WATANI Sunday
Published by
Watani Printing
and Publishing Corporation 4 December 2005
27, Abdel Khaleq Tharwat st. Editor-in-chief Managing Editor 25 Hatour 1722
Cairo – Egypt 2 Thul-Qeida 1426
Tel. 202-3927201, 202-3936051 Youssef Sidhom Samia Sidhom
Fax 202-3935946 YEAR 5
Website: www.watani.com.eg ISSUE 251
E-Mail: watanie@watani.com.eg
Editorial
On the Wahington conference A Story from Kenya
Empowerment ...
from within or without
Youssef Sidhom
Participants
The response of the Egyptian media and civil society in the
institutions to the Washington conference resolutions
has resonated strongly within the Egyptian political conference
arena, competing with the tumult caused by the on- in
going parliamentary elections. Response has oscillated Nairobi
between over-denouncement of the entire conference,
branding it as treacherous conspiracy; and some
serious attempts to understand the reasons that led to
its convention, what happened there, and what is to be
done now.
The truth of the matter—which has been intentionally
or unintentionally overlooked by the media, and to In Nairobi’s open markets where traditional gifts are sold, religious communities gradually separated from each other.
which I alluded in two previous articles in Watani—is bargaining seems to be the only way to strike a deal. This Sameh Fawzy Christians and Muslims remain neighbours, co-workers, and
that the final resolutions of the conference were some- mirrors an important aspect of African life: people like to colleagues, but the intimate relationship they had collectively
what at variance with and did not aptly express its talk, debate, discuss and argue profusely before taking of young Egyptians moved to the oil-rich Gulf states look- enjoyed almost became history. Sectarian incidents sporad-
actual performance. The first part of the final resolu- action. Accordingly, dialogue and arguments are norms in ing for better jobs since the mid-1970s. As these returned ically erupt, normally motivated by a rumour, minor dispute
tions, the attitude of which I rejected, persisted in day-to-day life, especially between those of different re- home, they carried to Egypt cultural norms which had hith- between a Muslim and a Christian, but sometimes a schemed
cutting off the path towards national dialogue and ligious affiliations and political allegiances. erto been alien to Egyptians, such as consumerism, extremist action.
called for foreign intervention. Nonetheless, most of societal attitudes and hostility towards Christians. Because In a number of African countries where relations between re-
the participants in the conference took matters ser- of their new-found affiliation to the wealthy class in society, ligious majorities and minorities are at stake, repeated tensions
iously, conducted credible analyses, and had profound Building bridges they persistently tried to impose their newly-adopted mode
At the invitation of the Programme for Christian-Muslim stem from endless religious-based arguments, localising the
vision of the problems facing political and democratic of life on their fellow-citizens. global war on terror and Arabia’s extremist culture. In the
reform. They upheld human rights, respected religious Relations in Africa (PROCMURA) in Kenya, the Coptic
Evangelical Organisation for Social Services (CEOSS) and northern Nigeria, for example, the Christian minority is ha-
freedom, and called for the active participation of Soft target rassed and assaulted as a result of the war in Iraq. Small Mus-
minorities in Egypt, the Arab World, and the Middle the Forum for Intercultural Dialogue from Egypt, 23
Muslim and Christian men and women from Egypt, Ghana, At about the same time Islamic fundamentalism flour- lim and Christian groups, predominately foreigners, contrib-
East. Even though some voices rose in bitter anger and ished. Although Islamic militants targeted a large number of ute to the ongoing tensions through their missionary
protest against despair of any reform, this loud-voiced Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and
Zanzibar, plus partners from Denmark, gathered at the All people including intellectuals, politicians, policemen and activities, capitalising on poverty, marginalisation and epi-
wrath was not able to drown the reasonable address of foreigners, Christians remained soft and permanent targets demics.
most participants. Africa Conference of Churches guest house and conference
centre in Nairobi to deliberate on issues concerning for at least two reasons. First, Islamists wished to translate
A priori, I find it necessary to tackle the question of into reality the thoughts they held against ‘infidel’ Chris-
foreign intervention and the so-called invitation of Muslim-Christian relations. Tolerance, understanding
For five days the participants discussed Christian tians. Second, targeting Christians sent a strong message to At the end of the conference the participants agreed upon
external pressure to empower the hands of supporters the international community that the current regime, also
of domestic issues—in this case the plight of the Muslim relations in Sub-Saharan Africa and Egypt, spe- some fundamental principles. These included strengthening
cifically peaceful co-existence between Christians and seen by them as infidel, is unable to safeguard its citizens. relations bet-ween Muslims and Christians on the basis of
Copts. Many in Egypt remain overly wary of foreign Christians were thus subjected to murder, robbery and in-
influence whenever conferences or forums are held Muslims in particular and the wider society in general. In mutual respect, promoting peace and understanding between
addition, participants were informed of the experience of cessant humiliation. Even though the ruling regime managed the two communities and society at large, and encouraging
abroad to discuss domestic issues, and brand par- to successfully contain terrorism, social and political extrem-
ticipants in such conventions as traitors and non- the host organisations in building peace and bridges of Muslim and Christian collaboration in address-ing social
understanding in their respective societies. ism became a prominent aspect of current Egyptian culture, problems such as fighting AIDS. Resolving inter-faith mis-
participants as patriots. This without taking into a phenomenon which demands a great effort to overcome.
consideration the reasons such conferences are held unders-tanding non-violently through dialogue was stressed,
abroad and not at home, and with no thought of inter- Alien culture as well as tolerance and deglobalising conflicts by ensuring
national political factors which make foreign inter- Amazingly, and despite the differences in culture and so- Withdrawal that they do not adver-sely spill over to people of different
vention in the case of Egypt rather far-fetched. cio-economic development, it was found that problems be- In light of societal exclusion and terrorism, many Christians faiths in other countries. Finally, the media was invited to
In this context, the Washington conference began, tween Muslims and Christians across the black continent withdrew from society and transferred their social activities actively share in promoting peace, tolerance and under-
following the preparatory session and procedures, with were similar. In Egypt for instance, a considerable number within the walls of their churches. As they closed ranks, both standing among different communities.
a hearing uphill at the Capitol. The hearing was chaired
by Congressmen Phil English and Robert B Aderholt
who heard testimonies on the situation of human rights,
religious freedom, and Copts in Egypt, presented by the
reports of the US department of State and committee on
religious freedoms, and by two Egyptian immigrants.
