About Bahma

“Bahma” is a name of an Egyptian village, a village that even I didn’t know that it exists in Egypt, in the Giza governorate in El-Ayiyat area. An Egyptian village from the endless villages in the country side whether in Upper Egypt or Nile Delta that live in their own galaxy not in their own world away from the great Cairo and the urban cities.

“Bahma”’ ‘s name who surely goes back to the old ancient Egyptian language just like most of the names of the Egyptian villages was known and heard for the first time in the news on Friday ,the 11^th of May 2007 when the news of clashes between its Muslims and Christians was aired across the globe.

Disturbing news about a sectarian clash, a big one between the two elements of the Egyptian nation in the village, between the Muslim majority and the Christian minority, a big fight with 500 persons engaged in it, the number of the causalities reached is not cleared yet, there were injured from both sides, thank God thousand times there was no fatal incidents in the fight that reached to the level of burning houses and shops mostly owned by Christians unfortunately. In the end the state had to interfere doing what it should be from stopping this small sectarian war, the last trouble the regime and the people in Egypt need from an endless list of problems a sectarian war despite the fact the sectarian tension is already there in the list. The interior ministry sent its squads from the legendary anti-riots forces to separate between the two parties with the usual crying bombs, sticks and the unusual new weapon of throwing stones “wow I thought that the protesters used that technique to fight the anti-riots forces!!”

The bloody day was saved by the police in a rare incident and the injured were transferred to the
“El-Ayiyat” public hospital ,several arrests from both sides were made and an investigation is begin held right now to know the reason why things went bad on that freaky Friday

A remark that must be mentioned, the news was mentioned in the Egyptian National TV news, strangely as far as I remember that sort of disturbing to the public social peace news doesn’t find its way to the news in our Egyptian news, but it did, of course in enhanced way as the village after the clash lived happily ever after the Muslim is the brother of the Christian and the Christian is the brother of the Muslim to the end of these over used talk that even children now disbelief!!

The reason as it was turned out in the newspapers unfortunately wasn’t a silly one like a Christian girl who ran away from her family to get married from her Muslim boy or vice versa , no it is more difficult and sadder showing that we must do something before the whole country turns in to another bigger “Bahma”.

It turned out the clashes started after the Friday prayer and the reason as I understood that the Muslims in the prayer received flyers saying that the Christians are going to build a church in the beautiful village of “Bahma” and those infidels should be stopped!!  “I used some terms from the original flyer”

After that things went out of control

As I understand and read the Christians has a piece of land where it is rumored that they are going to build a church in, despite the rejection of some Muslims who build a Mosque in front of that piece of land . According to the priest in the village whom I apologize for not remembering his name said that despite their wish to have church that piece of land was turned in to some place to pray in for the Christians but not as a church and what happened was a rumor and misunderstanding from Muslims.

Before we hurry to conclusions and begin to shot at each other faces with accusations of treason and working for the western agenda or the Wahabi agenda, we must think and analysis everything carefully because I believe and see what really happened and why.

First of all you must all know that according to the news reports after the fight was over some people from those who had their share in it had wondered about the reason of the fight!!?? Can you imagine it?? Some really didn’t know why and what was going on except some people were against others and it was a big battle that the anti-riots were there and it is good time to make some damage.

Another point the piece of land which was turned to some building the Christians were using for praying was there for some time so why now suddenly some had the feeling that the Christians were going to turn it in to a church in a day and night despite the restrictions and red tape I confess that about their existence not only for churches but any other non Islamic worshiping place in Egypt despite the recent changes, I can’t lie and say it doesn’t exist, it does exist.

Another thing as a Muslim I don’t accept that Muslims go, attack the Christians and damage their properties because they are going to build a church for several reason like My religion ordered me to respect other faiths, not harm anyone or anything, like there is a law I must obey and I must work according to it and like there is a brain God gifted me with to think not to be driven by the group thinking mindset blindly without understanding what really is going.

It is not about the church or the mosque despite the religion factor here has its huge rule after all the religion is the opium of the people like Linen once had said whether you agree or not agree but it is a very precious thing people are ready to die for in the east and south but it is not our issue here believe or not

It is beyond that because I don’t find any explanation why would angry masses of Muslim start a fight because some church is said to be built without permission?? Why would some passers by engage in a fight that would turn a bloody one without knowing the real reason behind the fight originally??

It is beyond the religion factor , religion here,I know that I speak strange and oddly enough to raise many eyebrows because I know now the Egyptian blogosphere will turn in to another virtual Bahma

Who were fighting in Bahma??

They were Muslims and Christians.

WHO ARE they originally beside their religious identification??

They are identified as Egyptians, living in a country side, at the beginning of the country side outskirt the great Cairo.

To what class they belong to??

They belong to the working low class, mostly are farmers, their culture is a country side one whether they are Muslim or Christian, their education and knowledge are simple ones , not that sophisticated mostly from the available media means like radio and TV .Their life conditions are not that good like us in the cities but they don’t ask much or complain because they already lost hope.

Religion is most scared thing they have because the only faith left in their life is the faith in God, they don’t have faith in the regime or anyone to improve their hard life, in fact they believe that their hard life is an exam of God again both elements of the nation Muslims and Christians share the same belief, both are asking God to help them on that unjust regime and unjust life conditions.

Despite what Religion is considered in their lives, it is opposed also by customs and traditions old as the pyramids, wrong as the deadly sins mainly they are the result of ignorance and poverty, fighting them is uneasy mission, it needs money, patience, religion and very good understanding to those people who are the real treasure of Egypt, those farmers were the makers of the greatest civilization that earth had ever seen since its creation God knows only from when

Are they angry??

Oh yes very angry with big capital “A”, they are angry from a very bad social and economic conditions, mainly economic conditions ,they are so angry but they can’t let their angry out because they are afraid , they are afraid from the regime mainly from the police , already authority for them is the police in the country side , they want to rebel but the Egyptian peasant since the ancient Egyptians doesn’t rebel but only complains secretly and stays quiet without any attempt to change or improve his life , you can check back the wonderful Egyptian literature treasure “The Wise Peasant” to know how the Egyptian peasant can wait for a very long time till he reaches the level of revolution ,in fact he never reaches except rarely

We don’t get what are you saying, it is not related to each other!!

No it is I believe what happened in Bahma is the result of the anger of the people,the result of the huge pressure they are living in , pressure from everything and they wanted to get it out of themselves, but they just wanted a good reason , a good reason to push them enough to make the volcano of anger and violence to erupt, they wanted a good reason to justify their violence even for themselves and they wouldn’t find a good justification for their anger when they stand in front of the mirror in the end of the day except defending their religion ,regardless the fact that the way they thought are defending their religion with is against the religion itself but they just ignore that important fact to let their anger out.

I don’t justify any behavior and I am very angry from what I hear and read but I don’t understand how an Emam can make 500 Muslim prayers go and turn down the village upside down, yes I understand and know the group mind thinking and mind manipulation especially using religion in a simple uneducated society and what it can do but we can’t ignore the fact that the violence has other factors causing it, those 500 could have protested or just made a siege around that presumed church but destroying and burning this is something else here we are speaking about , the reasons of extreme violence

Of course I won’t ignore there is a huge tension between the Muslims and Christians in Egypt especially in the country side due to the influence of the religion men in both religions on the people and the limits of the education and culture but as I said the will of destruction doesn’t come from religion but comes from inside the human itself

Insh Allah I think I will open this file again about the sectarian tension in Egypt hopefully this time we can reach to something

We are not done yet

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