Thursday, January 10, 2008
Of course that word "liberal" means different things in different places. MEMRI has a couple of reports worth taking a look at regarding the writing of some guys whose opinions are a little different than we usually expect: Egyptian Liberal Hisham Al-Tukhi:'I Have a Dream'
..."Fifty years ago, a great Egyptian, [the leader of a] generation that sowed the seeds of freedom that we enjoy today in our land, declared: "Religion belongs to Allah, and the homeland belongs to all." [1] This momentous declaration was a great beacon of hope to millions of marginalized members of religious minorities, who had for years been seared in the flames of withering Ottoman oppression and of injustices of ancient times and of the Middle Ages. This declaration came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their degrading marginalization.
"But 100 years later, we must face the sad truth! The Copts, the Baha'i, the Shi'ites, the Koranists, [2] and members of other religious minorities are still sadly crippled by the manacles of sectarian isolation and chains of religious fundamentalism. One hundred years later, [they] still live on an island within the vast Egyptian mainland, yet isolated from it, [although Egypt] could also welcome, alongside the Sunni Muslims, the Copts, the Shi'ites, the Baha'i, the Mormons, the Jews, the atheists, the Buddhists and the Hindus - if the souls [of the people] expelled [the idea of] segregation and instead became filled with justice. One hundred years later, the member of a religious minority still languishes in the corners of Egyptian society, and finds himself an exile in his own land - unless, through a divine or natural intervention, he is delivered from this fate."...
Also: Egyptian Liberal Authors: It Is Up to the Arabs to Bring Peace to the Middle East
In recent articles in the Arab print and electronic press, Egyptian liberal authors wrote that it is up to the Arabs to take steps to advance peace with Israel. On January 7, 2008 in the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, prominent Egyptian intellectual Dr. Mamoun Fandy proposed that the Arabs use President Bush's visit to the Middle East to demonstrate that they are serious about resolving the conflict. On December 5, 2007 in the liberal Arab e-journal Elaph, Egyptian author and researcher Kamal Gabriel wrote that the promise of normalization is the only card the Arabs have left to play at the negotiationing table, but that until they take steps to replace a culture of hatred with a culture of peace, this promise will not be taken seriously.
Following are excerpts from the two articles...
