Coptic mass funeral (Al-Masry al-oum)

The question marks over what exactly caused the bloodbath during the Coptic demonstration in Cairo on Sunday, will surely remain in place for quite some time. One may hope that the commission of inquiry, that the government installed in the meantime, will shed some light on how it was possible that the army reacted in the outrageous way it did, running over unarmed protesters with heavy armoured vehicles. Also should be examined how it was possible that it did not keep mobs from attacking the marching Copts in Shubra in the first place, as that, accoing to many reports, seems to have ignited the riots.

It seems quite obvious that something is completely wrong with the way the army handles security matters in Egypt. Although prejudices against the Copts, which are widespread in salafist circles as well as in the predominantly Muslim army, certainly seem to have played a big role, one should also remember that it is not the first time that attempts by the army to handle security matters went completely out off hand. One has only to remember the utter chaos that broke out on 9 September when protesters went from Tahrir to the Israeli embassy and took apart the wall that had been erected in front of it. (see also here, in Dutch). That day ended aslo with several dead and no less than over the 1000 wounded.

This time, however, it seems that not only the army was to blame. Also the Egyptian state television came severely under fire. Al-Ahram Online reports that the TV is heavily criticized because it not only failed to calm matters, but actually played a role in aggravating the situation. Broadcasters on state television at one point called on the Egyptian public to head en masse to Maspero to defend Egyptian soldiers from what they described as ‘angry Christian protesters’.

It seems that these calls were heeded as indeed later in the night vigilante mobs with swords and machetes attacked demonstrators who fled the scenes where the army was using bullets and tear gas. Call-ins to state TV from viewers, meanwhile, where not very helpful either. ‘Armed Christians clashed with and killed military police,’ one call-in viewer claimed. State television also aired footage of injured military police officers, but failed to carry images of flattened corpses of killed demonstrators which were circulating virally over internet sites.

In this context it is noteworthy that Egyptian state television is one of those media where the staf still lagely consists of the old guard from the days of Mubarak, because only a handful leading figures were replaced. One cannot help but ask one self to what extend the remaining staff might still be familiar with the habits of the former government, which used so frequently to turn the Copts into scapegoats.

In the meantime it became clear that some 21 protesters, mainly Copts, were killed as army tanks ran over several people and shot rubber, and live bullets. Three other death fell among the military police, the army said. The Egyptian ministry of health confirmed that at least 329 people were injured.

Meanwhile on Monday the Egyptian authorities executed a man who was sentenced to death for the killing of five Copts and a Muslim watchman in January of last year in Naga Hammadi in Qena Governorate. The murder by Mohamed Ahmed Hussein, who was better known by his nickname al-Kammouny, was considered to be one of the worst sectarian killings in recent years in Egypt.

AUTHOR: Martin Hijmans
URL: http://the-pessoptimist.blogspot.com/
E-MAIL: m.hijmans [at] planet.nl

In “Mythic Relfections”, Joseph Campbell argues that food and sex, otherwise a part of daily routine, become sacraments through intent as the individual realizes that something that is taken for granted has universal and higher significance than the physical act itself, as it is the catalyst to life.

“When you’re eating something, this is something quite special to do. But you don’t know what you’re doing unless you think about it. That’s what a ritual does. It gives you an occasion to realize what you’re doing so that you’re participating in the inevitable energy of life in its exchanges. That’s what rituals are for; you do things with intention, and not just in the animal way, ravenously, without knowing what you’re doing. This is true also of sex. People who just engage in sex as a fun game, as something exciting like that, don’t realize what they’re doing. Then you don’t have the sacramentalization. And the whole reason marriage is a sacrament is that it lets you know what the hell is correct and what isn’t, and what’s going on here. A male and female coming together with the possibility of another life coming out of it – that’s a big act.”

Of all species, only humans attribute higher meaning to food and sex as ritual celebrating life or sinful act manifesting the materialistic/hedonistic aspect of human nature. Where then does the difference rest between the pagan and monotheistic cultures in their treatment of sex and food as rituals that invariably influence peoples’ daily routines as well? Lifestyles under pagan religions were largely shaped by the view of the multi-dimensional self, thus food and sex reflected not necessarily human nature, but peoples’ collective view of human nature and the complex and multi-dimensional universe.

