I had a friend. My friend is dead
“There shall be blood”
Such was a promise
Fulfilled till the end
Over and over again
Whose fault is this?
Blood and more blood
Religion and politics
Money and power
Money and more money
BURN
Does anyone read anything?
Wait what was it? Ah the crusades!
Genocides
Again the use of religion to exhort and kill
But are they all bad?
This time it’s another fight
Another flag
Under God’s name
KILL THEM KILL THEM ALL
Kill who?
2009: Google: The Muslim Brotherhood
I remember being a clueless little person who had no interest to learn politics or any religious matters. I remember how I was just introduced to the different sects of Christianity and surprised at finding also different sects in Islam. I remember my urge to read fueling and the piles of books I collected. I remember going to friends to ask questions and listen.
“My God. Your God. Their God”
I can still feel my anger at the Muslim Brotherhood during the first revolution we had. I remember feeling threatened. I always remember feeling threatened. Feeling different. Feeling looked at. Feeling discriminated. I recall my primary school years in Egypt when I first heard a Coptic parent ask their kids to only befriend Copts and when a friend said they only trust Muslim doctors. I remember feeling I couldn’t trust them. How could anyone? Because religion calls for peace and love. Because we are all humans regardless of who the messenger was. Because religion does not go well with politics. Because God and power and money “donta” mix. Because I have first hand experience of being fooled by the most religious church people. Thus I seized to trust any displays of religiousness. Because religion and God cannot be a cover or an excuse to enforce particular laws. Because a person cannot be judged by what they wear. Because anyone who is anyone and read their history or the history of any religious ruling power should know.
Because we just need to look and listen. Because we all agree that it’s about a country and its people. It’s a national cause, It is not a religious cause.
Egypt is a country. Egypt is a nation. They had a pan-Islamism plan, but no one told us that that’s not how the world works, and then they win elections.
To hell with logic. That’s why.
And then I meet a pharmacist, a co-worker. A friend who was always there. Who had my back. Who listened to my anger. Who discussed religion and politics and social matters with me when I had lost many old friends that took it personal and attacked my beliefs. Who asked about me. Who sat to have lunch with me when no one would. Who defended me against the “moderate” Muslims who discriminated against me. Who shared books with me. Whose wife admired me. Whose friend was such a sweetheart to me and would compliment sincerely my choice of clothes and dresses. Who loved my drawings. Who borrowed my collections on Modern Islam and writings from Dr. Tariq Ramadan and who asked for my advice. Who encouraged my bluntness and tendency to speak the truth. Who laughed with me. Who called me when I was gone. Who kept calling for days following my leave and I stopped answering… I stopped answering back because I was angry, lost, scared, mad at the world. Because he was a believer in the MB and I didn’t know where to stand. Because I could never hide the truth I felt or thought from my friends. Because I forgot for a moment given that he was my friend. Nothing else.
Nothing I could do or say would bring him back.
My friend is dead
Shot in the head