I really don’t want to promote Tarek Heggy‘s delusions of grandeur (see his bio, which describes him as “being amongst the members of the first echelon of the contemporary Arab liberal thinkers”), but I find his constant references to “security services mentality” in this piece on Copts interesting.
This security-service mentality is one of the factors that contributed to the collapse of objectivity and rationality in our thinking, and which [cause this kind of thinking] to be so far removed from objective and civilized modes of analysis which are one of the achievements of human civilization.
The basic issue is: ‘Do the Copts in Egypt suffer from serious problems in their own country?’ The only possible answer is: ‘Yes’.
Perhaps he’ll be sharing those views with his friend and next-door neighbor, Omar Suleiman.
God bless Tarrek Heggy!! He’s one of the few Egyptians, outside the blogoshphere of course 🙂 , who speaks out vociferously in defense of the Copts. I hope his voice is heard loud and clear.
Glad to see you guys back online. For a while I thought the gestapo had something to do with it.
Thanks for posting Issandr and keep up the good work 🙂
tarek heggy is just so much into himself (me, myself and I) that one can not even get one self to take him seriously—the coptic issue is serious–and need serious attention from other than this self proclaimed liberal…the way he handles himself makes it a great turn off
When shall we, Egyptians, surpass this backward and narrowminded subjective attitude ? why all of this bitterness towards the Egyptian whose work is quoted 100,000 times on the web ? (please check the abovementioned URL). why all of this non-Christian hatred ? can people with such vicious hearts buld a better Egypt ?
When shall we, Egyptians, surpass this backward and narrowminded subjective attitude ? why all of this bitterness towards the Egyptian whose work is quoted 100,000 times on the web ? (please check the abovementioned URL). why all of this non-Christian hatred ? can people with such vicious hearts buld a better Egypt ? http://www.google.com.eg/search?q=tarek+heggy+%22tarek+heggy%22&hl=en&lr=&as_qdr=all&start=30&sa=N
the sick ego of Mr. el amrani can not stand the person that 90% of Egypt’s Copts admire for his brave essays in support to the Copts’ problems, for his dailt support to tens and hundreds of Copts, for being the only Muslim who donated (five years ago) 250,000 $ to the first chair for Coptic studies in Egypt (at the AUC). Yet, Mr. el Amrani is agitated !!! but who is Mr. el Amrani in the first place ??? he smiles non Egyptian !
After reading Tarek Heggy’s essay “On the Coptic Question” five years ago, I started to follow up his writings, TV appearances and public lectures. Earlier this year I was privileged to listen to Tarek Heggy at St. Cathedral (within the cultural activities of the Coptic Cathedral). I was stunned by (1) Tarek Heggy’s very impressive lecturing skills (2) his vast knowledge about Christianity in general and in Egypt in particular (3) his very warm rapport with his Coptic audience. I was therefore shocked to read what Alissandr El Amrany wrote about Tarek Heggy. I have no doubt that there is a hundred percent “personal background” to what this gentleman (that I hear /read of him for the first time) wrote. Samia Farid.
I address with this message the two coptic persons (Samir and Samia) who got angry (as I felt) when they read the envious and vicious words of Issandr el Amrani : my fellow Copts, let us stop writing about a meaningless statement made by an incognito whose name suggests that he can not be a Copt – and therefore we should conclude this sad dialogue with this incognito by proposing that if he is a non-Copt, to shut up his envious mouth … and if he is a Palestinian or any other type of Jarab (i.e. Arab) not a utter any more words on the grand-children of Ramses – A.T.