The testimonies of the representatives of the US ad-
ministration presented parallel assessments of the
A due apology The money trail
positive, constant, and negative aspects of the issues
they tackled. This came as no surprise, since I have
repeatedly met members of such committees, and am A mistake—whether intentional or un- spread of offensive ideas that widen the gap
between different groups in society and sow
D uring the presidential elections of last Sep- Maged Attiya
familiar with the rational procedure they use to monitor intentional—calls for an apology. In our com- the seeds of hatred among people of the same tember, the State allocated the sum of a half-a-
and report the details. The comments—which I here- munity, ridiculing religion is considered a nation. The division does not apply only to million Egyptian pounds as electoral expenses for each of the nine
with attempt to precisely report—of the two congress- crime against decency. In this light I under- Muslims and Copts, but also to different candidates, provided they each submitted to the authorities an ac-
men who chaired the hearing bear some indications stand why the Church was asked to apologise Muslim factions in what may be described as count of the electoral campaign expenses, and any unused money
which we had all better heed. They said that American for an unintentional, individual mistake com- the Muslim/apostate divide where Muslims was returned to the State. Some candidates though, did not submit
taxpayers realise that they grant Egypt every year the mitted by a young man from Mar-Girgis (St pass judgement against other Muslims be- the required account, and the State overlooked the requisite docu-
second biggest foreign aid among that which they offer George) Church in Muharram Bey, Alex- cause they differ with them in opinion. ments and accepted any papers submitted instead. These candidates
countries the world over. Taxpayers care to ensure that andria, who produced a play—performed then probably gained a good deal of money since some of them did
the Egyptian administration uses this aid to support once two years ago—which allegedly in- Sinful or not not spend more than LE50,000. The remainder of the State’s al-
freedom, democracy, human rights, and to help minor- sulted Islam. But what I do not understand is An apology is due to all Egyptians for the location went into their pockets at the expense of the already over-
ities. Consequently, the congressmen pledged to do all why Copts should be asked to apologise for flagrant religious political address which has burdened taxpayer.
they could to push the US administration to persuade an individual mistake, whereas Egyptian so- increasingly acted as a stumbling block for
the Egyptian administration—through dialogue—to ciety—its Muslims and Copts—never asked every progressive proposal, since ideas were More perilous
promote reform, and uphold human rights and re- fundamentalist Islamist groups, the culture of no longer evaluated according to their ra- However, the matter can be seen as of minor importance compared
ligious freedoms. Egypt, they said, was a strong ally to which is ‘imported’ from the Arabian Pe- tionale, but were weighed as sinful or not. with the money spent by the candidates up for the ongoing parlia-
the US, and enjoyed the appreciation of the American ninsula, to apologise for the damage they mentary elections which, according to some estimates, has exceeded
administration. True political issues were replaced by trivial
have inflicted upon Egypt and Egyptians. discussions and debates because of the lack some two billion Egyptian pounds in Cairo alone.
So the issue of calling for foreign support or inter- It has been mentioned in the press that more than 20 candidates each
vention to impose conditions, pressure, or sanctions on of transparency and objectivity.
Seeds of hatred An apology is due to all Egyptians for the spent more than ten million Egyptian pounds in the final three days pre-
Egypt is trivial and contradicts the first principles of US ceding election day. The price of one vote, in some hot electoral cir-
policy which centres on US strategic interests alone. In An apology is due to Egyptians for the dis- damage inflicted upon professional syn-
tortion of their culture through the intro- dicates on the pretext of religion, since mem- cles, had reached about LE1000, apart from the costs of campaigning,
this regard, the US retains strong, friendly relations luring voters with gifts, and so on.
with Egypt, and utilises open channels of dialogue to duction of intolerant, narrow-minded, vi- bers of fanatic currents consistently drove off
olence-oriented concepts. Such a culture the moderates by deluding the mainstream More perilous however in the electoral business is the claim cir-
promote and encourage reform. So much for foreign culating in the media that money coming from Saudi Arabia has been
intervention. More importantly, it must be understood belongs to a community where there is no re- with flashy religious messages that carried no
that my stance against foreign intervention is not due to ligious non-Muslim ‘other’ with whom the weight in real life. used to finance the campaigns of the Islamist candidates. Such foreign
its futility, but because of my deep-rooted belief that native Muslim needs to co-exist, and is thus An apology is due to all Egyptians for the financing does not come through legal channels, such as bank transfers,
our national effort should be built upon love, tolerance, alien to Egypt which has, throughout its his- condemnation of liberal thought, and in- but come, a source says, in a manner sure to avoid normal control pro-
and peaceful co-existence with our brothers and sisters tory, enjoyed a large degree of diversity, tol- tellectual and artistic activity as obscene prac- cedures. This may involve for instance direct financing by some ‘mid-
in the homeland. This should ensure a national dialogue erance, and intellectual wealth. tice, and artists and intellectuals as profligate dleman’ from inside Egypt, who later collects from the actual financiers
to debate and remedy our grievances, without jeop- An apology is due to all Egyptians who sinners who should be placed under religious abroad.
ardising our ties of mutual affection. have been victims of violent and terrorist custodianship.
As for the rational address contributed by Egyptian, acts. I do not mean only Copts who were as- I wish—as many others do—that those who Heavy price
Arab, and foreign figures in the Washington confer- saulted or whose property was damaged, but committed the crimes mentioned here or took Some in Egypt see these monies as able to create a short-lived market
ence, as well as the repeated, fruitless, patriotic calls for indeed everyone—civilians, policemen, and part in them should present an apology to the boom, with consumer pockets inflated with cash to spend on transient
reform inside Egypt during the last couple of decades, tourists—who may have chanced on a scene Egyptian people because of the long decades needs and commodities. We must be aware however, that our Parlia-
this warrants opening a new file to be discussed in of events and fallen victim to the acts of hate. wasted instead of being exploited for the na- ment seats have been sold, and we the people will pay the heavy price
future articles. An apology is due to all Egyptians for the tion’s prosperity. S.F. an infinite number of times, so help us God.
After QIZ Modern textiles Cairo for the US, Canada and Germany to Black sand Submerged antiquities in the light
Egypt’s exports of ready-made clothes to Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mo- bring home some 450 ancient artefacts The Nuclear Materials Authority signed The ancient remains of Alexandria—today
the United States have increased to one bil- hieddin announced an upcoming agreement which had been smuggled outside Egypt and a $2.5 million contract with an inter- under the waters of Alexandria’s Eastern Har-
N lion dollars this year after the imple-
mentation of the Qualified Industrial Zones
with China whereby the Chinese Bank will
offer the Ministry of Investment a $16.3-
put up for sale on the Internet and at inter-
national auction houses. From Germany
national Australian company whereby the
company will conduct a comprehensive
bour—and the submerged wrecks of Na-
poleon’s fleet in Abu-Qir bay were filmed ear-
(QIZ) agreement. They are expected to ex- million easy loan to be repaid over 20 alone Egypt expects to regain some 400 feasibility study on a project to exploit lier this month by American television
E ceed one billion dollars by the end of this years. The loan will be allocated to mod- pieces, including a complete ancient tomb
replete with three sarcophagi and 308 ushab-
black sand. The study is part of the effort channels. The footage was shot with the aim
year compared to $850 million in 2004, ac- ernise the Egyptian spinning and weaving of the electricity and energy sector to of showing that the ancient Alexandria light-
W cording to a report by the Council of Ready-
Made Clothes Exports (CRCE). The report
industry. tis—the statuettes of servants expected to
answer for the deceased in the afterlife.
make use of high-quality black sand re-
serves in the Delta Mediterranean Coast
house was not at the entrance of the harbour
as Frank Goddio claimed but was located at
S further predicted that the exports of ready-
made clothes will increase 60 per cent next
Egyptian-Canadian methanol
The construction of a $620 million Canada’s grant
and the northern part of the Sinai Pe-
ninsula.
the site on which Qait Bay citadel stands to-
day, and that Napoleon’s L’Orient was sunk
year. Egyptian-Canadian project to produce A programme for upgrading basic educa- by one cannon shot not two.
