Another Positive Sign for Jews From the Egyptian Government

Algemeiner ^ | 6-4-15

[SJackson]

Egypt’s National Center for Translation has just released an Arabic translation of the Torah.

To be precise, they converted Rav Saadia Gaon’s 10th century translation of the Torah to Judeo-Arabic into Arabic itself. (Judeo-Arabic is mostly Arabic with Hebrew letters.)

The Egyptian scholars who published the book emphasize that R’ Saadia was born in Egypt (in Fayoum, identified by R’ Saadia himself as the Biblical Pitom), and that his philosophy and translations were heavily influenced by Islam. They even claim that he borrows Quranic texts in some of his translations to Arabic.

They don’t emphasize that R’ Saadia moved to Eretz Yisrael when he was in his teens to study in Tiberias. Yes, he was a Zionist! (He ended up heading a major academy in Babylonia.)

This article is quite positive towards R’ Saadia, and is part of a change in tone in Egyptian media towards Jews in recent months. (This story itself was mentioned in several newspapers.)

I’ve briefly mentioned a new Ramadan TV series called “Jewish Quarter” that looks back nostalgically at when Jews lived in Egypt.

There was another article recently that sadly explained that Egypt’s Jewish community, which numbered 80,000 in 1947, has dwindled down to only seven elderly women.

A recent Egyptian museum lecture was entitled “One God, three religions” and included the Jewish woman who leads the Egyptian community along with prominent Islamic and Coptic leaders.

It seems likely that this new attitude towards Jews is related to President Sisi’s administration.

It takes a while for attitudes to change but, at least with Egyptian media, this change is noticeable.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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Not sure how positive this is, the Egyptian Jewish population standing at seven elderly women.

[Bluewater2015]

Alexandria had a thriving Jewish community dating back to its founding in the 4th Century BC by Alexander the Great.

[Gay State Conservative]

If a moslem country recognizes the basic rights of Christians,Jews and others to live among then that's fine...admirable,in fact.

[Lady Heron]

Egypt desperately needs tourism. You can not have tourism when your population has a blind hatred and a willingness to kill others. Thus attitudes must be completely changed and fast.

[Ann Archy]

They shouldn’t have killed those German tourists at the Pyramids years ago! I now like what is happening in Egypt, so a visit would be on my horizon.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SJackson.

Egypt's National Center for Translation has just released an Arabic translation of the Torah... converted Rav Saadia Gaon's 10th century translation of the Torah to Judeo-Arabic into Arabic itself. The Egyptian scholars who published the book emphasize that R'Saadia was born in Egypt (in Fayoum, identified by R'Saadia himself as the Biblical Pitom)... They don't emphasize that R'Saadia moved to Eretz Yisrael when he was in his teens to study in Tiberias. Yes, he was a Zionist! ...There was another article recently that sadly explained that Egypt’s Jewish community, which numbered 80,000 in 1947, has dwindled down to only seven elderly women.

One of *those* topics.

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[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SJackson.

Egypt's National Center for Translation has just released an Arabic translation of the Torah... converted Rav Saadia Gaon's 10th century translation of the Torah to Judeo-Arabic into Arabic itself. The Egyptian scholars who published the book emphasize that R'Saadia was born in Egypt (in Fayoum, identified by R'Saadia himself as the Biblical Pitom)... They don't emphasize that R'Saadia moved to Eretz Yisrael when he was in his teens to study in Tiberias. Yes, he was a Zionist! ...There was another article recently that sadly explained that Egypt’s Jewish community, which numbered 80,000 in 1947, has dwindled down to only seven elderly women.

[Eleutheria5]

I wonder if Sisi has takenup the rejectionist (of Islam) baton that Tuyrkey and Iran dropped.

[SJackson]

Don’t know. Chuck Schumer had kind words for him yesterday. Egypt has had an anti Muslim Brotherhood baton for almost a century. And until Morsi hadn’t had relations with Iran since the Shah.

[SJackson]

Yes. Unfortunately Egypt doesn’t cotton to Jews and Christians survival is marginal, at best. Under Morsi they’d have been toast.

[SJackson]

Ironic that Rabbi Saadia, whose translation to Arabic they’re retranslating, was born in Egypt. Of course that was over a millennia ago.

[Eleutheria5]

They’ve been closing mosques. Maybe throwing people off rooftops and publicly crucifying oponents was not the best PR move for the Brotherhood.

[SJackson]

And al Sisi is going to execute about 100 of them, including Morsi. Maybe. Must aggravate our Jewish President.

[ckilmer]

And al Sisi is going to execute about 100 of them, including Morsi. Maybe. Must aggravate our Jewish President.
..............
Obama has been the kiss of death to the MB.

The Muslim Brotherhood shares an anti colonial anti European strain of thinking that Obama picked up from Columbia University from his days there. Arab advisors as a result in years past have mostly come from the Muslim Brotherhood. Obama thought they were the up and coming thing until their leadership was sentenced to death in their own homeland. Hard to say what Obama makes of them now.

[gleeaikin]

Now with news today it appears the Saudi’s are also cooperating with the Israelis.

[BeauBo]

I view the Muslim Brotherhood as a leftist co-option of Islam - like they used Liberation Theology to try to hijack Catholicism, and and groups like Revend Wright’s Church seek to Co-opt Protestant Christianity.

It is essentially a totalitarian political movement, with a religious cover story.

[caww]

The entire political landscape Internationally is co-operating....just a matter of the deals they can pull off while attempting to keep the conflicts under some degree of control...or fire them up to put some pressure on. Follow the money because nations are simply game pieces they're playing.

[Eleutheria5]

Well, he’s self-hating vis a vis the Jew in him.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SJackson.

To be precise, they converted Rav Saadia Gaon’s 10th century translation of the Torah to Judeo-Arabic into Arabic itself. (Judeo-Arabic is mostly Arabic with Hebrew letters.) The Egyptian scholars who published the book emphasize that R’ Saadia was born in Egypt (in Fayoum, identified by R’ Saadia himself as the Biblical Pitom), and that his philosophy and translations were heavily influenced by Islam. They even claim that he borrows Quranic texts in some of his translations to Arabic. They don’t emphasize that R’ Saadia moved to Eretz Yisrael when he was in his teens to study in Tiberias. Yes, he was a Zionist! (He ended up heading a major academy in Babylonia.) This article is quite positive towards R’ Saadia, and is part of a change in tone in Egyptian media towards Jews in recent months.