حسن اختيار العلاقات

من كام سنة كده دار حوار بينى وبين واحدة صاحبتى طيبة قوى ومخلصة قوى ودمها خفيف قوى وهادية قوى….الحوار ده حصل من سنين طويلة، أيام ما كنت لسة عبيطة. كنت أيامها فاكرة إن لما حد يكون كويس مع الناس لازم هم كمان يبقوا كويسين، وإن الناس ما بتبقاش عدوانية إلا لما إحنا نبتدى الأول. الحوار دار بينى وبينها فى فترة طلاقها وكان كالآتى:

 

سماء:

معقولة؟ انت تتطلقى؟ ده مافيش حد فى الدنيا بيسهّل الدنيا زيك، ولا واحدة بتحول أى مشكلة لهزار وضحك وتحتوى الموقف مهما كان سخيف أو متوتر زيك. لما انت تتطلقى أمّال البنات النكدية بقى يحصل لهم إيه؟!!!

 

صاحبتى:

 ما هو يا سماء لما انت تبقى كل شغلتك إنك تحاولى تهَدّى وتسهّلى الحياة على قد ما تقدرى عشان المركب تمشى وفى نفس الوقت الطرف التانى كل شغلته إنه يصعّبها ويعقّدها، بتبقى الحياة بينكم مستحيلة.

 

وبعد كده قرأت مقولة حلوة قوى: “من الغباء إن حد يفتكر إن الحيوان الكاسر مش حيفترسنى لمجرد إن أنا مش فى نيتى إنى أفترسه”. وساعتها أدركت إن ما يكفيش إنك تكون طيب عشان تعرف تعيش، لكن لازم توقف المفترى عند حده.

 

صاحبتى دى كانت عندها بنت صغيرة قوى، وما فيش كام شهر من طلاقها، الحمد لله ربنا رزقها بإنسان رائع، قدّرها وقدّر بنتها وعامل البنت أحسن من والدها، وبعد كده ربنا رزقهم بأطفال تانية يجننوا 🙂 صاحبتى اتقت الله وحاولت تصلح، فربنا أكرمها، أما بقى اللى كان بيتلكك عشان يفتعل أى موقف ويرمى اللوم عليها، وكانت نيته سودة ومؤذى، ربنا انتقم منه.

 

فيه ناس كده فى الدنيا، مهما كانت نيتك فى الإصلاح والتهدئة، هم بيصعّدوا ويقفلوا عليك أى باب ممكن منه تتراحم معاهم أو تلتمس لهم أعذار. للأسف الشديد!  

 

الموضوع ده زى ما له دلالات اجتماعية فى الجواز زى ما له دلالات على أنماط السلوك البشرى فى العمل والصداقة وكمان فى السياسة. فمن الذكاء اختيار مين اللى نعمل معاه مصالحة ومين اللى لازم يخرج من حياتنا للأبد عشان حياتنا تعمر. مش حل أبداَ الاستمرار فى علاقة فاشلة أيا كانت العلاقة دى.

What death really means

In less than one month, I lost my friend, Marianna, and my friend’s son, John Ashby Hargrove, as well as two professors in my School: Dr. Kamal El Monoufy and Dr. Manal Metwally. Egypt lost the great activist poet, Ahmed Fouad Negm, and the world lost the inspirational leader and peacemaker, Nelson Mandella. 

May they all rest in peace.

This teaches me a great lesson:

Death is only an extension of your role in life. I learned a lot from the testimonials that everyone is writing about these people. So they are still “giving”, but in a different sense. Life is about giving not taking. You will be eternal in the hearts of those who benefited from you; were loved, helped, or inspired by you; or learned something from you. You will not be eternal if you keep taking and stacking what you take.

When I die, this is what I want people to remember me with. I hope they will also forgive me for anything bad I have done.