The concept of character flaws, or imperfections in human nature deemed as natural instead of ‘sin’ in paganism entails a different sense of self for pagans than for the three monotheistic religions that emerged from the Middle East – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. That sense of self is directly related to how food and sex are viewed by society and thus the individual.

Given that the pagans did not duel on the dichotomy of good and evil as the monotheistic religions, and given that they believed the universe to be complex and multidimensional, their view of the self was a reflection of the universe of which they were a part and not something from which they needed to separate themselves and relegated to the category of sin or of good and evil. To some extent, Hinduism is closer to paganism on the issue of food and sex, although it is true that regional and sectarian differences play a role. Annam (food) is part of Brahman, thus food is divine. Pleasure/desire are also part of the divinity if not mystical aspect of humans. Restraint in the Buddhist tradition is closer to the monotheistic tradition that comes out of the Middle East, although the word sin (violating God’s rules) is not associated with permissive behavior.

Sin is associated with food and sex as sin, original sin in the Judeo-Christian tradition, equating pleasure with loss of one’s spiritual connection to God. This is just the opposite of many pagan traditions – to some degree also Indian – that celebrated with food and sex as spiritual experiences to get closer to the gods. St. Augustine and the Church fathers promoted marriage as a mechanism to foster family and procreate, not an institution in which the couple would find bliss in carnal pleasures; on the contrary, marriage was the way to avoid temptation, or unrestrained desires. What the pagans perceived as ‘natural’, the Christians condemned as sinful and enslavement of the soul for the sake of pleasing the body to which free will was surrendered.

If we set aside the instinct for survival and need for procreation to perpetuate the human species, both cases requiring food and sex, what then accounts for nuances in these basic human needs between cultures other than the evolution of the community shaped by everything from geography/topography and climate, namely nature, to human relationships en masse such as wars and internal conflicts that divide and/or unite people into social groups.

Worship of the fertility deities, of the mother goddess directly linked to both food and sex culture, is a reflection of a value system that shaped the mindset toward sexual mores, marriage and sex rituals inexorably linked with food and wine as part of the intoxicating experience in human pleasures of the flesh that assumed spiritual significance.

Taken from the festivals of Lupricalia where music, dance, food, and love were celebrated, Valentine’s Day remains a tribute to the pagan tradition of sensual pleasures of the flesh that have transcending spiritual meaning. In the same manner so does May Day with its celebration of fertility, of the mother earth and phallic symbols – similar religious symbols are found in many pagan religions around the world as well as Hinduism. Although Christianity strictly forbade May Day celebrations, as May was sexual freedom month where marriage vows did not pertain, May Day has remained a vague celebration of nature to this day.

Ancient Egyptians as well as Greeks celebrated spring with rites involving food, wine and sex. As far as claims of divinity associated with parthenogenesis or ‘virgin birth’, this was much more prevalent than people believe when they insist that the Virgin Mary was a unique case. In religious mythology of ancient Greece and Rome, as well as India, Mesopotamia, and Egypt, we encounter ‘miracle birth’ or parthenogenesis, indicative of how the gods were created. The Christians used parthenogenesis to distance their faith and practices from the pagan concept of sexual relationships as well as marriage.

Is the difference between pagans and monotheists that a food-and-sex-accepting religion entails chaos because humans lose control and manifest their anarchistic proclivities? Is it a case of the political and social elites that use ascetic-oriented doctrines and decry pleasure as an integral part of religion in order to impose discipline and control over the masses? Is it the case the patriarchal monotheistic societies fear the female invariably associated with the cult of food and sex that can be tools of female dominance?

Has monotheistic culture benefited by reverting to some aspects of pagan culture mores regarding food and sex, or is it the case that such trend developing since the Renaissance represents the decline of Western civilization? Does food and sex unleash creative potential by stimulating the brain’s pleasure center – releasing the chemicals (dopamine) in the brain that account for euphoria? If there are foods and drinks that boost sex drive, and if sex drive is a salient factor in the creative intellect, should the pagan culture mores be condemned as ‘unnatural’?

AUTHOR: Jon Kofas
URL: http://jonkofas.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: jonkofas [at] yahoo.com

In light of the growing controversy about the independent trade unions and malicious accusations and allegations aimed at undermining the Egyptian workers’ movement and the trade unions which it created, we, the representatives of the independent unions, are signing this statement of the fundamental principles on which they are being built and on which trade unions which represent workers are founded.

