Today, 22nd Oct 2013, part of the Autumn series of talks organized by the Union for education professionals (UCU) was a live broadcast of MIT's Professor Noam Chomsky. It was such an honor to attend and listen to Professor Chomsky's comments on the place of university in today's society and the direction of education. Professor Chomsky began by highlighting the many issues that our world seem to suffer from today from general stagnation to specific problems of politics and democracy. He no doubt wrote openly about his views as a linguist and as a philosophers. But it was great to hear his views as perhaps an education reformer or someone who at least see education shifting in a certain direction. Professor Chomsky stated that the government has no right in "devaluing" education in such a way that it is no longer a place for knowledge but rather a cooperation. A business in an industrial system that requires profits regardless of its customers' needs. The "new spirit of the age" as he called it is a term used by many thinkers when talking about social and economical crisis or trends in our present day. It is clear that because people started to wonder about the value of what they are really getting from services to eduction, we are seeing more and more strikes and signs of people's objection. Funny enough Chomsky commented "the system worked fine when its citizens were passive and obedient" This is of course true of many countries today that have recently been through times of turmoil as a result of political and social reforms. Talking for example about the rise in tuition, Chomsky explained that before a student could claim bankruptcy and his debts will be written off. Now there seem to be no expiry period for such debts, thus, a student can lose on future salary and any benefits he may be getting just because they will automatically be taken away to cover his initial debts. It sounded to me indeed like a vicious circle where students have fallen victims with or without awareness. Germany for example and Finland have free education, why can't other countries follow? Isn't the right to good education a simple and basic human right?! The direction of education today is a pessimistic one clearly as the primary victims are students who are plunged into debts at the sheer scam of a "business like model of education" Chomsky joked about one making a call only to be answered by a machine then options that often do not include what you are inquiring about or needing. One the one hand, this period of waiting on the phone is efficient for businesses as they can keep you in the line while they attend to others' calls but on the other hand, this is a waste of your time and very possibly money if the call was not free. Chomsky is saying that today the most vulnerable in education are graduates who are paid less, expected to do more and become replaceable. The privatization plan is to limit consumers' choices by ruining something in such a way that a consumer find no other way but to accept the concept of privatization. This does not help human progress at all. There has been a debate about What education OUGHT to be. Of course in the Enlightenment period when there were provocative images. Education was seen as 1. A vessel for water (a leaky one of course) and 2. as a foster of exploration and designed to aid understanding. However, what the new spirit of the age expects is: Obedience, devalue of human life and of course, wealth. On an end note, Chomsky says, he see that there is still hope with dedicated effort and careful thought, activism from civilized groups of society, things will improve... In Q & A : Chomsky mentioned how MIT used to get in the 50s and 60s its funding from the Pentagon to help the poorer population. From the late 60s till today, the funding declined and more cooperative funding are emerging as a consequence of organization wanting to fund projects that will benefit them and bring them profit. These projects used to be in he field of technology and electronics, now they are mostly concerned with pharmaceutical and biological projects. It seems therefore that the options for research for students are determined by economy and interests from industry and not anything else. This is of course a shame as it is in a way an exploitation of intellectuals and researchers for the sake of businesses and cooperation financial and economical growths. And to end, Chomsky mentioned a question that he'd been asked and left the audience giggling when he attempted to come to UK was "How can your research contribute to British economy?" What a fantastic live broadcast that was, one day I will look back at this and have a big sigh. Thanks to the education Union (UCU) ulivucu.org.uk

Lana Del Rey- Lucky Ones [LYRICS ON SCREEN]

   

Big sigh at this song... It is true that we always crave to be loved, not just if one is single, but even when one is with a partner or married. Sometimes the heart still craves an emotion that cannot be explained and cannot be found easily. Maybe not straight away at least.

I have been lately wondering how it is so easy for a man to get out and in of love so easily and how a man can love once, twice and for a third time without giving it a second thought. Or Ok, with giving it "some" if at all, thought. What is interesting is the difficulty such a process is when a woman experience exactly the same scenario, would she be able to get in and out of love, switch lovers smoothly and effectively without emotional harm or distress? No, is the clear answer. We seem to get hooked on one person as the centre of attention of our whole universe. It is certainly difficult to imagine touching another man when for a long time- perhaps even for 30 years- one have been with the same person. The truth of the matter is that men can easily switch just like that and start a new life with another woman So why can't we?! Why is our mind rejecting this idea of a stranger who can quickly and soon become a new life partner? I was telling myself it could be that we, women, get too attached, too comfortable perhaps and we fear the new ,the unknown, the different? But then I thought surely this isn't the case with "all" women. Strong women are not going to shrink at the thought of the new other's naked body? A strong woman will welcome the challenge of experiencing yet again everything in love and in love new and for the first time. Just like falling in love over and over and over and over again.... Oh well what the heck! If men can do it, why can't we? HUh!

Borders of the mind

Dear Public This is a note addressed to you specifically to tell you about an idea that has always been there and yet unnoticed, that is the idea of the borders of the mind. We live by rules, norms and traditions that were passed down to us from past generations. It is likely that we never question them till we die. Those who stop and question these borders may or may not survive the attacks of the others. It is unfortunate that we have so much power on each other to alter if not cease someone else's ideas. The borders I am referring to are those that hinder our progress. They are borders that are man-made. Who is it to say that one one group of people or better or worthy than another? Who is it to say that we are the "chosen ones"? And if so, chosen by who? God? Well, God "supposedly" created us equal...or has he?! Why do we say this faith is the "right" or "wrong" faith? Isn't it about time to cross the border of the mind towards a universal way of thinking? The borders of the mind force us to stay where we are wanting to believe so much that the state that we are on is true, correct, righteous and real. This feeling is chattered with the realization that one needs to leave the past behind and look forward to the future with its new challenges and opportunities. Through human history we can see that we were once all the same, all together and nothing else mattered. So what has changed I wonder?! Image: Muslim brotherhood demonstration in Cairo's streets, August 2013

Thinkwrite with Dr Peter Moore

As a PhD students you always are on the look out for opportunities to inspire you and reassure you that you are on the right track. I have luckily met with Dr Peter Moore for "My thesis" workshop as part of University of Liverpool's graduate school summer programme. Dr Moore gave us all a booklet which I believe is a good starting point towards rethinking your work as a whole. I have posted the two pages I found most useful on my wall to be a constant reminder of where I am at and where I am going. These valuable pages are a chart of my thesis plan chapter by chapter and a mind map which gives me a whole comprehensive view to see the work in its totality. No session of course is perfect as I found myself wondering about other things too. But Dr Moore's humor and cynicism towards academia, writing and marketing was always bringing me back to the classroom. I could not stop myself from wondering about the idea of Thinkwrite as a business that provides a variety of courses. Could this possibly be the way forward if one diverges from the route to an academic position? Could one's own experiences be the basis for a business idea? Why not. If you are a PhD student like me who would like some valuable resources and help writing up, check Dr. Moore's website: http://www.thinkwrite.biz/about_us/

Happy Ramadan Everyone!

