As Islamists Flex Muscle, Egypt's Christians Despair

WALL STREET JOURNAL
By Yaroslav Trofimov

June 11, 2011


QENA, Egypt—Five weeks after the fall of the Egyptian regime, Ayman Anwar Mitri's apartment was torched. When he showed up to investigate, he was bundled inside by bearded Islamists.

Mr. Mitri is a member of the Christian Coptic minority that accounts for one-tenth of the country's 83 million people. The Islamists accused him of having rented the apartment—by then unoccupied—to loose Muslim women.

Inside the burnt apartment, they beat him with the charred remains of his furniture. Then, one of them produced a box cutter and performed what he considered an appropriate punishment under Islam: He amputated Mr. Mitri's right ear.

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Yaroslav Trofimov

Ayman Anwar Mitri, a Christian Copt, had his ear cut off by a militant Salafi in Qena in March.
."When they were beating me, they kept saying: 'We won't leave any Christians in this country,'" Mr. Mitri recalled in a recent interview, two months after the March attack. Blood dripped through a plastic tube from his unhealed wound to a plastic container. "Here, there is a war against the Copts," he said.

His attackers, who were never arrested or prosecuted, follow the ultrafundamentalist Salafi strain of Islam that promotes an austere, Saudi-inspired worldview. Before President Hosni Mubarak was toppled on Feb. 11, the Salafis mostly confined themselves to preaching. Since then, they've entered the political arena, drawing crowds and swaying government decisions. Salafi militants also have blocked roads, burned churches and killed Copts.

The Salafi vigilantes who brutalized Mr. Mitri later ignited a bigger controversy that is still playing out here in Qena, an upper Nile governorate of three million people—almost one-third of them Copts. In April, Egypt's new government appointed a Christian to be Qena's new governor, replacing another Christian who had held the post under Mr. Mubarak. The Salafis responded by demanding a Muslim governor and organizing mass protests, showcasing the movement's new political influence.

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.The crisis in Qena, still not fully resolved, raises questions about what kind of Egypt will emerge from the post-revolutionary chaos—and whether its revolution will adhere to the ideals of democracy and equality that inspired it. The country's military rulers and liberal forces may ultimately succeed at containing religious strife and limiting the Islamists' political power.

Until recently, fears of an Islamist takeover in Egypt centered on the Muslim Brotherhood, a much better known organization that's trying to project a new image of moderation. While many liberal Egyptians remain deeply suspicious of the Brothers' true intentions, the Brotherhood now says it accepts Copts—the Middle East's largest religious minority—in all government positions, with the possible exception of president.

By contrast, many Salafis believe it is forbidden by Islam for Christians to exercise political power over Muslims in any capacity, such as governors, mayors or ministers. "If the Christian is efficient, he could be a deputy or an adviser," says prominent Salafi cleric Abdelmoneim Shehat.

Unlike the Brothers, the Salafis long refused to participate in elections and dismissed democracy as un-Islamic—a view held by their spiritual guides in Saudi Arabia. Numbering in the millions around the Arab world, Salafis seek to emulate the ways of the "salaf," the Prophet Muhammad's seventh-century companions, and usually reject later theological, social and political innovations as heresy. Osama bin Laden belonged to the jihadi current of Salafism that's trying to overthrow Arab regimes. Many other Salafis, including Saudi Arabia's Wahhabi religious establishment, and until recently, key Egyptian clerics, hold that obeying political rulers is mandatory in Islam.

After the revolution, however, many Egyptian Salafis decided that the shortest way to the Islamic state they desire is through the ballot box. They joined the Brotherhood in backing conservative constitutional amendments that passed in a March referendum. Salafi leaders say they are likely to coordinate with the Brotherhood to field a slate of Islamist candidates for parliamentary elections planned for September.

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European Pressphoto Agency

A Salafi Islamist cleric addresses protesters in Qena, Egypt, in April.
."We've found out after the revolution that the Salafis and the Brotherhood have the same concerns," says Safwat Hegazy, a popular Saudi-trained TV preacher who belonged to the Brotherhood in his youth and has emerged as one of Egypt's most influential Salafi voices.

The main difference between the two movements is organization rather than ideology, he says. "The Brotherhood has rules, leadership, staff, formal members—and it can punish those members who don't follow its orders," he says. "The Salafis have no organization whatsoever and no membership. People consider their leader any sheikh that they like."

Amid the recent sectarian unrest, Egypt's military rulers and civilian government have solicited help from Mr. Hegazy and another prominent Saudi-trained TV preacher, Mohamed Hassan, to defuse tensions. Although the overtures have raised the two clerics' stature as national leaders, the absence of a Salafi hierarchy also has enabled them to deny responsibility for the violence.

In Qena, a leafy city that prides itself on being named Egypt's cleanest, the Salafi militants who attacked Mr. Mitri and radicalized the protests against the Coptic governor were led by a young man named al-Hosseini Kamal. He had been incarcerated under Mr. Mubarak on suspicion of terrorist activities and, like thousands of such detainees, was set free after the revolution.

According to Mr. Mitri and witnesses cited in the police report, it was Mr. Kamal who cut off Mr. Mitri's ear, after first slicing his arm and neck. Reached on his cellphone, Mr. Kamal asked to call him later, and then didn't answer repeated phone calls.

In days after the amputation, the Salafi militants threatened to kill Mr. Mitri's siblings and to kidnap his children if he pressed charges, Mr. Mitri and his relatives say. Police refused to help, he says. Scared, he changed his initial testimony to say he didn't know who attacked him.

Instead of prosecution, Egyptian authorities pushed for a "reconciliation" between Mr. Mitri and his attackers. At the reconciliation ceremony, a beaming Mr. Kamal shook hands with the local military commander and other notables.

The ear amputation was a "mistake" and "the young people didn't mean it," says Qureishi Salama, imam of one of Qena's largest mosques and a leader of the budding Salafi movement in Qena. Asked about the concerns of Christians, he responds, without elaborating: "Only those Christians who did something wrong should be fearful."

Shortly after the reconciliation, the government of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, a reformist chosen by leaders of the Cairo protests, named new local governors. Under Mr. Mubarak, Qena had been the only one of Egypt's 27 governorates ruled by a Christian. The new appointee, police Gen. Emad Mikhail, was also a Christian.

Egypt's police, widely regarded as brutal and corrupt, had been discredited during the revolution. The choice of Mr. Mikhail left Qena's political activists perplexed. A few dozen people protested on April 14, including some Christians.

But the Salafis objected first and foremost to Mr. Mikhail's religion. "We didn't want an imposed Christian quota" on governors, says Mr. Salama, the imam. He and other Qena imams agreed to urge the faithful to show their fury. "In most, if not all, Qena mosques, the imams said that a Christian cannot rule over Muslims," recalls Nasr Yasin, a 27-year-old activist. "The Salafis mobilized the people on a sectarian basis."

