4th of July - the sad side

July 4th 2015, around 11:15 PM, we aspirate thanking God that the concert ended. But that is not the end of the story.

At 8:30 AM, the folks of 4th Annual Island Reggae Festival at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds started preparing and testing their drums and their mics, to wake us up with unpleasant headache. Happy 4th of July! 

But real noise kicks off couple hours later. Inside the house, with all double-pane windows shut, we can still hear the music and the singers as if we are next to the stage. And they just go on and on. Till 9 PM, when my toddler's bed-time come, and the headache totally consumed us, I decided to call the police. And here the even more-sad story begins.

In short, we have been calling the police until 10:35 when we got to talk to someone to take in my complaint. A deputy officer calls at 10:55 PM to say they will be done soon, they have a permit and there is nothing much you to do about it! Well, music lasted for 20 minutes after that conversation, and the illegal firework continued in the first few hours of the following AM (they are going on as I write). Many families complain about these illegal fireworks and how they terrify children, pets, and everybody in fact!

How come the Fairgrounds got such a permit to disturb people's enjoyment of their own homes? This sounds like typical under development society behavior. How come police does nothing and how come I got so much hard time to talk to the police? This is exactly the same behavior as the Egyptian police hotline in Egypt during the 2011 revolution, they had no one answering the hot lines!

WOW! What happened to the American society? 10 years ago, I - as an immigrant from Egypt - was super happy with the fact that in USA there is a System and everyone follows the rule, automatically. I mean, without really needing someone, some officer, to ask them to abide by the rules. To me, that was the major difference that makes USA a better place. But since I moved to CA 3 years ago, I have been encountering incidents that keeps raising this question in my heart: why then did I immigrate? In what capacity is America better?

In 4th of July, I would love to bring to American's attention that America is never a better place because of opportunity, American dream, or even nature or natural resources. America has been always a better place because of Americans, and their behavior. Let us fix it!

Beginning of The End

It is amazing to have the reedings today, 3rd Sun of Coptic month Paoni, talks about condemnation, giving Sodom and Gomora as an example, right after devil's victory of forcibly legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide last Friday (Jun 26. 2015) & the - used to be - white house lighted up in rainbow colors.  

How shall we react to this? Is it time to flee Sodom? Or is it time to fight back against evil? 

My first reaction was: it is time to flee Sodom, since - reading through the history - nations rise-up, become great and "lead" the world, then they decay. Biblical-ly, God raises nations, or allow it to rise - even un-Godly ones - to achieve His Holy purposes (condemnation, chance to repent, blessing or protection to righteous, etc.). Then when the nation relates its success to its own power, and turns away from God, or refuses God, it collapses. Examples from the Bible include Babel, Persia, Greece, and Roma. One would spend an article to write about these nations, how they fulfilled God's purposes and how they decayed. But we know that this rule continues until today, and we know from the book of revelation that this will happen at end-of-days.

America, which I love a lot and owe her a lot, was founded based on Christian values and rules, especially religious freedom. Recently, America is denying that, denying God and even trespassing God. The religious freedom has turned into No-Christianity, and even Anti-Christianity. So is USA about to collapse? Economically it started, almost nothing you buy today that is 'made in USA'. Politically, thanks to Obama, USA stepped down from being the world leader, or even a party to worry about. Socially, at least in California, it is not that safe organized society any longer. Naturally, we suffer serious drought in the west. But what is more important, and what really matters is that Spiritually, USA is turning its back to God.

Reacting to evil societies is more sensitive when you have children to raise. Many of us immigrated to USA for religious freedom and for a better quality of life. But if our stay in USA means our loss of eternal life, or putting our children in front of a stumbling rock, then what is the point of staying here? We came seeking better life, but we end up losing life!

However, today's readings, gives another dimension to the perspective. It does not necessarily change my mind of fleeing Sodom, but it definitely gives me assurance that God is in charge. The Catholic Epistle reading today was from 2nd Epistle of St. Peter, it reads: 

"For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord." (2Peter 2:4-11)

So may be we should stay in Sodom to be their "warning prophets", their Jeremiah... or may be we should flee... that does not matter. What matters is whether we end up staying in Sodom until its turns into ashes, or if we flee for our life, we should abide in Christ, and He knows how to save us, perfectly and timely!

