Then is still Now!

By: Ahmed ELNAHAS – Montopoli, February 10^th 2013.

I decided to bring along some paragraphs from my previous articles posted on my blog over the past 18 months.. See for yourself and judge where we were then and where we are now??

Enjoy reading…

(I) August 3^rd 2011. Where is our Nuremberg?

“I have the right to be angry, and to express my anger as I see appropriate for the given circumstance which initially triggered my anger. As long as my manifestation does not breach God or man laws”.

Being angry for no reason or, even worse, for the wrong reason, as to substitute anger for frustration, for helplessness, or for despair; is the joy of even the inexperienced amateur manipulator, not to mention the skillful professional reactionary politicians and their lobbies who can and are using our youth’s anger to demolish the entire revolution.

Let me evaluate the situation as it is right now:

·         The Revolutionary Movements are being systematically weakened and sub-divided into powerless fractions ideologically and numerically through misleading mass control techniques. Just have a look at the various labels tagging their web-sites to realize the gravity of the damage. (I refer you to my post last week).

·         The Political Parties are being slowly driven towards frontal collisions over political crumbs, sectarian differences and ideological banners, thus shifting their aims from the main demand as claimed from day one by the people’s revolution which is simply: “the complete ‘Purification’ of the entire system in order to establish a whole new one structured to lead the way towards ‘Real’ Freedom and ‘Real’ Democracy”.

·         The Reactionary Forces (The Counter Revolutionary Lobbies) quickly overcame the initial shockwave of February 11^th and reorganized their ranks to open a multiple fronts for the counter attack by using their followers still working in media, in municipalities, in governorates, in security forces, in intelligence agencies, on private TV screens and sympathising networks like the Saudi AL ARABEYAH. We have to realize that they are using every mean they have to orchestrate the music according to their tunes.

·         Foreign Intelligence Agencies operating in Egypt are not standing by watching the events, they are steering the wheel.

History’s teachings are the only lighthouse for those, like us, who are seeking salvation from the darkness of evil and the turbulent storms of life. Unless we would have our “Nuremberg”, the worse may yet be waiting round the corner on the next turn.

(II) February 16^th 2012. A Country called Anarchy* and a Government named Chaos.

As things are going right now, I see Egypt driven straight downhill to fall into an inevitable dramatic chaos. The disorder that is manifested everyday, seem to be engineered and guided at distance by invisible, yet known, able hands. Are “they” leading us directly towards “Anarchy”?

The answer seems as a radiant YES..

“They” have already seeded fear, insecurity and mistrust among the various ethnic/religious sects of the population. 

“They” would let Egypt slide into Anarchy in a way to trigger a long term exhausting conflict and drown the entire country in the moving sands of “Chaos”. The result would be to drain out Egypt’s remaining crumbs of resources, making of her an easy pray for economic speculators and financial adventurers.

“They” have a lot to lose if Egypt could stand up to acquire its post once again within the international community..

We know from past human experiences that every major political, social or economical change; is accompanied by, or immediately followed by, a phase of “chaotic disorder”. And it is always the length of such a phase that will determine the successive type of the “Stabilising Order”.

(III) March 24^th 2012. The Missing Plug.

Little over a year ago, when the winds of change twisted over Egypt in what seemed to be an overpowering “Tornado” coming to sweep clean to the ground everything it faces; what really materialised was nothing more than a mild “Tropical Storm” which quickly passed on leaving behind almost everything completely intact.

Today it seems that the storm has even galvanised some old structures rendering them smoother, brighter, shiner and more solid than before; but mostly it made them more attractive than ever!?!

Over a year ago we thought that finally a radical change has come to last producing a new Republic founded upon a solid constitution guaranteeing and protecting the fundamental values of Freedom, Democracy, Labour, Transparency and Welfare.

For what really happened is that old faces changed their wardrobes and cosmetics, coming forward in brand new glowing disguises, gloving their “Iron Fist” in velvet and redecorating the torture rooms with slogans already voided of their contents before being nailed to the walls.

At first we were continuously faced by the respectable and humble figures of many exponents from the “Muslim Brotherhood” and the “Salafist” movements, all swearing to God that they have no intention, wish or ambition in politics and that they want to remain among the ranks of the people to serve and observe! In fact, due to free undemocratic elections following the old tailored laws, they became the crushing majority in Parliament and many of them changed views after several closed meetings with the “Field-Marshal”! Remember “Dr. El AWWA”?

Actually the agenda that we dreamed of, and the ‘Priority Tasks’ that we hoped to see accomplished were all just smoke on the water and ash in the eyes.. The “Order” is still alive and well.. And the recapitulation after fourteen months results in hundreds dead civilians, other thousands tortured behind bars, arbitrary arrests, corruption, agonising economy, a helpless nominated cabinet and a crippled parliament!!

I’m afraid that we will remain wandering for a long time searching for the plug that we missed and wondering what is it that we didn’t know?

(IV) April 4^th 2012. A Bully’s Tact!

In Egypt we say: “Whip the tied to frighten the unleashed”.. The Americans translated it into “Shock and Awe” and have actually practiced it while invading Iraq. Now the second largely voted movement in Egypt, the Salafist oriented “Annour” party, is promoting the same.