Ramadan is one of the best months to spend in a Muslim country. The charm of the Eastern warmth, the fumes and mixed smells of cooking near Iftar time, people's chilled out attitude towards life, the traditional songs and the variety of TV programmes, but best of all, the colorful lanterns lightening the streets at night. This is something I terribly miss here in UK. Every year Ramadan comes and I only know about it from friends and family. I feel nothing here, no celebrations, no traditions and certainly no gathering around the table for Iftar. The family feel during Ramadan is absent in UK. Even Christmas day in the West does not come any close to such a holy month in terms of preparation or grandeur.

Ramadan this year has started on 8th July and is predicted to last till August 7th, 2013. After it comes the Eid, which is another celebration I miss a lot, mostly because of the lack of family members I have here in UK. You'd think when you marry and leave your parents house that life has begun for you and is filled with so much adventures. Realistically, life is exactly the same but with one difference which is that your're seriously on your own. Many times I think to myself "it sucks to be an adult" I wish I knew that ages ago I could have taken advantage of being a youngster and lived these days fully rather than trying to grow up so fast and worrying about what the future holds.

The problems of Ramadan in UK is that Iftar is at 10 pm which is extremely unhealthy if like me you are a full time mum looking after a crazy active toddler, trying to write up a thesis, juggling a few chores and running a household single handed. Now what would someone religious say to me about not fasting? Well, the first attempt to convince me that I should would be that in me suffering there is redemption for my sins and that my reward after the temporal life will be very worthwhile. The problem with this reasoning is that it already assumes that I have committed sins in the temporal life that I so wish to redeem and that my sense of guilt or shame from God will drive me to give in to such reasoning and agree to put my body and mind under this suffering for a month. The second attempt to convince me is that I would be tempted to fast for the sake of the reward in the non temporal world- i.e. appealing to my greed. The two attempts from my view are inadequate in terms of making me fast since the hours and the suffering will have terrible consequences on myself, body and mind, and on my child who will not be able to cope at 18 months only without me fully functioning to take care of his daily needs. What I find annoying though is when someone sleeps during the day till past 4 or 5pm only to have a few hours left to go till Iftar and stays up to watch TV after Iftar at 10 pm till 3am! Surely God would see this as a waste of one's life and productive valuable time. People who do so, should not preach to people like me whose day starts at 6 am daily with the cry of a child to attend to.

The moral of the story, therefore, there are things in Islam that are desirable but not doing them will not make you a sinner. Islam should be seen as a religion that does not take away your right to live life fully, it is not a religion that dictates to you to do this and that blindly. Islam tells us to think, to see, to feel, to learn, to know and to act. Yes, it is desirable of me to be fasting during the month of Ramadan, but not fasting for very important reasons such as health, time and the welfare of a child who is entirely dependent on me, does not make me a sinner.

With this quote: "Life is like a game of cards, the hand you are dealt with is determinism the way you play it is free will", I leave you...Have a wonderful month of Ramadan.

Once again an Egyptian Revolution

My sister, Heidi

Egyptian people rise to show the world that they are strong- even if not entirely united. But  this was all about to change. I have to say I was skeptical at first and I was disheartened about Muslim brotherhood ruling of Egypt. I can finally take a breath and say I was very wrong and there is still a future for Egypt. 

My mum and sister were among many of those wanted their voice to be heard and know that Morsi's ruling was no good. After only one year in power, the Muslim brotherhood drained Egypt's resources and put themselves and their relatives in office to "cash in" while they still can as much as possible.

My mother, Hala

On the night of 3 July, after a warning 48 hours earlier to intervene on behalf of the people, the Egyptian Armed Forces came out with a statement announcing the end of Mohammed Morsi's presidency. In the same statement, the military announced that the constitution was temporarily suspended, that a presidential election would be held soon, the chief justice of the constitutional court, Adly Mansour, is now head of the government and that a transitional technocratic government would be formed until the election.

In an Nutshell, consequences of 3rd July 2013 revolution are:

 
- President Morsi deposed by Military (as request from the Military by Egyptian people)
- Constitution suspended (It needed some attention to be honest)
- New Elections to be determined by the interim government- Arrests of Muslim brotherhood members (Like Nasser's era)
- Closure of perceived pro-Muslim media outlets (Wooohooo-  I hope it's including the belly dancing channel that began when they came to power!)

Now, the latest is:
Barack’s Plan B for the Brotherhood | FrontPage Magazine:

http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/baracks-plan-b-for-the-brotherhood/#.Ud11NTbmrqY.blogger

Obama and Morsi come together to try to show Hamas and Israel the way to peace.(Patrick Chappatte's cartoon: Chappatte is an editorial cartoonist for the International Herald Tribune- http://www.nytimes.com)

Mr Obama, here is a reply from an American citizen, Lina A Benhalim who has lived all her life in Egypt and is now witnessing all the events first hand. Ms Benhali claimed that she can clearly see the truth which is concealed by some of the Western media. today.

Ms Benhalim 's reply to Mr Obama should be more than sufficient:

Dear Barack Obama,

You can stick that "plan B" where it really belongs. Egypt is not and will not be another Syria, or even another Iraq. Your historical ways of planting terrorism in the Middle East to "create" the need to jump in and save the day as you did previously won't work this time. This is Egypt Mr Obama, bigger than you, your government, and your 10 year old nation. This is the civilization of thousands of years, and this is the land that initiated all the sciences and maths that you now use against us. Unfortunately this is one where you can't stand the chance, Egypt is bigger than you. 