Angry crowds left the mosques and converged outside the governor's headquarters for a sit-in. Qena's revolutionary coalition split. Some liberal Muslims, such as Mr. Yasin, were offended by bigoted slogans and left. Others, including Muslim Brotherhood youths, stayed.

Hala Helmy Botros, a Coptic blogger active in the uprising against Mr. Mubarak, was stunned to see a former comrade-in-arms with a poster that read: "I am against sectarianism—but I refuse a Copt as governor!" Other protesters screamed: "Islamic, Islamic—we want a Muslim, not an infidel."

The Muslim Brotherhood's Abdelaziz Mahmoud, a 39-year-old concierge at the luxury Winter Palace Hotel in nearby Luxor, says it was his idea to ratchet up the pressure by temporarily blocking a major railroad passing through Qena just before the new governor was sworn in in Cairo. He proposed a one-hour sit-in on the tracks.

But once the Salafi militants, including Mr. Kamal, erected tents across roads and railroads leading into Qena, they decided to camp indefinitely. The blockade severed transportation links between northern and southern Egypt, and between the Nile Valley and the Red Sea coast. Some protestors raised the Saudi flag, which Egyptian Salafis have adopted as their own.

Though Egyptian Salafi leaders deny receiving financial support from Saudi Arabia, liberal Egyptians charge that the movement is backed by the kingdom's deep-pocketed Islamic charities. While Egyptian Salafis often criticize the Saudi government system as un-Islamic, they usually hold its Wahhabi religious establishment in high esteem. They admire Saudi Arabia's prohibitions on alcohol, the mixing of sexes, and Christian worship.

In Qena, as the Salafi-led protests continued, the anti-Coptic rhetoric swiftly got more radical. Protesters shouted "Mikhail is the enemy of God" and carried the new governor's mock coffin through Qena's streets, vowing to assassinate him if he ever set foot in the city. Leaflets urging a boycott of Christian businesses circulated in mosques.

"It started becoming very dangerous," says the Muslim Brotherhood's Mr. Mahmoud. Brotherhood leaders ordered him and others members to abandon the protests. "We withdrew once we realized that some people are raising a sectarian issue. We don't have any prejudice in dealing with our brother Copts," says Mohammed Beltagy, a Brotherhood leader in Cairo.

Prime Minister Sharaf's government tried to stand firm. "The governor of Qena has not and will not resign," said government spokesman Ahmed al-Saman. "Objections based on religion are unacceptable."

Mr. Sharaf dispatched his ministers of interior and local affairs to Qena to try to restore order, but their appeals for calm were drowned out by shouts of "We want a Muslim!"

Maj. Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim, until recently Qena's security director, says the army and the police considered breaking up the blockades, but dropped the idea as impractical. "After the revolution, there are constraints in dealing with protests," he said. "If we dispersed them by force, this could have had serious implications. They could have used weapons, and we would have had to respond with weapons. So we decided to hold a dialogue instead."

For that, Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and Prime Minister Sharaf reached out to Messrs. Hegazy and Hassan, the Salafi TV preachers. Flanked by military officers and feted in Qena as celebrities, the two sheikhs quickly endorsed the demonstrators' demands while asking them to lift the blockade.

Mr. Hegazy, who contends the sectarian strife is being orchestrated by the U.S. and Israel to discredit the revolution, says he believes that the entire population of Qena—Muslim and Christian alike—opposed the appointment of Mr. Mikhail. He says he told Egypt's prime minister and ruling generals that the new Christian governor should be removed immediately.

The young militants, however, defied the preachers' requests to reopen the roads and railways, vowing to maintain the blockade until Mr. Mikhail's ouster.

As the protests entered the second week, demonstrators threatened to cut electricity supplies from the Aswan Dam on the Nile and to stop fresh water to Red Sea coastal towns. Mr. Salama and other local imams called for a "million-man march" after Friday prayers.

Prime Minister Sharaf dispatched his strategic-planning adviser, Ahmed Omran, a Qena native, to the city to seek a solution. As he tried to address the crowd, Mr. Omran had the prime minister on his cellphone, ready to assuage the protestors. The angry crowd started chanting "Down with Sharaf!"

"This was a total failure," says Mr. Omran.

Undeterred, he donned a traditional galabiya robe and went to meet the Salafi militants, including Mr. Mitri's attacker, at the railroad tracks.

He also solicited the opinions of Christian clergy. With the Coptic Easter two days away, Qena's priests were worried that the crisis, if unchecked, could lead to pogroms. They told Mr. Omran they were not insisting on Mr. Mikhail assuming office, and would go along with whatever the government decided.

That weekend, Mr. Omran says, he told Prime Minister Sharaf that the only solution was to meet the protesters' demands. He says the prime minister reluctantly agreed.

On April 25, the government announced on television that Mr. Mikhail's appointment was being "frozen" for three months—and that the deputy governor named days earlier, a Muslim former army colonel, would temporarily take over the governor's duties. Appointing Mr. Mikhail "was not a very well thought out decision," says Mr. Saman, the government spokesman.

At the sit-in, the news was greeted with shouts of Allahu Akbar, or "God is great." The protest tents were dismantled and the trains started running within hours.

Mr. Mikhail continues to draw his governor's salary at the local-affairs ministry in Cairo. In theory, when the freeze expires next month, he is supposed to assume the governorship. Coptic activists worry that if that doesn't happen, it would set a dangerous precedent.

Mr. Salama, the Salafi imam, counters that making him governor would lead to a "big disaster."

Back to Cairo

There is a saying in Egypt that anyone who has drunk from the Nile, is fated to return to the Nile again.. I didn't quite drink from the Nile (if I had I might have been permanently unable to go anywhere), but yes, did wet my feet on a number of occassions and left with a wrench when we had to!

But it would appear that even getting your feet wet, works just as well!! After a gap of two years, we are heading back to Cairo, with a sense of excitement and anticipation on our part, and, a lot of trepidation on part of friends and family who are not quite sure whether they should commiserate with us or congratulate us, lol!

My folks are clearly worried, some close friends even wanted to know if we had completely lost it, other polite ones murmured a congratulation after a brief shocked silence (:-)) and some, who are adventurous like us, promised to visit us soon!

I for one, am quite excited! Egypt is going through tumultous change - how often does one get to be part of, and, see history in making? I am keen to see if there is really a difference in Cairo before and after Mubarak.

As for Cairo being dangerous, if you have lived in Cairo, and spent time amongst the Egyptians, you would realise that Egyptians are by nature not violent people. Excitable yes, emotional, absolutely, but violent? No! I think in the history of revolutions, relatively peaceful revolutions like the Egyptian one, can be counted on fingertips.

