many days when I was there, the sheets were stripped and washed for the next night. My toddler has been potty trained for some time now, but she still has accidents, and I make it a point to tell her to get on the potty at times throughout the day. She still wears diapers to bed. She is basically able to take care of herself in this area, but needs some assistance. The difference here is about 150 pounds. She’s a lot easier to lift on and off than him.
My grandfather has a pretty simple routine during the day, not nearly involved as my toddler’s. And yet, some of this routine involves playing Rummy. After dinner, my mom, dad and grandfather often play a few hands of Rummy. At times he forgets the rules or forgets what he is doing, but this is a game he played with my grandmother for years at every meal. It is ingrained deep in his memory. My toddler likes to play games, although hers are much simpler and more active. One thing they do share in common here is the television. While my grandfather sat in his living area of the house “watching” cartoons, my toddler would come into his room, climb up on the other recliner and watch right along with him. In fact, my preschooler discovered her new favorite show while watching with him.
It’s hard to see my grandfather in this state. He is a happy guy and his dementia has not made him mean. We’re thankful for that. He’s fairly easygoing. But it is harder to watch all that my dad has to do for him. It is a strange role reversal for my parents as my mom was the primary caregiver for their five children. He takes the main responsibility for his dad. This means he can’t be left alone. Two days a week he goes to an adult daycare center. He seems to enjoy this change of pace, and it allows my dad to play golf or run errands. The other five days, dad is on 24 hours a day. That’s not easy at retirement age. It’s not easy to clean up a messy bed morning after morning. It’s hard work lifting him on and off the toilet. It’s constant responsibility for a 160 pound toddler. It’s arranging for babysitters so they can go out on dates, or simply fulfill other responsibilities they have.
I never heard my dad complain. This wasn’t what he expected when they moved in, as my grandmother was able to do much of this for him. She was more so the one responsible. But it is the reality of the situation, and he has accepted this task to care for his parent. There are good things about Granddaddy not remembering things, as I’m sure it would be difficult to realize your own son was bathing you. But there are hard things too as his life is kind of the same day after day and you wonder about the purpose in it. And mentally, when you care for an aging parent, particularly with dementia, you worry about your own future and don’t wish to be in the same situation yourself.
When it was time for us to return to our home overseas, my grandfather was actually in a rehab center after spending a few days in the hospital for an infection. We hadn’t said good-bye to him previously, so we made sure to stop by the rehab center on our way out of town. He was sitting in a wheelchair as he had recently finished his therapy session. I went in and said hi, reminded him who we were and told him we would be traveling again in a few days so we had come to say goodbye. I thanked him for watching TV with the girls and told him about the favorite show they discovered with him. In the meantime, the girls started getting distracted by the various “toys” in the room. Their favorite was a pink ball. As I got ready to tell them not to touch, the therapist said it was fine. And so, before leaving, my two girls bounced the ball back and forth to my 95-year old “toddler” grandfather sitting in his wheelchair with a big smile on his face. It was fun for all of them, and the best way to say good-bye.
During the US Open golf tournament in June, NBC television station came under fire for producing a montage of patriotic images and the spoken text of the Pledge of Allegiance, only with the words ‘under God’ left unarticulated. In July the company issued a formal apology, denying any anti-religious bias was involved, only ill-advised editing. Incidentally, the word ‘indivisible’ was also left out.
Many conservative commentators and religious Americans were skeptical. Even if accidental, the omission feels to them like one more salvo in an assault on religion. Others note that the phrase ‘under God’ is not a tribute to the foundational religious framework of the republic, but a Cold War assertion of religiosity. The Pledge of Allegiance was originally penned in 1892, and officially adopted by Congress in 1942. ‘Under God’, however, was only inserted into the pledge in 1954.
Meanwhile in Egypt, there is a similar controversy. Following the revolution the current plan is for Egyptians to elect a Parliament, which will then select members to draft a new constitution. Fearing an Islamist victory, many liberals are calling for the constitution to be drafted first.
Islamists, however, rally support by raising fears that the liberals will oversee a constitution which removes the current Article Two. This article states that Islam is the religion of the state and the principles of Islamic sharia serve as the basis for the legal code.
The now defunct Egyptian Constitution was drawn up in 1971 by President Anwar Sadat in an effort to somewhat liberalize society after the rule of Gamal Abdel Nasser. At the same time in effort to resist the socialist tendencies of the state rooted in his predecessor, Sadat sought the aid of Muslim religious groups. As a nod in their direction, it is understood, and to cement his own religious legitimacy, he introduced Article Two into the constitution in 1980.
To what degree does a religious heritage need grounding in the laws or pledges of a state? Can a nation have a religion?
Does the Pledge of Allegiance reference to God ultimately stand at odds with the principle of enshrinement of a religion? Or does the potential removal of a reference to God make an equally controversial enshrinement of secularism?
Secularism, meanwhile, is the current boogeyman of Egyptian Islamist politics. But does Article Two discriminate essentially against the Christian minority? Or does the potential removal of the article sideline the place of Islam in crafting appropriate legislation for a religious population?
As best I read the tea leaves, neither the Pledge of Allegiance nor Article Two are under serious threat. Yet religion can be a remarkable populist rallying cry, if cynically noted, or else touching the sensitive soul of a people, if sympathetically noted.
To delve into critique would require study of the depth of each nation’s legal code and respect for human rights. Yet do you as a reader find yourself in the general opinion of:
Removing both ‘under God’ and Article Two
Keeping both ‘under God’ and Article Two
Removing ‘under God’ but keeping Article Two
Keeping ‘under God’ but removing Article Two
What guides your choice? Particular religious leanings, consistency of principle, or clear differences in the two situations? What does your choice communicate about you?
Please feel free to vote, and to share your rationale in the comments.
Much of the world has been aghast at news coming out of Syria, as the demonstrations now common in much of the Arab world have been brutally suppressed. Government sources, however, claim they are fighting an armed insurgency. Media, notably, has been blocked from the country, lending credibility to the idea that the government has something to hide.
We have been in Jordan for a short visit, and while here I was able to meet with a Syrian Christian resident in Amman. She is originally from Allepo, and was able to provide some of her perspective on the matter. It is only one opinion, of course, but provides a local perspective that goes beyond claims and counter-claims. For a good journalistic account of Syria, here is a link from The Economist. Here is another account from Christianity Today, focusing on the Syrian Christian perspective. It will resemble much of what follows.
The source, who preferred not to be named, will be called Samiya. She did not believe she was under any suspicion, but was planning a trip to Syria to take care of some administrative matters, and thought best to keep her name out of the news.
In short, Samiya believed both accounts to be true. The Syrian people have been steadfast in their peaceful protest for national reform. The government has been countering this group with violent repression, but as in protests elsewhere, they carry on.