Sincerely,

An ashamed American citizen

Fantastic Song from Egypt: Ana Satreen | أنا سطرين | Asfalt band Ft. Ameer Yossef

@AxeerStudio | Ana Satreen | أنا سطرين | Asfalt Ft. Ameer Yossef

Our identity defined by what we do and what we say. I am many things, my existence has multiple dimensions. You'd think I am a single piece in a puzzle, but I am not. I am all around you. In this life, I continue to leave my mark...after all, I refuse to leave unnoticed.

Enjoy :) x

World Philosophies: University of Hull's 2nd Annual Philosophy Graduate Conference

On 20th and 21st June 2013 I have had the pleasure of attending and presenting a paper at University of Hull's 2nd Annual Philosophy Graduate Conference titled "World Philosophies", held at Wilberforce Building. The conference which was organised by Postgraduate student, Joshua Gray, was with no doubt a success. The aim of the conference was to allow analytic philosophy to engage with other philosophies from around the world. Papers presented varied both in style and tradition which highlighted the need for dialogue between analytic and continental philosophy.

The issues which the conference highlighted were firstly, that post-graduate students today should have an understanding of where their own research stand within the wider philosophical canon. Keynote speaker, Dr Katherine Morris (Oxford) questioned "who is to say which philosopher is within such canon." It was evident that everyone present can sense that there was indeed a "gulf between Western and non-Western philosophies", but the reasons for it were yet to be discovered and, hopefully, overcome in the coming years. On the brighter side, some of the attendees presentations had underlying links and shared some common traits. It was a step into welcoming other philosophies, keeping an open mind and showing appreciation to speakers' efforts.

From  my perspective, the conference also highlighted a void- if not flaws- within the British academic system- or more specifically within the study of philosophy. Naturally, not all attendees of the conference share the same educational or intellectual background. And if the conference is open to the general public, then students should be aware that their work must be accessible to in a way which would make sense to all and would touch upon important issues in regards to one's humanity. After all, this is what makes philosophy appealing in the first place; that is the fact that it talks about us, our feelings, our existence and how we cope with our surroundings. We are approaching an era where people have started losing the will to read complicated texts or be patient enough to untangle its contents. In the past, philosophers have managed to get away with, for instance, lousy writing style, jargon, complicated or borrowed words. But today... we write for "the people" not "at" the people. I, thus, predict that the ordinary language philosopher will be, within the next couple of years, the public's popular choice.

Another aspect that the conference highlighted is the language in which postgraduates students use today to engage with one another or with the public. There is no doubt that one always feels he/she is under scrutiny from the "other". All I could think of at the time, when someone complained that he was terrified that a specific person would be the first to "pick" or "question" aspects of the content of the presentation, if not the validity or importance of the work, is to say "relax & who cares". Of course I have reached this attitude after experiencing the same feelings on numerous occasions and telling myself instead "prepare to wow them" rather than "prepare to be attacked" and worrying that my presentation is an opportunity for others to find fault in. It is our inner projection that drives us forward, our passion and belief in what we do is the key to our success. Perhaps the one thing that we, postgraduates, are not taught is how to look after our well being and to believe in ourselves. It is not a battle of words or who is right or wrong here, or even who is more deserving of our appreciation than another. The reason why the Greeks sat around a table all together during a symposium, all equal, was to show exactly that; solidarity, equality and appreciation or finding worth in one another. So why is it becoming so difficult today?

All in all, I had a great time meeting a lot of people who I am hopefully going to keep in touch with....As for my research, it's only the beginning of a life time passion so bring it on!

It just means you ARE human...

Muse's "Uprising" Lyrics

“You say you're 'depressed' - all i see is resilience. You are allowed to feel messed up and inside out. It doesn't mean you're defective - it just means you're human.”- From Film Cloud Atlas

One of the quotes that keep popping in my head recently is this one (above). Taking a step back now, although some people would not believe this about me, but I have often felt down more than the times I have felt "happy". But then again what is the meaning of "happiness"? Now we went from one question to another which is not really what I intended to write about now... 

Back to the quote (above) it is normal to feel down, it is normal to feel "messed up" because this is what makes you, me and everyone else human. I say to myself often now, don't beat yourself too much about it, you can only do too much for someone. They have to want to succeed, they have to want to change, it must come from within. well, this makes me feel better for a bit but they I start feeling anxious all over again. It is like your hands have been tied down so tightly while you're attempting to run up a hill!!! Yes that's exactly how I feel. At 29 years old, I think to myself (more lately than before) my god, I feel like I'll have a heart attack at any moment now. I try to stop and distract myself quickly, sometimes it works, sometimes it's worse...

Anyway, so when the quote says "It doesn't mean you're defective, it just means you're human" it really is saying "stop worrying, stop beating yourself about it, you can't fix the world", you are only a piece in a massive puzzle.

The sad thing is that I feel at limbo at this  moment in life, not knowing where I am going or what I am waiting for. All I know is that something will happen or "need" to happen. This moment, this time, this second, the silence is increasing my anxiety and the bareness of life is unbearable. Let's hope a big bang comes in my way to shake things up soon enough!

With this thought, I leave you with a great song "Uprising" from my favorite band Muse... Enjoy!

Quick note about the song: Can't help but think in the chorus of the song that it should be "WE" rather than "They" in "They will not force us" etc... It  seems to me to be us forcing ourselves, degrading ourselves and controlling ourselves... So how can we be victorious muse ? Huh? It is ALL Our own Doing!!! sniff sniff...

Why is Egypt so backward

This issue of why Egypt has been recently drifting into the abyss has been one that is always on my mind. I cannot help but compare between the East and the West, Egypt and UK. The inability of Egyptians to overcome the vanity of status and alterity has caused the nation to go backwards. Let me explain...

