The Bachelors of Egypt is a contemporary novel set in a time of extreme
national pride within the Egyptian Society. Egypt 2011 didn’t only mark the
Egyptian revolution, but also witnessed the spread of political
interest/awareness among the country’s citizens, with consequent clashes
between protesters and Army/Police forces being the top discussion across Egypt.
This post is a part of a factual series of articles aimed at
reflecting on the fictional incidents of “The Bachelors of Egypt”; apparently “Nationalism”
is today’s topic.
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Another book on Globalization & Internationalism:
1- Nationalism versus Racism
You’re definitely a racist if you believe that White people
are better than Asians, or that Hispanics are smarter than Arabs. Why is it
okay to think that your country is the best country? Is it appropriate to think
that your people are “the best people”?
When Hitler attempted to rule the world, he promoted for the
Nationalistic Notion that it was the perfect position for the German people to
be at the top of all others.
To achieve a
high level of public support, Hitler had to promote the idea that Germans were
the smartest, the most competent, the fittest and the best… It’s a bit ironical to view the Neo-Nazis in
action at Charlottesville incidents in the US;
it’s the kind of retro-alternative-reality moment that you get to witness
never-to-once in a life time… rarer than the solar eclipse itself.
Nazism was
primarily based on “Aryanism”, the racist concept that “Aryan” people possess
superior abilities to govern and organize societies… closely related to
“Nordicism”, which advocated the existence of the hypothetical Nordic race, an
ideology of racial separatism.
For some reason,
Nordic people were perceived to have superior abilities, and in order to
maintain their “Super Genes” it was for the world’s best interest that Nordic
women would only give birth to “Pure Nordic Breeds”. Being identified as a unique white sub-race,
different from other Caucasians implied that you could be white, but you’re not
white enough to marry a Nordic.
Being a “Nordic” meant that you are equitable, truthful,
individualistic, competitive, and racially endangered; unlike those who were
labeled as “Alpine”, “Mediterranean”, or any other Caucasian sub-races. The
hypothetical “Nordic” race wasn’t exclusive to Scandinavians, if you were tall,
fair skinned, with light colored eyes and a long skull, residing in other parts
of Europe, you may yet qualify as a “Nordic”… Congrats!
On a side note, I’m individualistic, fair skinned, and I
have a fairly long skull… Take me to Europe, please.
Evidence of my long skull, references
available upon request!
2-
Nationalism in Egypt:
Nationalism has always been a heavily promoted “Virtue” in Egypt; however,
it was used as an elastic term that may indicate several meanings over the
years. Under President Gamal Abdel Nasser (1954-1970), the term had a regional connotation,
as an expression of the Egyptians’ affiliation with Arab nations.
Due
to political changes under President Anwar El-Sadat (1970-1981), the term only referred to Egyptians’
sense of belonging to Mother-Egypt, especially after initiating the “Peace
Process” between Egypt and Israel under the US government’s supervision and supported
by its blessing, which was regionally perceived as a decision to drop other
Arab Countries’ interests from the Egyptian Government’s list of priorities at
the time.
Egypt’s regional
influence kept decreasing during the thirty years era under President Mohamed Hosny Mubarak (1981-2011), unlike Nasser and Sadat, Mubarak
didn’t offer any ideological explanations for his political decisions. Not only
Nationalism, but almost every political term at the time maintained a vague
meaning, or a different set of meanings among different groups of Egyptians.
Accordingly, after the
Egyptian Revolution of 2011, the rising sense of belonging that was mixed with hopes
for a better future have led different groups to have different “Nationalistic
Dreams”. Some thought Egypt will rise from the ashes, and become a leading
nation, some thought it was a great chance for the country to regain its
regional pan-Arab influence, while others thought it was the perfect time for
Egypt to lead “Muslim Nations”, indeed after applying “Islamic Law” within the
state. The only common feeling was the sense of Nationalism, a sense of
belonging to a Nation that is yet to be formed/reformed, statements such as
“Proud to be Egyptian” and “A Proud Egyptian” were spread over Egyptians’
Social Media profiles.
Apart from the extreme sense of belonging, times of revolutions are
usually encouraging for most citizens to express their unpopular thoughts, and
reflect on a global Philosophical Legacy that was built over centuries.
Karim Adel, a fictional character in “The Bachelors of Egypt” novel had a
different view on Nationalism within the same era of National Pride:
“Nationalism was
created by dictators to let people feel better about their “Nation-serving” choices,
often used by opposition figures to persuade the same people to reject the same
choices, all built on emotional senses of belonging, without a bit of logic,” Karim
Adel, chapter five, The Bachelors of Egypt.