At the same time, certain groups within Syria have undertaken violent militia action against the regime, and have mixed in with the protestors. These have been putting certain villages under pressure, and the Syrian army has had several bloody encounters with them. Samiya believed Jisr al-Sughur, on the Turkey border not far from Aleppo, fell into this category.
Within this struggle, she believed, lies were being told on both sides. Certainly the government is not being honest concerning its suppression of peaceful protest, using the militias as an excuse for further crackdown. Yet the tales of horror have also been exaggerated by the reform party. Several weeks ago a terrible tale spread on the internet about a boy who had died in the hands of security, revealing severe torture and mutilation of his body. Samiya, however, heard statements from relatives in the boy’s family, stating that while the boy did die at the hands of security, the torture marks were administered after he was handed over to his family. They (or those within the violent opposition) desecrated him in an effort to rally more of the population against the regime.
Samiya believed these militia groups, and the families associated with them, were hardline Sunni/Salafi parties funded and encouraged by Saudi Arabia. Knowing Syria to be a key ally of Iran, Saudi Arabia would greatly wish to see the fall of the regime. In the aftermath, the minority Shia Alawite autocratic rule would give way to some sort of Sunni governance. This would also likely lead to an end of funding of the Hizbollah party in Lebanon; interestingly, the head of Hizbollah is among the only personalities to rally to the defense of the regime.
Though they have not rallied to the defense, Samiya understands Israel, oddly enough, to quietly resist the fall of the regime. Though Syrian political rhetoric is strongly anti-Israeli, there has been almost no conflict on Israel’s northern border during the Bashar al-Assad presidency. While Syria does support Hizbollah, Samiya claimed this was to create a resistance force on the border against possible Israeli expansion. Lebanon is a weak government, and Hizbollah makes difficult any future advance into Beirut – which Israel has attacked before. From there, it is only a few dozen kilometers to Damascus. In any case, while Israel considers Hizbollah a thorn in its side, it fears more greatly the chaos which might prevail should the regime fall. As with worries in Egypt, better the enemy you know, than the one you don’t.
Samiya believed that one of the reasons for Western hesitation in Syria reflects the above difference in perspective. Many believe that politics in the Middle East is orchestrated around the US-Saudi Arabia-Israel alliance. Within this set-up, Egypt is largely a pawn (though possibly now seeking more independent foreign policy), Turkey is an emerging player, and Iran is the enemy. During the Egyptian revolution the US was quick to call for the fall of Mubarak, trusting that Egypt would remain within this overall structure.
Yet with Syria, the United States finds itself between two allies. Saudi Arabia would like the Iranian ally to fall, while Israel is reticent. American equivocation can be explained by its middle position between the two. It may well be the future of Syria lies mainly in the hands of the Assad family and the protestors against it. But it also may be the future will be shaped by the direction the United States eventually leans.
As for the actual interaction between the Assad family and the protestors, Samiya believed that Bashar was not naturally a butcher, and was not the prime mover behind the repression. Rather, she believed that however he may desire to reform (though he has had several years to do so previously), family military and business forces cannot contemplate losing the primary role the Alawites maintain in society. In this repression, then, Bashar is complicit, but also too weak to do anything otherwise.
Finally, Samiya spoke of the Christian participation in the demonstrations. They have been present, but many Christians have been reluctant to speak against the regime. The Alawite minority has ruled Syria by co-opting other minority groups, including Christians, and backing the dominant Sunni upper-to-middle class. Some fear there could be sectarian war against Alawites, Christians, and Druze, should chaos grip the state while a power vacuum sorts itself out.
Samiya played down this possibility, but did state her personal preference for the regime to stay while carrying out significant reforms that would change the system over time, though democratic participation. The regime is brutal, and Samiya could not understand why more Christians, on humanitarian grounds, did not enroll in greater numbers within the peaceful demonstrations. Reform is absolutely necessary, but many Christians are standing on the sidelines.
To repeat the earlier warning, it should be understood that Samiya is only a source – outside of the country at that – and does not fully understand what is happening within Syria. Her perspective, however, helps put together information that come through piecemeal in the headlines. In truth, a jigsaw puzzle has only one correct solution, but until all pieces are collected, multiple constructed realities are possible.
May God grant peace to the Syrian people and bring about a just resolution with as little bloodshed as possible. As it is already too late, may forgiveness and grace characterize all parties in the days to come.
The middle of July is an odd time to be writing about too much homework, but our oldest, Emma, has just begun summer school and is having her first experience with homework.
This all started because we missed getting Emma into the school we had chosen for her last year. In Egypt, the schools follow a British system where the children attend two years of kindergarten, KG1 and then KG2. At many schools, children can begin as early as 3½, although the average age is probably 4. At the school we preferred, however, they would not accept Emma last year even though she was 4 in September. Due to the high demand for that school, they accept only older children, only going as low as 4½ for KG1. We didn’t mind this since our American system starts kids at age 5, we preferred waiting. The problem came this spring when I went to register her at our chosen school.
We had left Egypt for a few months due to the revolution and shortly after we came back, I went to the school to confirm which papers I would need when I came to register her in the month of June. It is well-known that the kindergarten registration in schools here is in June, so I figured going in May was getting a good jump on things. However, when I went to the school, the secretary told me that the registration was done and closed; there were no more places. I was so surprised and told them I thought registration was in June! They seemed to confirm that that was the norm, but this year they did it in March. They told me I could try calling them sometime in June, and if someone has withdrawn their registration, maybe Emma would have a chance. I left the school wondering what we would do now!
I talked with many Egyptians in the next few weeks, all of whom confirmed that registration should be in the month of June. Many questioned whether I understood the secretary correctly and encouraged me to return to the school. Others asked if I knew anyone important who might help us get in even though they said classes are full. The only people we knew were other parents at the school, but this was not good enough. I went there three times and each time was told the same story. The last time I went, the secretary told me to bring our next daughter in March if I wanted to register her for the following year. It looked like we had to give up on that possibility, at least for this year.
In the meantime, we continued to look for other possibilities, but quickly learned that we had a problem. Since we had “held Emma back” from starting due to the requirements of the one preferred school, she was now a whole year older than her potential classmates at most other schools we would choose. I was told it would be best if she could skip KG1 and enter the second year of kindergarten in the fall.
Being a foreigner and having no experience with what KG1 entails, I had no idea if Emma could really skip a grade. Our main concern was the Arabic that she would already be behind in. The schools we were looking at were called “languages” schools and basically taught most of the subjects in English, while reserving the Arabic language for the subjects of Arabic, religion and social studies. At the same time, we were trying to choose schools where the language of the kids would be Arabic. This way Emma would be immersed in Arabic during recess and in the lunchroom with the goal of her being comfortably fluent in Arabic, as well as making Egyptian friends. So she had a great advantage over most children as she would excel in the English-language subjects due to that being her native tongue; but we didn’t want her to immediately fall behind in Arabic.
