Friday, August 31, 2012

Watch out for pickpockets: The other side of the story



I've been to Paris once before in an impossible trip for less than 12 hours. The group I accompanied back then had some sort of a plan to rush and catch a glimpse of all Must-Be-Seen in Paris. Of course we had different views, to me the two main things were to see "Tour Eiffel" and have coffee in one of the streets of the "Quartier Latin". I did see the tower back then but I don't remember getting any near the Latin Quarter, though my companions believed we did! During this trip I had more time and an experienced guide so I'm sure I made it to the Quarter. I enjoyed walking in the narrow streets and watching the small shops and tried to map all the sights to the description I've always read in literature.

In a nice coffee shop near the borders of the Quarter and while waiting for our coffee and ice-cream to be prepared, a woman standing in the line to order suddenly shouted and turned to yell at the man standing right behind her saying "thief". She said a lot of words which I didn't understand as she was talking in French, and even hit the man and kicked him out of the place. I admired her courage and people in the line cheered her.

This is the nice part of the story, the sad part is that my little nephew noticed that the man was about to cry while he walked out of the shop. I'd exclude the possibility that he was not trying to steal and she misunderstood him and that is why he ended up with this grieved. So the more probable possibility is that he has to steel; to eat, to feed a family etc. I'm not trying to find excuses for him because my moral beliefs are crystal about this but the sad truth is that there isn't enough justice in the world. I remember a song, by the beetles I believe, which say "… and sympathy is all what we need my friend… and sympathy is all what we need… because there is not enough love to go around…" and I feel it truly now. I also remember Omar Ibn AlKhatab, who simply symbolizes justice in my view, when he didn't impose the supposed punishment for stealing because there was a famine and some people had to steal to eat and feed their families. I know that back then he did his best so that each individual in the community gets a fair share in the revenues of the country but when that was not enough he made this exception.

In Egypt, we live in a society with very large gaps in income among its individuals; I wish to witness the day when social justice prevails in our country, a day when everyone has enough to live in freedom and dignity.


30 June 2012

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

 Cairo - My City, Our  RevolutionCairo - My city, our  revolution by Ahdaf Soueif

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Ahdaf Soueif speaking my heart of Cairo; a must-to-read for all those who shared and the revolution and those who missed it!
Favorite quotes from the book:

 "This is a revolution that's chosen to work peacefully and legally- and it's paying a price for peace and legality." Page 86

"Children for whom the Midan had brokered a truce with their cruel live and who'd found shelter in the central garden between the tents; the revolutionary shabab had held classes for anyone who wanted to learn to read and write. shared their food with them and given them responsibilities: the children spread mats and connected wires and held lights ans cameras." Page 109

About "The Battle of the Camel": "It's OK it's OK, she shouts and laughs. 'They attacked us with horses and camels but we've captured them and the kids are having rides on them in the Midan and everything's fine." Page 129

About the spirit of the Midan: "The courtliness with which the people accept the offer of a biscuit! The bow! The hand on the chest! We're all princes here, our manners are impeccable. " Page 161

"I believe that optimism is a duty; if people had not been optimistic on on 25 January, and all the days that followed, they would not have left their homes or put their wonderful, strong, vulnerable human bodies on the street. Our revolution would not have happened." Page 186

"There are fights one doesn't pick; you find yourself in the middle of it and you have to perform." Page 188

"Tahrir is a myth that creates reality in which we've long believed." Page 190

"The shuhada's parents are not in search for justice for justice will not bring back the shaheed; their search is for a dream that gives meaning to their sacrifice; for a happy ending to a story that includes their suffering." Page 190

"We made a city square powerful enough to remove a dictator. Now we must re-make a nation to lead others on the road to global equality and justice." Page 194

"Inclusive, inventive, open-source, modern, peaceful, just, communal, unified and focused. A set of ideals on which to build a national politics." Page 194






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Friday, August 03, 2012

مظاهر رمضانية مصرية


ماجربتش رمضان بره مصر، غير مرة فى السعودية أثناء عمرة، بس باحس إن رمضان فى مصر حاجة تانية. عرب كتير ومسلمين تسمعهم بيقولوا كده برضوه عن رمضان فى مصر . فى حاجتين على الأقل تقريباً متأكدة إنهم مش موجودين فى رمضان فى أى حتة تانية، موائد الرحمن والفانوس.

دى صور لبعض مظاهر رمضان فى مصر والقاهرة بالتحديد، نفسى ماتختفيش :)

نتاج ورشة لإحياء تراث الفوانيس، من خلال عمل نماذج للفوانيس التقليدية بالكرتون، بيت السنارى بالسيدة زينب

الإستعداد لموائد الرحمن يبدء دائماً بعد صلاة العصر

مسجد السيدة زينب وأماكن بيع الياميش التى تظهر فجأة مع إقتراب الشهر وتختفى بإنقضاءه