Cairo Fire: Messages from history

In January 1952, there was the first Cairo Fire. All Cairo was set to fire and nobody knew who did it then. The fire set yesterday by the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies in almost all Cairo (and the rest of Egypt this time) looks exactly like the memories of 1952 that I have watched in movies before. Yesterday’s fires and shooting of churches, police stations, Molotov, guns and weapons collected from the MB’s sit-ins…etc can shed light on some evidence about who committed exactly the same crime in 1952, but this of course needs further judicial investigation and proof. That time, the fire was set to get rid of the King. This time, the fire is set for a very similar reason, power seeking. But the good news is that after 1952, the King left power but the MB did not succeed in taking over power, and then Egypt started one of its strongest phases of its modern history. 

What happened in Egypt yesterday was a threat repeated clearly and frankly over and over again by the leaders of the MB in recorded media and videos. They always mentioned that they will burn Egypt in case they don’t take office in 2012 and then in case they are kicked out of office on June 30th, 2013. Egyptians are ready to pay the very high, but inevitable, price of getting rid of the continuous blackmailing of many parties, including MB. This price had to be paid sooner or later, it was just postponed one year since 2012 elections. 

Despite all the blood and mourning sweeping Egypt these days, I strongly believe that this is another reincarnation phase of our Great Civilization. 

To all my friends all over the world who are concerned and who asked about my safety, THANK YOU and don’t worry. We are fighting for a cause and for making history. History-making is very expensive, and we are used to paying a high price every several decades and such a very high price like this one every few centuries. God bless you all and bless Egypt.

على هامش خطاب الرئيس المرتقب النهاردة:

من المتحف الزراعى لميدان لبنان قبل العصر ب45 دقيقة فى عز نقحة الشمس، ولا تاكسى راضى يقف والطريق زى ما انتو راسيين. فى لحظة عبقرية من الزمن لقيت ميكروباص ما فيهوش ولا حد واقف. استبشرت خير ونطيت فيه برغم إنه مش رايح ميدان لبنان ويمكن أضطر أكملها مشى نص ساعة (وده اللى حصل فعلا)، بس قلت لنفسى “وماله، حاركبه” (على وزن: الشوربة فيها حاجات بتمشى، بس حاشربها). وتكتمل النعمة الإلهية إنى لقيت فيه كرسى واحد بس فاضى. قلت “يا فرج الله!!! عالم بالحال”. القصد، الراديو كان شغال وف لحظة المذيع جاب سيرة “د.باكينام الشرقاوى مساعد رئيس الجمهورية”. أنا بصراحة ما اهتمتش أسمع الباقى. اللى عجبنى ولفت انتباهى، صوت شاب اخترق تأملى فى الناس اللى راكبة اللى كلها وشها أحمر مزنهر وعمالة تمسح من عليه العرق، والانتظار القاتل للعجل اللى بيلف نص لفة ويقف شوية، فكرنى بمحمد صبحى فى المسرحية (أنا جاى، أنا بس بامشى فى الجزمة الأول). لقيت الشاب ده بيقول للى جنبه: “ما هو لو يعرف إن الخطابات دى هى اللى بتهيج الناس أكتر” وسكت. التفتت لقيتهم شابين قاعدين فى آخر صف، ملامحهم مصرية جدا ووشهم شايخ من الهم برغم شبابهم، أعمارهم فى منتصف العشرينات. شكلهم مؤدب جدا ومحترم. لقيت اللى بيتكلم ده ساند دراعينه على ضهر الكرسى اللى قدامه بمنتهى الملل وبيتكلم بمنتهى الهدوء والرقى والعفوية فى نفس الوقت من غير تعقيد ولا فلسفة. الولد كان جد جدا ومهموم جدا، بس أنا استمخيت منه ع الآخر وكل ما أفتكر جملته المقتضبة الموجزة البليغة أبتسم. صحيح، الناس ما بقاش بينضحك عليها. عمار يا مصر!