So my bags are packed, am ready to go....

My food blog

In all my journeys / travels, the one constant has been the search for interesting food - both in terms of taste, and, novelty value.. and I have come from a long way from young vegetarian tastebuds to a much travelled, seasoned and hopefully a tad knowledeable palate!

At a friend's suggestion, decided to start writing another blog on food, though this time, I thought I would try and use Wordpress instead of Blogger..so far the experience has been decent though I suspect I haven't used half the features of Wordpress as I have not with Blogger!

But here it is - Eat-cetera, my ramblings about food!

http://eatceteraeatcetera.wordpress.com/

April 9 : a day to remember?

April 9 may well be a day that would be remembered by Egyptians, not just for the firing on protestors in Tahrir Square, but perhaps for the beginings of what might be yet another form of dictatorship - how benign,only time will tell..

Egypt's Military Court sentencing a blogger to 3 years imprisionment for daring to criticise the military is a tad harsh and seems to go against the spirit of the revolution and the freedom from Mubarak's rule that they ostensibly supported..if anything, it just ties in what Wikileaks had "leaked/ exposed" a few weeks ago- that the army head honchos had agreed to Mubarak's shoot orders, it was just the rank and file that rebelled! Imprisioning the blogger is a gross violation of a right to freedom of expression which is at odd variance with the ideals of the revolution that the army purportedly supported! If this continues, it would be interesting to see how the army's rank and file reacts this time!

Would it be that Egyptians have simply got rid of the dictator and not the dictatorship.

Early days ahead, and maybe, one should give the army benefit of doubt to see if the elections actually take place and power is indeed handed over to the people. It tough times ahead for Egypt and my prayers go out to you.. wish you well old friend!

Egyptian Army - To be feared or revered? WikiLeaks

Was just flipping through WikiLeaks when I came across this article... something I am sure Egyptians also have access to, given the amazing ability of technology to facilitate dissemination of info.

Robert Fisk, a respected British journalist who for many years has covered the Middle East and whose integrity has not been questioned, has reported that Mubarak actually ordered a Tiananmen Square like execution of the protestors in Tahrir square, which is not surprising.

What is surprising though is the fact that according to Fisk, the military honchos agreed to carry out the order but it was the soldier on the street who refused to follow the bidding of the military higher-ups. A far cry from Tunisia, where General Rashid Ammar, refused to follow Ben Ali's orders for a public massacre!

So the key question is whether the Army that is currently holding the fort in Egypt will be able to exercise control and enforce law and order or it too, may be at the mercy of the emotions of its rank and file? Anyone who has worked in the police / army knows that a large amount of power that the police or army wields is psychological - the fear of what the army and police can do often drives the public's response to them. In the absence of that fear, their ability to enforce law and order is hugely compromised.

But even more than that, is a bigger question, a bigger fear - is Egypt really safe in the very hands that were willing to order a massacre to control the pro-democracy demonstrators?

The Army has moved in, suspended the constitution, assumed power, promised to rewrite the constitution in 10 days and put it to vote, to limit its tenure to 6 months, to hold elections and the fact that it has included 2 on-line activists, Google executive Wael Ghonim and blogger Amr Salama, in the group of opposition leaders, augurs well.

But it has still not released prisoners that it took during the revolution, it has not lifted the longstanding emergency law which allows the authorities to arrest people without any charges and also allows them to restrict the right to freedom of speech...Has Egypt got rid of one kind of dictatorship only to be replaced by another?

On the flip side, maybe the refusal of the rank and file to obey the massacre orders was a good thing to have happened. If nothing else, this would be an indication to the Army that they cannot ride rough over the people, cos its own rank and file - its means and tools of imposing control - may well rebel against it dictates if the dictat is against the common will and good.

See Link to WikiLeaks: http://wlcentral.org/node/1298

Musings on the new path for Egypt

As I watch television, the visuals of the celebrations in Tahrir Square make me think about what all the commentators are talking about – establishment of democracy in Egypt. As I go through the names and the forms of government in the neighbouring countries, I pause and wonder at the probability of success of such an endeavour in a Muslim country. I am not being bigoted , condescending or racist (in terms of religion) but am just going through the list and I find that I come short when it comes to counting successful democracies in this region!

Of the 56 sovereign states that make up the membership of the International Islamic Conference, the only one that I can think of that is a relatively successful working model is Turkey. It makes you wonder why?

I think it’s safe to define democracy in simpler terms here as in a system of constitutional government in which the ruling party can be replaced without any violence in accordance with rules and procedure laid down in a constitution and by fair means. I don’t know, maybe democracy is over-rated? But I guess that the relative affluence achieved by United States & Western countries seems to reinforce benefits of democracy. Success of Japan and Germany once they renounced their autocratic institutions seem to add weight to the assertion that democracy is good :-0

Democracy may be good, but is it good for the Islamic world? Does it work in the Islamic World? Is it possible that some cultures are more conducive to democracy than others? Or is it because Islam is a strong religion in terms of its connect with its people? Is it difficult for rights and freedoms (including right to speech and freedom to practice religion as per your interpretation) that are inherent in a democracy, to exist in a state where the ultimate source of law is Islam?

I don’t know, and like I said, maybe democracy is over-rated 

There are enough and more ills even in functioning democracies. I guess Egypt needs to figure out for itself what works for it in the long run…..

What next?

One has to admire the Egyptians for sticking it out there, braving the soldiers, the rioting et all, for a cause dear to many an Egyptian's heart - freedom from Mubarak's rule. So the revolution has borne fruit, and, its a moment of great joy and acheivement for the people, but the key question to my mind is what next?

Egypt now enters an even more fragile and dangerous phase of its revolution - even more precarious than the revolution itself! Euphoria and celebration is all fine, but now is the time that the EGyptians need to carefully chose who will represent them in a democratic process if they are to preserve this hard won independence. The 6th October revolution, that Egyptians are so proud of, had a strong steering force - a President Sadat and a strong second-in-command in Mubarak, but the 11th February revolution leaves Egypt in the hands of a motley crew with hugely divergent beliefs and support bases.

More than ever now, the Egyptians need to think and plan who they want to hand the reins over to. The fear is that they are an emotional people, one can only hope that rationality rather than emotion plays a role in their decision making. But who is the alternative?

To make a rational, thought out choice, you need options - where are the options? 6th Of October revolution went down in the anals of Egyptian history cos its established Egyption supramacy on the Suez Canal and established it as a power to be recokned with for Israel, one hopes that 11th february will also be a landmark revolution that will forever pave the way for democracy in Egypt. Inshallah!

All the best to you Egypt.

Mubarak's speech

To be or not to be

For all the protests, Egypt's tragedy is that it has no viable political alternative.