One of the schools we found, and the one we are planning on her attending this fall, is called Degla Valley Language School. One of the great benefits of this school is that it is one block from our house. Not only does this make it easy to drop her off and pick her up, but it will hopefully make it easier for me to be involved in her school in some way. I am not looking to teach anything, although being a native English speaker I could easily get a job. I want to be able to interact with her teachers and really be on top of what is going on in her school. Of course location is only one factor to consider. We visited the school and felt the facilities were not as good as the preferred school, but were decent. We liked that the kindergarten section of the school is separate from the older grades which will help with kid-traffic as well as be less intimidating for the little ones. The program and curriculum looked modern and thorough, and the staff was friendly.
Another benefit of this school was the built-in possibility for Emma to skip KG1 by doing one or two months of a summer course. For some reason, this school offers the option to parents to enroll their children in the summer course in lieu of KG1. I haven’t had a chance to ask the other parents why they would choose this route; we are only doing it because of extenuating circumstances. But Emma has about 10-15 kids in class with her, all seemingly looking to skip their first year. And this is where the homework comes in.
It seems that the children learn the Arabic and English alphabets as well as their numbers, colors and shapes, during KG1. Learning the letters means writing the letters, and that is most of the homework that Emma has brought home. She is not so overwhelmed by writing the English letters, but every day that she has Arabic class, she has to write a new letter along with the three vowels of Arabic, and it turns out to be a bit much. I am trying to learn what motivates her to help her push through and finish her homework each day. It has been an adjustment going from the carefree life of preschool to five days a week “real” school with homework. And it may not help that the weather is usually in the 80s or 90s by the time we are finished lunch and ready to begin the homework.
All in all it’s been a positive experience, but I’m sure we have just as much to learn as Emma does. She will be learning her ABCs and 123s while we learn how exactly this Egyptian school system works. For example, I was impressed when I saw the school assignment book that Emma brought home the first day, but a bit amused by the way they wrote her name on the front.
Should read: Emma Jayson, but foreign names are difficult.
In Egypt, everyone, girls included, uses their father’s name as their second name. Therefore, Emma is known as Emma Jayson in her school. Both names are foreign to them, but now they have seen them written by me, and at least spell Emma right on her crafts.
Emma’s daily schedule was posted in her book and it let me know which subjects and which “specials” she would have each day. She has English, math and Arabic three times a week as her subjects, and then other things like swimming, cooking, music and art. However, I’ve learned that cooking and art don’t mean the kids do anything in those areas. Rather, on Art day, Emma brought home a really cute Elephant bag which the teacher gave her at the end of the day. She didn’t even watch them make it. And when Emma complained that they didn’t do any cooking on the designated day, I asked the teacher the morning of the next cooking day what was in store. She said they would be making pizza that day. I asked if the kids help make it or if they just eat it, and she confirmed my guess that they just eat it. So really it should be called “special snack” day, rather than “cooking.”
Teacher-made elephant bag.
So we are only beginning our journey here, and I am sure there will be more blog posts on the subject of school as we go down this road. For now, we are working on the alphabets and trying to keep cool as Emma completes her first year of school in two months. Guess that justifies all the homework!
Today, the Deputy Prime Minister, Yahia al-Gamal, publically accused the United States and Israel of fermenting sectarian tension in Egypt. This was on the heels of a similar statement made by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. Though it was not their only commenton the matter, which included introspection and self-critique, it continues a path of blaming outside forces, particularly the discredited Israelis.
That the United States was named was particularly surprising to me. On the one hand, the US is still a primary benefactor of Egypt. On the other, as an American, it is difficult to imagine my nation involved in such evil. I can imagine our international pressure, our use of spies, even our meddling in governments and coup d’etats. Such examples are well documented in history.
As a nation we like to believe in our goodness, and I believe that at base this is not a lie. Yet we should not be deceived that our primary motivation, like that of all nations, is for our interest. While pursuit of self-interest is not necessarily evil, it is sub-good. Morality demands the pursuit of the interest of others, along with self.
I discovered a very interesting article today about US history in Syria. Today there is near universal condemnation of the regime, although, in an indirect way, the US had a hand in creating what now exists. The story goes back to 1947, and has stunning old interview footage with Americans who had a hand in ‘democracy promotion’. Here is an excerpt for the article to introduce the subject:
What is happening in Syria feels like one of the last gasps of the age of the military dictators. An old way of running the world is still desperately trying to cling to power, but the underlying feeling in the west is that somehow Assad’s archaic and cruel military rule will inevitably collapse and Syrians will move forward into a democratic age.
That may, or may not, happen, but what is extraordinary is that we have been here before. Between 1947 and 1949 an odd group of idealists and hard realists in the American government set out to intervene in Syria. Their aim was to liberate the Syrian people from a corrupt autocratic elite – and allow true democracy to flourish. They did this because they were convinced that “the Syrian people are naturally democratic” and that all that was necessary was to get rid of the elites – and a new world of “peace and progress” would inevitably emerge.
What resulted was a disaster, and the consequences of that disaster then led, through a weird series of bloody twists and turns, to the rise to power of the Assad family and the widescale repression in Syria today.
What strikes me at the start of the story is the innocence of the American effort. From appearances, we really were trying to help. As our attempts stalled, however, our interference became more and more direct, until we alienated the population altogether. Development of the Syrian autocracy lies in their own hands, but the United States gave a good, inadvertent jump start to the process.
Conspiracies abound in this part of the world, and while I usually do my best to consider the purported reality behind each one, I cannot bring myself to make sense of how the US profits if Muslims and Christians are killing each other in Egypt. Perhaps I am unwilling to. Less biased readers are invited to fill in the story in the comments.
What we should never do, however, is doubt our own potential for evil. Small moral compromises – even for the sake of good – can easily lead to greater and greater sins. I also believe the maxim to be true: Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The power of the United States is not absolute, certainly not in Egypt. Yet if we do not consider our own corruption, we are helpless to prevent its occurrence.
Today, one friend explained the comment from the Armed Forces as indicative of their frustration that the United States is now speaking directly to groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. During the days of Mubarak, the government kept a monopoly on international communication. ‘Manipulation of Islamist groups’, as stated, can simply mean this.
Or it could mean more. I would hope the comments of the deputy prime minister are only a rhetorical play to his audience. Politicians the world over can make exaggerated statements for effect, serving whatever interests they believe fitting. It was not too long ago that Islamist groups called for the dismissal of al-Gamal, due to his supposed anti-Islamist viewpoints. Maybe he is mending fences.
The point is, we do not know. We have many historic national sins; we may have unknown present ones. I doubt the accusation is true. I hope the accusation is not true. Please, may the accusation not be true.