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3-
Better Nations
versus a Better World
The most livable locations in the world are typically cities
within some of the developed countries, according to the Economist Intelligence
Unit the list of the top 10 includes:
1- Melbourne, Australia
2- Vienna, Austria
3- Vancouver, Canada
4- Toronto, Canada5- Calgary, Canada
6- Adelaide, Australia
7- Perth, Australia
8- Auckland, New Zealand
9- Helsinki, Finland
10- Hamburg, Germany
The most livable cities were chosen based on factors of
stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure:
Citizens of a least livable city don’t necessarily
seek immigration to the most livable ones; they usually just need to move to a
somehow “livable” location. According to the same report, a 50 or less rating
means that “Most of life aspects are severely restricted” in these cities.
In such cases, immigration isn’t considered an attempt to
improve a living status; instead it’s merely the means to fight for your life.
PS: In addition to The Economist’s report, similar reports were developed by other institutions,
such as Moncole and Mercer, removing or adding a few other super cities, like
Berlin and Tokyo.
4-
How to join the Elites? Discrimination Applied
Immigration is usually a complicated process that often
turns to be impossible to achieve for most citizens of the unprivileged countries.
The Swedish example; brief guidelines to obtain a work
permit in Sweden:
- Citizens of Nordic countries can freely live and work within Sweden, without registering with the migration agency, unlike citizens of other countries, they just need to register with the tax agency. Nordicism at its best.
- EU Citizens are entitled to work in Sweden without a permit, all you need is a valid passport or a national ID card to visit Sweden and start looking for a job. Well, you may not be Nordic, but you’re still white enough.
- For Non-EU Citizens, an official employment offer should be obtained from a Swedish employer first, the employer needs to provide evidence that the job was advertised within the EU/EEA for an adequate period of time, and a good match for employment wasn’t found among citizens of these regions, along with a few other financial restrictions. Even if you’re White, you don’t have a White Nationality.
- There are a few exceptions to the rule. Citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea aged 18–30 can also apply for a working holiday visa for up to one year. Racism and Ageism combined.
Sweden is just an example; other developed countries have different
sets of more-severe, less-severe restrictions, yet obtaining a work permit in Sweden could be a dream for millions around the world.
What about immigrating to Canada?
Well, it sounds great, the Canadian Government offers plenty
of emigration programs to citizens around the world, depending on your
nationality, age, qualifications, bank statement… and how the Canadian
society/economy can benefit from your presence.
It’s logical that the
government would be interested in attracting people who will fit well within
the society, and add value to the country’s economy. Let’s review this example of
an Egyptian family that currently resides in Canada, who were at risk of losing
their chance at a PR (Permanent Residency), because one of the family members
was diagnosed with Autism. His application was flagged, because people with
Autism are considered a “financial burden” on the system.
Despite his academic achievements at school, and his
athletic achievements in the city of Toronto, in order to stay in Canada, his
parents still had to prove that this young man didn’t have Autism.
His mother, a teacher at Toronto District School Board posted
this article, with details on How Autism shaped her family’s life.
Similar signs of discrimination exist within different countries,
even the developing ones. In Egypt for instance, if you’d like to visit a museum,
a temple or even the pyramids, the price of your ticket depends on your Nationality:
- Lowest prices for Egyptians.
- Little more expensive prices for Palestinians.
- More expensive prices for citizens of other Arab Nations.
- Most expensive prices for citizens of any other country.
Leaders of the Modern World have created a new set of conventional
criteria for smoother discrimination processes. Instead of setting the rules in
your favor/disfavor based on the color of your skin, the rules are set based on
your place of birth.
Racism was first criminalized because people didn’t get to
choose their race or ethnicity; it’s time for the world to realize that no one
has chosen to be born in Nigeria, and no one has worked hard to be born in
Germany. In this world, pre-birth options are simply unavailable.
5- Back to the Novel’s time and place
As for Egypt 2011, it’s worth mentioning that many of the
Egyptian Expats who were residing in different places around the world flew
back to the country after the “18-days revolution”. They thought the country’s status
will change, and their own abilities/knowledge/experiences will finally be valued,
and utilized within their own country. The myth of a successful 18-days
revolution was beyond tempting, it made everything seem possible.
Mixing Love and Hope can form the most flammable motivation.
Months/Years later, people started to realize that nothing
has changed and there are no signs of future progress, those who flew back to
their home country needed to “Fly Forward” to their former countries of
residency, sadly, some were unsuccessful.
Moreover, the “Rebels” of January, whether those who were
affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, other political factions, or
Free-players who were seeking justice started immigrating to other countries.
In case they were not killed, arrested, or severely injured in a manner that
made them no longer useful for the job markets in these developing countries.
Whether you’re American, Belgian, Syrian, Nigerian… you’re
entitled to share back your thoughts on Nationalism, and to read “The Bachelors
of Egypt”.
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I almost agree to everything posted above, however, I believe that governments are entities that should operate on the basis of serving countries' populations. Keeping that in mind, we must acknowledge that emigration policies are ideally determined based on each government's strategy to serve the country's economy.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks for sharing your super interesting perspective!