teaching experience 2 and politics of the day

last time when i wrote about my teaching experience i reflected on how things were and how i felt after teaching the semester of fall 2010. my reflections were published even before i have received my students' comments on my teaching and the classes i have taught.. now, after seeing those.. i am thrilled, flattered and very difficult to describe how it feels.. it was in short a success story.

i think this experience taught me many things.. the first one which is the most important for me.. there is till minute hope in the young egyptian generation and maybe others from around the world who sat for my class and i got to know them closely.. regardless of their point of views and bias.. they were eager to learn and had their eyes wide open to know more and more about the country they came all the way to see, live in and experience.

now.. with the incidents that are taking place in Egypt.. with the terrorism incident, the sectarian violence, the frustration of all brought me back to the discussions in the classes.. some were somehow astonished, puzzled, scared or worried when we discussed sensitive issues that touched upon our daily lives in the country.. together with the implications of all the new political movements, the riots, debates.. all the debacles that we had before the parliamentary elections...

one thing comes to mind, and chatting last night with my friend khaled shalaan.. on our current situation.. i recalled the discussions crystal clear.. and i remembered few things that i have mentioned about how far all the people of this country are suffering..
if we talk about politics and change.. i remember a question by one student.. why do the Egyptians lay back and not rebel against what they believe is the source of their problems?.. many of the students blame the government and the security apparatus that is holding a fist of iron in the face of any movements.. which is true.. but also.. what about the people.. i mentioned the quote "a people of sheep deserve rulers of wolves".. this qoute is still ringing a bell since the law school years..
why we say that?.. no people got their rights while sitting in their living rooms munching nuts and watching TV.. poeples who gained freedoms or change.. didn't get it through declarations and constitutions whithout fighting for it.. end of slavery in the US didn't come because the slaves were submissive and obedient to their masters .. they fought.. they suffered they gained..
if we talk about change...in a community that beleives in the proverb " who we know is better than the one who we don't know" or "be patient until your nasty neighbour leaves or a disaster will befall upon him and take him away" , what change are we talking about? even the elites of this community who backed the call of kefaya or elbaradei for change.. the political parties... they have a continuous rhetoric that we read all over and speak about them in the salons.. change .. change.. change.. ok let us play along.. we all do need a change.. but what kind of change? what is the shape of the change? what is the core of the change? from where do we start? to fight the corruption, to clean the environment, to teach generations, not only tolerance (god forbids in accordance with fanatics) but also decency, driving in lanes, children's rights, women's rights, political rights, economic rights, food rights... standing in lines, not pushing to step in an elevator before you... mere sensibilities towards the other.. did anyone figured out how to save the delta? how many writers touched upon the disaster that will sweep off many of our governorates because of climate change? or we will wait until the land will be submerged and people will be dying and losing their houses, farms, property.. losing their lives.. and then we will wake up.. and start SOS from around the world to call for assistance to relocate the survivors... we spoke of power because we are now losing electricity.. we thought of building a nuclear power plant.. great.. where.. the best and only spot that is suitable in accordance with the sysmic studies (as Dr. Fawzy Hammad indicated before, god bless his soul) great.. where is that.. north coast.. i.e. one of the most vulnerable areas that will be affected by the rise of water in the mediteranean.. !

why the change?.. we want to have our beloved country back.. yes why not? how many do want that change.. i do... but i don't want my country to deteriorate more and more.. i don't want to end up in civil strife.. wars where we kill each other.. until now we lost some valuable lives, some cars and some injured.. but we are not all threatened that going out of our homes will expose us to death, injury, burglary.. etc..

back to the question.. why people are not doing anything?.. scared.. maybe.. is that the only thing.. while if we monitor the situation in Egypt.. we will discover that in the last few years almost every week there is a demosntration here or there .. people are allowed to ventilate to call for their rights.. yet nothing is changing.. each of us rich or poor.. middle, lower or upper classes are benefiting from the status quo... why? how come? because.. the burglar won't be caught, or the chances to catch him/her is limited.. police is busy securing others... bribes.. increased.. although now one can be sentenced to death penalty for taking a bribe.. yet how many do take bribes! because the percentage of one running away from the punishment is way higher than being caught... if there was no chaos and lack of rule of law implementation.. no one will be able to pay a neighbour 10 or 20 pounds a month to get a TV cable which is stolen instead of paying the fees.. no one will be able to surpass the system and get things done faster than others because he or she paid.. no one will be able to obstruct you from getting your service done because you didn't pay.. no company will tell you sorry .. although your product is under the warranty .. we can do nothing because it was your misuse that led to this..

where is the rule of law? where is the law? they blamed the X governor of Cairo, Mr. Saad Zayed for stating that the law is dormant.. sleeping.. while he was using his powers to give priority to the homeless to get housing in the youth housing projects... but now.. the law is dormant.. by us.. by those who are supposed to be applying and implementing the law.. let leave our constitution which can be framed as Milk, Fish and Tamarind.. this is a proverb we say when things are a mess and chaotic.. but i will talk about the other laws.. solid ones.. which are promulgated to provide us with amazing rights.. yet they stay in the law books...if we have court decisions and for a reason or another they are not impelemented.. including the parliament with the famous qoutation.. the Assembly (people's assembly) is the master of its decisions.. hence the legislature body will pick and choose which law and which court decision it will implement.. the government is very nice.. not only picking and choosing but they change the law, the constitution in order to fit in the agenda of the day.. i am afraid one day we will amend our laws in accordance with the schedules of few!

we had riots for 3 days after the new year because of the terrorist attack.. some damages were caused.. and? nothing... where was our PM.. he left to the desert resort ( that is how i call it) .. oops.. i meant to the smart village.. because of the riots.. i was thankful to god that he didn't fly to his other home in Canada to run the country from there because it is too noisy and chaotic for his excellency!

we talk about the violence and the fanatics in between muslims and christians.. yes.. we have them in both sides.. but did anyone do an effort to solve the roots of the problem.. no.. we left it until it led to chaos from omranya until a terrorist attack in alexandria.. where is the education? what is happening there? since when egyptians who faught hyksos, tatars, crusades, french, british, israelis .. ended up fighting each other.. not for food. .i would understand if we are in famine and we are hungry.. no we are fighting each other for faith! supidity can really be a virtue.. my dear friend cherif once said it is difficult to get out of what you have been brought into.. whether it is a taboo or not.. we were born with our names and faiths chosen for us .. we choose to continue.. when we like our names we don't go to courts to change them.. and when we ,either like, follow blindly or philosphise things to ourselves. .we remain in the faith we were born with.. if one can choose the colour to wear every morning.. why can't he or she chooses their faith.. their belief and the way they decide to worship god.. for god's sake.. this is a private relation between a human and god.. not a public affair.. wake up people.. i don't have to convince anyone with my faith or the way i practice it as long as i am not affecting anyone.. if i do.. let them speak.. but if i go to a mosque, church or a synagogue.. even a temple.. and i am praying.. what is your problem man!

change should focus on building our country... enough with destroying it.. we are digging our own grave... happily and looking forward to it! we need a mental change .. salvation.. then we can hold hands to achieve the real change... not in trivialities.. but to erradicate the source of our problems.. only then we can acheive a genuine change.