Egyptian Progressive:'Why Can't We [Arabs] See Things as the Rest of the World Sees Them?'

The Middle East Media Research Institute ^ | November 19, 2004 | Dr. Amr Isma'il

[RepCath]

'Why Do We Talk by Means of Bullets, and Hasten to Make Sweeping Accusations of Unbelief?'

"Why can't we see things as the rest of the world sees them? Why do we always feel that someone is conspiring against us, and that he is the cause of our problems and our cultural and economic backwardness?… Why are we not able to criticize ourselves and [why do] we view anyone who tries to do so as an enemy of the nation and of its principles, and other things of this kind that make some people afraid to think?…

"Why do we talk among ourselves by means of bullets, bombs, and car bombs, and when we disagree we hasten to accuse [our interlocutor] of unbelief and of being dragged after the West and the East? Why don't we recognize that nobody among us has the answer to all the questions and whoever pretends to have the absolute truth is nothing but a pretender? Have we heard that in any respectable country the parties and political streams talk by means of bullets, as sometimes happens between the various factions in Gaza and as is happening now in Iraq?…"

[RepCath]

An excellent article. The progressive Egyptian intellectual Dr. Amr Isma'il whose articles are regularly published on the secular Arab website www.rezgar.com, wrote an article condemning the Arabs' lack of self-criticism and the Islamists' abuse of the term "democracy." The following are excerpts from the article, which appeared on the progressive Arabic website www.elaph.com: [1]

[glennherman]

Great article....so when does he get assasinated by the radical mullahs?

[weenie]

Why are we not able to criticize ourselves and [why do] we view anyone who tries to do so as an enemy of the nation and of its principles, and other things of this kind that make some people afraid to think?

Excellent and honest question...rare in that part of the world.

The answer is most likely that your culture isn't self-examining because it is based on Islam and any critical examination of Islam is blasphemy.

If the thing at the center of one's heart cannot be examined, examination tends to extend only outward...ergo the paranoid projections so prevalent in the Islamic world and the reason Muslims always blame others for their problems.

[pissant]

Unfortunately, if the arab world sees things like the leftist scum in europe and elsewhere, they will be in a worse hole than they are in now.

[FormerACLUmember]

Dr. Amr Isma'il is a very brave man, an honest, insightful man worthy of our admiration and respect.

Such men are routinely assassinated by "devout" muslims.

[MosesKnows]

"Why can't we see things as the rest of the world sees them?

Who added the word Arab? "Why Can't We [Arabs] See Things as the Rest of the World Sees Them?"

When did Egyptians become Arabs?

[pabianice]

Uh... you follow a violent, archaic, homicidal faith?

[Renderofveils]

When they were invaded by Arabs militarily and culturally in the 7th century. Arabic is the national language, and Islam is the prevalent religion (96%).

[tom paine 2]

He'll probably have his throat slit for this article.

[narby]

The answer is most likely that your culture isn't self-examining because it is based on Islam and any critical examination of Islam is blasphemy.

No different than a few of the "Christians" out there in the Creationism threads. They have their interpretation of the first two chapters in Genesis, and they let it set their entire view of the world. Won't listen even to another Christian that disagrees.

[weenie]

and ate peyote buttons every 28 days

Some traditions might be worth saving...

[narby]

As if we in North America reverted back to pueblo style dwelling complexes, worshipped the coyote spirit in dug out circles with stone seats, wore animal skin plus fours and eagle feathers in our hair, and ate peyote buttons every 28 days.

Sounds like business-as-usual in some areas around Santa Fe, NM. Where the 60's hippies merged with the local Indian culture.

[WarPaint]

"As if we in North America reverted back to pueblo style dwelling complexes, worshipped the coyote spirit in dug out circles with stone seats, wore animal skin plus fours and eagle feathers in our hair, and ate peyote buttons every 28 days."

Ahhh... brings back memories of the sixties in California....

[The_Reader_David]

Many Muslim Egyptians consider themselves Arabs (and usually have some small descent from the Arab conquerors), Christian Egyptians don't, and some Muslim Egyptians don't. Secular Egyptian nationalism after the manner of Nassar considered itself part of Arab nationalism.

[weenie]

But Christianity in its foundation is a religion of personal and religious examination...

Islam is a religion of blaming other religions, other cultures, other people...blame anyone else but don't look inward or you might discover the truth about Islam.

[hinckley buzzard]

Well said. I like the Churchill quote on your homepage: prescient!

[hinckley buzzard]

"No different than a few of the "Christians" out there in the Creationism threads. "

Aw Bullsh&t! How many creationists go around cutting unbelievers' throats? Grow up, geek.

[freedumb2003]

Before you all start offering to have this guy's children, you might have missed this:

when a terrorist country like Israel does so, it does not say it is killing in the name of the Lord

Well, like Murray said in the last eposiode of MTM, when a donkey flies you can't be upset if he doesn't stay up very long.