A Baradei, who has spent a privileged life, lived most of his time overseas, has no real experience of an average Egyptain's suffering? A man whose family has not lived in and continues to live outside Egypt? To my mind, and I may be wrong, an opportunist who is using the current situation to his advantage...

Or a Muslim Brotherhood which is still not organised enough to run a government and which will plunge Egypt into a abyss of fundamentalism furthering the Shia Sunni divide, rendering the Middle East even more fragile than it is? Egypt has been a beacon of stability in an otherwise volatile Middle East. There is always a danger that Muslim Brotherhood coming to power may change all of that!

Whether you like or hate him, the reality is that Mubarak has kept Egypt from becoming another fundamentalist state much like the army has done in Turkey. Was his reign perfect? Far from it! Tragedy is that power and wealth became concentrated in a few hands and Mubarak and his people failed to deliver basics to the people.

If Egypt becomes a fundamentalist state under the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood, it spells doom not only for the freedom that the Egyptians so crave but also for stability in the Middle East. Is that stability important for Egypt itself? Of course it is, at a minimum for the 11 billion dollars of tourism and American aid that supports the economy to a large extent.

Revolutions in the Islamic world appear to run the danger of alternate military /totalitarian/ fundamentalist regimes. An Iran is an example.

It is time for a change in Egypt. Whether its time for a change in regime or change in the way the regime functions remains to be seen. If the Egyptians do get Mubarak to go, what happens next? Is a rudderless state better than the existing state? Your heart goes out to the Egyptian people, whose long drawn suffering has finally found an outlet in this civil outburst but what next? Does Egypt really need a Muslim Brotherhood or the army? Both alternatives are equally scary!

Blogging on Bombay

Have finally roused myself to begin blogging on my stay in Bombay (http://living-in-mumbai-manisha.blogspot.com or http://www.living-in-mumbai-manisha.blogspot.com )! But somehow, its much slower.. as someone said, familiarity breeds contempt - having stayed here so long, its almost like I know Bombay so well that sometimes I wonder what do I want to blog about! But Bombay has changed so much in the last 6 years that I have been away! I just need to get a little less lazy!!!

Egypt cleric to ban full veils

Egypt cleric to ban full veils

The niqab has become increasingly popular among Egypt's Muslim radicals
Egypt's highest Muslim authority has said he will issue a religious edict against the growing trend for full women's veils, known as the niqab.

Sheikh Mohamed Tantawi, dean of al-Azhar university, called full-face veiling a custom that has nothing to do with the Islamic faith.

Although most Muslim women in Egypt wear the Islamic headscarf, increasing numbers are adopting the niqab as well.

The practice is widely associated with more radical trends of Islam.

The niqab question reportedly arose when Sheikh Tantawi was visiting a girls' school in Cairo at the weekend and asked one of the students to remove her niqab.

The Egyptian newspaper al-Masri al-Yom quoted him expressing surprise at the girl's attire and telling her it was merely a tradition, with no connection to religion or the Koran.


Just read this article on BBC and it gladdened my heart. Not because I believe wearing a niqab is wrong, though I certainly feel that that it is onerous, but because he has finally articulated what a lot of less fundamentalist people have been saying - it is not mandated by religion or the Koran. It is a tradition born out of tribal practices which a male dominated society has continued to enforce. And I am glad that a cleric has chosen to finally clarify this.

It makes such a wonderful, sensible and saner change from people like Sheikh Muhammad al-habadan who has called on women to wear a full veil, or niqab, that reveals only one eye. According to the man, showing both eyes encouraged women to use eye make-up to look seductive. Clearly a man wearing colonge, or shaving or getting a facial done (all of which is quite common in Saudi)is not aimed at looking better or "seductive". Or perhaps the Sheikh believes that Saudi men are bereft of any sex appeal, so all of this wouldn't make a difference anyways!

Colour me Indian!

Color Me Indian
By Ethar El-Katatney

Music, spices, jewelry, Bollywood, long jet-black hair, floral wreaths, candles and color — all the things that usually come to mind when one thinks of India. And all things that featured heavily in Egyptian singer Hisham Abbas’s 2001song “Nari Naren” (My Fire is Two Fires). The song, which became an instant hit, captured the essence of the Indian-Egyptian relationship, one that began when Ancient Egyptians chose to wrap their mummies in linens imported from India: a relationship of fascination, mutual affinity and genuine fondness.


Filmed in Kerala in the south and at the Taj Mahal in the subcontinent’s northern region, “Nari Naren” is an explosion of colors, passion and life. Captivated by a beautiful Indian woman, Abbas sings to her at the Taj Mahal, chases her through a busy Indian market full of men in turbans and women in saris, and dances with her amid temples and lush scenery. Dancing in a traditional sari, decked out in gold jewelry with braided hair reaching halfway down her back while she croons to him in Hindi, Abbas’s muse epitomizes a vision of India that has been cemented into Egyptian’s minds by decades of Bollywood hits, whose dramatic storylines filled with love, tragedy, tears and death have always struck a chord with the drama-loving public.

“Egyptians love Indians,” says Ajay Mehra, Vice President of Finance at Mena House Oberoi, a property managed by the Indian-based luxury hotel chain. “The first thing I am always asked when Egyptians realize I am Indian is whether or not I know Amitabh Bachchan, the famous Bollywood superstar.”

In the mid seventies and early eighties, Bachchan — the undisputed king of Indian cinema — was not only one of India’s most revered actors, but also one of Egypt’s. Rivaling both Omar Sharif and Nour El-Sherif, in Egypt, Bachchan became synonymous with India. His movies were screened regularly on Egyptian TV, he starred in Eid movies, and his posters sold abundantly. He was so famous that one Egyptian singer actually renamed himself Hamdi Bachchan (of the infamous folk jingle “Eih el asatok da”) in an effort to make his music more marketable here.

Today, Bollywood may no longer have such prominence in local cinemas, but its allure and memory remains. Ask any Indian here what reaction they get from Egyptians when they reveal their nationality, and the answer is unanimous: “India. Oh, Amitabh Bachchan!”
As Abbas’ video proved, Bollywood is still in demand. The recent popularity of productions such as award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire and MTV India, as well as an increased interest in yoga and the spread of Indian restaurants here also speak to the revival of a fascination with the country and its culture. Yet what is not as commonly noted, but equally thriving, is Egypt’s small and vibrant Indian community.


India and Egypt

In recent years, the number of Indian tourists visiting Egypt has surged. According to the Egyptian Tourism Authority, 47,000 Indians visited the country in 2005; that number almost doubled within two years, with 90,000 Indians visiting in 2008 — a number that has already been reached in 2009 thus far.


