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2008-04-15 Olde Tyme Religion

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Posted by ed 2008-04-15 08:06|| || Front Page|| [2 views ] Top

#1 I attended the local Catholic church when we lived in Egypt, but there was also a Protestant church in our town. Given that an increasing number of ex-pats worshipped there, the Protestant congregation submitted permits to add a wing and fix the place up. Those permits were successively denied. Finally, in frustration, they submitted a permit to add a chickent coop on the premises. That was approved, as were a number of modifications to it to add a door, a few windows, to solidify the walls, and improve the quality of the roof. Near the end of the project, an inspector came out to see that the work had been performed according to the permits and nearly had a conniption when he saw the beautiful addition that had been made to the church. He threatened that the new construction would be torn down and the responsible parties jailed. Finally, the German ambassador intervened, pointed out how silly the building permits directorate had behaved, and all was left as constructed. The situation would have gotten very ugly without the benefaction of that ambassador, who was, of course, a congregant.

I also knew a number of Egyptian Copts who had Arabic names, though not necessarily Muslim ones. I asked one why that was so and he said that it was to blend in and avoid the most overt discrimination.

Finally, there is the story of a young fellow I met in the library of the town's Protestant church. He was about to enter med school at Ain Shams University in Cairo after completing his undergraduate studies in the US. He had an abiding interest in his religion. So, when a course was offered on the history of Christianity at his college, he took it as one of his electives, knowing he would never find such a course in Egypt. Because he was in the US, his father attended the interview with the Dean of Medicine on his behalf. As the dean looked over his son's transcript he came upon the history course and said sharply, "What's this?!" His father, used to a life of subterfuge said without hesitation, "It was required!" The dean frowned, but seemed to accept it and his son was enrolled to start his medical studies in the fall.

Posted by Black Bart Elmeatle8934 2008-04-15 09:57|| 2008-04-15 09:57|| Front Page Top

#2 In re: Jews. It is my understanding that shortly after 1948 it was made illegal to be a Jewish male age 18 years or older. The Jewish community that dated back to the time of Alexander the Great or even earlier (I seem to recall that King Solomon had an Egyptian wife) disappeared within a few years.

Fascinating stories, Black Bart Elemeatle8934.

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-04-15 11:21|| 2008-04-15 11:21|| Front Page Top

#3 My understanding is that anti Jewish persecutions began in the 1930s and there were substantial immigration waves subsequent to the 1948, 1956 and 1967 conflicts.

Essentially all property was confiscated from Jews who left Egypt.

Posted by mhw 2008-04-15 13:09|| 2008-04-15 13:09|| Front Page Top

#4 Emigration, surely? Otherwise, you were paying attention earlier than I to such things, mhw. ;-)

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-04-15 13:45|| 2008-04-15 13:45|| Front Page Top

#5 yeah good point

Posted by mhw 2008-04-15 13:55|| 2008-04-15 13:55|| Front Page Top

#6 Essentially all property was confiscated from Jews who left Egypt.

Yeah? So what else is new? Gyppos have been doing this to Jews since Moses.

Posted by Thaimble Scourge of the Pixies4707 2008-04-15 17:56|| 2008-04-15 17:56|| Front Page Top

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