Happy Mother Day 2010

Happy mother day to all the wonderful moms in the whole universe. Happy mother day to all mothers in Egypt today

And now to the national anthem of Mother Day in Egypt “ Set El-Habayb” by Egyptian Syrian singer Fayza Ahmed. The music is by Mohamed Abdel Wahab and lyrics by the fantastic late Hussein El-Sayed.

This is the most famous video clip for this song , in fact it was the second made specifically for it. It was shot in late 1970s I think. The first video clip was filmed in 1960s with a cast of famous actors then like Zahrat Al-Ola, Aziza Halmi who excelled the role of  agonized Egyptian mom and little Safinaz Qadry aka Poussi as Zahrat Al-Ola in her childhood. The clip was directed by famous director then Hassan El-Safi, the husband of Zahrat Al-Ola.

Strangely that video clip did not last like the one in the 1970s in our memory, may be it was more dramatic.

Now a little historical background , when and how the 21st of March became our national mother day ???

Well it goes back to year 1956 when legendary Amin brothers Ali and Mustafa called for a day to celebrate and honor mothers all over Egypt and the Arab world. The Amin brothers were so devoted to their mother and her aunt , the mother of all Egyptians Safia Zaghlol. “my late granddad told me once that Ali Amin who was closer to him used to be moved by the letters coming from mothers about their ungrateful cruel children , he used to be angry wondering how they could be humans”.They chose the 21st of March because it is the first day in Spring. “Even if it is not spring at all today”

Now ironically the regime tried to change the date of the mother day several times still Egyptians have continued to celebrate it on the 21st of March till it has become undisputable national day.

Unfortunately recently there are some radical conservative groups calling people to abandon this annual tradition as Muslims have two feasts and that Islam calls people to respect mothers everyday which are all true but this is a national day , it is not a religious day for God sake and as long as it is not against Islam nor it harms anyone then there is nothing against celebrating it.

In the end I would like to Say : 

Happy mother day

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