Along with their visiting counterparts, the resident Indian community in Egypt has increased substantially, and much of this can be attributed to economic relations between the two nations. The trade relationship that began during the Pharaonic era is now booming, worth almost $3.5 billion (LE 19.42 billion) in 2007, quadrupled from $700 million (LE 3.88 billion) in 2003. Encouraged by these figures, a number of Indian companies have set up shop in Egypt. In addition to Oberoi, which manages two luxury properties and two Nile cruise ships in the country, the Mumbai-based Marico locally manufactures leading hair care brands Haircode and Fiancée. Indian companies are also involved locally in healthcare and the automotive industry, among other industries.


Egypt’s exports to India are worth $2.1 billion — 95 percent of that is oil and gas — which is almost double the value of imports, making the subcontinent Egypt’s third largest trading partner behind the US and Italy as of 2006. (For more on trade between India and Egypt, see “Indian Summer” in the February 2009 issue of Business Today Egypt). As a result of increased trade, more Indians are choosing to settle here, with the Indian Embassy estimating that roughly 3,000 Indians currently live in Egypt, compared to fewer than 300 a decade ago.


According to the latest issue of the International Religious Freedom Report, 80.5 percent of all Indians are Hindus, a henotheistic religion that originated in India and is currently the world’s third largest religion, followed by 14.4 percent of the world’s population (for more on Hinduism, see box). In Egypt, it is estimated that over 90 percent of the Indian population is Hindu. Yet trade isn’t the only area where the two have found common ground; despite this being a mostly monotheistic country, Hindus report feeling very much at home here. In a country where religious tensions are often high, the commonalities between these cultures seem to bridge the divide between their fundamentally different religions.


A Sense of Community


Helping to unify the approximately 3,000 Indians living in Egypt is the Indian Community Association Egypt (ICAE), a volunteer organization that, according to their website (desiegypt.com), seeks to “bring together Indians living in Egypt, and help them connect, share and enhance their life. [ICAE] takes us back to our roots, and celebrates our social and cultural events while away from home.”


According to Dr. Harish Pillai, current president of the ICAE and chief executive officer of As-Salam International Hospital, 70 percent of the Indian community in Egypt is based in Cairo, 20 percent in Alexandria, and the rest is scattered in Ismailia and the surrounding areas. The Indian community, he explains, is “a floating population,” with some 90 percent working in rotation jobs, only staying in Egypt for two to three years at the most.
Most of the Indian residents in Egypt, he says, have senior level jobs, with the majority being “very educated professionals working for multinationals in the oil and gas, banking and IT sector.” Unlike the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where an Indian community of over 1 million people works in all sectors of the economy in a variety of jobs, postings of Indians in Egypt are at senior positions, which means typically they are at least in their thirties and accompanied by their families. The overwhelming majority, says Pillai, are men.
Indian women who come to Egypt usually do so because their husbands’ companies have sent them here. Anjana Das, a 37-year-old Indian, moved to Cairo in 1999 with her husband; she is trained as a dentist.


“I’m not allowed to practice here because jobs are for Egyptians,” she says, “but I don’t mind because that’s what we do in India. Indian women in Egypt who want to work do what they can — I’m a freelance writer now.”


Pillai says, “India is more of a subcontinent of many languages and religions and habits,” therefore, Indians are used to living among different cultures and lifestyles.
“The only way to coexist is to have a strong belief in a common destiny. When we succeed there, we show everyone that in spite of all your differences you can coexist together and live a happy life.”


In addition, explains Pillai, members of the Indian community in Egypt usually come from diverse, often multicultural backgrounds, which helps them integrate well into Egyptian society. Pillai, for example, was born in Dubai and went back to India when he was 15 years old. He finished his education there, and returned to Dubai when he was 30 years old. After four years, in 2006, he was offered the chance to come to Egypt, and he brought along his wife, a microbiologist, and their two young sons.


Das has a similar story; she lived in Ghana until she was 13 years old then returned to India before coming to Egypt in 1999.


Unlike in the UAE where there are many Indian organizations because of the sheer number of Indians (approximately 40 percent of the total population), the ICAE is the only such organization in Egypt outside of the embassy. And because the community is relatively small, it is close knit — unlike in India, where until the 1990s, the linguistic divide between the Indian states prevented a greater national cohesion, Pillai says.


“[As a result] people identified themselves as belonging to their state and the pan-identity was not so imprinted. But though India is a very fragmented country, because our numbers are so small [in Egypt], we are all one unit, one family. It’s cohesive and special and everyone helps each other out. Almost 90 percent of Indians in Egypt are members of the ICAE.”
Many are also members of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Center for Indian Culture in Egypt (www.indembcairo.com/macic), part of the Indian Embassy. Open to the public, the center hosts Indian film weeks, lectures, yoga sessions, Urdu language classes, Indian photo galleries and much more. In November 2008, it hosted the first week-long Days of Indian Culture festival, with photo galleries, dance and singing performances at the Cairo Opera House.


Feels Like Home


Oberoi’s Mehra came to Egypt with his wife and two sons 11 years ago, and stayed because he felt very comfortable here. Apart from a two-year stint with Oberoi in Saudi Arabia, he had spent his entire life before that in India.


Mehra explains that “when we are children in India we are taught about ancient civilizations in class, and of course we talk about Egypt. When we get older and learn about politics, we also talk about Egypt because of the historical relationship between the two countries. You can say that Egypt for Indians is never an unknown country.”


It’s an affection, says Pillai, “which cuts across class barriers and is unique for Egypt. [] It is unique because the socio-economic background [here] is similar to back home. You don’t just have the very rich and middle class and poor, you have all segments and we can relate to that.”


Bollywood is only one reason Egyptian-Indian relationships are so smooth. It’s the similar values and common elements of culture, say Indians here, that make Egypt such a pleasant place to live.


“There is never any culture shock,” says Mehra over drinks in one of Egypt’s most famous Indian restaurants, The Moghul Room. “I felt like I was going home. It was a ‘wow.’ For most of us in India, when we come here, we feel like we are going home. There are so many similarities in the value system, especially [with respect to] families: Absolutely the same culture, tradition, respect for parents, so much love for next of kin. These are all common things.”


Mehra, whose two sons were both under six years old when they moved here, made sure that they learned to speak Hindi and remembered their roots and customs. “It’s up to each family to make sure their children do not lose their roots,” he says.


Das adds, “The concept of being an Indian is imprinted in your mind, and you are always sensitive about your culture. Most Indian families, no matter how far they go away from home, are still brought up in very traditional [households]. It is part of our culture to retain our culture. And since the cultures are similar here, it makes life easier.”
Das and her husband left Egypt after a couple of years, but returned “because people on the street were so very friendly. We felt that being Indian meant there was something common between us.”