1. The independent unions have appeared in Egypt ending an era during which trade union work has been monopolised by the state and the ruling party, and this is due to the struggle of the Egyptian workers and their sacrifices, and nobody can claim otherwise. At the same time we extend our thanks and greetings to all those who support the principles of trade union freedom and the right to organise so long as this support is without conditions.

2. The independent unions confirm their independence from all political parties, official institutions and organisations, human rights organisations, and individuals. The independent unions confirm that they only follow the wishes of the general assemblies of their members and that the principle of independence is a general principle which applies to all without exception. In the same vein, the independent unions assert that only elected representatives from the base of the unions have the right to speak on behalf of the trade unions and declare their positions, and that no outside parties have the right to do so, unless those positions have been agreed by the elected representatives of the independent unions.

3. The independent unions depend for their funding on the contributions of their members and will not accept financial support from any other source at home or abroad. The general assemblies have complete authority for the financial supervision of the unions. We affirm that this principle self-reliance and self-funding is an inseparable part of the principle of independence on which the unions were founded.

4. We affirm that this principle of independence dates from before the revolution and that the revolution came to bless this perspective and to issue laws to protecting this same principle, the first of which was the constitutional declaration on the freedom to form unions the announcement of the principle of trade union freedoms. This declaration contributed to Egypt’s name being removed from the ILO blacklist of countries violating workers’ rights as did the draft law on trade union freedoms. We affirm that the principle of independence is not tied to an individual or a government but is a fundamental right of all of who work for a wage in this country, and they will not give it up in any circumstances.

5. The independent unions completely reject any form of normal relations with the Zionist enemy, as they reject all forms of co-operation with any person or organisation who is involved in normalisation or is calling for normalisation. We affirm our complete support for the right of the Arab Palestinian people to create an independent state in the whole of Palestine, and their right to use whatever means of resistance to achieve their rights. We affirm also that one of the principal reasons for our rejection of the old Egyptian Trade Union Federation is its subservience to the state and the National Democratic Party, and its participation in a visit to occupied Jerusalem and its failure to take any position opposing the policy of normalisation, such as the QIZ [Qualified Industrial Zones] Agreement and the gas supply agreement and other policies which the Egyptian Trade Union Federation by its silence supported while the Egyptian workers’ movement rejected them and was resisting them.

6. The independent unions value the Arab people’s struggle for freedom and social justice.

Long live the Egyptian Revolution!
Eternal glory to the Martyrs!

Egyptian Independent Union Federation

Signatories:
1. The Real Estate Tax Authority Union
2. The General Public Transport Authority Workers’ Union
3. The General Union of Civil Aviation Pilots
4. The General Union of Builders and Woodworkers
5. The Egyptian Peasants’ Union
6. The General Union of Antiquities Workers
7. The General Union of Sales Tax Workers
8. The General Union of Health Sciences
9. The General Independent Union of Teachers
10. The General Union of Communications Workers
11. The Manshiyet al-Bakri Hospital Workers’ Union
12. Du’aa Hospital Union
13. The General Union of Workers in the Ministry of Labour
14. The Media Production Workers Union
15. The General Union of Pensioners

Original statement in Arabic here…

AUTHOR: Hossam el-Hamalawy
URL: http://www.arabawy.org
E-MAIL: hossam [at] arabawy.org

Activists like Ahmad Hafez, Medo Iskandar, Al-Jazeera journalist Dima el-Khatib,Lilian Wagdy, Gigi Ibrahim, Medo Iskandar are each leading the chants against the military abuses, as dozens of protesters gathered outside the Military Court today, in solidarity with journalist Rasha Azab and her editor Adel Hammouda, who’ve been summoned by the military prosecutor over Rasha’s reporting of torture and human rights violations the military police has been involved in.

I heard some of the most militant anti-army chants today, even when the protest was not that big. Demonstrators accused the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces of being US agents, cowards in front of the Israelis but only brave when facing Egyptian protesters.

AUTHOR: Hossam el-Hamalawy
URL: http://www.arabawy.org
E-MAIL: hossam [at] arabawy.org

AUTHOR: Hossam el-Hamalawy
URL: http://www.arabawy.org
E-MAIL: hossam [at] arabawy.org