It used to seem that sectarian conflict occurred in distant regions of Egypt, mostly centered in the traditional towns of the south. In recent years these have been creeping closer and closer to Cairo, though still isolated mainly in poorer, fragmented neighborhoods which maintain a traditional Upper Egyptian mentality. Yet the question is fair: Is the trend indicative, and may such incidents affect even the cosmopolitan areas?
My family and I live in the neighborhood of Maadi, a southern suburb of Cairo which has always been and remains an upper class enclave, populated by many foreign residents. Muslims and Christians living here are well-off, well-educated, and lament any hint that the two religions cannot get along. Furthermore, safeguarding the economic interests of the community, police presence is strong, crime is minimal, and life is a level above the struggles faced in other areas of the city.
Yet our home lies somewhat on the border of a lower to middle class neighborhood called Hadayak al-Maadi. Literally translated ‘the gardens of Maadi’, there is little greenery to be seen at all, in contradistinction to the grassy circles and plentiful trees slightly south in Maadi proper. We do much of our shopping here, finding prices to be lower than in the import-focused markets of Maadi elites. We also enjoy the descent into what feels like ‘real Egypt’, though our populist notions might be dismissed by the suggestion of living there. People, however, have always been friendly, and we do not feel out of place.
Yet if a sectarian conflict were to envelop Maadi, Hadayak might seem like more fertile ground for it to begin. Despite our ventures into the area, we don’t know it well. Do Muslims and Christians get along? Are they neighbors and friends, or does each community tend to itself? I approached Fr. Arsanius, one of two priests serving at the Coptic Orthodox Church of Abu Sayfain. This church is about a fifteen minute walk from our home, located in the heart of the Hadayak area.
Relations are good here, he assures. He would not expect a sectarian conflict to arise in the neighborhood. His answer in elaboration, however, is not only nuanced, it is near contradictory.
Approximately 2,200 Christian families live in the area, and these enjoy good relations with their neighbors. In this part of town everyone knows everyone else, which confidently leads Fr. Arsanius to state there are no ‘thugs’ in Hadayak. In recent sectarian conflict in other parts of Egypt, thugs have borne the brunt of condemnation, along with Salafi Muslims of extremist ideology. Accusations continue in that the thugs in question have been brought from elsewhere to attack an area. There is nothing to be done about this, Fr. Arsanius states, but local relations would not yield to it. Furthermore, in terms of Salafis, he has seen a few resident in Hadayak, but they have no centers of activity here, and illustrate no evidence of violence.
Directly across the street from the church is the Maghfara (Forgiveness) Mosque. After the Alexandria church bombing on New Year’s Eve, one week later on Coptic Christmas local Muslims encircled the church, and several went inside during the service to express solidarity with their Christian brothers. Then, during the days of revolution the imam called publically for Muslims to protect the church, calling it ‘our church’. A few days after Mubarak stepped down, the mosque organized public speeches in celebration, to which he invited Fr. Mercurious of the church to also address the crowd. For its part, the church organized a local garbage clean-up effort; young Christians went to the mosque and asked for assistance, and many Muslim youth joined in.
Yet despite the sincere and appreciative words of Fr. Arsanius, he also expresses concern about the mosque, beginning from its very inception. Abu Sayfain Church was built in 2001, along the pattern of many church construction projects in Egypt. A local Christian owned land and in coordination with church authorities began constructing a house of worship. He did not bother seeking prior permission, as many Christians believe this is an endless process leading nowhere. The effort did not meet resistance, however, and since then the church has been fully functioning. It is currently seeking funds to construct a service building on the plot of land next to the church, hopefully to house a small medical clinic among other activities.
While the construction did not meet opposition, it did engender competition. The land across the street from the church was owned by a Muslim with Muslim Brotherhood sympathies. During this time the Muslim Brotherhood was an outlawed, but tolerated, group. Similarly, it was unable to build houses of worship through official channels. Building a mosque in general, however, is easy. It was constructed under the supervision of the officially registered NGO al-Gama’iyya al-Shara’iyya (the Religiously Legitimate Association), which some accuse of promoting Islamist ideology. This NGO is nationwide, controlling hundreds if not thousands of mosques, and operating charitable service centers. While a good number of the mosque imams would be under the supervision also of the government, ensuring moderate interpretations of Islam, Fr. Arsanius did not know if the imam here was so linked.
He did know, however, the centrality of the mosque in Hadayak Muslim Brotherhood activity. While some understand the post-revolution Muslim Brotherhood to be a centrist political organization working for a civil state, albeit with an Islamic reference, Fr. Arsanius disagreed. Yes, some of their members present a moderate, even liberal vision. Others, including important leadership, call for full implementation of sharia law, an Islamic state, and even resurrection of the caliphate. Besides, what does ‘an Islamic reference’ in a civil state even mean? To him their discourse seems disingenuously vague.
Fr. Arsanius’ son was a revolutionary in Tahrir Square. There he rubbed shoulders with youthful members of the Muslim Brotherhood, many of which seem to be in opposition to their leadership. Fr. Arsanius recognized this, and was hopeful the bonds created in Tahrir between Christians, Muslims, and even Islamists might hold true. Yet whatever the future portends, Fr. Arsanius notes the concerns of the present, tying them specifically to the Maghfara Mosque.
Over the years, it has not been uncommon for the imam to refer to Christians as kuffar, or infidels. During Muslim holidays they choose to pray outside, publically asserting their religious identity, filling the street in front of the church. When this falls on a Christian day of worship, usually one of the service times has to be cancelled since people cannot enter through the crowds. When I asked if he could introduce me to the imam, he politely declined. Though they are known to each other, Fr. Arsanius could not remember his name, but said the people of the mosque do not like America. How might they then interpret my effort, within their superficial relationship, to bring them an American?
At the heart of the Islamic religion, Fr. Arsanius declares, is the teaching to kill the non-Muslim. Oddly, this was the first comment he made as we opened our discussion. Thereafter, he proceeded to tell me about all the good relations notwithstanding.
When I asked him to explain this psychological tension in Coptic views toward their Muslim neighbors, he related the following anecdote. Last year, isolated criminal activity took place on the street in front of the church, and in the altercation the police officer assigned to guard the church shot and killed the perpetrator. Word spreads quickly in a traditional neighborhood such as Hadayak; the word which was spread, however, was that the ‘church guard’ shot and killed a Muslim. In no time at all, hundreds of neighborhood Muslims surrounded the church, perhaps seeking to burn it. Quickly the doorman closed the front gate, and other policemen came to investigate, eventually dismissing the crowd.