L methanol in Egypt is already underway at the tion in Lower and Upper Egypt is underway, Silver polish
Energy Centre Mubarak Complex for Gas and Petrochem- financed by a Canadian $23-million grant. Minister of Culture Farouq Hosni ap- Roman walls in Luxor
I Russian and Egyptian senior officials have
opened the Moscow-based Egyptian-
icals in Damietta on the tip of the Eastern
branch of the Nile Delta. On 700,000 sq. m.
The programme aims to improve the quality
of education, and to develop the human re-
proved a plan to renovate silver artefacts
and antiques on display at the Egyptian
Segments of sandstone-block Roman walls
surrounding Luxor and Karnak temples have
N Russian centre for scientific, technological,
industrial and energy cooperation. Egypt’s
and with an annual capacity of 103 million
tons, the project will begin production in
sources that could fill the requirements of
the Egyptian labour market. Canada’s am-
Museum. The renovation is part of a mas-
ter plan to maintain the metal artefacts
been unearthed in Luxor during cleaning
operations. The two walls were built by the
ambassador to Moscow Raouf Saad de- 2009 and provide 2500 job opportunities. bassador to Cairo Philip Mackinnon said through a 75,000 euros grant from the Eu- Romans early in the second century when
E scribed the centre as a mechanism for
promoting bilateral relations in the oil and Back home
that Canadian investment in Egypt is ex-
pected to reach $1.5 billion over the coming
ropean Union. Some 1,400 ancient pieces,
including sarcophagi, jewellery, crowns,
Luxor Temple was turned into a Roman
army camp. A red-stone floor which dates
gas technology fields. Three archaeological missions hasve left year. belts and statues will be renovated. back to the Greek era was also discovered.
Democracy: The Coptic case, Fr Antonios Amin (p2); What would Ghandi have done? Copts are opressed (p3) Egyptology; Cairo film festival; Watani mail (p4)
19.
2 Watani International 4 December 2005
Democracy and the Rights of Minorities: The Coptic Case Father Antonios Amin:
By Magdi Khalil
there is no doubt that the Copts in Egypt. place within the different levels of the From 1950 Until the Present
should be classified as a minority, and This siege has reached an ex- political structure (from bottom to
The wave of democracy has recently
those who disagree with that assess-
ment are driven by a pointless senti-
tent where the Copts and the Coptic
Church found themselves forced to
peak) for each and all groups that
constitute the society; otherwise the
Servant for the Youth
arrived at the shores of the Middle
East, hopefully for a lasting visit that
mentality that clouds their perception
of reality.
reject any form of assistance even
when it is offered by the international
democratic system is also flawed and
deficient.
and Inspiration for All
will spur the region’s states to join civil society, not only that, but they When a political system is
the dozens of countries that enjoy a families in a wholesome atmosphere
democratic rule throughout the
The Copts Are are even forced to deny their status missing one or both of those concepts, By Elhamy Khalil adjacent to the Church. Thousands of
a Persecuted Minority as a minority, and some even had to it has to resort to “affirmative action” college students passed through St.
world. In light of this development, We come to another term that re- pretend that there was no problem to measures that would allow the demo-
a question comes to mind about the Father Antonios Amin, one of the pio- Mark Church in Heliopolis over the
quires definition: persecution. The begin with, and no grounds for any cratic system to remedy the situation past 50 years. Many of those well-
rights of minorities within a demo- neers of the Sunday School move-
advocates of freedom are in agree- types of complaints. and correct itself in the future. educated and affluent individuals
cratic society. More specifically, the ment in Egypt in the 1940’s, spent
ment that when a government en- In a few words, the Copts Based on that, 15% percent of emigrated to the United States and
question is about Egypt’s Copts, six weeks in Southern California last
gages in organized discriminatory are in fact a “trapped and perse- the seats in legislative councils should other countries over the years. Father
whether they can be classified as a summer. He visited or
practices against an individual, a cuted minority”, and having estab- be reserved for Copts, and 30% for
minority, and if so, then whether they met with over a hundred
group or a minority – whether it ac- lished that fact, it is time to pon- women, and the same should apply
can be described as a persecuted and people who previously
tively engages in discrimination, of- der resolutions and options. to political posts and public adminis-
trapped minority. attended the services of
fers a convenient cover up, conspires trative positions. These measures will
St. Mark Church in
with other parties guilty of discrimi- Possible Solutions rectify the course of the Egyptian
Copts as a Minority Heliopolis, Egypt, and
nation, denies its existence, creates In our case, it will be useful to refer political system, and will enable it,
A group of people can be classified an environment that fosters discrimi- to the experience of other countries immigrated to the United
in the future, to make the necessary
as a minority based on States in the last thirty-
nation, or does that have successfully dealt with the adjustments to evolve into a modern
two different sets of cri- five years.
not commit it- violation of minorities’ rights. In that democratic regime.
teria: I had the chance to sit
The Copts are in need self to fighting respect, there are three levels of so- It is worth mentioning that the
with him and reminisce
(1) A dynamic and vari- it – then this lutions: representation of minorities and po-
able criterion that takes of “Affirmative Ac- about his past and present
tion” measures to right government is litical groups within a representative
into consideration the activities as I personally
guilty of per- Solutions that deal with democracy and representative bu-
cornerstones of citizen- the historical injustices secuting this historical injustices reaucracy is categorically different
attended his ordination as
ship, which are: rights, that befell them. a priest in Fayoum on Au-
i n d i v i d u a l , The international law refers to those from Lebanon’s sectarian system; the
equality and participa- gust 6, 1950, by the de-
group or mi- solutions as “Special Measures”. The later being a static and rigid system
tion. According to that parted Metropolitan
nority. Perse- United States’ designated name for while the former reflects a vital,
standard, any group that is not enti- cution is, basically, a deliberate vio- those measures is “Affirmative Ac- Isaac.
healthy and proficient political proc-
tled to the full rights of citizenship at lation of the rights of citizenship that tion,” while the European one is Sami Amin, his birth
ess that adheres to the true spirit of
any time in any given society may is committed by a government that “Positive Discrimination”. Basically, name, dedicated his life
democracy. The “Affirmative Action”
be defined as a minority. The obvi- has no intention of correcting this in- these are procedures that were put in to serving the church, af-
measures serve as a temporary rem-
ous violation of the citizenship rights fringement. ter his graduation as a
place to support the disadvantaged edy for historical injustices while the
of the women of Egypt, and of its mechanical engineer.