Zaheer Shah, managing director of Coats Egypt and Coats Israel (branches of Coats PLC, the world’s largest sewing thread and needlecraft supplies manufacturer) is one of India’s Muslims, which make up 13 percent of the Indian population at large. Shah was born and lived in India until he was 44 years old, when he joined Coat’s international management pool. In 1990, he left India and spent the next eight years in four different countries. Ten years ago, he moved to Egypt, and stayed.


“The people here are lovely,” he says. “The way they accept the foreigner and react to us is very open and welcoming. I found you have the same basic culture, and that creates a bond.”
For Shah, that bond made marriage possible. Wrapped in a beautiful glittering sari, Abeer Shah looks like a traditional Hindu bride in her wedding photo, only her sari is green and she is an Egyptian Muslim.


“Zaheer has lived all his life in India and he is Indian through and through,” she says as she gestures around her house, lavishly decorated in the Indian style. “And although he is not Hindu, I can tell you that it is because of their culture that Indians do so well in Egypt. If you didn’t know, any Indian can pass for an Egyptian. We like felfel [green pepper], they like shatta [spices] — there’s little difference.”


Questions of Faith


In India, relations between Muslims and Hindus have often been strained, and the conflict occasionally becomes violent.


India’s Muslim population exceeds 150 million people, making it home to the second largest Muslim population in the world after Indonesia. Muslim revolutionaries played a huge role in India’s struggle against the British occupation (Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the namesake of the cultural center in Egypt, was one of them), and Islam has influenced all aspects of Indian culture, from architecture and literature to food and politics.


However, India’s Muslims have often been in conflict with the nation’s Hindus. In 1947, the aftermath of the partition of India to create the predominantly Muslim state of Pakistan saw intense bloodshed. Enduring tensions have flared over the past decade, most notably with the Gujarat riots in 2002 resulting in the deaths of an estimated 1,000 people.


Pillai estimates that 90 percent of Egypt’s Indian community is Hindu, but points out that, unlike in India, there is no conflict here between Hindus and Muslim.


“There is no religious conflict because our religious practices are not manifested in the public sphere,” Pillai says. “In Egypt, there is no Hindu temple, and [even if] we had one, I do not believe there would be trouble.”


Rajesh Swami, press officer at the Indian Embassy, believes there’s one thing that makes it unlikely that any religious conflict between Hindus and Muslims would arise in Egypt. “Most of the Indians in Egypt are in very senior positions such as CEOs and vice presidents of companies,” he says, “and therefore they are very educated and wise enough to know when to talk about religion in what way depending on who they are talking to. Religious practices, if they follow any, are private.”


Das elaborates: “In terms of religion, people don’t understand that Hinduism is not really a religion per se. It’s a way of life, of restrictions, [of] our relationship with God. I get the questions [asking if] we pray to a lot of gods, the sun, the wind, etc, but I can’t explain it because the concept of religion doesn’t exist. Having no temple doesn’t signify anything for me. [] My temple is within me, my God is within me.”


Shah’s wife Abeer, who has been married to him for six years, says that mixing with the Hindu community has not presented a problem. “Perhaps in the beginning they were worried how I would look at them, especially when they knew I was conservative and they dance and drink, but it’s okay. Hindus in Egypt are not like in India, where they worship cows and there are idols everywhere.”


This common misconception — that Hindus worship cows, when more accurately the religion reveres them as a symbol of life and thus prohibits people from killing them — reflects the need felt within the Indian community to educate people about its culture, which it often does by opening its cultural festivals to the public.


“We have celebrations where we spend time with community members, and everyone volunteers time,” says Shah. “We don’t look at it in a religious point of view, more of a socio-cultural point of view.”


Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated at the Mena House Oberoi every October and is attended by the majority of the Indian community in Egypt. Symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. The famous Indian singer Usha Uthup was flown in especially for the last Diwali festival. In March, Holi, the Festival of Colors, is celebrated in the Indian Embassy in Zamalek. Holi involves throwing dry colored powder or wet paint on each other to celebrate spring. These events bring the Indian community — and Egyptians — closer together.


The diverse backgrounds of their upbringing and education, their levels of professional status, and above all their rich and welcoming culture have contributed to the easy acceptance and transitions of Indians into Egyptian society. Theirs is a recipe for life that makes coexistence not only possible, but something to aspire to.


Hinduism 101


Hinduism, one of the world’s oldest religions, is the third largest religion in the world, with nearly a billion followers — 90 percent of whom live in India. It has no founder or known date of origin; its name derives from the word Indian.


Hinduism is not a religion in the sense of having a specific theological system based on scriptures. It is much larger than that and encompasses philosophies, religious traditions and cultural practices. It is often believed to be a polytheistic religion, owing to the existence of many gods in Hindu literature, the most famous being the triumvirate of Vishnu the preserver, Shiva the destroyer and Brahma the creator. In reality, Hindu beliefs vary widely from henotheistic (believing in one god without denying the existence of others), pantheistic, and polytheistic. Most Hindus recognize a single deity —Brahman, the supreme spirit — viewing other gods and goddesses as manifestations or different aspects of that supreme god.


There are a number of beliefs shared by all Hindus. The first is samsara (reincarnation), which includes the goal of reaching nirvana or mosaka — liberating oneself from the cycle of reincarnation.


Mosaka is attained in two ways: by following dharma, the path of righteousness, by living religiously and ethically, fulfilling moral, social and religious duties and, the second way, by resolving one’s karma. Karma is the law of cause and effects, and is based on the belief that good acts are rewarded with a better status in your next life and vice versa. Once karma has been resolved, the atman (soul) attains mosaka.


Scriptures in Hinduism, collectively referred to as shastras, are a collection of laws discovered by different holy men throughout Hinduism’s history. They are split into revealed (sruti) and remembered (smirti), with the most famous sacred texts being the Vedas, Upanishads, Sutras and Bhagavad Gita. Most provide information on abiding by dharma and discuss theology, among other topics.


Hindu practices involve seeking awareness of God, and there are many practices and forms of worship (puja) that Hindus perform to help them connect with the divine. Puja usually involves images (murtis), prayers (mantras), meditation, chanting, scripture reading and prostrations in addition to applying a tilaka, a mark between the eyebrows made with sandalwood paste in order to identify followers of the faith.


Visiting temples, which are usually dedicated to one deity, is not obligatory. Instead, many Hindus have a shrine at home dedicated to their chosen forms of god, using icons to serve as a link between themselves and the deity. Their worship involves making personal offerings and repeating mantras.


Three types of religious rites exist in Hinduism — nitya, performed daily, naimittika, performed during special occasions such as birth, marriage and death, and kamya, optional but desirable rites such as pilgrimage to sacred sites in India.