Were these hundreds representative of the thousands of Muslims in Hadayak, Fr. Arsanius asked rhetorically? No, we enjoy good relations with the Muslims of our area. Yet in an incident, when tensions are high along religious lines, there is an Islamic saying obliging Muslims to ‘support your brother, whether he is oppressed or oppressing’. Even if among a few, this spirit can overpower good relations.
There is tension permeating society, and the situation is fragile. Fr. Arsanius stated clearly that it is not appropriate for Copts to confront agitators head on, such as Salafi Muslims or the Muslim Brotherhood; this is not a Christian response, even if Copts appear to be increasingly adopting a confrontational stance, however non-violent. Yet he is not sure what the proper response is. How might love be extended to such as these? How might it be lived in relation to the Maghfara Mosque?
In any case, the church is committed to good relations, and Fr. Arsanius is confident these do exist. A sectarian incident is not likely to occur in Maadi. May his confidence be properly placed, both in God, and in the goodness of surrounding neighbors.
Note: It is my hope to visit also the imam of the Maghfara Mosque, and seek his perspective on community relations. I will write about this further following our discussion.
Last night Emma and Hannah were in their first Egyptian wedding as “ashbiinaat.” This is basically the equivalent of the western “flower girl” or “ring bearer.” I still can’t tell you the name of the bride or the groom, but I can tell you how it came about and how it played out.
About three weeks ago, one of the Sunday School teachers at the Arabic Evangelical Church of Maadi approached me to ask if Emma could be in the wedding of a fellow teacher. She mentioned the name of the teacher, but said she wasn’t present that day so she couldn’t introduce me. I told the teacher that I would ask Emma, but didn’t think she would want to be in the wedding as she had recently been saying she didn’t want to be in any weddings. Both girls had preformed beautifully as flower girls in their Uncle Aaron’s wedding last fall, but Emma had decided she didn’t like the attention and chose not to be in any more weddings. I promised the teacher I would talk about it with Emma, and as long as the white dress still fit from the previous wedding, I had no objection to her taking part.
Emma surprised me by quickly agreeing to be in this wedding and once we tried on the dress and learned that both hers and Hannah’s still fit, I took that information to the teacher the following week at Sunday School. I cautioned that while Emma agreed, she may change her mind under pressure as everyone is staring at her, taking pictures and getting in her face. I suggested that if there was trouble, maybe Hannah could join her at that moment and it might make Emma feel more comfortable. I really wasn’t trying to push for Hannah to be in the wedding, but who knows how they understood it. In any case, she came back to me a few minutes later, after talking with the bride, and they wanted both girls to now be in the wedding. At this point I got to meet the bride, who I kind of recognized as one of the teachers, but I can’t remember her name now. I still don’t really know why she asked Emma to be in the wedding, as she has no relationship with her; I can only assume she wanted a cute foreign kid in her wedding. And now she had two!
The wedding took place on Sunday night, the day after our enjoyable, yet long, rihla to Anafora. The girls had both gone to preschool that day, then had lunch, then Emma did her homework, and then they played outside a bit before it was time for dinner and getting in their white dresses. Both girls were excited about their role and telling our neighbors all about it. The wedding was supposed to start at 6:00, and we were told to arrive between 5:30 and 5:45. Being the punctual foreigners, we ate dinner, dressed the girls, combed their hair, and hopped in a taxi, arriving at the church around 5:35. The florists were there decorating the church and the videographer and photographer looked to be present, but there wasn’t any sign of anyone else, let alone the organizers. I had the girls sit down on the white aisle runner and snapped a few pictures before anyone arrived.
And then we waited, and waited, and waited. People very slowly started arriving, and Emma and Hannah danced around outside as Layla toddled around inside the church. As it got closer to 6:00, and it became obvious that this was not going to start on time, Jayson and I wondered about allowing our girls to be in weddings of people we don’t know. It’s one thing to do this for friends or acquaintances, but strangers?
As we waited for more people to come, we watched the road for signs of the bride’s car. Emma and Hannah practiced their Egyptian wedding call, which is called the “zigruut.” It involves moving your tongue back and forth inside your mouth very rapidly while making noise. I’m sure they will be experts at this by the time they are 8, if not earlier.
You may notice that Emma and Hannah have their hair in pigtails. Perhaps this isn’t the dressiest thing to do with hair, but I am not the best when it comes to styling hair. Also, the girls’ hair is fine and light so I don’t feel like there is much I can do with it. So, for something different, I put it in pigtails. This is their last picture in pigtails, because when the bridesmaid, Miss Mary, arrived, she asked me to let their hair down. Emma’s worked okay, despite the fact that I had no comb with me. But poor Hannah has very little hair in the back, and once it is in pigtails, it keeps that shape for a long time!
It was about 5:50 when Miss Mary arrived and explained to the girls exactly how to walk with her. It turns out there were other children in the wedding as well, and they would all walk in formation with the one bridesmaid who would be accompanying the bride from the car, up the stairs, and into the church. Once they got into the church, the role of the children was over.
As we waited for the bride to arrive, the many children who were attending the event, posed for pictures with some of the Sunday school teachers who were also present.
And then, finally, we heard the familiar “honk—honk—honk-honk-honk” of the bride’s car as it approached the front of the church.
The kids lined up with Miss Mary to welcome the bride.
Emma had told me she would smile nicely for the wedding, and I especially notice it in this picture as that is not her natural look. I also notice that this is when Hannah really started to fade. Due to the long trip the previous day, she was wiped out and ready for bed already. She did make it all the way to the inside of the church, but just barely.
As the bride exited the car, led by her father, I barely recognized her as the woman I spoke with two weeks prior. For one, her hair had been brown, and she wore glasses. The amount of make-up was quite different from her normal look as well. This is all to be expected on the wedding day, but the change of hair color really threw me. The kids lined up in front of the bride, ready to lead her up the stairs. All the guests surrounded the procession and the big mob moved into the back of the sanctuary.
At this point, Miss Mary and the kids stopped as the bride and groom continued to the front stage. Emma and Hannah came back to me and they were free to do as they pleased. Hannah, who was very tired, chose to sit with us, which quickly turned to lying down on a pew. Emma, who was still excited about the whole wedding thing, wanted to sit in the front where she could see better. I let her go, figuring she would behave well. I also realized that these weddings are different from our traditional western weddings where the wedding party and pastor may be on stage, but everyone else is sitting in the pews. Perhaps the photographer or videographer move about inconspicuously, but as much as possible, no one blocks the view of the bride. You may be able to see from this picture that these events are much more informal as some gather as close to the stage as they can. Also, the pictures and video of the wedding is of utmost importance, and the professionals do not need to stay out of sight.
Among the crowd, the groom is standing on the right edge of the photo, and the bride is next to him, outside the frame.
Emma spent most of the ceremony as close as she could to the bride. At one point, Jayson went to the front to take pictures and told me she was standing next to the iconostasis. I couldn’t believe she felt comfortable up front and center where all the attention was focused. Perhaps because it was her choice to be there, she felt okay. I also wondered if it was okay with the bride that Emma was right next to her. I was told later that it was no problem.
