I'm So Proud To Be Egyptian

I lived my entire life away from a country that I felt so incredibly attached to and never truly understood the reason for that attachement until I was older. As a child I would visit Cairo every summer and would be mesmerized by the sites and sounds and the organized chaos the city was known for. Although people honked their horns while singing to a song on the radio and talking on their cellphones and signalling a left turn with their free hand and finally giving directions to passersby, everyone agreed to a certain set of unwritten rules on the road and in life. 

As I grew older I became more and more curious about this country, I read about it and tried to understand it's very complex history; with every bit of information I gathered a fire in my heart was fuelled with love for my country. I felt the need to defend it constantly and parade my culture in front of anyone and everyone I met. I put flags on the window instead of a curtain to make sure the neighbours all knew we were egyptian. There were stickers on the car and trinkets on the rearview mirror and a pride in my heart that grows with every passing day. 

After spending a year there, I truly fell in love. I finally had an opportunity to live as a real egyptian and not simply a khawaga or canadian as everyone would refer to me as. I drove alongside them, got stuck in traffic with them and began joking like them. I loved it. I finally felt I had completed my soul searching quest when I quenched the thirst my soul felt for a taste of Egypt.  

Today my people have done what no other nation on the planet can say its done before; they saved our country. Thanks to the sacrifices of many egyptians who left their jobs and families to protest in Tahrir Square, we will be able to enjoy freedom and democracy in our beautiful land of the Pharaohs. Watching the news today, I would have given anything to be out there in the crowd in Tahrir Square along side my brothers and sisters, chanting with them and supporting them. I can say I was there in spirit and joined in local protests here, I hope I helped you somehow. I'm sure you felt our international support.   

From an egyptian abroad to my home, thank you for speaking on my behalf, thank you for making me proud of who I am and having me carry my culture with joy and knowing that it was the egyptians that didn't surrender, they never gave up the fight and they will never ever let their voices go in vain ever again.  

With love, 

An egyptian abroad.  

Forty Eight Hours

We didn't simply do it once, we did it twice.  

We come from the land of civilization, a land that holds the history of a people who undertook great achievements before anyone else in the world. Our ancestors created the first writing system, the first people to create a system of burial, we built the pyramids and now we showed the world the power of a united people who know the value of their opinions and the strength of their voice.  

On January 25th, the people of Egypt took to the streets against the oppressive Mubarak regime. They spent days in the streets in Tahrir Square chanting against the dictatorship they were living under for thirty years. Following the success of that revolution we were faced with a predicament, choosing between an islamist leader or a leader with ties to the old regime. Forced under pressure to choose the lesser of two evils, egyptians voted for Dr. Mohamed Morsi in hopes that maybe a religious political group would be a better option than one with a background in the military.  

On June 30th 2013, we took to the streets again. The government we were forced to vote into office does not suit our needs and we know our voices will be heard. Across Egypt and across the world, egyptians came together to protest against a government that does not represent us in any way, shape or form. We know that we can change the world and we will not be suppressed again, the taste of freedom is too sweet.  

Dr. Morsi, you do not represent us. We did it once and we did it again, take whatever is left for you and step down, you have forty eight hours to react. It's your move and every egyptian across the globe is watching.  

The World Cup's Dirty Little Secrets.

Every four years, people from all walks of life and from across the globe gather in baited breath to watch and support their country play in the World Cup hoping that theirs would be the team that will hoist the ten pound, pure gold trophy above their heads. The event has been known to bring people together, sometimes in friendly rivalries, as teams meet each other on the pitch and keep us in suspense until the last second waiting to see who will move on from the group stages and who will go home defeated.   

All this sportsmanship is wonderful and beautiful to witness to say the least, but what happens when the skeletons inside the closet come out? Suffice to say that it must take a huge effort to put together such a production; I can't imagine that these skeletons don't exist. Backdoor agreements, governments taking shortcuts to make ends meet; the World Cup must cause a furry of corrupt moves in order to create the spectacle that we all watch comfortably from our hometown. With that, let us take a moment and thank the Brazilian people for so publicly displaying the World Cup's dirty laundry for all of us to see.  

Brazil has been taken by a storm of anger and frustration as million of its inhabitants take to the streets in protest against the World Cup being hosted by their country. It seems that instead of the government, presided over by Rousseff, investing in the welfare of its people it is investing in state of the art soccer stadiums. The price of public transportation has shot up in order to make up for the soccer makeover the country is undergoing. But while this is taking place, Brazilians can still be found roaming the streets looking for food and shelter, many have no health care, and even more still cannot afford good education. Thankfully they will have beautiful new stadiums that they themselves may not have access to; maybe the thought of being there will keep them warm at night. 

So what now? Do we cancel a production of such a gargantuan size simply because the people aren't satisfied with their daily lives? Is FIFA really to blame for this, all they are attempting to do is bring the world together through soccer, they’re innocent bystanders in this mess and it's the government's responsibility to ensure that their people are well taken care of before the great FIFA monster picks them to host the next event. Some may even go so far as to say that the extra publicity and foot traffic that the World Cup will cause is good for their economy; more tourists would mean more money being spent in their cities and towns leaving local merchants and businessmen to reap the benefits caused by this overbearing monster called FIFA.

As we wait for the possible public address by Rousseff, one cannot help but be amazed at the lengths to which a government can go to in order to be a part of this production. How is it possible that they are unable to give their people a better lifestyle and yet when the World Cup knocks at their door, suddenly anything and everything is fair game in order to make sure that Brazil is presentable to the FIFA board? They justify price hikes and belt-tightening tactics all so that they can build a soccer stadium but won’t do the same for healthcare reform. To those people traveling to Brazil for the World Cup: don’t get sick when you’re out there watching the games, you most likely will not get much help, healthcare costs a lot you know?