Now it seems to me that Egyptians put family and social status at the highest rank possible. But when you
really see human interactions on a closer level you'd see the truth behind these interactions. Their purpose is not to enjoy one another's company or act morally withing a social norm, but rather to please one's ego by showing off material possessions and comparing between siblings, family members and gossiping about who has what and who did what. Sadly, this has been one of the fundamental things that have put me totally off interacting with fellow Egyptians. I have been in UK for 7 years now and can frankly say that I have never shared this characteristics or found it appealing in one way or the other.

Now to be my home....Liverpool City 

Am I becoming British then? Apart from a document with my photo saying British passport, I think that my temperaments has certainly been affected by living in the Western world and specifically UK.

To say it simply, when I walked in the house and asked my husband to put the kettle on and had the strongest urge for a cup of tea with milk and a piece of cake, something inside me was alerted that such a behavior- that I used to mock- is rapidly becoming a norm.

On a more serious level, I have become intolerant to the drama and moaning of how life is unfair and the attempts of fellow Egyptians to burden me with their troubles, big or small.

The more I look into human relations with analytic eyes, the more I realise the faults and traps I am bound to fall into and I make a swift escape. For this reason, I have fallen out with some, ignored others and avoided most starting by deleting the what I believe to be the curse of modernity and the highlight of social media today, Facebook. Frankly, I spent hours and hours of valuable time that I could have completed a lot of work in, chatting and checking others. For what purpose, I one day asked myself and found that my answers all point towards deleting such an invention. To me, it was the ties that tied me down to my roots and reminded me of the little annoying things that I hated whilst growing up in Egypt, the drama, the misery, the invasion of one's privacy, the underlying hate and the absence of morals masked by an organised form of religion.

An ultimate thing I felt after a month of deleting my Facebook page is that solitude is a bliss that cannot be sacrificed at any cost. Of course in addition to realizing how less of an Egyptian I have become!

I think I'll have a heart attack soon...

Lately there has been too much going on that I realized suddenly how much I always put people before me.

It is certainly not doing me any good and I feel like I will at any moment collapse. So I decided that from now on, I will say to myself "it is NOT my business" "it is NOT my problem" If people are capable of causing the problem surely they are capable of undoing it too, right?! My good, how people can be a pain sometimes. I always hear Sartre saying in my head "Hell is Other people" he is so right. This month I turn 29 and it is something that is making me wonder about the future too much. Yes at 29 it is making me worry- wait till I hit 30 aye! It upset me the most when the advert with Antonio Bandarez comes on and I think to myself how much he aged and how age is a real B**** There is no stopping for age, it is a powerful thing that hits us all, humans, the most. I don't think animals worry or notice even, it is just a natural cycle for them. Oh well, pardon my pessimism but if there was any sense in this world, our purpose would be a bit clearer and our path would be easier. I sat the other day in a doctor's waiting room full of sick babies and all I can think of is where is God's mercy and why is he allowing this? Is it wrong of me to ask? Maybe. But as my eyes watered thinking that thought I could not find the right answer or at least one that satisfies me, not even close. In fact, when my own son sleeps on me as I am on the rocking chair and he flinches, frowns or wakes suddenly crying, I wonder what could have possibly disturbed his easy peaceful life? I can only wish when this happens that I am present in his dreams to push bad thoughts away or whatever made him that scared or upset. But I guess there is only little that a parents can do.

Apologies for the scattered ideas here, it is that time of the day where I cant help myself but think. I wish I could "unplug" myself....again, if only it was that easy.

Tawfiq Al Hakim My Life's Work

It is shocking how people still do not know today a pioneer in literature and philosophy like Tawfiq Al Hakim. I have spent many years gathering his works and materials to support my thesis and research. My work will aim to present his philosophical writings in a new light, one that is current and suitable for reviving the philosophical narrative genre in Egypt and abroad. The research is original and will be no doubt controversial in that it will examine his doctrine and his own personal beliefs in relation to his religion, Islam. Without giving too much details of my progress and discoveries, this work will be a stepping stone which consolidates ideas from both, the East and the West. I feel it is needed at the current time and vital to clear the misunderstandings and misconceptions that are linked to him as an author. The challenge is certainly one that I am struggling with, but with every step of progress, I am more determined than ever! I am hoping to complete the work by 2014/15 at the latest.

الفيلم التسجيلي راهب الفكر توفيق الحكيم
http://youtu.be/tagZNIfwpvs

Islamic University, Al Azhar, president SACKED over food poisoning scandal

Yet another scandal in Egypt to emerge as students of Al Azhar university get food poising from eating rotten chicken that has passed unnoticed. Why am I not surprised?

Just to make it worse, the incident emerged at a time when the whole country is disgusted and furious at the Muslim brotherhood ruling that has gone too far. There are news of groups roaming in the country hitting and torturing people for no reason and unjustified arrests! The president Morsi continues to make the situation worse by his void speeches that only show stupidity, ignorance and more trouble to come for the country. People living in Egypt- my friends and family on a personal level- expressed their concern for the country and for the future that is not looking promising at all. Everyone so far is looking for an opportunity elsewhere to escape the chaos and stupidity of those who now call themselves rulers. Almost 600 students were poisoned and taken to hospital.

More information on the scandal can be found here:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/68365/Egypt/Politics-/AlAzhar-sacks-university-president-over-food-poiso.aspx

To watch video interview of students on the street press link below:

VIDEO: EGYPT UNIVERSITY STUDENTSPROTEST AFTER FOOD POISONING CCTV News - CNTV English

Cloud Atlas Sextet - Piano XXXL

  25th Feb, 2013 Film

Finally managed to go see the new film Cloud Atlas after checking the trailer out many times for months. It was not far from what I expected, in fact, I was happy that it met every single expectation I had in mind. Futuristic, yes, creative, yes, imaginative, defiantly, musical and romantic, for sure and the icing on the cake, it was philosophical.

The questions posed by the actors caused the lamp above my head to light up and my imagination to go wild.

Some of the beautiful quotes in Cloud Atlas that I cannot get out of my head by David Mitchell are:

“My life amounts to no more than one drop in a limitless ocean. Yet what is any ocean, but a multitude of drops?” 

“Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.” 


“You say you're 'depressed' - all i see is resilience. You are allowed to feel messed up and inside out. It doesn't mean you're defective - it just means you're human.”

"suicide takes considerable courage...."

