Some people refuse to call the events of Jan. 25, 2011 as a revolution. I think they have the rights to do so, as revolutions usually aim to topple a bad regime and solve many problems. In Egypt, the “revolution” hasn't solved any problems and brought a worse regime. Giving its mixed standards, we can call it a “reversed revolution”.=
Copts and Muslims in Paris organized a demonstration on April 12th against killing innocent Christians in Khosous as well as attacking the Great Cathedral of St. Mark. However, some young Coptic Christians didn't like some cheers of unity among all Egyptians, Muslims and Christians. So, I need here to point out to some facts concerning the Coptic issue.
The Muslim Brotherhood group has become so arrogant after having a number of fake achievements. For instance, winning the forged presidential elections, drafting the disagreeable constitution, and fighting with the judiciary. Moreover, they arrested and killed many political activists and patriots.
The tension in the relationship between the presidency (led by the Muslim Brotherhood), and the military has reached its peak. It looks like the MB apply the Quranic verse that says: “Verily never will God change the condition of a people until they change it themselves”. On one hand, they will never abandon their conspiracies or stop trading on religion. On the other, the Egyptian Military is such a national and honorable institution that throughout history, and since its foundation by Muhammad Ali Pasha, is the protector of Egypt and its people.
Last week we saw the attack on the Cathedral a two thousand years church never ever any body thought of attacking it! Was it the revenge from Christians Egyptians who dared to support El Tayeb the Symbol of Islam not just in Egypt but most Islamic countries? Or, is it a systematic attack followed the attacks on the press the media presenters the Egyptian intelligence and without forgetting the disrespect of the juridical system?
The Copts have been continually suffering from persecution and killed by the Muslims for a long time. During this persecution, some Copts have been killed and others injured. Some lost their main source of life from perhaps injuries during these accidents or because their shops were burned.
Every now and then, the Christians are attacked and prosecuted in Sudan, Iraq and Egypt. Their rights are taken away along with their dreams. They are often accused, and feel like strangers in their home countries. Therefore, many of them have decided to immigrate to the west seeking freedom of worship as well as the safety of their children.
Under such brutal and systematic attacks against the Coptic Christians in Egypt, it is important to think about establishing a Court that's specialized in sectarian disputes in Egypt, especially after the unprecedented escalating violence and crimes of collective aggression against the Christians in Egypt. Furthermore, their properties and churches have been attacked, demolished, robbed and seized. They were kidnapped for huge ransoms, and suffered from forced displacement. Moreover, many Christian minor girls are being kidnapped and forced to be converted into Islam.
Once again, Coptic Christians are killed in Egypt, just for a cross drawn on the walls of an Islamic school in Khosous, where some Copts were killed and their houses of worship and properties were attacked under the nose of the police.
To compromise is to make a deal or solve a problem between different parties where each party gives up part of their demand. In Egypt, to compromise means to have an agreement, typically when a party has to surrender in humiliation. It's more of a negative word than a positive one. However, in English, to compromise means to reach an agreement using more peaceful choices and showing more balance and tolerance.
Once again in a very confused street and lots of events over this week I have to think look for facts and write my conclusions but let us first see in a non chronological order what Egyptian streets were busy doing this week! 1. Obviously the never ending story of the attorney general still on reflecting … 2. Disrespect to judges and the whole Juridical system that started months ago preventing the court to adjourn its cases.
Persecution of the Copts continues to be very severe within the last days. From my point, we are yet about to see a series of persecution. I’m not trying to be pessimistic but I’m trying to analyze the reality. When there is no security, no law, no police, no justice, and no moral values, what we should expect?
I often receive this question from many Coptic Christians: Why do you defend the Copts? I always say: Because they are real Egyptians that are rooted in the Egyptian history. Furthermore, the Copts are wronged and prosecuted in Egypt, and they are suffering even more after the Islamic current political ascendency to power. However, I sympathize with the Copts as I simply refuse to hate the other people, only because they are different. Those who prosecute the Christians were likely to be prosecuted if they were born Christians. I mean that it’s all about human being and not certain religion.
Every day we find more evidence that the Muslim Brotherhood has cooperated with Hamas to attack Egyptian police stations and prisons on January 28, 2011, in which many leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood were set free including president Mohammed Morsy. Furthermore, more evidence is found that they have cooperated to kill the demonstrators in what’s called “Camel Battle”. Many people have a strong intuition that the MB with Hamas has committed such horrible crimes.
It's clear that Egypt is suffering under the Muslim Brotherhood rule. This is true at many levels including: economic, political, educational, etc. Moreover, Egyptians now are suffering from unprecedented poverty and humiliation.
I'm afraid that our political battle will soon be developed into a civil war, in which weapons will lead the dialogue between the Egyptian parties. How can we forgive ourselves then? I believe that we're in bad need for listening and understanding from both the government as well as the opposition, after we've lost all hope to be united.
As a child I woke up one day on 1958 to hear abut a great even announce in the newspapers -no TV in Egypt yet or may be we did not had one until 1959 or 60- Former President (R.I.P.) Jamal Abd El Nasser announced the unity of Syria with Egypt in to one united entity called the UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC. Nasser as an officer on the Egyptian army participated in War of 1948 broke out when five Arab nations invaded territory in the former Palestinian mandate immediately following the announcement of the independence of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948.
Freedom of speech is one of the fundamental rights that have been authenticated in the Human Rights Declaration. Egypt is one of the countries that created the declaration, which means it is committed by such rights and also it is required to protect this freedom not attack it.
In an interviews on CTV channel more than a year ago, I said clearly that it would be very useful, for Egypt in general and especially the Coptic Christians, that the Muslim Brotherhood would govern Egypt. I assured that they would fail to govern Egypt and they would only be exposed before the public opinion. I said then that the cost would be high, but I didn't expect it to be that high!
Arab media have distorted and attacked the idea of secularism and presented it as enemy of religion and all its assets. This is far from true, and reflects similar conflicts to that one between the Catholic Church and science in the 19th century that was proposed as an intrinsic intellectual conflict between worldly and spiritual matters, but it was a matter of gaining control and power. In fact, many Arab writers and journalists are repeating some ideas without actually spending some effort to do a research.
As the world celebrates Mother's day this month, Egypt presents different form of appreciation for women by taking away their rights. Six decades ago, women were much more appreciated in the Egyptian society, and it was big shame on men to hit women even if she hit him first.
Emad Thomas
This documentary is by Emad Thomas, highlighting the true nature of the Muslim Brotherhood