I believe that this is precisely what is going on in the Egyptian cultural arena these days, and which constitutes the prelude to a devastating social seismic event that can, and will, provoke more divisions, more hatred, more superficiality, more indifference and more ignorance.

The Salafist movement is actually applying step by step the classic “Authoritarian Control Manual”:

Ø  to establish large consensus among the population through demagogic and ideological (religious) exaggerated rhetoric,

Ø  then chose some well known prominent figures to publicly accuse of high treason to the cause (blasphemy), and

Ø  mobilise the mass of followers for the public ‘Lynching’.

As such, the result will be either a overwhelming general sense of intimidation or an irrevocable fragmentation of the population that may lead to continuous confrontations and maybe even armed conflicts destabilising the nation and nourishing tribal, ethnic and sectarian versatilities and permanent vindictive grievances.

Remember that while The Military Dictatorship, that gave birth to the likes of Mubarak, hated the “TRUTH”; the coming  “Ideological Dictatorship” will eradicate it.

Is there someone seen on the horizon capable of rescuing an agonising revolution, and willing to embrace moderation to guide the nation into the democratic republic of transparency, human rights and social justice? A society that can remedy its aches on its own setting itself free from Corruption of hands and minds.

(V) September 15^th 2012. Fanatic Tribalism!

In an intelligence memo written in January 1916, T. E. Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia) described the Arab Revolt as “…beneficial to us, because it marches with our immediate aims, the break up of the Islamic 'bloc' and the defeat and disruption of the Ottoman Empire, and because the states [Sharif Hussein] would set up to succeed the Turks would be … harmless to ourselves … The Arabs are even less stable than the Turks. If properly handled they would remain in a state of political mosaic, a tissue of small jealous principalities incapable of cohesion”.

To that very reason we lost Palestine, Jerusalem, Golan, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, Libya, and now Syria which have been all driven into sectarian and religious futile conflicts that resulted in dismembering each into destructed poor and indebted fragments of pieces.. Not to mention the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf satellite states which embrace and enjoy an eternal orgasmic relation with the western powers and Israel on top!!

We were instructed, no.. We were ordered to change ourselves if we want change to come.. We were ordered to Prepare whatever we can to confront the enemy.. But if we can’t even unite as we do five times a day in prayer, then our chances to get out of our eight centuries long dark age are simply NONE.

(VI) October 1^st 2012. Iqra’.

A Lot of terms that we come to take for granted and use in our daily conversations and communications, without questioning their real meaning and true impact on our evolutionary knowledge, seem to me contradictory and even oppose the original sense meant for their use.

Those who by definition should be labelled as ‘Alternative’ are referring the themselves as ‘Traditional’. That is precisely what I mean by the contradiction in the use and conception of terms.

Because now, as you may have noticed, some are using the term “SALAFI” to define the Traditional Islam and in my opinion that is wrong, because the known Islamic ‘Traditional’ Practice is the “SUNNA” of the Prophet (ppboh) and his “Four Wise Followers”, and which by the way represents the MODERATE CENTRAL TRADITIONS in Islamic Culture and its religious practices; while the term Salafi was originally introduced by a politically oriented and superficial media meddlers to define the most Orthodox interpretation of the doctrine, in a way that could easily be synonymic  to Integralist or Fundamentalist; thus in turn would automatically lead to the term “TERRORIST”, to be used at will by whomever wants to intimidate, threat or bargain.

No wonder that the first word descending upon Mohammad (ppboh) in that cavern during a Ramadan some 15 centuries ago was IQRA’! A term that embraces a vast multitude of words explaining the most adequate and best use of the highest gift God have granted to the Human species: The Brain. Terms like read, recite, think, meditate, observe, discuss, debate, analyse, experience, repeat, deduct, measure, exchange, decide, pronounce…etc. All such terms are the essence of the Scientific Methodology. 

Muslim scholars from the dawn of Islam until the 13^th century, knew that well, practiced it and mastered it. That’s why our nation glittered and led the way for human civilisation’s progress, growth and development.

But ever since we accepted to abdicate the throne of our brains and delegated its functions to ‘Imams’ and ‘Uly El Amr’ without questioning their abilities, motivations, knowledge, sense of justice, integrity and honesty; our destiny became signed and we sank back all the way to where we are now. We once were “Producers/Exporters” of knowledge, science and technology to the entire humanity.. Now we merely are consuming those of others.

Faith is an idea you believe in your mind, express with your words and practice with your deeds.. And you will be judged in the end alone in front of God based on that single and simple notion..

We’ll be judged according to the choices we took based on our own understandings, comprehensions and interpretations, not in view of what we were told or even ordered to do and not to do. And that’s precisely the meaning of “Maturing” and becoming “Adults”..

So let’s really handle our lives using the teachings of IQRA’! Not to rely only on the interpretations of X or Y! Maybe then we could have a second chance.  

Now my friends, that you’ve made it and went through the entire article, can you tell to which direction our country’s compass is pointing right now?

Pass On The Word.