“What is any ocean but a multitude of drops?” “& only as you gasp your dying breath shall you understand, your life amounted to no more than one drop in a limitless ocean!"

How can we not think when we hear these words. I don't think anyone could ignore the urge for inquiring within oneself about the gush of emotions that one feels when these words are uttered. I know for sure that I found it impossible and it was, to me, like an invitation to allow myself to take this opportunity to think without being disrupted by others' presence or sounds. What a bliss it is to be in a cinema theatre...there is always pleasure in darkness. What really complimented the film experience though was this perfect musical piece that I felt the need to share. Enjoy

27th November 2012 Third Egyptian Revolution

The most annoying thing about living in the West is hearing very little about what happens in the East.

I was wondering what is going on in Egypt so I searched facebook and the internet to find out that there is another revolution!! This time called the Third Egyptians' Anger Revolution.

    ثورة الغضب المصرية الثالثة

Most recent post on Facebook by Wael Ghonim, a name associated with the first revolution and many political activities and social media, stated that "the president (Morsi) did not expect to see in Tahrir square that many people- just a few months after his election as a president- objecting to his recent decision. Just like many people did not expect him right after his election and the previous revolution to issue a decision that is not based on the constitution giving him a dictator's privileges and saying that these privileges are "temporarily"!!

‎Wael Ghonim - وائل غنيم‎

لم يكن الرئيس يتوقع أن يمتلئ ميدان التحرير عن آخره بعد شهور قليلة من حكمه اعتراضا على قرار من قراراته .. كما لم يكن الكثيرون يتوقعون أن يقوم أول رئيس منتخب في ثورة مصر بإصدار إعلان غير دستوري يعطيه صلاحيات ديكتاتورية بدعوى أنها "صلاحيات مؤقتة"

What is even worse is that according to the social media, the Egyptian TV is not broadcasting anything about Tahrir square or the news of what is happening around Cairo.

To see updates of the events please watch live online Reuters Live Stream: http://reuters.livestation.com/demo

You can hear clearly the crowds chanting: "Leave, Leave" "One Hand" Clearly the people have realised the implications of voting for one from the Muslim Brotherhood and refusing his manipulative ways.

For updates: Check: 27th Nov Revolution page:   https://www.facebook.com/Third.Revolution

To be continued....

Why do we "fall" in love

This has been a topic that keeps coming up from time to time and I always delay talking about. Finally I managed to sit down and gather my thoughts: Why do we "fall" in love?

"Falling" probably because if you were 100% aware of it, you would not have fallen in the first place. You would have resisted, thought hard about it and rejected it as silly or even useless.

Isn't it funny that we "fall" in love very early in our youth? Early or mid-twenties mark a time in our life where we are impulsive and prone to "falling" in love, mostly because we do not see clearly or think twice about anything at all.

I fell in love many times as a teenager and in my early twenties. Every time I recall thinking that it will be the last. The end of the world even but it kept happening until I finally gave up and married at 23. Yes, very young but I thought to myself if I waited longer I would probably never get married at all. Because: 1. I would have seen clearly why I should cherish my independence and 2. I would have already built myself a comfortable life that only revolved around me and it would be extremely difficult to let my guards down or allow someone to share what I have built.

So I guess the cruel, yet true, moral of this story is: the older you get, the less chance you have to "fall" in love...

Becoming religious?

Someone told me yesterday that some of the top scientists are the most religious and I thought to myself maybe because they realised man's inability in the universe, or maybe because they have hit a wall with their own studies that they truly believe that the matter is out of their own hands...whatever the reason, I think this statement could actually be very true. 

I am working on a book at the moment which introduces a new philosophy of life, or perhaps suggests a "better" view of life. The book is really saying the obvious, nothing new, but it is us who chose to ignore the obvious facts in the first place and as a result, now we see the book's message as a novelty. 

In all cases, I was told that by the end of working on the book, I may actually become "religious" and those who read it may follow too. Although I don't see right away how, I think there may be some underlying truth there. But what would make me really religious? Is it just reading this book and understanding what it says and giving it proper thought. Or is it witnessing the development of a baby day by day that I am in every moment in utter wonder and appreciation of God's creation? I think the later for sure, don't you?!

The truth about love that many people know but won't say

I was speaking to friend of mine recently on her birthday and she was basically complaining that it is her birthday and yet another year without love. I answered her without thinking "count yourself lucky" then I thought to myself, now why would I say that! She said back in her lovely accent "but Noooo I want love, I want someone to love me, to hold me and to kiss me, I want to be loved". AHAA! the mystery resolved.

So she does not want a "person" to love, but what she really really wants is "to be- herself- loved". Well surely a mirror could show you the best image of yourself and if you buy a small recorder and record I love you and stick it on the back of the mirror, it will totally do the trick. Well maybe that is a silly idea, but I think now it would have worked for me.

I asked her:

"Do you want to find socks everywhere? do you want to find empty mugs left in every corner of your house? do you want to find trousers left in the middle of your room and loads of dirty laundry every day or two? do you want someone to be in your face when you are really irritated and would love some "you" time? and on top of all this, as much as you'd love your own baby, do you want to be a full time carer for a child and a dad whom each has various demands every second and minute of the day and night? do you really want love now?

She looked at me with a big smile and said "well maybe it's not too bad being single then!" Seriously woman! not too bad, I'd say it's bloody fantastic being single with no "baggage" that you can only blame yourself for creating or wanting in the first place. No matter how cute, no matter how lovely and no matter how perfect....you cannot beat a day of being single and just doing absolutely nothing! Nothing at all.

I once watched Sheldon cooper saying on the sitcom Big Bang theory, on the episode where his friend was getting married, he said "The need to find another human being to share one's life has always puzzled me. Maybe because I am so interesting all by myself. With that being said, may you find as much happiness with each other as I find on my own." lovely.. I think with that said, I shall end this post.

Egypt backwards- Tpyge?

After elections and all the hassle and bustle, Egypt has finally got itself a new president! Hooray, no not really....Well for a start, he is from the Muslim brotherhood. One may wonder right away if this whole revolution was just another cunning plan to spread chaos, get the old president out of the way and pave the way for a buffoon to sit on the seat of power. The bizarre thing and perhaps lucky for the Egyptian people today is that he has no powers YET as the constitution is "under construction" which- according to the lovely Egyptian reputation of getting a job done- may take forever and ever. It is easy to think of this election like someone deciding to write a book but then decided that it would be easier to just hire a ghost writer instead, why exert the effort? why even lift a finger. That is exactly what happened.