 

رحلة النوبة وقرى التهجير

لسة راجعة من زيارة تطوع لمشروع تنموى فى مدينة أسوان و 3 قرى نوبية، منهم 2 من قرى التهجير،

من عند الحيطان اللى متعلق عليها يفط إعلانات قوائم انتخابات الحرية والعدالة كتير جدا ويافطة واحدة للوفد…متقطعة ومش باين منها غير اسم الحزب طشاش….،

من قلب الناس المطحونة اللى ما حدش من المعارضة سامعهم ولا معبّرهم، واللى الحكومة بتلعب بيهم وتوعدهم وما تعملش حاجة بجد وتلبس البنات الصغيرة لبس العيد عشان التشريفة واستقبال الوزير وضيوفه،

واللى الحرية والعدالة بتبعت لهم قافلة طبية يوم 25 يناير بالذات (بس عشان الحق يتقال أهى بعتت وغيرها مش معبّرهم)، واللى حزب الوسط باعت لهم وفد يقابل الأهالى يوم 24 يناير.

عرفتوا دلوقتى ليه الناس دى بتأيد مرسى والحرية والعدالة والوسط؟ هم ما بيحبوهمش باستماتة ولا حاجة زى ما كنا متصورين، بس هم دول اللى شايفينهم.

عرفتوا الشغل الحقيقى فين يا رجال الشجب والتنديد والوعيد اللى عمره ما حيفيد؟ يا رجال المؤتمرات القاهرية اللى مش عايزين يعفّروا رجليهم اللى عليها نقش الحنة؟

على فكرة، الناس دى قلبها أبيض وطلباتها بسيطة، والبلاد دى بترحب بأى حد وكل حد، وعندهم استعداد كبير يسمعوا ويعقلوا ويتناقشوا بمنطق أكتر من أى حد من اللى فى القاهرة أو فى الأماكن البرّاقة، بس مين اللى بيكلّف خاطره ويروح، ومين اللى يستاهل ياخد ثقتهم؟؟؟!!!!

Be positive: Inspire others

I received a long message today from one of my female ex-students who graduated some 6 or 7 years ago and whom I met accidentally last November 19th during the “Women’s Mentorship Walk, Cairo” event.

Her message started as follows:

“I am writing to you to share very good news with you which you take credit for because HONESTLY B AMANA YOU INSPIRED ME since that day when I met you by coincidence…”

and ended as follows: “Was very excited to come back home and write to you to share the news with you.”

This mentorship walk was only two months ago; i.e. almost 8 years since I had taught this young lady when she was a sophomore in college. But still, there was a strong connection between us although we never talked or met during those 8 years. I was so proud to see how successful she has become and see how happy she was when she saw me. We talked a little bit and shared contacts. I told her about my work and studies and she did the same. She was not excited to do post-graduate studies until she met me that day. And now, her good news is that she is in the process of applying to the top universities in the world for an MBA.

Apart from this lovely meeting I had, this mentorship walk was a memorable day in my life. I volunteered a whole day to be a mentor to younger women and attend public lectures by other inspiring and successful women who also volunteered their time for the benefit of other women. It was a whole lot of positive energy and a great networking event. That day, I felt that we can do ANYTHING we want if we just believed in it.

Even if this is the only thing you can do in your life, INSPIRING others and helping them reach their potential and find their way, then your life is worthy. Be positive wherever you go, in whatever you do, with whomever you meet. Make a difference in people’s lives. Believe me, it is a joy you can never know until you try it for yourself, but it will make you alive again especially when you receive such a message at a time of despair or depression.

By doing so, you can practice motherhood even if you don’t have kids. You can do so much by just making someone happy or content with what she does. Your life will be lightened up by the sparkle of hope that you can create in someone’s eyes by a piece of advice or an idea that brings scattered pieces in their lives together. You can feel loved by those you help even if you are alone. This can only be done if you think about others… If you care, share, love, and give.

My dear young lady xxxx, you made my day and revitalized me by your message!! I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.