A number of Hindu holidays are celebrated throughout the year, many of which are observed by all Indians regardless of their faith. The most famous is Diwali, the festival of lights

Stepping Out: A walk Downtown evokes memories of Cairo’s old glory

An intereting article that I came across...so the next time I am in Downtown, this is what I shall do!

Stepping Out: A walk downtown evokes memories of Cairo’s old glory
By Kate Dannies
First Published: December 5, 2008

The Groppi building's aristocratic architecture remains captivating.
Living in a city that seems to grow and change everyday, it’s easy to forget the rich history that is embodied in the buildings and streets of central Cairo.

Cairo’s downtown was built by Khedive Ismail, who strove to create a “new city” that was European, modern, and easy to secure. This meant wide boulevards centered around spacious squares and grand buildings modeled after Europe’s architectural masterworks. This was in stark contrast to the twisting alleys and narrow streets found Cairo’s ancient Islamic city.

This is Cairo’s “Tale of Two Cities”—an analogy that remains appropriate today as endless expansion continues and the popularity of new neighborhoods and satellite cities replaces the appeal of downtown life.

Downtown’s glamorous past is something that everyone acknowledges but few have experienced; the area’s glory may have long since faded, but it remains a fascinating place to visit for locals and tourists alike.

Due to the area’s one-way streets and many instances of interesting architecture, a walking tour is the best way to appreciate the myriad sights there.

A great route begins at an easily identifiable landmark: the old campus of the American University in Cairo — itself an institution whose buildings are about to join the rest of downtown’s architectural marvels in the history books.

Beginning in front of AUC’s Greek campus on Youssef El Guindy Street, walk down the street towards the Bustan Center. Continuing down Youssef El Guindy, passing by craftsmen making woven chairs and couches, you will arrive at the intersection with Hoda Shaarawi Street.

Besides boasting lovely architecture, this area is known for its fabulous selection of antiques — here, upper-class Zamalekites can often be found mixing with downtown regulars as they search for old treasures in crammed shops.

Turning left and walking up Hoda Shaarawi towards Talaat Harb, Bustan café will be on your left. This quaint coffeehouse in an alley is popular with locals and expat downtowners alike, and will be filled with an eclectic mix of people at any time of the day. Sit and have a shisha and enjoy some prime people-watching, or continue up the alley to Talaat Harb Street.
Historic Café Riche is nestled up between Bustan alley and Talaat Harb Street. Pop in for a look at the café’s portrait hall, featuring shots of famous Egyptians such as Naguib Mahfouz, Om Kolthoum and Ahmed Amin who frequented the café over the years.

Downstairs, Café Riche’s political history comes alive — visitors can see the old printing press that was used to create nationalist literature and the secret passageway that helped smuggle activists in and out of hiding.

Hang out in Riche for a bit and you're bound to meet some interesting people — many of Cairo’s top contemporary writers are patrons, and visiting scholars, writers and artists make for a captivating crowd at this landmark.

Across the street from Café Riche is the legendary Groppi — Cairo’s original chocolaterie and patisserie. Groppi’s pastries may no longer be the best in Cairo, but the aristocratic architecture of the place makes it easy to imagine the appeal it held for elite Cairo of old.

If you turn left past Groppi onto Mahmoud Bassiouni Street and take the second right onto Champollion, you will pass by one of downtown’s most beautiful, and most neglected landmarks. This is the Mansouria Girls’ School: an abandoned building that has, nevertheless, managed to maintain its dignity over the years.

While the building and its grounds have been granted protection as historic monuments, nothing has been done to bring them back to their former glory, so visitors must be content to look and imagine from the street.

At the end of the street is the Townhouse Gallery. An excellent example of the recent gentrification that has been taking place on a small scale in downtown, the Townhouse has managed to integrate itself seamlessly into the neighborhood. Gallery visitors can be seen sitting in the coffeehouse with alley residents enjoying a shisha under artistic light and banner arrangements put up by the gallery. This is one of the rare places where the diversity of downtown can be truly enjoyed.

The Townhouse’s exhibits are some of Cairo’s best, and the gallery’s gift shop, which boasts crafts and jewelry from all over Egypt, offers a refreshing change from the endless papyrus and perfume shops that offer the only other options for souvenirs.

Across Talaat Harb Square, turn onto the pedestrian thoroughfare of Sherifain Street, and you will be immediately struck by the architecture of the historic Cosmopolitan Hotel. Designed by Italian architect Alphonse Sasso and built in 1928, this building is one of the most beautiful examples of belle-époque architecture in Cairo.

Further up the pedestrian walk, is Egypt’s stock exchange, El Borsa. Newly renovated, El Borsa is a quintessential example of the architectural treasures to be found in the area. During the day, visitors can enter the rejuvenated building for a tour, but if you go after hours, it’s best to stop for a quick look and head along to the stylish Borsa Café for a street-side coffee break.

If you need more than coffee at this point in the afternoon, continue down Sherifain Street past the Mobil station to Mahmoud Mazloom Street. At the intersection with Hoda Shaarawi Street is a classic: Le Bistro. While not necessarily a true French dining experience, Le Bistro’s typical downtown shabby chic atmosphere and excellent steak frites make it worth a stop.

A walking tour of historic downtown concludes with a final stroll past Falaki Square, down Bustan Street back to the American University in Cairo, where walkers will get into their cars and head back out to the fringes of the city, far away from the Cairo of days past.

Four Women in Egypt

Have been searching the net in vain to try and download a documentary titled Four Women in Egypt. It is supposed to be a brilliant documentary exploring the lives, arguments and friendships of for very different women.

Teacher, writer, activist, politician--four extraordinary women testify about the tumultuous events they have lived through during their long friendship in Egypt. The four women speak animatedly about the nation, politics, culture, and Islam.

The four are friends. They are nationalists and progressives; one among them is a veiled Islamist. The women defy the stereotypical notion that "fundamentalists" and "secularists" do not talk to each other, that they do not have shared experiences or common concerns.

Have read fantastic reviews of the documentary. Tried looking for a copy in the video shops but no luck. If anyone reading this has a link or can tell me where I can get a copy, shall be eternally grateful!

Diversity

Came across this the other day while surfing "Cairo" and was amazed. This is a KFC run by people who are hearing impared. The video is taken by JehanneMc.



This place is in Midan Vini, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt. Walking distance from the Cairo Sheraton. The manager of the outlet is not hearing impaired.

I think the whole concept is a tribute to the indomitable spirit of mankind and kuos to a company which has the courage to do something besides pay lip service to concept of diversity at the woerk place.

No time like the present!

Countries gain and loose an hour in daylight savings, I've lost a day!