The Egyptian revolution of 25th of January 2011 is sadly a joke and no one in Egypt could actually say otherwise at the current circumstances. (Dr.) Morsi- apparently a doctor of construction- has won over his rivals and has been giving "embarrassing" speeches that sounded to me, on Egyptian television, like speeches that could have only been written by an idiot over a cup of tea or a smoke of shisha- half awake and totally oblivious of what is at stake. The streets of Egypt are packed today with the poorest citizens who are sadly uneducated, impoverished and uncertain of the future. Morsi promises food and shelter! could they even be promises ? The most basic of all human rights- food and shelter- are now factors that should be addressed and promised to be resolved. Shockingly, the educated groups are not in any better position either, a few only are apparent on the scene shaking their heads and rolling eyes when they are asked about their opinion.

My mother said today to me in the car, "You will not find any people like the Egyptian people" I quickly replied "Well thank God they ARE in Egypt and not anywhere else or the world would have came to an end!" She giggled at my sarcasm. Honestly now, myself, my husband and my child have only been in Cairo for the last 6 days and are already wondering when will we go back to Liverpool. The speed of life- if I could call it so- is insane. It is almost like seeing your life fade away right in front of your eyes that you have not got a minute to catch your breathe or enjoy a single thing.

Bizarrely my husbands complaints of the heat, the dust, the dirt, the people, the noise pollution, the food, the attitude, the services, the quality, the standards and the list goes on cannot fall on deaf ears. I sympathise with him when he say he is out of his comfort zone. I wish I could of course make Egypt better and lovely for him and everyone visiting it, but the future looks worse than before and I cannot help my pessimism. I see Egypt going backwards and people thinking backwards. No development, no progress, just stupidity, wasting time, attacking ANY kind of thinking for no valid reason and my god, being so stubborn and not to mention- temper temper!

Will Egypt ever be rescued? That is a question that remains a mystery to date...

Read more on:
http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/17/12270842-military-guards-egypt-power-as-islamists-claim-victory?lite

Age sucks

I just realised that tomorrow is the 22nd of May, 2012. That makes me 28 years old tomorrow. How time passes by so quick. I had the craziest idea of making a chart tracing my age, my mother, my husband and my child's through the years to see how old we will all be in correspondence to each other. The result was made my heart sink.

According to my chart- in 2012- I am tomorrow 28, my husband 31, my mother 51 and my child is 1.

Shockingly in 2021- I will be 37, my husband 40, my mother 60 and my child is 10.  

Even more shocking in 2030- I will be 46, my husband 50, my mother 70 and my child 20 years old.

And really now, with a big sigh, in 2041, I will be 57, my husband 60, my mother 80 and my child 30.

Age is such a B**** I told myself... I would certainly discourage anyone from doing the same as I just did. It will ruin your day unless you're all gonna be young forever and live happily ever after which is never the case of course.

I will try not to dwell on this although it will always be at the back of my mind now...I should instead say... cheer up me and have a happy birthday.

The best quote I've just read today is: "Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end."*

*Source:  http://quotegroup.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/age-quotes.html

Adios & thanks for nothing...

Egypt women to demonstrate in Cairo for representation in new constitution

I could not help today but notice in this article titled " Egypt women to demonstrate in Cairo for representation in new constitution" the image in support of the article with a crowd of women who are all veiled- some of them holding their mobile phones trying to take a picture (I wonder whose picture though)

Image link:

http://bikyamasr.com/66701/egypt-women-to-demonstrate-in-cairo-for-representation-in-new-constitution/#

To a person from outside Egypt, the first impression of an Egyptian woman would be a veiled oppressed woman who is hardly heard in society and whose demands are long lost throughout history. This, however, is not the case.

Egyptian women are not all veiled, and even those who are, certainly are not bound to any oppressive law or tradition. It is a huge mistake to believe that the veil is the cause for such an oppression- women are exposed to oppression directly or indirectly all over the world, whether in the work place or at home, it is up to a woman to allow the oppressor to be part of her life. Women, whether Egyptian or not, have the ability to voice their feelings loud and clear.

It is sad that the media chose this picture specifically because it conveys the wrong message to the world. The picture used in the article does not represent correctly the majority of Egyptian women, so why is the media using it, I wonder.

15 Things my Mum keeps telling me

1. Never, never give up!

2. Wake up smiling

3. Be the first to say Hello

4. Be a good listener

5. Always call people with their names

6. Deal with another person as if he/she is the most important person in the world.

7. Keep a note of birthday dates

8. Start with a compliment

9. Surprise the one you love

10. Keep your loved ones close

11. Make someone smile every day

12. Dress every day as if it is the most important day

13. Forgive yourself and other will forgive you

14. Always say please and thank you

15. Live every minute in life as if it is your last.

Flamenco Dance

  

Flamenco 2012

This year I have decided to take on Flamenco as an activity that I have always been interested in and intrigued by. The dance itself is fascinating. When I see a Flamenco dance several words come to mind: Sexiness, fierce, love, passion, hate, lust, control, style...The dance transforms the dancer into a person who has all these traits and feels all these feelings all at once. The audience becomes totally absorbed into a world of love, fire and passion. I totally loved watching the dance on stage or in a youtube video. The music and the movements are in total harmony that mesmerised me. 

Classes I started on 29th Feb 2012 every Wednesday 8-9 pm Beginners class at Unit 3H Wavertree Industrial park, Liverpool with Patricia.

Website for Flamenco Liverpool:              http://flamenco-de-liverpool.co.uk/

Lana Del Rey- Born To Die

  ♥  Happy Valentines' Day ♥

      

Lana Del Rey is an American singer-songwriter dubbed as 'the one to watch in 2012'.