Around 6:30, Jayson took Hannah home to put her to bed, and I pushed Layla around the church in the stroller to keep her content. Emma came to the back of the church about 5 minutes before the ceremony ended and told me that she now wanted to play outside, as many of the other kids were doing. She also wanted chips like the other kids. So, we took one last picture with three of her teachers (at top of post) and bought a bag of chips for the taxi ride home. She had done a great job in performing her duty, and even enjoyed a close-up view of the ceremony. Now it was time to have a snack and get home to bed as she returned to being a normal schoolgirl the next morning. Maybe one day we will learn the names of the bride and groom, but until then, we’ll be thankful it was a good experience for our girls.
Today we witnessed the lunar eclipse, standing on a bridge over the Cairo metro, just a two minute walk from our home. Here are two pictures:
Scientists say lunar eclipses occur two to four times per year, but they are not visible everywhere. On this occasion, the Middle East was a beneficiary, while North America missed out. The red color is due to the red portion of the color spectrum bending around the Earth at the correct angle to highlight the moon. Look elsewhere for a better scientific explanation, though, we just enjoyed the view.
Our pictures are from about 45 minutes before the peak of the total eclipse, making the moon appear as if a bit has been taken out of it. At the peak time the moon was fully red, but from our angle it was too dark to capture in a photograph. Alas.
The aftermath of the January 25 Revolution has brought unprecedented hope to all Egyptians, including Christians, but has also resulted in significant challenges. One of the chief challenges has been navigating the increasing incidences of sectarian tension. From one angle, the spirit of Tahrir Square is still evident, as people extol that Muslims and Christians are ‘one hand’; from another, violence has targeted Christian locations. Egyptian Christians have been caught between these two realities, and many are losing heart.
Losing heart, however, is the absolute wrong response, according to Fr. Eliya, a Coptic Orthodox priest of Sts. Mina and Augustus Church, in Dar al-Salaam, Cairo. He outlined a checklist of activity that Egyptian Christians must undertake, in order to live properly after the revolution. Like most Egyptians, Christians were confined to a passive role under the Mubarak regime. This posture must change, and these are the actions that will help change it:
1) Pray.
The first and foremost responsibility for a Christian, prayer has power to change realities. The priest spoke that Christians must pray boldly, as did the New Testament church, whose prayers freed Peter from prison, and as did the medieval Copts, whose prayers split Muqattam Mountain in Cairo, demonstrating the power of the Gospel to the oppressive caliph.
2) Allow anger.
But in your anger, do not sin. Many acts of aggression have been suffered by Copts since the revolution; anger is an appropriate response. Yet instead of anger leading to frustration, violence, and loss of hope, it must be channeled. From anger Christians must demand their rights, but if done in anger they risk transgressing both Christian and social bounds.
3) Dialogue.
This must be at all levels, but especially with reasonable and moderate Muslims in order to establish common bonds. Furthermore, it must be with the rulers, so these have contact with the Christian community and know its concerns. Too often it is assumed dialogue falls on deaf ears, or does not result in significant change. Perhaps, but this attitude is self-defeating if the effort is not made.
4) Participate.
Under Mubarak, Christians had largely taken cover – socially and politically – under the protection of the church, allowing it to represent them. It is now required that individual Christians emerge from that seclusion and participate in society. They must join political parties and vote in elections. They must be viable citizens. After all, other Egyptians are doing so; their negative inertia risks them being left behind.
5) Be optimistic.
Many Christians look around them at the political situation, and fear the worst. These fears are legitimate legal concerns, but Christians spot the wrong mark. It is not the progress of democracy in which hope is placed, but the sovereignty of God. God is preparing the best future for the church, which may well be greater democracy and freedom, but may also be greater suffering. The personal attitude of each Christian must be positive, reflecting faith in God’s goodness, no matter which way his will leads them.
6) Expel fear.
While fear is natural, it can also be binding. Unsure of the new path to tread, many Christians seem troubled. Yet the Bible says perfect love drives out fear, and this is necessary for Christians to move wholeheartedly in society. Those wreaking havoc in society toward Christians desire to drive them back into the walls of the church, to find safety there. Christians overcame fear to join the revolution and come out from the walls; they must still overcome fear in order to stay there.
7) Be aware.
Fear should not be combated in naïve belief there are no threats. Rather, some do wish to harm national unity. This is not the vast majority, but even those who do are not the enemy; Satan is. Yet the devil’s schemes move against the church and Christians must be vigilant to stand against them.
8) Meditate.
The above actions reflect spiritual truths, as well as socio-political ones. The spiritual health required for implementation, however, must be nurtured. Within their difficult circumstances, Christians must reflect on God’s character and their own faith needs. The deliberate practice of meditation will strengthen Christians for the challenges ahead.
9) Change.
Some Christians have bad habits, including a negative attitude toward Muslims in general. One specific change is simply to exercise caution in how they feed their mind. While Egyptian Christian satellite channels highlight Coptic concerns in a moderate way, many foreign channels broadcast in Egypt enflame tensions and reinforce stereotypes. Avoid these; do not let the mind be poisoned.
10) Be prepared.
Ultimately, this is for the possibility of martyrdom. The Egyptian church celebrates its history of accepting death for the sake of faith, and modern Christians must not shrink back from the possibility. Yet while this attitude must be present, it should not be foremost. Rather, Christians must consider, if they are to die, they should die having lived correctly.
This checklist does not represent simple spiritual theorizing; it is the message the priest has been preaching to his flock. Whether or not it takes hold is up to his congregation, and beyond them, the Christian community of Egypt. Many points apply equally to Muslims. In times of trouble, there can be a tendency to find hope and comfort in one’s religion. While this may increase religious identity and fervor, it can also divide and isolate. The hope of this list is that the opposite occurs. In this specific case, Christian faith must drive the individual closer, not only to God, but also to society. In post-revolution Egypt, this seems the solution necessary for all.
Last Saturday, our family of five joined a busload of Egyptians for an all-day trip to two monasteries. This was the first trip we took like this since Layla joined our family a year ago, but Jayson has traveled with many from this group on several. While these outings are great opportunities to see different parts of Egypt and also to interact with Egyptians on a deeper level, being out all day long with three young children can also be exhausting. We often have to weigh these two thoughts to determine if a “rihla” is worth taking. Obviously, we decided to be adventurous and give it a go this time.
Here is a little glimpse into our family’s experience on this latest rihla.
