Posted on 04/24/2006 5:28:56 AM PDT by SJackson
This morning, in front of the United Nations, demonstrators will gather in support of the Coptic Christians of Egypt, and the action is coming none too soon, if you ask me. For the better part of 20 centuries, Alexandria, the grand port built by Alexander the Great, stood as a bastion of culture, a melting pot of Roman, Macedonian, Greek, Italian, Egyptian, Muslim, and Christian Levantine tolerance. As recently as 1958, the English author Lawrence Durrell celebrated the city's luminous diversity in his enchanting "Alexandria Quartet" books.
Last week, however, Alexandria's churches and Christian neighborhoods burned with fires of sectarian strife as the dark shadows of ignorant, fundamentalist frenzy reached a pearl of the Mediterranean.
On Good Friday, when the violence began, three churches were attacked by knife-wielding mobs during services, leaving seven Christians and one Muslim dead, with scores wounded and hospitalized, according to Coptic Web sites. During a Christian funeral for a 72-year-old man the following day, the procession was attacked, its mourners pursued in the streets.
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
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The old Persian civilization. Not much left of that now.
Sort of like the Copt family in New Jersey, although robbery was reportedly the final motive.
Which I've never fully believed.
It is probably more a matter of leadership than philosophy, and in that sense, ambitious, agressive leaders are also seen in the West. For every Saladin or Osama there is a Napoleon or Hitler.
Modernity as we know it is a product of Judaism and Christianity. The Ten Commandments and Jesus's commandment to love God and neighbor are timeless have provided a foundation for civilation and have shown an amazing ability to withstand the tests of time.
Ultimately, it is the withstanding of the challenges of modernity that underscore the Truth in Judeo/Christianity...and show islam to be a false religion.
Egypt was a Christian country until conquered by islamic armies. When will the UN do something about this occupation?
This will do about as much good as gathering in front of Tony's Pizza Parlor.
"the dark shadows of ignorant, fundamentalist frenzy "
Must be those Norweigans again.
Also political. From the Middle Ages until WWI virtually the entire Middle East was ruled by the relatively lax and corrupt Ottoman Turkish Caliphate. Like Turks today, these rulers were more pragmatic than fanatical--and they didn't tolerate Islamic fanatics.
In the closing years of the Ottoman Empire they did perpetrate one of the first great holocausts however...purposely murdering over 1 Million Armenian Christians--their own citizens--mainly just because they were Christian. This deliberate genocide has yet to be fully acknowleged by the Turkish government--and was largely perpetrated by the popular will of the Moslem populace--encouraged by their rulers, and the Immams.
If Europe wants to know what could happen when/if Moslem populations become a majority in their own countries, they need only look back to 1917.
Of course in modern times before the discovery (by Americans & Europeans) of oil in the Middle East, they were all dirt poor too. Money and Politics does change things.
Of Moslem cultures compared to culturally "Christian" (if not actually still Christian...for many) I like to think of how Islamic countries would behave, given the popular culture of revenge and 'honor' had the horrors of WWII been perpetrated there. The fact that the French, the Germans, the British, the Poles, etc. can all get along--in economic union and more--shows to me the civilizing influence of Christian ethics--even if the religion is more of an echo there then reality for the majority of the people.
The ancient (and frankly pagan) culture of blood feuds, honor killing, and revenge found in Islamic countries largely doesn't exist in Europe--to everyone's benefit. Otherwise even simply trade would be impossible.
If Muslims act that way as members of "a religion of peace", imagine if their philosophy were not peace-oriented (do you get my sarcasm?).
Consider the plight of Christians in Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the Sudan, and Egypt, and you will see that Jews are not necessarily the only targets of Islamic "militancy".
With minimal new worlds to conquer, Islam turned inward and despotism "tamed" the Islamic center under the bankrupt moral authority of the Ottoman Turks, while the hinterlands stayed afloat on small time crime. Once the Ottomans were toppled in WWI, there was nothing left. Oil revived their economies and they went back to their old habits on a grand scale.
Is that it?
OFF TOPIC but regarding Egypt...
ON THE NET...
Note: Some of these news links will update themselves.
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http://www.foxnews.com
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,192893,00.html
AP
"Sinai Resort Town"
Monday, April 24, 2006
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "CAIRO, Egypt — Three explosions Monday night rocked the Egyptian resort city of Dahab at the height of the tourist season, killing at least 17 people and wounding more than 150 at just one hotel, according to the doctor who runs Egypt's Sinai Peninsula rescue squad.
Dr. Said Essa said he was headed to the scene of the blasts and that his casualty figures were for victims at the el-Khaleeg Hotel only. He said there were casualties at the scene of the other blasts, but he had no details.
Al-Jazeera television said one of the explosions hit a restaurant.
There have been a string of attacks in Egypt's Sinai peninsula over 18 months, including deadly Al Qaeda-style bombings in the Egyptian resorts of Taba and Ras Shitan in October 2004 and in Sharm el-Sheik in July."
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http://www.jpost.com
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1143498910174&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
Apr. 24, 2006 20:58 | Updated Apr. 24, 2006 21:37
"22 killed, at least 150 wounded in Dahab blasts"
By JPOST STAFF AND AP
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Twenty-two people were killed and at least 150 were wounded on Monday night in three massive explosions in Dahab, on the east of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
People were frantically trying to escape the area and dozens of ambulances were at the scene, Zaka reported.
The bombs were apparently placed on a bridge, in the El-Khalheeg Hotel cafeteria and near a police station prior to the explosions.
Following the blasts Israel's security forces raised the level of alert in Eilat."
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http://www.usdivetravel.com/T-EgyptTerrorism.html
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STATE.TRAVEL.COM - CONSULAR INFORMATION SHEET: EGYPT
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1108.html
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http://www.memri.org/egypt.html
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PERSECUTION.ORG - COUNTRY INFO - EGYPT
http://www.persecution.org/newsite/countryinfodetail.php?countrycode=7&PHPSESSID=e38e8f5a5a083172463fa7233a32f28d
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ON THE NET...
http://www.internet-haganah.com/jihadi
http://www.jihadwatch.org
http://www.memri.org/jihad.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=jihad
Bigpharaoh.com
http://www.bigpharaoh.com/2006/04/21/one-nation-for-all/
Friday, April 21, 2006
A Nation for All
Topics: Uncategorized
I just came from a demonstration protesting the recent events in Alexandria and calling for a "one nation for all, Muslims and Christians." After the shock of what happened in Alex, I simply had to do something no matter how small it was.
The demonstration included the opposition movements Kifaya, Youth for Change, The Popular Campaign for Change, and Ayman Nour's party Al Ghad. People with no specific party or entity affiliation, like myself, were present as well.
The entities mentioned above are mainly secular and they were instrumental in the political upheaval of 2005. Unfortunately, they almost have zero grassroots support.
The demonstration was a success as far as I am concerned. Around 400-500 people showed up, Muslims and Christians, all reaffirming the fact that Egypt is for all and sectarianism has no place in our country.
Below are a number of the pics I took. You will find a translation of what the signs said below every picture.
(Click on link for photos)
"Nothing to see here, move along.."
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