By far is one of the most iconic singers today. I never thought I would be captivated by songs like that or absorbed in any video clip as much as I am when I watch her videos. Truly mesmerising. I came across one of her songs "Born to die" on UK television and thought to myself my goodness I love her voice and what an excellent video. Having a philosophical background myself and an interest in lyrics, I googled a few of her songs with lyrics to see more and hear even more. The debut album "Born to Die" (Interescope Records)" is flawless. It has been out in all retail and digital stores across the world from the last days of January. Her album comes in standard and deluxe editions, the latter containing all 15 recordings, that features the hit singles: "Video Games" and "Born to Die". Re-worked versions of previously leaked tracks like "National Anthem" or "Diet Mountain Dew", and brand new tracks like "Carmen"or the flawless and "Dark Paradise"which is in my view another great song.

So lets face it-- Who would have given much thought to the idea of being BORN to DIE?!! It's a fact but far away from our every day thought...

The fact that her voice is truly amazing doesn't mean that she isn't exerting a lot of effort in choosing her video clips scenarios or the messages conveyed or the style of dress & make up. Every detail in the clip seems well planned and thought through, not like those silly clips today with flashing images, boobs and silliness (I guess "I am sexy and I know it" video clip comes to mind here LOL) What a contrast that I am so thrilled about.

'I'm more of a studio singer and I'm fine with that!"said Lana

(Click on the songs to go to the site where you can find the lyrics and video clips)
 

1. Born to Die
2. Off to the Races
3. Blue Jeans
4. Video Games
5. Diet Mountain Dew
6. National Anthem
7. Dark Paradise
8. Radio
9. Carmen
10. Million Dollar Man
11. Summertime Sadness
12. This Is What Makes Us Girls
13. Without You
14. Lolita
15. Lucky Ones

  

* Quote from: Rocker Amy Rebecca Klein who wrote a very good analysis of Lana Del Rey and her songs in her blog.

"Lana Del Ray is sitting at home waiting for you to come home so she can fix you dinner and a drink. Lana Del Ray is waiting for you to come home so she can watch you play video games on the couch and ignore her all day until it’s time for bed. Lana Del Ray is waiting for you to come home so you can go to bed and act out all of your wildest fantasies which is exactly what she wants to do—what you want to do, that is. Lana Del Ray is waiting for you because she is your mirror.

It's you, it's you, it's all for you
Everything I do, I tell you all the time
Heaven is a place on earth with you ♥

Tell me all the things you want to do

I heard that you like the bad girls
Honey, is that true?

It's better than I ever even knew
They say that the world was built for two ♥

Only worth living if somebody is loving you
Baby, now you do

                                                      ---------------------------------------
So it doesn’t matter if Lana Del Ray is entirely sarcastic when she belts out, “It’s YOU, it’s YOU, it’s all for YOU.” It doesn’t matter that there is an edge to her voice that sounds something like rage and despair. Lana Del Ray has conquered America with plastic surgery, video games, a regression to nostalgia, and an appeal to the sex drive of every male music critic on the planet. It doesn’t matter if she has anything real to sell because Lana Del Ray has made us think about the relationship between selling fantasy and selling lies."

Oh well, no matter how controversial Lana Del Rey is, she is still a great voice and that is all that matters...to me at least.

Dying from a broken heart ?

I have always wondered if how can people say "he or she died from a broken heart" seems to me like something from a fairy tale with a sad ending. I wasn't really convinced till I came across this article and it made me think more:
          http://www.familyhealthavenue.com/2010/02/is-it-possible-to-die-from-a-broken-heart/

It must be terrible to see a loved one slip away without being able to stop him/her or accept it altogether. Every new year I realise that another year has passed without my grandpa. I cannot recall the exact date he died but I recall the day very well as if it just happened an hour ago. I never really accepted that he died. I was so angry that my grandma started decorating the house right after- I was full of rage thinking over and over how could she wipe the memories I have of him in the house. Now I understand that it was her way of coping with his loss. I feel bad now for being mad at her. I just wished that she wouldn't decorate so I can continue feeling him around and seeing things as I always did when I lived their.

I am not sure that there is a man on the face of the earth who deserves a woman's love to that extent. I perhaps realised it when I saw my baby son. He is the only man who deserves all the love and care because to the world I may be just one person, but to him I am the ONLY person.

In Time (2011)

"To avoid over-population, time has become the currency and the way people pay for luxuries and necessities. The rich can live forever, while the rest try to negotiate for their immortality. You stop aging at 25, but there's a catch: you're genetically-engineered to live only one more year, unless you can buy your way out of it. The rich "earn" decades at a time (remaining at age 25), becoming essentially immortal, while the rest beg, borrow or steal enough hours to make it through the day." 

The new Justin Timberlake film has proved to be a success regardless of the 6.7 rating on IMDb website and 38% on www.rottentomatoes.com. The film presents a poor man who strives day to day for "time" to live life only to find himself given more than a decade to live- in time- by a rich guy who no longer wishes to live. Will Salas is a man who found himself in a zone where time really matters. He witnessed the death of his mum who ran out of time in front of his eyes unable to run fast enough to reach him to share a few minutes that would save her life. Salas realised at this point the monopoly of life where the survival of the fittest is the norm. As soon as he was given by a rich man who no longer wished to live- after having lived decades- a lot of time to live over a decade, he left the zone to pass to Greenish, the rich people's zone.

Help the Children of Egypt Foundation

  
* Education in Egypt * 

(Although this CNN clip is from 2008, its content is still relevant and valid today specially after 25th January, 2011 Egyptian revolution.)

On the 17th of October 2011, Salma Khaled Shalaby and Hend Abd El Hakim, two Egyptian girls living in Liverpool, UK decided to form a group on the social network site, Facebook to start a project called "Help the Children of Egypt Foundation".

The purpose of this group is to gather all forces in UK and in Egypt to establish a charity foundation to send a group of students from all over England to rural areas in Egypt to offer their help and support in any way possible. The project is still in its early stages but the idea seem to have so far attracted 253 members so far. The help and support needed can be from medicine students who would be placed in local hospitals, pharmacies and primary and/or secondary teachers to teach in local schools various subjects. 

"Illiteracy is one of the worst scourges of Egyptian society," said Hussam Fathi, a social sciences professor at Ain Shams University. "It hinders development, limits the nation's ability to compete with other countries and is the main cause of unemployment."  