Governments are supposed to and marginalized groups, until such democratic system takes the time nec-
Coptic citizens puts both groups in wage a war on accidental discrimi- time as an end can be successfully Born in 1925, he became
essary to recover and correct its own
that category. a priest at age 25, with the
nation, by issuing laws, and putting put to persecution and course.
From that perspective, rights, in place preventative measures, but marginalization, and the status of blessing of his father, and
and not numbers, are the decisive fac- when a government turns a blind eye these groups can be raised to be on The question is then whether the the support of his fellow
tor. A group may be outnumbered – and does not actively seek to put an par with the majority’s status. Sunday School servants
Copts need international assistance to
or represents a numerical minority - end to discrimination, at this point we in Giza and elsewhere.
The implementation tactics attain their rights?
but still possesses more power and are not talking about discrimination varied between deterring laws that A clear line must be drawn to differ- He immediately focused
dominates the rest of the population: any more but about persecution. on serving the youth. Antonios kept in touch with many of
censure discriminatory practices and entiate between international inter- them.
such was the case with the white mi- Unfortunately, shortly thereafter,
In this context, the Copts punish the perpetrators; and positive vention and foreign interference: During the late 1960’s Father
nority in South Africa, “al-Sunna” in should be classified as a “persecuted measures that include a reinforcing the metropolitan who ordained him
1. Foreign interference is closely Antonios attended several interna-
Iraq during Sadam Hussein’s rule, minority.” The United Nations has treatment of those minorities, giving linked to the colonization of Arab ter- departed and his successor disap-
and such is the present case in Syria not provided proved of Father Antonios’ costly tional meetings specifically in the
priority to members of the ritories, first through the crusades, areas of Church education and youth
with the dominant “alawyeen”. projects.. The new metropolitan be-
an explicit persecuted or then the Ottoman occupation, and ministry. One such event was held in
Hence the definition of the definition for lieved that the projects such as build-
The “Affirmative Ac- marginalized groups in later, when the region fell victim to a ing a youth center, an orphanage, and Brazil in 1969. He then traveled to
American Encyclopedia of a minor- persecution,
ity being a “subordinate group that though the UN tion” measures serve the fields of education, colonization wave in the first half of
th a social and sports club were misdi- Miami, Florida and held his services
has a lesser social status than the declarations, as a temporary rem- employment and political the 20 century. International inter- rected uses of church money. The to the few Copts in that city and pro-
posts, and better chances vention, on the other hand, is linked ceeded to do the same throughout the
dominant groups within a society, treaties and edy for historical in- of representation in legis- with the liberation of colonized na- clash between the new metropolitan
possesses less power and control, and c o n v e n t i o n s justices while the lative councils. and Father Antonios and his support- East Coast of the United States prior
tions through President Wilson’s prin- to the presence of any permanent
practices fewer rights in comparison suggest that it democratic system ers was a sign of the times—as a clash
ciples. In 1918, the American Presi- priests at the time in those areas.
to the dominant group. In most cases, entails the vio- between the old guard and the new
the individuals that fall into this cat- lation of the
takes the time neces- Solutions that deal with dent offered a program for world breed of priests. The youth through- Again in 1994, he came to the U.S.
sary to recover and the current situation peace based on 14 points; one of and Canada upon the invitation of
egory are not entitled to the full rights rights of indi- out Egypt and the Coptic press as
Those include constitu- which being the right of political in- some of his previous parishioners as
enjoyed by first-class citizens.” viduals,
correct its own tional and law amend- dependence for all nations. Wilson’s well as many secular newspapers,
course. supported the revitalization of the well as for health reasons. He had
groups or mi- ments that would guaran- principles served as a founding basis heart surgery in Cleveland, Ohio,
(2) A static and constant criterion norities. The Church and its services. With almost
tee total equality, an affir- for the League of Nations and later where many of the physicians there
that takes into consideration the char- UN seems dis- limitless power of a bishop in his dio-
mation of the civil state, for the United Nations. were previous St. Mark youths in
acteristics of a sub-group that repre- inclined to give explicit definitions and harsh disciplinary measures to cese, Father Antonios moved to St.
2. Foreign interference brings to Egypt. He also held several confer-
sents a numerical minority within a when it comes to well-known con- punish the violation of minority’s mind the exploitation and plunder of Mark Church in Heliopolis, Egypt in
society, including ethnic factors, re- cepts, but to rather make the mean- rights, and in that regard, there are national resources, while interna- 1956. ences in various cities in the U.S. and
ligious beliefs, language, color, shape ing clear through its resolutions and countless measures that could not tional intervention is about providing The leader of that church, Father Canada. The most numerous and en-
or culture. Ibrahim Luka who had departed a thusiastic were in Southern Califor-
declarations. The Arabs still insist possibly fit into this report. assistance and support. nia. Thus, the annual conference of
Professor Saad Eddin Ibrahim that the concept of terrorism has not few years earlier, was an innovator
3. Foreign interference is mostly St. Mark Church of Heliopolis
defines a minority as “any human been expressly defined by the United Solutions that deal with whose vision and action served as an
a bilateral affair, while international Alumni was established. This year
group that differs from the majority example to raise the church out of its
Nations, though the organization has the future situation intervention involves multiple parties. was the twelfth such meeting.
in one – or more – of the following slumber in the 1940’s. He traveled
issued dozens of resolutions and dec- The establishment of a genuine de- Even though one of those parties may extensively in Europe and saw the With the establishment of a Coptic
variables: religion, language, culture
larations dealing with the issue of ter- mocracy is the ideal, long term and be pursuing a particular interest, the good and the bad first hand. He was Orthodox Diocese in Southern Cali-
or progeny.” He comes close to the
rorism, and the following resolutions lasting solution for any minority. For intervention is still conducted within an Observer at the First General As- fornia in the winter of 1995, Father
British Encyclopedia’s definition of
have been issued since 2001 until our Egypt’s Copts, there are two impor- a pluralistic framework and in adher- sembly of the World Council of Antonios met and received the bless-
a minority as a “culturally, ethnically, tant parts to consider: ence to the international laws and
present time: Churches held in Amsterdam in 1948. ing of the new bishop H.G. Anba
or racially distinct group, that differs
1373, 1377, 1438, 1440, The first part: The Copts conventions. His progressive thinking in youth Serapion and his permission to serve
in religion or language, living within 4. Foreign interference is carried
1450, 1452, 1455, 1456, 1465, 1516, should play an effective role in spur- services earned him the admiration his former children. His Grace fre-
a larger society.”
