[StillProud2BeFree]

You are right - it is hyperinflated. History lesson...

I remember my first trip to Egypt. I flew in on October 5, 1982, one day before the first anniversary of the assassination of Anwar Sadat. Now I vaguely remembered that October 6 was the anniversary of the Sadat assassination but I really wasn't paying too much attention. The next day everyone was off work. It seemed kind of strange, but hey - it wasn't my culture! Then I realized that the country was in a festive mood. There were parades, and all sorts of commemorative military programs on TV. Talk about feeling a HUGE disconnect.

So I asked what the heck everyone was celebrating. I was told that they were celebrating the October the 6th war with Israel. So I sat there quietly for a few minutes, did a mental review of the history of the Arab/Israeli conflict, and this didn't make sense. So I asked the question that I was teased about until the day I left Cairo in 1989: Why in the world are you guys celebrating a war you lost?

They thought I was insane! What? Egyptians lost the 1975 war with Israel? According to the Egyptian perspective, the war was a huge victory. I was quickly acquainted with the facts according to the Egyptian government: The Egyptians attacked the Israelis, crossed the heavily fortified and impossible to penetrate Bar Lev line at the Suez Canal, and fought bravely until the Americans and Kissinger had to intervene to save the Israelis from defeat. (Sadat was assasinated by Islamic fundamentalists at a parade celebrating the 1975 war, largely because of his crackdowns on Islamic fundamentalists in Egypt, his pro-western views, and because of his willingness to made peace with Israel.)

Course I'm sitting there thinking "what alternate reality did THIS happen in!". But from their perspective, the Egyptians had won - after all, they were at peace with Israel, the US was pouring huge amounts of foreign aid in to stimulate the Egyptian economy and build a private sector, and they had just gotten back the Sinai peninsula.

[StillProud2BeFree]

I'm trying to get caught up on some postings that I'm way behind on - sorry for taking so long, the last week has been hectic.

There has been talk about the symbolic meaning of the number "19" in Islam. I ran across this in my files and thought it might be of interest. It seems that there is a group claiming to be a branch of Islam that calls itself the "Khalifites" or "19ers".

According to the website http://www.allaahuakbar.net/khalifites/index.htm "This group is actually outside the fold of Islaam and its adherents are not considered Muslims. Its founder, Rashid Khalifah, came up with a mathematical formula around the number 19 and claimed that the Qur'ân was constructed around this number. "

Anyway for what it's worth - I assume that the more knowledge we have, the better.

[LikeLight]

Amusing take on the Egyptian perspective . . . thanks for sharing that. I still remember the same thing in the press reports from the Iran-Iraq war . . . both sides claiming constant annihilation of the other . . . with total disregard for reality. That's the biggest disconnect for us Westerners . . . we just can't fathom how easily extreme lying/exaggerating comes to Middle-Easterners.

[StillProud2BeFree]

I'm sorry - I just reread my post - make that 1973 not 1975 war with Israel. Sorrya bout that - I had the date wrong.

[Oorang]

Thanks for that interesting perspective/alternate reality on the Egyptians. Also, thanks for the translations you have been doing. Greatly appreciated.