Mona Eltahtawy an award-winning New York-based journalist and commentator, and an international lecturer on Arab and Muslim issues, weighs in on the discussion. It seems more and more voices are speaking up and we might witness, what potentially, could be a revival of Egyptian nationalism. Here is some of what she had to say:
I must confess that when Hamas militants blasted holes into Egypt’s border to end an Israeli blockade on Gaza, my first thought was how lucky those Gazans were. Landlocked and living on less than $2 a day, their plight rarely elicits envy, I know. But there are Egyptian slums that swim in more sewage and are submerged in even greater poverty. In those slums, chronic diseases go unchecked and uncured, and children grow up next to the dead in tombs turned into makeshift housing. Yet nobody rushes to blast holes into the imaginary border of poverty that suffocates those slums nor are they sporting t-shirts urging us to sympathize.Read it all here!
11 Thoughts:
memz, I 've found all your articles about egypt very good read and agree with most of what you've said.
However, you're trying to use reason in this situation like look we're poorer than them- fight for your own peoples! If this situation was about reasoning with people then it would have been solved decades ago.
It has been said before but this is all about Egyptian's hate for Israel. Unfortunately that surpasses love for own country.
anon,
emotions where never my fortay. I always believe in logic and reason as the path towards results. Its not that logic is more powerful,even though it is, but the fact that logic empowers us to understand and calculate the possible actions of various stakeholders.
It is very sad that Egyptians hate Israeli's. Mainly as Egyptians have the most to gain of a strong relation with Israel. What even makes it sader, that the sacrifices we made in the 70s are day by day losing value. I feel sad that my uncle gave his life in 73, so we can one day reach peace, and now we want war.
memz, an admirable stance but this does not change reality. I am sorry to hear about your uncle, it is tragic indeed.
However, you can say good things like you've been doing till the cows come home. Sure you may sway those on the fringes but the majority of Egyptians will remain with the same mentality. Why, you may say such a dismal view? Simple, hatred of Jews is seen as being a religious duty and thus will always be done with much fervour and zeal.
anon,
it wont happen over night, but all it takes is discipline. There are quite a few Egyptians like my self and if everyone one of us can convince one perso and that person convinces someone else and so forth, one day we might change things. Life has taught me to stay focused and disciplined.
visit Egypt more :)
haha anon. If only I could!!
Why not turn Rafah into a free zone like the ones in Nasr City, Suez etc? Super-tight security on what enters and leaves the zone, free trade inside, open for business for Egyptians, Palestinians, Israelis, Jordanians...
I agree that by the numbers, Gazans have more cash to spend than the average Egyptian - let them come spend it in Egypt!
These people have cash and want to spend it, regardless of any kind of pan-Arab solidarity concept....Why not open the border, with super tight security, and make a trade center in North Sinai (one of the least developed places in Egypt, as is my understanding..)
Of course there is the nice byproduct that Gazans would have access to food, medicine, "luxuries" like cigarettes etc - but I don't think you are very interested in that. Its still a nice side benefit though...
Tom, How is it going?
Well your idea is good. My biggest concerns are
1)an attempt by Israel to dump Gaza on Egypt. Although I am not the biggest supporter of the Pali cause, a cause does exist, the dumping of Gaza along with 2 separate Pali governments will not help the Palestinian cause.
2) a lack of faith in the Egyptian security apparatus. Partially due to complacency and second due to infiltration of the services by the MB.
how about gaza, grows the hell up and learns to function independently. If Libya were to close its border to Egypt tomorrow, then would Egypt be in the same fix? Why is the question always: who is going to look after the gazans, Israel or Egypt?
How about Gazans use the millions of dollars of aid they receive to develop their country and stop being leeches on their neighbours.
well as I said earlier, Egypt's welfare is more important to me than that of Gazan's.
When all is said and done, there should be an election in Gaza, Hamas and the resistance movement will weaken once there is empowerment of Palestinians through jobs, career, education and health. Having those even before a peace treaty would reduce the number of rockets.
anon, i think not being allowed to have an airport, seaport, currency or functioning border with any neighbouring country kinda holds back the development a real economy....
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