1526, 1530, 1535, 1540, 1566, 1611, ring Egypt towards democracy and out at a single level, while an inter- of some and criticism from others. quently attended their meetings and
According to this criterion, national intervention can take place
1617, 1618, 1624 and 1625. modernity. Father Antonios fitted right in the presented a number of relevant lec-
we can once more safely conclude
In the span of four years, the The second part: To affirm on multiple levels: international or- shoes of that great priest who had a tures during the last few years.
that the Copts are a minority.
their rights under the umbrella of an ganizations, regional organizations,
The United Nations has in- Security Council has issued 20 reso- similar philosophy in having a rec- This year the conference was held
authentic democratic regime. The international civil society organiza-
cluded its non-explicit definition of lutions that clarify the various aspects reational club for youth and their on September 16th to 19th in a hotel
a minority within the many declara- and forms of terrorism and the nec- practice of democracy is essentially tions or even through the international near Disneyland. The theme was the
tied to citizenship; the citizen being public opinion.
tions, pacts, treaties and resolutions essary measures to fight it. How 5. A member state of the United
Universal Church and the Unity of
that referred to the special rights of strange it is, then, that the Arabs still the keystone of the whole democratic another country as in Lebanon’s case Service. In addition to H.G. Bishop
process. Citizenship essentially Nations has the right to carry out an
minorities: the Universal Declaration talk about the absence of an exact international intervention through the
in 2005, to protect a religious or eth- Serapion and Fr. Antonios, several
of Human Rights, the UN Charter, the definition of terrorism, and ignore the means “participation” and “equal- organization itself, whether to issue nic group that suffers persecution as local priests, and Coptic personali-
International Convention on the dozens of UN documents that have ity”. Therefore, authentic democracy in Bosnia and Kusovo’s case, or even ties gave talks about different sub-
Elimination of all Forms of Racial dealt with the issue in great detail. is basically about perfect equality a protest or condemn the violation of to investigate a single criminal case jects of interest. It was also a time
The UN has dealt with the and equivalent rights. a UN resolution that took place in an- as is the case with the “Mehlis” com- for fellowship among old friends
Discrimination, the International
Convention on the Prevention and concept of persecution in the same Democracy reinforces the other country. This action will not mission that is investigating the as- from various cities and states.
constitute an interference in the in-
Punishment of the Crime of Geno- manner, issuing dozens of recom- rights of citizenship by establishing sassination of Lebanon’s former Father Antonios spent a great deal
cide, the International Pact on Civil mendations and conventions through the supremacy of the law, the com- ternal affairs of another state, as all Prime Minister Rafik el-Harriri. of time visiting homes, counseling
and Political Rights, the International its different agencies. plete separation of state and religion, UN members are supposed to act as families, and speaking at various
Pact on Economic, Social and Cul- We also refer to the reports of a genuine separation of powers, the guardians of its charter, resolutions To Conclude meetings in local churches at the in-
tural Rights, the Declaration on the non-governmental organizations practice of political rights, the right and treaties. As the UN classifies a • The Copts are classified as a vitation of the Churches’ priests,
certain group of people as a minor-
Elimination of All Forms of Intoler- such as “Amnesty International”, to vote in elections in intermediate “persecuted and trapped and minor- some of whom were served as youth
ance and of Discrimination based on “Freedom House”, “Human Rights organizations, and the respect and ity, it is in fact a form of international ity.” in his church in Heliopolis, Egypt.
intervention, and since a violation of
Religion or Belief, the Convention on Watch”, “Christian Solidarity” and protection of individual freedoms. • At this stage, the Copts are in One significant event is worth men-
the Rights of the Child, The Decla- “Ibn Khaldun Center”. the rights of those need of “Affirmative Action” meas- tioning. He met a well-known youth
ration on the Rights of Persons Be- Once more, according to all H o w e v e r, minorities would ures to right the historical injustices leader, Dr. Sami Ayad Hanna, who
longing to National or Ethnic, Reli- of the above, the Copts are classified there are two signifi- also constitute a that befell them. lived in Fayoum from 1950-1955,
A clear line must be violation of the
gious and Linguistic Minorities, as a “persecuted minority”. cant concepts that re-
drawn to differentiate • It is within the Copts’ right to emigrated to the U.S. in 1955, and
adopted by the General Assembly in late to modern de- UN declaration to ask for international solidarity. It is has retired in Arizona. They met for
December 18, 1992, in addition to A Trapped Minority mocracy: between international protect the minori- neither a form of betrayal nor does it the first time in 50 years. They spent
other related international or regional The Copts are being constantly The First con- intervention and for- ties’ rights, then it indicate a lack of patriotism. If some- a great deal of time together remem-
pacts, including the ones that were backed into a corner, and forced to cept is Representa- eign interference. is only natural that one is to blame, it is the Egyptian bering the events of that period. It
concluded between member states of stay there by the overwhelming tive Democracy: a the international government that has violated the in- was also a befitting end to the life of
the UN. power of hatred and fanaticism. They form of democracy organization will ternational law that puts an obliga- Dr. Sami Hanna who passed away
are frustrated at the so-called freedom in which voters make a protest and tion on the government to protect mi- four days later.
The International Community of belief that goes in one direction choose (in free, secret, multi-party get involved in the situation through norities and their citizenship rights. Father Antonios and I sat down for
agrees on two ground rules only, and the frustration increases as elections) representatives to act in its various bodies. many hours recording the events of
First: To take special measures to they bump up against an invisible their interests. According to that con- The Copts’ request, or a re- the early youth services in Egypt. He
ensure that the rights of minorities are ceiling that denies them the opportu- cept any democratic system that does Therefore, international inter- quest on their behalf, of international returned to Egypt after a blessed visit
protected; designating a group as a nity to advance within their careers. not include an adequate representa- vention is a legitimate concept that solidarity reflects a conviction, re- with the hope of his return next sum-
“minority” should by no means un- The sources of political power are tion of the different segments and draws on a legitimate international spect of, and adherence to the inter- mer.
dermine the rights or status of that taken out of their grasp and their feel- groups that constitute the society is law, international pacts, and interna- national law and treaties, and is not ___
particular group of citizens. ings of estrangement can only in- a flawed and faulty system. tional organizations in addition to the in violation of any national law. Dr. Elhamy Khalil is a retired
Second: A sub-group will not crease as the media bombards them The Second concept is Rep- simple fact that we all share the same ___ pediatrician and Hospital Medical
be acknowledged as a minority un- with the same message over and over resentative Bureaucracy, which is a planet. A speech delivered by Magdi Khalil Director who was born in Beni-Suef
less it first accepts the reference to again. It is no wonder that they feel theory that suggests that organiza- An international intervention at “Status of Democracy and in 1935 and spent the last 46 years in
itself as such; the only exception for trapped, standing on precarious tions perform better if their may take place in order to liberate an Freedoms in the Middle East” Con- the U.S.A. and Canada. He serves at
this rule is if a minority is forced by grounds, as they face the very real workforces reflect the characteristics occupied state, as in Kuwait’s case in ference, held in Washington during Holy Virgin Coptic Orthodox Church
the majority to deny its status. prospects of the religious state over- of their constituent populations. In a 1990, to release a country that fell the period 16-19 November 2005. in Los Angeles. Email:
Based on all of the above, taking each and every aspect of life real democracy, there should be a under the dominating influence of magdikh@hotmail.com efkhalil@hotmail.com
20.
