Egypt, what is happening to us?

No doubt that there is something seriously wrong with us Egyptians, its not just murders, thefts and sexual crimes, but it is the general anger and frustration you see in the eyes of the people everywhere.

I have my own social explanation for this, I call it the disfigurement of the Egyptian personality.

Every society acquires certain characteristics throughout history that define the personality of its people. This collective personality, if I may call it so, is what controls the way they interact with each other. Any sudden changes to this acquired personality will result in uncontrolled reactions. The strength of the culture is the major balancing power that resists those sudden changes.

From the definition above I can perceive two main factors that have affected negatively the Egyptian personality and brought us where we currently are.

1- A general weakening in the strength of our culture, it is no longer the defensive barrier that preserved the Egyptian personality throughout history. Our culture was once so strong that we used to force our conquerors to adopt our ways for thousands of years, not the other way.

2- Having lost our cultural defenses we became vulnerable to external influences, which came in the form of two simultaneous opposing forces in the 70s and 80s. The westernizing movement, which came with the liberal policies of Sadat, emphasizing individualism and consumerism. And the fanatic brand of Islamist salafism imported from the Gulf countries with the oil boom and Egyptian immigrations, with its rigid, intolerant, violent and sexist doctrines.

Those two opposing powers did what military might was unable to do for Millennia. It tore apart the Egyptian Personality and disfigured it into the ugly form we see today... Family murders for small money... murders for "so called Honor"... sexual harassment... etc...

I tend to disagree with those who say that illiteracy and poverty are the main reason... they might be one of the factors but definitely not "the" main factor... The common Egyptian for thousands of years was poor and illiterate, but in no way was he ignorant and helpless.

The solution - which I admit that it is hard to achieve - we need to regain our cultural strength... literature and arts are not useless and redundant entertainment but rather a basic social need that interacts (affects and is affected by) our collective personality. Is it a coincidence that we stopped producing respectable art and literature more or less in that same time frame that witnessed the deterioration of our moral values? I do not think so.

We have to resist the attempts of the two invading cultures to discard our own ways. Western culture trying to brand them with inferiority. While Fanatic Islamism tries to vilify our culture by branding it as Haram.

So let us dig out our cultural talents and make them once more our role models, let us be proud of our beautiful national costumes they are definitely not "unfashionable", and let us celebrate the very Egyptian Sham el Nessim, don't worry we won't go to hell for that as the ugly salafists try to make us believe. Lets go back to the beautiful Egypt of the early 1900s depicted in Naguib Mahfouz's Novels.

Is this related to crime rates? I truly think it is. We have to be proud of what we truly are and this is the starting point to re-beautify our disfigured personality. And bring the people back to their senses.

I used to find Tawfiq El Hakim's call to replace politicians by artists rather strange... But I guess he was right after all.

Sorry for the long answer :)

I heard about the 2 little kids that were killed in Giza the other day as I saw it on the news, but I had not heard of any of the others. That is very unbelievable. From what you wrote, it seems most of these were murdered by people who knew them for stupid reasons. What is even more unbelievable is the parents who murder their own children for stupid reasons. Like the ones you mentioned - making trouble with neighbors or the ex-wife leaving home.

I don't have an answer either. I am just as shocked at this behavior as you are, Ruby. But is seems as if people panic when things get difficult and instead of dealing with things rationally - they just snap and go off the deep end.

There is a very high rate of unemployment and economic situation is not good. It's normal and expected in this case that the crime rate increases. Still it's expected to increase more in the next few months. The effect of the economic crisis on the society is not yet measured.

If we take for example the man who killed his wife and children I saw him in TV interview and a psychiatrists commented, the man is sick. Most of them were troubled at least for sometime.

Don't forget also that all the crimes you read, wasn't all in one day. They select some kinds and put it together according to other reasons.

May God helps

We live in a crazy world & this isn't just a problem for Egypt...it's all too common all over the world !

People can't cope & this pressure to survive at the moment will cause some to crack....all we can do is look out for those around us....if we see someone struggling give that person what we can , even if it is only a kind word.

the journalists are too active .

that's all .

we are 20 million in Cairo , 80 million in Egypt .

the rate of bloodshed hasnt risen .

more active journalists are hired for the papers to sell.

dont read the crime page .

lock your doors well .

sleep well.

rabina yi7fazna kulena .

I was discussing this with my cousins the other day .. i'll tell you what i told them:

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

"Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of (the evil) which men's hands have done, that (Allah) may make them taste a part of their deeds: in order that they may turn back (from Evil). "

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم " ظهر الفساد في البر و البحر بما كسبت أيدي الناس .. ليذيقهم

بعض الذي عملوا .. لعلهم يرجعون" ___ صدق الله العظيم

.

General security absence, that for the government is busy with political absence

The people lost the hope and the passion,

i guess we need to update a lot of things in our egyptian community,

beside i think we need to say thanks for our great unique government .

they are going to heaven 7adef

i am not sad at them

they are going to heaven i am not going to compare between heaven and Donya

what i am sad about is thier father :S and mother and that who killed them is thier relatives (7aga teksef) and ofcourse how did they die

Allahoma e7fezna

kama qal Muhammad peace be upon him, " w men a3malikom solit 3alaikom"

rabena yostor!!