The bus was to leave from the bishopric church in Kozzika, just south of Maadi, by 6:45am. We assumed that the bus would not leave on time as punctuality is not the most important trait of the Egyptian culture. However, being the foreigners in the group, and not totally sure how late we could be, we opted to follow our Western ways and be there on time. Sure enough, we were among the few who arrived on time. The bus didn’t leave until around 7:30am, although I did hear others complain about not leaving on time. These “others” however, were not at the meeting place at 6:45, so I’m not sure why they complained. The fact that we left late didn’t really bother us since we expected it. And actually, our two older girls enjoyed running around the church grounds as we waited, and being one of the first to arrive allowed us to choose the front seats of the bus to try to prevent the frequent car-sickness our girls’ exhibit. Further, leaving later actually lined up better for our one-year old’s morning nap which she easily took in her car seat.
Our first stop of the day was to a monastery/retreat center called Anafora, which we learned means “sacrifice.” We had heard of this spot from foreigner friends who sometimes frequent the place for two to three day retreats with their families. We even heard there was a pool which is sometimes suitable for swimming. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this so I packed the bathing suits, but didn’t mention the possibility to the girls ahead of time. This turned out to be a good idea since we never did see the pool to know if it was filled and clean for swimming.
Our first event of the day was mass in the church at Anafora. At first I wasn’t sure if I would sit through the mass with an active one-year old in my lap, but it turned out to be the best place for our not-yet-walker to crawl around. The whole place was carpeted with small, colorful carpets.
Inside the Sanctuary
It was a simple, yet beautiful building to take in. Our two older girls enjoyed playing with their Egyptian peers in various ways throughout the mass, as I continuously looked toward their Egyptian parents to see if our girls were overstepping the expected norms. Hannah was enjoying conversation with a group of kids, and at times laughed out loud during mass.
Surrounded by friends
At other times, Emma and Hannah were running and skipping around the back of the sanctuary with two Egyptian 3½ year olds from our group. It didn’t seem to faze anyone too much, but I guess I am just used to Western expectations of children in church services. I was so glad they were playing happily with the other kids; this is just what I hoped for. However, I really wanted them to wait until AFTER mass was over.
Urging the kids to 'shhhh'
Meanwhile, Layla kept busy crawling and climbing and being picked up by total strangers. And a few times, she even visited her Daddy on the men’s side of the church.
Keeping one still
When the mass ended, I told the girls they could finally run around. But once again they had to sit as a woman briefly shared about the church building.
Taking in a lecture
Following mass, I assumed we would eat breakfast. It is the Orthodox practice to fast until after communion. This meant that most of those in our group had not eaten breakfast yet and it was now 10:30 in the morning. I learned, however, that we would first visit the gift shop before eating. This was followed by another surprise when Jayson told me we were getting back on the bus to drive somewhere else for breakfast. This was unexpected as I thought the plan was to spend a few hours in this first monastery. We soon learned that we were just going down the road slightly to another part of this monastery where we would eat breakfast and hang out for a few hours.
The other part of the compound was nice in many ways, but not great for the not-yet-walker. There was no inside clean floor for her to crawl around on, and so she was a bit limited in her movement. This part of the complex had a large courtyard surrounded by a shaded area where the tables and chairs were.
Entering the courtyard
This is where we ate breakfast, some listened to a lecture, and kids played.
Fun in open space
By about 2:30, we were ready to head to the second monastery of the day, about a 45-minute drive by bus. This lined up perfectly with Layla’s afternoon nap, although wasn’t quite as long as I would have preferred. Still, I was thankful for any sleep she had that day. We had visited this second monastery before and remembered that the church here was also carpeted. We figured this is where I could hang out with the kids even as Jayson attended a second lecture of the day. We arrived at the St. Toma monastery shortly after 3pm.
St. Toma Monastery
I carried Layla in her car seat into the church with hopes that she would sleep longer, but to no avail. Still, it was a carpeted place where she could crawl around for awhile. Unfortunately, the two older girls saw a lot of open space and just assumed they could run back and forth.
The monastery sanctuary
Again, being the foreigner, I wasn’t sure what was appropriate, but it didn’t seem quite right to be so playful in the church building. Many others, after all, were walking around and looking at the icons contemplatively. I didn’t want our foreigner kids disturbing them. We soon learned that they shouldn’t be running and playing, and they were sent with the adults to an outside open space where they could play while the second lecture took place. I stayed in the church for another half hour or so with Layla since she was much less obtrusive in her playing around.
Following the lecture, it was time for lunch. For us, it was basically dinner time since it was almost 5pm. The girls had been having a great time all day running and playing with the other kids from the group. One of the great things about the monasteries is that they provide lots of open space where you can feel safe letting the kids run around without them being able to get lost. The girls got lots of exercise and made some new friends, and this was great to watch. Had Layla been able to move around on her feet more, the trip would have been even more enjoyable. As it was, we found creative ways to let Layla move in relatively clean environments.
But back to lunch/dinner. The man who organizes these trips often likes to bring the meals with him rather than get them from the monasteries. We aren’t sure why this is, but he sometimes arranges delicious food, and other times, we aren’t so sure. This was one of those “not so sure” times. Our meals were packaged on a Styrofoam plate wrapped in plastic wrap.
Chicken, hamburger, mincemeat-between-baked bread, cucumbers - all likely a day old
The food was not too bad, but the main question was, how safe was it? We had no idea when it was cooked or how it could possibly be stored safely as we had been out and about since 7am that morning. But we had eaten this food before and not had any trouble, so we dug in again. We didn’t force the girls to eat too much of it, but they ate their fair share.
We finished our lunch/dinner and washed up and expected to be heading out shortly. However, when I asked what time we would leave, he told me 6:15. This was a little disappointing as I thought we were aiming to arrive back in Maadi around 7, but once again, we try not to expect anything too hard and fast. Jayson disappeared for awhile with Layla and when I called him on his cell to locate him, he told me he was talking with a resident of the monastery. I enjoyed the respite from holding and occupying Layla and enjoyed watching Emma and Hannah play with their new friends. (video clip)
When the bus did finally pull out of the monastery around 6:30, I settled in for a comfortable ride. Layla did not need much coaxing to fall asleep in her car seat once again, and Hannah was out pretty quickly too. Unforunately, the ride home took much longer than the morning ride as Cairo traffic added at least an hour to our trip and our family of five stumbled wearily into our home around 9:30pm. I quickly got Layla ready for bed while Jayson tucked Emma and Hannah in, and all three were sound asleep within minutes. It was a full and exhausting day on our Egyptian rihla.
Becoming a monk in Egypt is a long process, one I have not studied completely, but encounter often on visits to various monasteries. This weekend my family and I visited St. Toma Monastery to the northwest of Cairo, about two hours away. It is among the newer monasteries in Egypt, but is a sister monastery to the original St. Toma Monastery in Sohag, deep to the south in Upper Egypt, where the saint lived centuries ago.