4 December 2005 Watani International 3
Technology What Would Have Gandhi Done? Egyptian Copts Are
necessary for the body, prayer is necessary
Surendra Kumar
for the soul. I have not the shadow of doubt Oppressed, Oppressed, Oppressed
Microlaptop A week after the attacks in New York and that the strife and quarrels with which our tent of the disagreement between myself and the
+ Cellphone Washington, an American woman whose hus- atmosphere is so full today are due to the Tarek Heggy engineer ‘Adli Abadir, who sponsored the Zu-
= Flybook band was instantly killed when the missiles absence of the spirit of true prayer. True rich conference and the upcoming conference in
hit the Pentagon, leaving behind a five-year- prayer never goes unanswered. The neces- Members of the Coptic community (Orthodox Washington.
David Pogue old daughter and a seven-year-old son, wrote sity of prayer is a matter of universal expe- Christian Egyptians) and other individuals con- However, I am the kind of person who can say,
a letter to the editor of Chicago Tribune urg- rience. Prayer is the greatest binding force...” vened in Washington, D.C. to discuss the prob- and I do say, that [despite the fact that] I cannot
Everywhere you look, the electronics industry lems facing Copts in Egypt. Despite the complete stand ‘Adli Abadir, nor the way in which he
ing her government not to wreak vengeance, Is anyone trying to bind this diverse world
seems to be playing its own mutant variations personal disagreement between myself and the presents his thoughts and his style of writing and
of limbo. as an eye for an eye would make the whole with the power of prayers? As a matter of
world blind. She advised that the world should fact, this world is so divided today on ac- individual who initiated this conference, I will speaking. I shall continue so long as I live to re-
But the question isn’t “How low can you put aside the personal angle in dealing with this iterate what I have said in this article, and even
go?” At Dell, it’s “How cheap can you go?” instead turn to Gandhi of India to seek guid- count of the manner of how we do our
topic since I feel that my way of thinking and more. Likewise, I will never say that ‘Adli Abadir
At Apple, it’s “How cool can you go?” And at ance. She had never seen Gan- prayers! writing is above getting dragged into the kind of is an agent acting in someone else’s [interest], or
Microsoft’s Windows division, it’s “How slow dhi. Still, thousands of miles Gandhi believed his ap- style known from the security services’ investi- that he is conspiring with anyone to harm Egypt.
can you go?” away from India, even after proach had universal appli- gations department, which [tends to] abandon the [To make such accusations] is the style of riff-
Among the Asian makers of Windows suffering such a great personal cation. He wrote, “My reli- heart of the matter and pursue marginal issues raff and a reflection of the style of the security
laptops, though, the game for some time has loss, her soul had been touched gion (of non-violence, truth related to personalities, suspicions and conspira- services’ investigations department, whose time
been, “How small can you go?” by the philosophy of this apos- and sacrifice) has no geo- torial thinking. has passed.
Turns out the answer is, “smaller than you’d This security-service mentality is one of the [As] someone who respects his own thought
tle of peace. Isn’t it remark- graphical limits. If I have a
like it.” The limiting factor is not factors that contributed to the collapse of objec- and intellect - and in my case, his writing - I do
miniaturization technology - it is your eyes and able, how so many people in living faith in it, it will tran-
different parts of the world still scend my love for India her- tivity and rationality in our thinking, and which not allow myself to join the pack of barking dogs
fingers. The trick is to find the sweet spot, a [cause this kind of thinking] to be so far removed or to abandon the essence of the issue and to look
balance somewhere on the spectrum between turn to Mahatma Gandhi seek- self…”
from objective and civilized modes of analysis, to impugn ‘Adli Abadir and Mike Munir’s char-
miracle and torture device. ing answers for contemporary Being a pragmatic, shrewd which are one of the achievements of human civi- acter, because an intellectual must have a totally
A Taiwan company called Dialogue has problems? and practical politician, lization. different nature than that of a police detective.
placed a new dot along that curve with an A few months after 9/11, I Gandhi was prepared to The basic issue is: ‘Do the Copts in Egypt suf- A few years ago, a person came to my office
intriguing microlaptop called the Flybook. It happened to attend a talk in adapt his approach and fer from serious problems in their own country?’ whose high-level position and job had direct
is a full-blown Windows XP computer, Chicago. The distinguished methods and even look for The only possible answer is: ‘Yes’. bearing on the Coptic issue, and he asked me
complete with touch screen and stylus, that is panel included the Republican better options. He wrote: Yes, Copts fear for themselves, their families, why I was so enthusiastically involved in what I
not much bigger than a DVD case (236 by 155 their property and their safety much more than call in my writings ’the Coptic issue.’ I told him
Congressman Mark Kirk. I drew his atten- “The various measures that I adopted there
millimeters; 1.2 kilograms). Despite its size, Muslims do, though the latter, too, are not com- at the time that as an Egyptian it is my obliga-
the Flybook packs in tons of features. tion to the letter in Chicago Tribune and asked were not the work of a visionary or a
whether the majority of Americans shared her dreamer. They were the world of an essen- pletely safe. tion to do so, and this is also what makes me
At prices from $2,150 to $2,490, the Flybook Yes, Copts suffer from a public atmosphere of support women’s issues in Egypt - because
is extremely pricey for a laptop, and it does sentiments. Mark Kirk said, “No way!” He tially practical man dealing with practical
fanaticism, which is not characterized by friend- Egypt, which today is sick, will never get on the
not even include the $350 external module you argued that Gandhi was fortunate; he had the political questions. As a political method, it liness towards them. road to recovery so long as Copts and women do
will need to play or record DVDs and CDs. British as his enemy with whom he could rea- can always be changed, modified, altered, Yes, Copts encounter exceptional obstacles in not take part in treating Egypt’s problems from
The Flybook’s makers have adopted an son, and whose heart could undergo change. even given up in preference to another…” various stages [of their lives] - in [acquiring] edu- a position of full and unimpaired citizenship.
iPoddish marketing strategy, hoping to sell the But the Gandhian method wouldn’t succeed Mahatma Gandhi was of the opinion that cation, obtaining a job and getting promotions - A person who is oppressed and whose rights
thing as jewelry. against the likes of Al Qaeda and Taliban as once we see the link between truth and God, merely because they are Copts. are denied cannot participate in pushing forward
Its lacquered, shiny paint job says “sports they have neither the heart nor the mind nor we can’t but learn to love his creation. “There Yes, Copts feel that, even though their qualifi- the broken-down wagon. I was sure that this visi-
car” more than “Windows box.” And there is cations exceed the average level of the Muslims tor did not understand what I told him, because
the conscience. is no God other than truth. And the only
a choice of color: silver, black, dark blue, dark (a fact that most Muslims admit), they do not hold he was trained to treat the Copts as a threat to
red, yellow, orange or white. While some western authors talk of “clash means of realising truth is ahimsa. To see
of civilisations” — i.e., Islam versus Christi- the universal and all pervasive spirit of truth important public offices such as district gover- Egypt, despite the fact that they are the original
So what does all that money buy you? Just nor, deputy governor, mayor, university president, Egypt.
