Ok, the whole story started when I wrote a post about the American actress Halle Berry, and that I can't see how people consider her pretty.
May be the American media have their own reasons to call her pretty. May be they are trying to deliver a message that they are not against colored people, especially with their long history of racism.
By the way, you may think I am racist, and that I don't see her pretty because of her color. But you know, Beyonce Knowles for example, she is colored too, but I see her really hot.I then had a debate with an American - friend - blogger called Naomi, who believes that Halle is really pretty.
Later on, one of my *favorite* blog readers, Amr El Abyad, whose name literally means Amr the White, decided to comment, but for some reason I don't know, he left his comment at Naomi's blog and asked me to read is there. May be he is afraid that I may delete his comment or something, however I never deleted a non-spam comment before. Any way, here you are his comment.
[I] am an Egyptian who was browsing tarek's blogger. Then i read your comments about the Halle post in which you found Tarek's denying that he is racist strange!! I wonder why.Naomi was really wise, and wrote the following reply to Amr's comment.
I just would like to inform you that the Egyptians's ethnicity is artabic, you might as well call it middle-eastern in case you hate the Arabs.
I have ti tell you that the Egyptians and arabs are the most racist people in the world. the black people are openly called slaves, th lighter races are pigs.......FJapanese, chinese.....etc are dumb by genes.
As I see it, we all have the same "mom" and "dad": Adam and Eve.Now, let me ask you, do you really think we are racists!? As you all know, Islam is against racism, we are ordered to respect everyone. And prophet Muhammad's - peace be upon Him - famous saying, "The only thing that differentiate between Arabs and non-Arabs is their deeds".
Update, 1/1/2007
I cannot deny that some Arabs are racists. But what I wanted to say here is that not all of them are racists, also our religion as Muslims - I think Christians as well - is against racism.
In fact what made me add this update now is the Arabic media reaction after Saddam's execution. As you know, most of the victims of Saddam's era were Kurds (non-Arabs), and Shia (non-Sunnis). And I think that's why Sunni-Arabs were really sad for the execution of Saddam. It seems that they wanted to nullify what I wrote above by their racist attitude.
Anyway, I still cannot accept Amr El-Abyad's generalization. And hope that the racist ones will remain a minority here.
P.S. See Naomi's separate post about the same issue here.
Tags: Racism, Arabs, Gr33n Data
And, racism is something under the skin, you just cant help. Dont forget that islam forbids theft and lying, but peope do it all the time.
ReplyDeleteTarek please check the following link:
https://www2.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=29733515&postID=5972509084137646021
it is a very good blog called egyptian realty. where i had a debate about the egyptian identity.
if you kindly check it out, you will understand why i made that comment
Hey Dude..! i made the comment on Naomi's blogger to make sure that she reads it.
ReplyDeletesecondly, i dont like racism but that doesnt mean that whoever is yearning for a civilisation or a source of pride should parasite himself on our history, distort reality by stamping our culture and civilisation with false mark
And, racism is something under the skin, you just cant help it. Dont forget that islam forbids theft and lying, but peope do it all the time.
Tarek please check the following link:
https://www2.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=29733515&postID=5972509084137646021
it is a very good blog called egyptian realty. where, i had a debate about the egyptian identity.
if you kindly check it out, you will understand why i made that comment
Well Tarek...I think that some Egyptians do have a tendency to be rascist..el-sood, el-hinood, ahl el sayn etc etc etc they eat dogs, they're dirty, unclean etc.
ReplyDeleteBUT just because the US had the KKK or the UK has the BNP that doesn't mean we're all rascist, right?
As Amr quite rightly says, rascism does tend to be something under the skin...usually implanted by one's upbringing.
I don't think we can talk in general terms about Egyptians being rascist or any other nation for that matter.
I certainly have never had any indication from you that you are rascist and your view on Ms Berry is just personal taste.
Oh i forgot to mention.. El-Abyad in Arabic doesnt only mean "the white", for ofcourse you you know very well how rich tghe Arabic language is in synonms. El-abyad in Arabic is one of the names of the "sword" synonmous with al-Hosam and al-Faisal. My name goes back to an arabic clan that traces its lineage to the "Banu Hilal" Arabs who arabised Egypt and tunisia during the Fatimid era. And whose conquests are sung by the rababa poets all over Upper Egypt and some Delta villages........
ReplyDeleteInteresting conversation, my friends.
ReplyDeleteBefore I go any further, let me ask this question: Who told you that I was African-American? I certainly did not. Perhaps it is a compliment that you think that I am. ;-)
Check out my blog in the next 24 hours. You may hear more from me on this topic.
I think Halle's pretty but I think she's too thin. It makes her face look drawn.
ReplyDeleteTarek - how would you define racism?
Tarek, I almost missed your update. I'm glad I didn't.
ReplyDeleteWhat you wrote is very thoughtful and enlightening. My wish is similar to yours - that we less racism globally.
This has been an insightful, educational exchange. Thank you.
Thanxs Tarek for giving me a chance to eloborate on what i may consider my lifetime cause. Hopefully, we could be friends someday..........
ReplyDeleteWhat did you do on the new year's eve ? :))))))
Happy new year
Tarek, I just noticed your strikeout above. LOL! Gosh, you're funny! OK, OK. I'm a woman of color - of African origins.
ReplyDeleteI really wasn't trying to mislead anyone. I just thought it was interesting that you made an assumption based on facts not in evidence at the time, counselor. (Do they refer to attorneys as "counselors" in Egyptian courts?)
Anyway, there you have it. I confessed! Somehow, I think you know more about me than you're letting on. ;-)
Naomi, Now according to GreenData's law, you are supposed to publish a digital signed Photo of yourself on your own blog. And you will be fined $50 for the confusion you made here:)
ReplyDeleteWhen Green Data adheres to his own law, I will consider posting a photo. LOL! As for the fine, the check's in the mail. :)
ReplyDeleteLet's see. What trouble can I get in next? Hmmmm.
This is a quite intriguing post, however.. Mr. Amr El Abyad committed multiple mistakes in his comment which would only prove that he has severe lack of knowledge
ReplyDelete1- There's no ethnicity called arab or mid-eastern .. egyptians are actually a mix of many races mainly Caucasian and Mediterranean races
2- I do resend you being generalizing about egyptians being racists, because there're so many people that I have a different view point in this matter
3- I do think you're a racist yourself.. which would not be a surprise to me
Green Data, You can safely delete this comment once you read it but I just had to get it out .. it really provoked me!
@OpeRon, I never delete a comment here, except spamers and impolite comments. Anyway why do you thing I am racist?
ReplyDelete@ operon i wont waste my time replying to your uniformed comments, i suggest that you refer to some of your rodent eaten Alchemy books before making any presumptions about my state of knowledge!!!!
ReplyDelete@Tarek, definetly you are my favorite blogger, i like your bitter Egyptian ironic sense of humor......anyway,as not to boost your inflated eago anymore, i think capitaine Hadocke upstairs was perhaps right for the first time in his well informed life when he concluded that you are racist yourself........cheers