St. Toma was a wandering ascetic, but a community grew around him in the desert that begins only a few kilometers away from the banks of the Nile. Today, as Egypt’s population continues to explode, the city of Sohag has encroached upon the ancient monastery, stealing the seclusion so valued by monks.
In order to rectify the situation, as well as create more outlets for the burgeoning monastic movement, St. Toma in Sohag spawned this new monastery. John, who I met and told me this story, is originally from Sohag. He states that while twelve monks or so reside in the newer location, significantly in the desert off the Cairo-Alexandria road, only about three monks remain in the original.
For himself, he felt the spiritual longing to devote his life to God, but found the monastery nearby too connected to the world. His family, friends, and neighbors could still have claim on him, or at least access, no matter how confined he kept to his cell. In the early days of testing his calling, he was encouraged to spend a few days at a time, several times a month, in silence and meditation at the monastery. When his aptitude was confirmed, both internally and by his spiritual leadership, he decided to head north.
John was a teacher, in his mid-twenties, when he sought his monastic vows. At the northern St. Toma monastery he was given charge over hospitality, offered to those like himself early on, who wished to spend a day or two in prayer and isolation. These he would receive, provide lodging, and instruct on the ways of the monastery. He would also help assign each a task in which to contribute at the monastery. For Girgis, who I met earlier, this involved washing the dishes for the many day visitors – like ourselves – that the monastery receives.
Chamber rooms for visitors who wish to spend a day or more in meditation.
John was soft-spoken and humble in our conversation, and only reluctantly spoke of his love for God and prayer. It was prayer, in fact, he asked of me. He has now been in his training period, joining the monks in their activities, for over a year. He is with the monks, but not one of them. He did not know when his consecration might come, but he was not overly bothered. The life of a monk is one of long and patient waiting, in obedience to spiritual superiors. To wait on God, as he waits on a man, is part of his calling.
All the same, he asked for prayer. Please feel free to join along with me. If nothing more, it is the desire of his heart.
It is good to have such desire. Much in life must be done for the sake of responsibility, and there is honor and reward for fulfilling one’s duty well. It is desire, however, that helps provide meaning to life. It offers a task that may not be necessary in the formal sense, yet is absolutely necessary as internal compunction. It is a fire in the belly that not only endures, but forges through adversity, sacrifice, and the obstacles which stand in the way.
This was a spirit witnessed among many Egyptian revolutionaries. It is a spirit evident in John. Is it found in you, or me?
Maybe it is not a spirit present in all. Maybe it does not need to be. Maybe it only inhabits some. Maybe both God and the self can be fully satisfied with a life well lived, simply.
But if it is there, nurture it. It is the spirit that changes both self and the world. This change cannot be defined – it may be as wide as Tahrir Square, or as narrow as the entryway to a monk’s chamber. It may be broadcast around the world, or never noticed by a single soul. The fire is internal; though it gives light to all around, it is not meant for an audience. It burns because that is its nature.
The burning will consume its host, but only that which is not essential. What remains will be pure, the truest self. May God be honored; may the cause be just. May each locate their discontent, and channel it into the fire.
Sandmonkey is the name of a popular Egyptian blogger, particularly active during the revolution. He now continues to strive to make sure the revolution’s advances continue toward greater liberty, freedom, and democracy. In one post of his I came across recently, he outlines seven myths about Egypt post-revolution that have been repeated pervasively. These, he believes, are pervasively wrong.
I obviously cannot attest as credibly as he can, but I hope he is correct. I encourage you to read the whole essay, but here is a summary of his analysis.
Myth One: The Army is co-opting the revolution/trying to establish another military dictatorship.
Reality: The army should be viewed as individual generals, and these are old, conservative, and now extremely overworked. Yes, they repeat the patterns of the past, but they hardly know anything else, and are being called on to solve every problem, both domestic and international. They are tired, want to get back to their barracks, and are more afraid of the people than vice versa.
Myth Two: The NDP/Mubarak is still controlling the country.
Reality: They are terribly afraid, each one waiting for their sins to be exposed to the public. Mubarak, in particular, will be deemed the greatest traitor in Egypt’s history when all is said and done. The NDP figures around him will not fare well either.
Myth Three: The Islamists are hijacking the revolution.
Reality: Salafi Muslims are terrifying normal Egyptians with their call to return to the 7th Century, and the Muslim Brotherhood is suffering from terrible internal divisions now exposed by the light after years spent underground. These groups lose popularity by the day. People exhibit condescension when they think the ‘normal Egyptian’ will be swept away by religious rhetoric. They know better, and should be trusted.
Myth Four: New Parties are the only way to save the next elections.
Reality: Existing parties are important, and the new ones will be important in time. But the real power is forming outside this system. The same groups that protected neighborhoods during the revolution have kept their spirit and are becoming social forces seeking change from the bottom up. Not only this, but their perspective is sophisticated, yet their existence is widely unknown to the elites who think ‘awareness campaigns’ are necessary everywhere outside their own backyard.
Myth Five: Amr Moussa / Baradei is the new President.
Reality: While these may pass through the crucible, by all accounts neither figure will be able to survive and pass muster with the Egyptian population. More likely is that a figure emerges closer to the elections, after these two have been long chewed up and discarded.
Myth Six: International forces will destroy the revolution.
Reality: They are trying, but will not succeed. Saudi Arabia and Israel are pushing hard to keep Egypt in an alliance against Iran, but Egypt is now demanding its sovereignty be respected. Their opening to Iran is not a victory against traditional allies, but rather a confidence in the new realities of the region, post-Arab Spring. Regional powers desire the old order, but it is fading fast. More likely is that the old order undergoes its own significant popular changes soon as well. The virus is spreading.
Myth Seven: There is doom and gloom everywhere!
Reality: Optimism is ruling the day. Yes, the economy is ailing, but the state of Egypt is akin to a patient recovering from an extended illness. The side effects of medicine and bed rest produce discomfort, but will restore health. Among other examples, consider how many young people, children even, have had their political consciousness awakened. They see the world differently than their parents ever did. Their voices, as they age, will not be easily suppressed.
My take: In the past few weeks I have been tempted to surrender to many of these myths. Many Egyptians and international observers already have. Yet it is the isolated, contrarian voice that often sees things more correctly.
It could be, though, that this is the perspective of an activist, one who has poured so much into the revolutionary effort. Such people cannot allow themselves a hint of pessimism, lest their personal commitment, on which so much rides, come to naught.
Yet in the greater struggles of life, victory is often won simply by defining the reality in which the struggle takes place. Sandmonkey is keen to highlight positive continuations of the revolution. The negative ones, producing his ‘myths’, are equally true. The Egyptian future may well depend on which perspective moves to the forefront.
Update: Sandmonkey may be fudging a bit on Myth One. Here is his latest post.
Jayson Casper 