about everything. The laptop’s tidy back panel anity — the usual refrain of the Western lead- face-to-face one must be able to love the
college dean, or [even] most of the secondary- At the time, I also told him: ‘If the Coptic is-
bursts with every jack known to man, ers is that they hate us because we are a de- meanest creation as oneself. And a man who level positions in the Foreign Ministry, Defense sue is not discussed here, in Egypt, it will even-
sometimes in duplicate: It has a fax/modem mocracy; we are rich; we are successful. They aspires after that can’t afford to keep out of Ministry, Ministry of the Interior, etc. Copts feel tually be discussed abroad, and if we don’t rec-
jack, a pair of USB 2.0 connectors, Ethernet hate our very way of life. Isn’t there some- any field of life. That is why my devotion to that, as soon as a Copt utters his name, which ognize all the aspects of the problem, then the
networking, a video output, a TV output, two thing much more profound underlying this truth has drawn me into the field of politics. reveals his Coptic identity, he often feels a sharp Copts abroad will take [their cause] from the
FireWire ports for external hard drives or a perception? And I can say without the slightest hesita- decline in the degree of friendliness shown to- stage of merely crying out that they are being
camcorder, headphone and microphone jacks, In 2002, Fareed Zakaria carried a cover tion, yet utmost humility, that those who say wards him. oppressed to the stage of [calling it] a human
and a PC card slot. Yes, Copts feel that it makes no sense that, even rights issue, and then many will pay attention to
story in the Newsweek with the screaming that religion has nothing to do with politics
You can get onto the Internet or an office though they constitute about one sixth (15%) of them on an international level, including impor-
network wirelessly using the laptop’s Wi-Fi headline: Why they hate us. It tried to unravel don’t know what religion means…”
the widening chasm between the Western and Isn’t it ironic that all the ills of the society the population, Coptic MPs constitute less than tant decision-makers.’
antenna. You can also connect to palmtops, one percent of the parliament. One does not need When I was young, I heard the Arab adage:
printers or headsets wirelessly using its the Muslim worlds and felt that there was very today are blamed on encroachment of reli-
to be exceptionally bright in order to realize that ‘Most fires start from small sparks that people
Bluetooth transmitter. Strangest and most little attempt on the part of Western leaders gion in politics? this cannot be a mere coincidence, but can only overlooked.’ Today [we realize that] most trou-
wonderful of all, you can insert your mobile to try to understand the followers of Islam in So how would have Gandhi reacted to the be the result of motivations that are nefarious, ir- bles result from their having been ignored when
phone SIM card. This ingenious feature means a world which many Muslims feel is being conflicts today? Who knows? But one thing rational, unjust, inhuman and contrary to the ba- they were small. We demand of the world that
that, provided that you have the right torn apart by forces beyond their control. Dis- is certain, he wouldn’t have kept quiet. He sic concept of citizenship. they believe our claim that we are above reproach
subscription, your laptop can get online dainful dismissing of the differences as infe- would have led from the front by his own Yes, Copts feel that it is an insult to the intelli- in our treatment of non-Muslims and women, and
anywhere there is a cellphone signal. rior or sinister hasn’t helped. example. After all, his life was his message. gence of all Copts and all Egyptians to claim that we relish repeating this, while the world looks at
Also, it means that you can actually make ‘everything is all right’ now that Sheikh Al-Azhar our deeds and finds them to be totally contrary
Do differences necessarily lead to a He would have stressed the essential one-
voice calls with the Flybook. When you click has been seen embracing the [Coptic] Pope. to what we say.
a taskbar icon, a weird little two-dimensional civilisational clash? Shouldn’t we consider ness of all religions, tirelessly worked to
ourselves fortunate to be living in a world that generate international understanding, good- Yes, Copts feel that it is strange that the taxes To come back to the issue of the Copts in Egypt,
cellphone appears on the screen. You can click they pay are spent on building mosques and on I contend that the fact that most senior officials
its number buttons to dial, and presto: you’re is blessed with so many religions, cultures and will and communal harmony, continued rais-
the Al-Azhar [Islamic] University, while [at the continue to ignore the Coptic issue will bring
chatting on your laptop-turned-speakerphone. languages? Doesn’t today’s highly polarised ing his voice against injustice, exploitation, same time] they must invest huge efforts to build Egypt to crises which I can almost make out on
The Flybook offers all the traditional utility world warrant a much deeper and objective human rights, and degradation of the envi- churches at their own expense. the horizon. They are similar to the crises of oth-
of a Windows laptop, but its bright, touch- analysis than just dividing human beings as ronment, worked for gender equality and Yes, Copts, and especially those above the age ers in the region - others who fell prey to the
sensitive wide-screen display (1,024 by 600 heroes and villains? eradication of poverty; political independ- of 60, feel that the attitude displayed today to- temptation to ignore some problems, and espe-
pixels) does something that your laptop Gandhi, though proud of his heritage, was ence had no meaning for him unless it also wards themselves, their wives, their daughters, cially to ignore the realities of today’s world, that
probably does not: It rotates and folds back a strong votary of free flow of knowledge, offered economic independence to the poor. and their sons is totally different from what they is, the post-Cold War world.
against the keyboard, so you wind up with a experienced over 40 years ago in the very same This is a world in which the idea of sovereignty
thoughts and ideas from all across the world. He would have bluntly told political lead-
tablet. Egypt.” in its old sense, which had been stable for the
It is great for scrawling notes, making He believed in the equality of all religions: ers to shun hypocrisy and remove the vast
“There are many faiths. They are all based gulf between what they preached and what These are the essential aspects of the subject. many decades preceding the fall of the Berlin
sketches, checking off boxes in a database or To accuse anyone who speaks of these matters of Wall, is no longer of any use to anyone. There
tapping links on Web pages. on common fundamentals. The soul is one, they did. He would have urged them to stand
being an agent of parties hostile to Egypt, or of are those who understand this new world, and
At first glance, then, the Flybook almost but there are innumerable bodies, which can- by truth and the righteous cause and insisted being involved in a plot against Egypt, is simply there are those who are unable to understand and
seems to justify its nosebleed-inducing price. not be rolled into one. The root of religion is that noble cause must be achieved by noble a joke, an insult to the truth and an affront to rea- take in all dimensions of this change.
It is tiny and one-handable, loaded with one like the root of a tree, but it has numer- means alone. He didn’t believe in the ap- son. ______________________________
features and highly fashionable. ous branches.” proach of the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping Among the Copts who are concerned with the Translated from Arabic by MEMRI
Then reality sets in. Gandhi was instrumental in putting an end who said that so long as it caught the rat, it general Coptic issue, none fail to realize the ex-
The Flybook’s shrunken keyboard requires to the largest empire in human history. How? didn’t matter whether the cat was black or
scrunching up your fingers and keeping your
He had unshakeable faith in the righteousness white. For Gandhi, the cat had to be spot-
eyes on what you are doing.