Responsibility and Responsiveness: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Citizenship and governance are like love and physics laws; for them to flourish, they should be created by a balance of two forces: the first requires wise action that is based on RESPONSIBILITY and the second is re-action called RESPONSIVENESS.

The two parties should alternate between both roles and the first should take the second into consideration before and while taking the action. This is more or less what Aristotle has written in his book “Politics” when he described the “telios”.

Unfortunately, governments might think that they have the power, absolute power, and they have the right to issue orders all the time without taking into consideration their constituencies. Moreover, people might think that the government should do everything that suits them without having any authority. This clash can end up destroying the whole political system.

I thought of this because of a story that happened to me today: I found a leaking faucet today in my sports club. I immediately went to the person in charge of maintenance and reported. The person immediately called the plumber. I felt ownership to the place for which I pay money, and respect to the people in charge. I had to act to be a good citizen/member of the club, and the man had to respond to be a good manager. It is all about everyone doing their roles in life to the best of their ability.

الأخطاء المتراكبة فى حادث الشيخ المحلاوى وأطراف الخطأ

الخطأ دائما طرفان أو أكثر: البادئ الذى يشعل النار ويوقظ الفتنة، والذى يرد على الفتنة ولا يتمالك نفسه فيرد بأشد مما يستحق. ففى حادثة مسجد القائد إبراهيم والشيخ المحلاوى، أرى أن العيب كل العيب على الآتية أفعالهم:

1) أن يتخذ أحدنا عمله منبرا لأهوائه الشخصية أو السياسية (تخيلوا لو مثلا أن أستاذ جامعى يدخل محاضرة أو معيد يدخل سكشن ويقول للأولاد صوتوا بنعم أو صوتوا بلا). وهذا حدث معى قبيل مظاهرة نهضة مصر. فقد ذهبت إلى طبيب كى أكشف، ودون أن أسأله عن رأيه قال لى: “أنت لازم تروحى مظاهرة ميدان نهضة مصر”. عيب على كل كل من يأتى بهذا الفعل.

2) أن يكون الكبير فى سنه ومقامه ليس كبيرا فى أفعاله، فيأتى بخطأ ثم لا يحتوى الموقف إذا ما رأى أحد يرجعه إلى صوابه.

3) الناس التى ضربت وكسرت احتجاجا على شئ من حقهم أن يعترضوا عليه وبشدة، ولكن دون عنف. كان يكفى إيقاف الشيخ عند حده بحسم دون الخروج عن حد اللياقة والسلمية.

4) أن يأتى آخرون لنصرة أتباعهم دون تفكير ودون إحقاق للحق. كمثل سيدنا موسى عليه السلام عندما ذهب ينصر من كان من شيعته عندما استغاثه على الذى من عدوه، “فوكزه موسى فقضى عليه” (القصص: الآية 15). ثم عاد بعد ذلك وهمّ بقتل آخر لمناصرة نفس الشخص فقال له “يموسى أتريد أن تقتلنى كما فتلت نفسا بالأمس ‘ن تريد إلا أن تكون جبارا فى الأرض وما تريد أن تكون من المصلحين” (القصص: الآية 19). فهذا تماما ما يحدث عندما يذهب بعضنا لمناصرة بعضنا البعض لمجرد أن هذا من جماعتنا وذلك من أخرى.

5) وأخيرا، العيب كل العيب كذلك على من كذب فى الإعلام دفاعا عن الشيخ المحلاوى وقال أنه “فقط قال أنه هو سيصوت بنعم ولكنه لم يطلب من أحد أن يصوت بنعم”. لأن الدليل على كذب ذلك الشخص هو الفيديو أعلاه للشيخ نفسه وهو يدعو الناس صراحة أن يصوتوا بنعم

Pledge to the whole world

Dear Global Citizen,

Please be alert and protect your own future and your children’s by spreading this word to the whole world; your people, organization, and government. Please do your part in the collective responsibility of making the world more peaceful for generations to come.