Blessed Week!

moving backward

more here

Curfew in Philly due to teens' violence, violent protests in England, a massacre in Norway, Genocides in Syria and Libya, Egypt is already gone with the wind ...

economical depression, conflicts, scandals, crises, collapses ...

wars, strikes, crimes, catastrophes of an angry nature ...

diseases, hangers, droughts, hungry souls and spirits ...

looks like we (human race) are moving, with steadfast pace, backward. Towards violence, anarchism, poverty, barbarism and hating the other. All of which, believe, are rooted in selfishness, greediness and pride. Both on the individual as well as the social levels.

We need to take stand, starting by oneself. To get outside oneself...

Bless you Egypt's Unrest!

I say: Bless you Egypt's unrest!

If Egyptian Police intentionally left their duty and released prisoners to terror innocent people, if indeed that was El Adly's plan to show us how insecure the country would go without this "regime", well, Thank you Adly & Bless you unrest!

for you gave us a chance to know that we don't need you to be safe!

for the chance to gain trust in our selves one more time!

for the pot where differences between all people sects did melt down!

for the chance that once again all Egyptians were united in their goal!

for the chance to realize that we care about Egypt more than anything else!

for the chance to realize that Egypt's safety is our priority!

for this historical chance, when Egypt for once, is secular!

for reminding us how great we are, the descendant of Pharos!

It is indeed the first time - since really long time - when people forgot their religion, their political views, their social differences, etc, and were one for one goal: we will keep Egypt safe! It is comforting to see how the youth and men went out forming organized committees to protect their people, the Egyptians! It reminds us with our power, together! It reminds us with our unity, and sharing of the nation, cause and goal, problems and dreams, we share our belonging to Egypt!

I, therefore, joyfully say: Bless you Egypt's unrest!

P.S.: Inspired by watching the Bless you prison movie couple days ago, where Nicoleta finds her path back to God in communist prison.

If I am in Egypt now

If I am in Egypt, I would definitely have went down to streets on Tuesday to protest, peacefully, against the ruling regime.

If I am in Egypt, I would have gone again on Wed and Thu to protest, again peacefully, against the regime.

If I am in Egypt, I would have never participated in any damaging or violence acts, and would have subjugated to curfew conditions.

If I am in Egypt, I would have fought the anarchic people who try to take advantage of such a great move, i.e., the peaceful protesting, and would go shoulder to shoulder with my fellow Egyptians, regardless of their political affiliation, however, I would have never gone shoulder to shoulder with the Muslim Brotherhood group.

I heard Ali, a college student who claims no affiliation to any political party, at El Arabia channel saying how it was peaceful, and that some youth from Brotherhood were mad and wanted to burn and damage, but they tried to stop them. He also condemned the way the police treated their peaceful move, from the very beginning of Friday. In sense, that is what pushed it to be non-peaceful. So, who is the main responsible for what is going on? The current regime, which should leave, but in lawful way, not through violence.

It would have been much more better, and much more efficient if we had continuous small peaceful protests until the elections are due. We should have protested with specific feasible requests before the elections, so that we guarantee fair elections. But what is happening now is a loss of the protest messages, as if we only want Mubarak to leave. Yes, we hope for change, not in authority, but in mentality of authors. I am afraid that violent change is NOT leading to a change of authority mentality, the other way around, it confirms it.

So, what? Should I protest or not? What would have I done if I am in Egypt? I am not sure, I really am not sure. I am confused in thoughts between longed desire for speedy reformation, and a hope for smooth peaceful such reformation. I am confused between rejoicing for the people wake up, and my sorrow for the blood shed and the damages. I am between my hope for a, finally, a change, and fear from that change. I am between looking forward for secular regime, and my fear from radical-fanatic- religious gang, i.e., Muslim Brotherhood. Sigh! I am confused... I don't know where is the goodness for Egypt... I just pray that whatever outcome will be for Egypt's goodness.

So, in conclusion, what to do now if I am in Egypt? Again, I would protest, again and again, but peacefully and never participate in any damaging or violence episodes. God bless Egypt.

"Blessed is Egypt my people" (Isaiah 19:25)

The Descendants of Pharos. - intro

A big common mistake, a serious one, is when anyone thinks that Egyptians are Arabs. They are simply not.

A crime, unforgivable, is when an Egyptian thinks s/he is Arab. S/he would be erasing her/his identity. A same level crime is when anyone thinks that Egyptians are a mix of Egyptians and Arabs, this is simply a plain untruth.

Egyptians are not Arabs, and in fact, even though they are neighbors, they share the minimal with them. They have different mentality and mind set, different culture, different heritage, different language, different history, and above all: different identity.

God willing, I plan to write a series of articles (to appear soon) to explain this thesis, to prove that Egyptians are simply: Egyptians. The Descendants of Pharos.