The mouse presents another “you have to of his cause. And for him, truth was God. He lessly white! Brother Tariq – A Man with Many Faces (6 of 6)
get used to it” situation. Instead of a trackpad, wrote: “The root of Satyagraha is in prayer. Above all, he would have kept the com-
you get a Thinkpad-style rubber nubbin that A Satyagrahi relies upon God for protection
Terrorism
against tyranny of the brute force… The fight
mon man at the centre of his action. For him,
the good man was the one who understood
The Trojan Horse
pokes up, in this case above and to the right of
the keyboard. You get one pair of clickers of Satyagraha is for the strong in spirit, not and felt the pain and suffering of others. Due to lack of print space, the last part of the series is published in Watany’s website
(corresponding to the right and left mouse the doubter or the timid. Satyagraha teaches ________________________________
_______________________________ (www.wataninet.com), as well as (www.metransparent.com)
buttons) next to the rubber nubbin, and another us the art of living as well as dying.” Surendra Kumar is the Indian High Com-
set at the left edge of the keyboard. For most Gandhi maintained, “Man’s need for prayer missioner in Kenya. The views expressed in Passion of the Christ” was a surprise $600 million
purposes, these are awfully awkward
placements. They do, however, permit a trick:
is as great as his need for bread. As food is this article are his own. Nuggets worldwide hit.
You can point and click while standing up, ♦ Middle East Tops Christmas
holding the Flybook with both hands. Laila Farid
The Flybook is not, however, the only Language Holiday List
With a cold snap in prospect across northern Eu-
microlaptop game in town. Fujitsu’s Lifebook ♦ “Narnia” Film Could Pack the Pews rope, the hot money is being spent on deposits for
Evangelical publishers have sent out special packs
1510D, for example, is about the same size
and also has the rotating touch screen - but it
Art Thou Thee, or Are Ye You? to churches, Methodists prepared themed sermons
winter holidays in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Dubai
and Oman.
weighs even less and has a bigger keyboard, and one Anglican Since January there has been a 54% increase in
other “sir” could only be obsequious or insult-
while offering a hard drive of 30 or 60 Geoffrey Wheatcroft ing. It was a neat line (is it also true in America?).
church is giving UK visitors to Egypt and 25% to Morocco. The
gigabytes. It also has proper right click/left out free tickets for number holidaymaking in Jordan has gone up
Not only are the English snobbish, he implied, “The Chronicles
click buttons below the keyboard. It lacks 151%.
Bluetooth and that cool cellphone but it costs As the recent riots spread through the outskirts of but their very language is as well. of Narnia: The
Paris and other French cities, there were two lin- It seems that many people will abandon turkey
$800 less. And yet English hasn’t made that “t/v” distinc- Lion, The Witch at home on December 25 in favour of a getaway
Even if you don’t buy a Flybook, though, guistic footnotes to the story. First of all, Nicolas tion in centuries. We just say “you,” however and the Ward- to Turkey.
you should smile at its arrival. Adding Sarkozy, the energetic and ambitious interior min- many of you there are and whether you’re friend robe”.
cellphone features to a laptop is a welcome ister who is Jacques Chirac’s protégé-turned-rival, or stranger. When we learn European languages The film is ♦ Crusades Betrayed Christian
idea, and so is the Apple-inspired notion that denounced the rioters as “scum.” Or so it was given we are told that “thou” - tu or du - is the intimate based on the C.S. Beliefs, Archbishop Tells Muslims
beauty can add tremendous pleasure to using in most British and American papers: His actual form of address, for family and friends, though Lewis classic. The Speaking 900 years after Christian warriors sacked
a machine. book tells the tale Jerusalem, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr
word had been “racaille,” which is more like “rab- even that’s quite tricky enough.
____________ of four children who step through a wardrobe into Rowan Williams said that the Crusades were a se-
ble,” scarcely genial but not quite so inflamma- Recently I wrote here from the village in Cor- the magical world of Narnia for a classic good-
IHT (abridged) rious betrayal of Christian beliefs.
tory. sica where we often go, and where we have many versus-evil clash between a wicked witch and the
Then Sarko changed his tune and decided to play friends. There are copains in the café who call His comments, made in Pakistan, appeared to
god-like lion Aslan. be an attempt to reassure Muslims that the
good cop to his own bad cop. We must try to un- me “tu,” so I say it back, and there are the maire, Church leaders believe that there are clear Chris- Churches are anxious to avert confrontation be-
derstand the rioters’ grievances, he said, adding the curé and respectable elderly ladies whom I tian parallels which can be drawn from the tween the West and Islamic states.
that the police should treat them with courtesy, and would never dream of calling anything but vous, storyline. In the past he has warned western leaders, par-
in particular show respect by not addressing any but then there are people with whom I can never Christians are now recognised by Hollywood as ticularly President Bush, against using sensitive
of these disaffected young Muslim and black quite remember whether we do or don’t tutoyer. a valuable niche market after Mel Gibson’s “The religious language such as the term “crusade” to
youths as “tu.” Maybe this is a problem even for the French. justify the war against Iraq.
It was a riveting moment - and for any One expects the intimate form to be used by Of course manners have everywhere become less
“anglophone” it opened up a whole area of mys- lovers and spouses, but even that is not always formal, and “tu” in Paris or “du” Berlin are - like ♦ Beer Is a ‘Draught of Good Health’
tery. For us cradle English-speakers, even the best so, as two of the most famous French couples of first names in London or New York - much more First it was chocolate and then it was red wine.
linguists (among whom I don’t claim to be), the the past century illustrate. General and Madame common than a generation or two ago. Now new research reveals a beer a day is healthy,
hardest part of any Continental language to grasp Just as with “sir,” “tu” can be used affectionately too.
de Gaulle called each other “vous” all their lives,
to someone you know well, and as an insult to An American scientist has discovered cancer-
is this question of tutoyer or sich duzen, what socio- and so did Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de fighting properties in the compound that helps to
linguists call the “t/v” distinction (from “tu/vous”) Beauvoir, at which point this anglophone throws someone you don’t know at all. It certainly is not a
give beer its aroma and flavour.
between the intimate, second-person singular form his hands up and admits he is out of his depth. term of endearment when those flics in the bleak A British professor also discovered that beer is
of “you” and the formal second-person plural, a What complicates the question further is class, “banlieues” outside Paris call a black youth “tu.” one of the highest sources of silicon, which in-
distinction which is at once inescapable in every- in which respect “t/v” is at least as thorny as Hill’s For any language to lose a word is usually an creases the formation and strength of the bone.
day life, and a social or even political minefield. “sir.” In Germany, miners traditionally call each impoverishment, but I can’t help thinking that the The amount of beer required to produce the ben-
Years ago, the late Marxist historian Christopher other “du” and office workers say “sie,” although loss of “thou” from English may have been for the eficial effects is as yet unknown.
Hill said that any Frenchman could call any other even then there are particular upper-class groups best. Qu’est-ce-que tu en penses? _____________________________________________
Frenchman “monsieur” on terms of complete - university students in the dining hall and army __________________ Sources: Reuter, The Daily Telegraph and The
equality, but that an Englishman who called an- The New York Times Guardian
officers in the mess - who by convention do “du.”