This pledge is written to you by a fellow global citizen who seeks peace, democracy, and justice in this world. This message is to let you know that millions of Muslim and Christian fellow Egyptians condemn and are persistently and courageously confronting the dictatorial rule in Egypt practiced by President Morsi (of the Muslim Brotherhood) and his allies from other religiopolitical armed groups. I am positive that this message will be read by your minds and felt by your true hearts that support democracy, equality, freedom, rule of law, and human rights. These are all notions at stake in Egypt, and soon everywhere in the world if this fascist rule succeeds to overtake Egypt and eventually the whole Middle-East and the world.

The Egyptian government under the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) rule is establishing a new twin to Taliban and Qaeda regime in Egypt. I assure you that what is happening in Egypt has nothing to do with the peaceful religion of Islam. Exactly as it has nothing to do with Freedom or Justice, as the name of the Muslim Brotherhood’s and ruling party “Freedom and Justice Party”. It is only about the rule of armed power of militia that is setting the rule of “either complete obedience or hell”. Peaceful protesters are being attacked, kidnapped, tortured, killed, and terrified in an attempt to scare away any opposition to this dictatorship. For many days, Pro-Morsi militias have blockaded the Supreme Court and are still blockading the Media Production City (MPC) to shut down any opposition voices or court sentences. They are threatening to attack all TV channels premises in the MPC.

In June 2012, Morsi came to power through a debatable and doubtful voting process. This was a chance to prove his true intentions to the people who voted for him hoping to establish democracy under the rule of law here in Egypt. However, he has since reneged on all his promises. He has soon started to establish a new fascism following the orders of his group (the MB) leaders and with the help of his allies, the Salafists and others. Now, there are efforts to legalize this fascism through an illegitimate constitution draft for which he has called for a referendum. The constitution draft is written only by religiopolitical groups and their allies after the rest of the civil and political powers boycotting and resigning from the drafting committee. The campaigns to vote a YES to the constitution are carried out in mosques and social media based on emotional religious sensitivities rather than political arguments and counter-arguments. Illegitimate and unethical practices are being used to get people’s votes in a country where more than 40% of the people are below poverty line and 40% are illiterates.

If any harm happens to any Egyptian peacefully defending their freedom, dignity, national identity and human values, it is the sole responsibility of President Morsi and his “clan” (as he calls them), the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as their allies. These allies include local as well as international institutions and governments that have interests with and are supporting the MB.

I hereby ask you to help spread the word. We have to stop this hazard here and now before it plagues the rest of the world and becomes out of international control. No intervention in the internal Egyptian affairs will be accepted; we can manage this alone if it were not for the international support that some are offering. We only request you and your countries NOT to support these groups by ANY means whatsoever and not to be taken by their deceits.

Thank you for your consideration and help in advocating for the world justice.

Sincerely,

A seeker of freedom and democracy

The price of thinking differently

I was intrigued by this picture that I saw on Facebook so I thought of sharing it with a few thoughts.

 

To be innovative, you have to see things differently, think differently, and act differently. There is a very high price of being outside the norm or the mainstream of ideas and actions. People will call you “nuts”. You can get an F in a test like the one in the photo. You will be marginalized. But often people who have this fresh eye and brain are those who can solve problems in the world that the “sane” people cannot. And when you make it to a breakthrough that the “canned minds” cannot make it, you will be always looked up to and envied. No one will know how much you paid for being off-stream. But then, you can be THE MAINSTREAM. You will create one and people will follow your path.  Just keep rowing in your stream. Learn from any opportunity to correct your path, modify your route, and how to better navigate the waters in your life.

The only  thing that I ask from you is not to destroy yourself or others with your innovation. Don’t jump over a cliff or break your neck. Otherwise, enjoy being nuts once in a while. Gain a fresh eye and think differently, and be ready for the price 🙂