There will be a trial run of 6 people sent to Egypt by June 2012. This of course depends entirely on fundraising, planning and establishing strong connections with partners in Egypt and the UK. It is hoped that members will be able to help fundraise as much money as possible to cover the costs of 6 weeks accomedation, food, travel and visas, medical/educational supplies and any other extra expenses.

To reward those who would take part in such a project for their dedication and exerting effort in helping the children of Egypt, the charity hopes to be able to provide the opportunity of visiting various tourist areas of Egypt to give participants a taste of the culture.

To read more about illiteracyin Egypt, go to:

• http://english.youm7.com/News.asp?NewsID=345393

• http://thedailynewsegypt.com/education/education-key-to-development-say-literacy-initiative-founders.html
• http://www.economist.com/node/16564142
• http://al-shorfa.com/cocoon/meii/xhtml/en_GB/features/meii/features/main/2011/08/05/feature-01

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET IN INVOLVED PLEASE EMAIL:  egypt.charity@gmail.com

Secularization of a country or a Secular individual

In an article published by Medantahreer.com with the above title by Hala Dergham on the 13th Oct, 2011, one could see that the term "Secularization " has been misunderstood by those who object to new ideas, modernity and anything that is far from tradition. Those are mostly men of religion, radical institutions and others who strive on the ignorance and illiteracy of individuals who blindly follow. Dergham quotes at the start of her article that a Sheikh responded to a question about the term "secularization " and its meaning by saying that it means "your mum takes off her head scarf" which is a phrase that reveals one's misunderstanding and ignorance of the term. To the wider non-educated audience who would hear that in a country where religion is strong and considered to be the main tool of manipulating the public, such a phrase encourages others to take a ready-made stand against globalization as something which destroys tradition, culture and everything that one believes in.

Those who use religion to manipulate others ignore the fact that in the Quran God's first command to mankind was to "Read" which confirms the necessity and importance of an educated individual who is not brain washed or steered away by others from obvious realities and truths. Islamic institutions, Sheikhs and radical organisations benefit the most from keeping the public away from realising the power of education and taking control of one's destiny. In fact, like the Egyptian government, the more the public are ignorant, unaware and divided, the more power the government, and those who benefit from the situation, gain by the minute. 

Dergham touches in her article on a very sensitive subject which many Egyptians would rather not admit to or talk about, that which is laziness and dependence. It is evident that over the years, the public has relied totally on the media which was at first under the government control and now is in the hands of those who are capable of funding it and hence, privatising it. Also, the fact that the new generation would rather get information from others than look for it themselves is a worrying issue because those who provide ready-made answers may be giving the wrong solution or far from the truth. On many occasions, I have witnessed whilst in Cairo a situation where an individual would rather have the solution ready made or a piece of information quickly instead of looking further for it, researching and investigating. Some people could blame that on the technology that we have today beyond the 21st century, but the older generations who exhausted themselves to reach where they are today and who worked hard in the past know very well that this dependency is a killer to our nation today and to the coming generations in the future. Dergham stressed on this issues and explained that in Wikipedia, the term "secularization" refers to a looser term from what people believe it to be which includes the increasing unification of transnational circulation of ideas, languages and multi-cultures. The closest way to explain this, according to Dergham, is to say that one should separate religion from politics and that governments should not force anyone to adopt any religion, views or beliefs, in other words- the liberalisation of oneself is a must. An interesting point that Dergham brings to light is the fact that we, Egyptian, today are occupied by our judgement day that we ignore and forget about every day matters in our current lives. Dergham believes that this is how the West view Egyptians and that it is part of the Egyptian religion and culture to be thinking of God and judgement throughout one's life.

Secularization has been compared to Christianity since the 18th century. Dergham quotes a British writer stating in the mid 18th century that one cannot understand globalization as that which is against Christianity. It is independent from it, secularization does not force anyone onto anything. Hence, by the 21st century and beyond, it is clear that secularization is not a religion that one calls others to abide by or follow, neither is secularization linked to any ready established religions like Islam or Christianity. According to Dergham, secularization as a way of ruling, government and political thinking which rejects attaching to it any religion as a basis for a political life- even if it should not contradict any religion in any country. Secularization refers mainly to everyday life and businesses of individuals and societies on a daily basis which contributes ultimately to the development of nations. 

regardless of the controversy around Turkey and Iran and the allegations against Turkey today, Dergham uses Turkey as an example of a country that has established itself on secularization as a way of ruling and forming a government that protects both minorities and the Muslim majority alike. 

The question now, Dergham says, is how can the Arab world develop today- whether following Turkey's footsteps or others, the important thing is progress...

According to a Palestinian writer Hesham Sharabi, in his book The Intellectual Arabs and the West, that we, Egyptians today, are capable of taking from the West what suits our religion and culture  from democracy, freedom, justice and equality. From Turkey's president perspective, secularization takes into consideration development, heritage and culture side by side religion without contradicting it. In "The reason why Arabs and Muslims are behind", Sheikh Mohamed el Ghazali distinguishes between two kinds of generosity and greatness which were reasons behind the Islamic country's progress in the olden days.El Ghazali said: there is a man who knows what is right and abides by it, and a man who in addition to that includes training others on rightness and control, he is a guide who guides. Whilst there is a righteous man who performs his duties, and a man who adds on this, spreading the message of rightness in society and between the public till it blossoms, he is a good reformer. The later is greater than the previous. In other words, what Dergham is quoting on behalf of El Ghazali shows that it is not enough to be a righteous man alone, but more importantly, one should share such a blessing with others and urge others to follow the same paths.

In conclusion, education seems to be again the main reason for Arab and Muslims' delay in seeing reason and progress. Every one of those who take their roles in society seriously and duties like doctors, engineers, farmers, managers...etc are contributing to a nation's development, hence should be appreciated and encouraged. According to Sheikh Mohamed Abdou, after his travels in Europe, that he found "Muslims but no Islam, and in the East he found Islam with no Muslims", that is due to the fact that in Europe, people adopted the notion of hard work, honesty and dedication which is an idea rooted originally in Islam, whilst Muslims in the East are still up to this day and age far from it.

Original article in Arabic published on: 
http://www.medantahreer.com/shownews-13652.php