For the last few days Blogger's clock has been running a day behind the actual date, well at least for my blog e.g. currently the time in 1.17 a.m. Dec 11 while Blogger shows the current posting time as 2.14 p.m. Dec 10. Am completely unable to figure out what happened. Have been through the layout, can't seem to find how to set it right! My laptop's clock shows the right time, so I know its not my comp but Blogger!

At times like this, I am forced to acknowledge that I am reasonably technologically challenged, lol!

Quirky News

Was generally browsing the net looking for something when I came across this website "Digg" which had some really quirky news items, which I could not resist posting for the amusement value of the same...


Men under threat from 'gender bending' chemicals
telegraph.co.uk — Men are at risk of being "feminised" by thousands of "gender bending" chemicals that are changing the behaviour of humans and animals, according to a report. Scientists are warning that manmade pollutants which have escaped into the environment mimic the female sex hormone oestrogen.


Academics invent math equation for why people procrastinate
telegraph.co.uk — It might seem an idle pastime but academics have come up with a mathematical equation for why people procrastinate. Prof Piers Steel, a Canadian academic who has spent more than 10 years studying why people put off until tomorrow what they could do today, believes that the notion that procrastinators are either perfectionists or just lazy is wrong.


"The Ice Man" aims to break freezing record
telegraph.co.uk — A Dutchman who is able to withstand freezing temperatures that would kill most people will submerge himself in icy water for almost two hours in a world record bid.


SitOrSquat.com - Public Toilet Search with GPS Locations
sitorsquat.com — SitOrSquat is a web based index of public bathrooms. In addition to providing the basic map-mashup and rating system. Sit or Squat users can provide and browse photographs of the restrooms in question. The real selling point is the applications available for iPhones and Blackberries, enabling GPS based directions to the nearest bathroom

Origins of Sphinx

Looks like historians are not going to let the myth and mystique of the Sphinx survive! They are keen to demystify the origins and contruct of the spectacular structure at the earliest.

Just came across an article in the Telegraph, Uk which talks about how they have come to the conclusion that the Sphinx was probably built much earlier than the 3 pyramids at Giza, and, how the head/ face that it was originally built was one of a lion which was subsequently replaced by that of a Pharoah when the pyramids were built.

Its fascinating isn't it, how even centuries ago they were capable of building structures on a gigantic scale that would withstand the test of time...

You can read the article here

Infidel

I was browsing through "Not without my daughter" when I remembered having read a very interesting book called Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I remember having heard of it due to the rather unfortunate killing of Theo van Gogh, the man who had the courage to make the movie "Submission" along with Ayaan Hirsi Ali. That sparked off an interest to see the movie and to read the book.

Born in Somalia, the daughter of a politician who opposed the Siad Barré dictatorship, Ayaan Hirsi Ali grew up with oppression. The accounts of violent retributions at the hands of her religious teacher make you cringe, her mother's obduracy in sticking to what she is familiar with and her unwillingness to look outside that frustrates you, her mother's frustration in dealing with a life she does not understand makes you feel sorry for her while wanting to shake her up, the sisters' reading of romantic novels just like other young girls anywhere makes you smile, her first attraction for a member of the male species and their hesitant fumblings make you want to hug her, her all encompassing embrace of Islam including the wearing of a shapeless black garment makes you want to shake her for allowing her thoughts and her fire die out, her dissapointment as she realises that the father that she revered as a rebel, a thinker did deem her opinion / wishes / desires important make your heart cry for her, her mother calling her a "filthy prostitute" makes you cringe, her fear and anticipation as she awaits asylum in Holland keeps you on tender hooks.

Her description of her genital mutilation is narrated matter-of-factly without stretching it, which makes it even more agonising. And this happens across Africa, and, is not specific to a religion. I had to put down the book twice, before I could pick it up and read any further, it felt so real and personal.

And, not for the first time while reading the book, I thanked God for my blessings!

A couple of questions that arise when you read the book relate to the detailed description of her childhood when she was barely 10 years old. The detail in which she describes it, makes you question the veracity of the events. Can a person remember such details of a childhood that she strives to forget and move on? And if she has filled in the blanks at some places, is it concievable that there may be exaggeration at some other places?

Yes, a lot has been said about her falsifying some of the information on her application seeking political asylum, but is that an inconceivable thought and is she the first person to have done it? Though I wish she hadn't criticised the same action by others subsequently.

Yes, she appears to talk only of an oppressed Islamic world and has invited the ire of the more liberal muslims, but the fact is that she will talk about only what she has been exposed to in the Islamic world. Could she be a little less all encompassing in her denouncement of Islam? Definatley.

Yes, she paints a very rosy picture of the Western world but can you blame her? Her only yardstick are her experiences in Somalia, Kenya, Nairobi and Saudi, which is what she uses for comparision. As an educated woman, having spent time in the Western world, being a politically active woman, does one expect a more objective viewpoint? Definately.

And finally, in the last two years, having read so many books about muslim women in muslim states and their stories, I wonder whether all of what she says is really so far away from the truth for some women? Do many of us, who live blessed lives (irrespective of our faith), prefer to gloss over the fact that life is not so rosy for many other women?

I guess there will be many opinions and viewpoints about the book, but I think its definately worth a read.

I am attaching the links to the movie "Submission" by Theo van Gogh. Worth seeing, if not for anything but just to see what caused the man to loose his life.

I can imagine that he may have offended religious sentiments courtesy Quranic verses being written on a naked body of a woman. I remember an instance in India when Hussein, a famous painter, had painted pictures of Hindu goddess and invited the fundamentalist's ire. I remember it surprising me, cos we are the land of the Kamasutra, and, Ajanta and Ellora. I guess fundamentalists are the same everywhere, irrespective of the religion!

Top 10 things to do in Cairo

Had some friends visiting us from Singapore. While they've done the Nile Cruise and Abu Simbal, and of course, the Pyramids and the Egyptian Museum, they asked me a very pertinent question? Other than the antiquities, what are the top 10 things to do in Cairo? Not Egypt but in and around Cairo?

For a moment I was fazed! First thing that comes to your mind when someone mentions Cairo is the pyramids and the museum...that set me thinking....I am writing down what I would def like to do in and around Cairo, in random order...and these are things that I would like to do...

1/ Coffee and Sheesha at El Fishawy
2/ Tannoura at Al Ghouri
3/ Felucca ride
4/ Dinner at the revolving restaurant
5/ A day trip to Fayoum
6/ A trip into the White Dessert
7/ A night out at Darts (Heliopolis) After Eight or Budha Bar
8/ The 11 pm to 4 am show with Dina at Semiramis
9/
10/

Cannot think of the balance two which does not include the antiquities... needs some thought!

Anybody who is reading this and has suggestions, would love to hear your top 10 things to do...I have this nagging feeling that there is something very obvious that I am missing out!