Reflections on Reform

My comments on reform in Egypt (or any other country coming out of a revolution)
Like arrows, accusations and blames are darting to and fro between different factions and ideologies.
Individuals are suffering from either physical or mental harm or both in other instances.
Public property has been and still is being damaged.
Adding fuel to the fire has become the order of the day.
Guess who is the culprit? Yes, you guessed right, it is your country and yourself.
If you truly care, then it is time for you to rise to the occasion and help build your nation.
What has been physically destroyed can be rebuilt quickly; broken feelings on the other hand, take a long time to rebuild.
The longer the flying darts are allowed to continue, the harder it is to rebuild and heal the wounds.
Democracy does not mean that you can exercise libel and slander freely. In a true democracy criticism is encouraged, whereas defamation, libel and slander are treated as offences or crimes. As the English proverb states: “Loose lips sink ships”. An equivalent Arabic proverb states: “Your tongue is like a horse (or your protector), if you protect it, it protects you, if you abuse it, it abuses you [OR if you betray it, it betrays you].
لسانك حصانك إن صنته صانك و إن هنته هانك
Or
لسانك حصانك.. ان صنته صانك ..وان خنته خانك
Enough time has passed since the revolution of January 25. I use the word “passed” instead of “wasted” as the use of the latter may be perceived as another dart aimed at a certain group of people. This is an example of using caution in using my tongue and still relaying the same message.
I pray for true reform and peace in Egypt and the rest of the world.
Hani Badawi,
November 20, 2011

Prayer of the day

Prayer of the day from China:

I pray that the atrocities and bloodshed in Afghanistan will cease soon.

I pray that the Durban Climate Change conference will effect some positive resolutions for a cleaner planet (I say that from the heavily polluted city of Beijing!).

I pray that the turmoil and 9 months of strife and bloodshed in Syria will be halted to allow the citizens of that country to live an honorable life worthy of their long history.

I pray that the global economic meltdown will be reversed soon to avert the otherwise more dire consequences.

I pray that the politicians of the world will learn soon that political science (which is not truly an exact science) needs to be reformed.

I pray that uniforms worn to differentiate people's belief are not over-emphasized and that religious leanings are not driven by a herd mentality.

I pray that nations will make a better effort to work closer together to eliminate famine, illiteracy and crime.

I pray that the next generations wherever they may reside in this world will enjoy a better life.

Hani Badawi,

December 6, 2011

Egyptian Revolution: The Unfinished Symphony! Part 2

Six months ago I wrote a note about "The Egyptian Revolution: The Unfinished Symphony". At the time of writing it I did not imagine that uninvited "wannabe" maestros were going to crash the rehearsals and wave their batons in threatening motions at the players (the noble Egyptian youth).

Alas, these uninvited maestros are leading to a cacophony that needs to be repaired before the next movement of the symphony is completed.

The symphony will be completed when the perpetrators realize that there is no standing or sitting room for them!

Hani Badawi

December 17, 2011

Beijing Subway Experience!

I am composing this message as I am rocking back and forth on board of a crowded subway train in Beijing.

As I happen to be heading towards a suburb that is 40 minutes away from the city center, I also happen to appear to be the only foreigner on board!

In every direction I look, I see passengers thumbing notes on their cell phones, and I couldn't help thinking to myself, how long has it been since humans started using their thumbs with such dexterity?

I look around again, and this time I can't help thinking: Are they writing a similar message about this foreigner who is merrily thumbing along a note on his phone!

Hani Badawi

December 17, 2011

Balanced Approach!

If we examine many aspects of life we will find that a balanced approach is necessary.

In all fields of science one must use checks and balances for verifying and proving theories.

In diverse fields of finance checks and balances are used for balancing budgets.

In medicine, a balanced diet is recommended for leading a healthy life.

All religions call for a balance between worldly and worship/divine matters.

A successful school curriculum relies on a balance between, humanities, social science and natural science subjects.

Temptation often steers us away from an otherwise balanced state of affairs, however, corrective action is possible if one reacts in time before the balance tips one way or the other!

Hani Badawi

December 8, 2011

Woe is Me!

In solving crossword puzzles I often encounter "woe is me" as a common clue for the word "alas". Although the phrase appears to be grammatically incorrect, in fact it is a correct but archaic form of expressing grief and sorrow.

I don't know about you, but, from time to time, I find myself playing with words in my mind, much in the same way as a baby would shake its rattle for the sheer pleasure of hearing a familiar sound.

My latest "grown-up rattle" seems to echo the following sentence: "Woe is me for the daily conflicting reports and comments about the events in Egypt"!

Although I ceased to live in Egypt for nearly 40 years, I still love it and cherish the memories of my family and friends and my early days there.

When I express my optimism regarding the outcome of the ever unfolding events, I must admit that much of this optimism is based on a hope that has persistently dwelt and continues to dwell in my mind.

Perhaps it is a perception. After all, "perception is reality"!

Hani Badawi

December 27, 2011

Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.

To commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968), I have chosen the following few (and there are many) of his notable quotes:

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity".

"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it".

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant".

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that".
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus".

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom".

"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness".

If only humans worldwide would heed these words! In his memory, let's together have a dream, perhaps some day it will be realized!

Hani Badawi

January 16, 2012

Jitters

In life we are confronted with a multitude of factors that lead us to becoming jittery. These factors may be events (e.g. wars, accidents, loss of dear ones, etc.) or stimulants (e.g. coffee, tea, etc.).

The degree of our jitters in the past decade or two has grown to new heights, thanks primarily to the exponential growth in technology and the advents of the internet, e-mail, cell-phones, hand-held communication/entertainment devices, twitter, facebook, smart-phones, tablets, etc.. Thus, effectively we have a relatively new jitter triggering factor, one that I would like to call the "electronic jitter" or "e-jitter" factor.

It is easy to visualize that the e-jitter effect emanates from the many hours per day that we now spend working/playing with/on all of the aforementioned devices/applications! It is also easy to visualize that we now depend to a large extent on being under the influence of the new form of jitter!

So, effectively, we have become addicted to being e-jittered.

Now, imagine what would happen to us if we were to abandon all the components that contribute to the e-jitter phenomenon. I bet that we would develop an e-jitter withdrawal reaction leading to what I would elect to call the" e-jitterless jitter"!

Jitterly yours,

Hani Badawi

January 19, 2012

The Humor Balm

The Humor Balm! 

In Egypt, a common adage that is often heard and is mainly used to lighten up people's moods (yours truly included;) winking) is: اضحك تضحك لك الدنيا which literally means "Laugh, and the world will laugh with you". The adage has a continuation which goes: ابك تبكي وحدك which translates to "Weep, and you will weep alone". In this note, however, as implied by my above chosen title, I will only address the former part of the adage.

In all cultures and all known civilizations, satirists and humorists were, and remain, an integral part of the societies that they emanate from. In fact, beyond the scope of a single nation or culture, thanks to all forms of media, the cross-fertilization of humor amongst different nations with different cultures has been growing rapidly. In my humble opinion, when humor transcends cultures and nations (with their varied customs and beliefs), it is a powerful vehicle for diminishing the barriers that are typically erected by humans by virtue of historic baggage and exaggerated prejudices.

The power of humor may be exemplified in these quotes:

"If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide". Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948)

"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is". Francis Bacon (156-1626)

"Humor is emotional chaos remembered in tranquility". James Thurber (1894-1961)

I say: Humor is the magic balm that heals emotional wounds, whether they are self-inflicted or inflicted by others.

Hani Badawi

January 19, 2012