O Obama!
O Obama!
I know that you have had a very great time last Thursday here in Egypt. You have visited the pyramids and The Masjid of The Sultan Hasan and surely you have made many magazines put your smiley face on their covers because of it. But, please don't think that when you are happy, other people are feeling the same too. Now, let me show you some of those who are not happy like you do.
I was just departing from Old Damietta City by an express bus to Cairo when you were starting giving your speech at the Cairo University. I sat beside a man which was holding a small son. Both live near to Ra'sul Bar in Damietta. He told me that his son’s name is Muslim. And if I was not mistaken Muslim is only one year old, but that is not important because what I really want to mention here is that I will call his father in this writing by Abu Muslim, after his name. And not to forget, Muslim is so adorable.
O Obama!
I told Abu Muslim that we might reach Cairo a big late because there would be heavy traffic due to your visit. He rectified what i've said. He also told me that he had phoned his family in Cairo and they told him the current situation of the city by saying,
Abu Muslim said that his family told him,
O Obama!
In my sleep, I heard a voice that keep talking and talking and talking. After I woke up I realised that the voice came from the bus driver telling us something that seemingly so important, but I couldn’t really catch what he said because I just woke up. Abu Muslim turned to me and suddenly said,
Abu Muslim was so sad about that. He tried to phone his family in Cairo once again but he could not reach them. He almost lost his temper and told me,
I checked my handphone coverage to find out whether Abu Muslim was telling the truth or he just mistook the whole situation. My handphone showed a full coverage. Now I understand that Abu Muslim just put all the blame to you because he is so upset that he could not reach his family. I tell him that there is a full coverage. But he was still saying that some responsible people has decline any phone calls.
O Obama!
When we almost reached Cairo, the bus driver stopped the vehicle. Some passengers were panicked. He stood up and went to the center of the bus to discuss with us about what we should do. The road to Ramses, our last station, was closed. He suggest to send those who want to go to Ramses to Giza, so that from there they can take Metro, a subway train, because that is the only way to go to Ramses for now. Some of them agreed but not all of us want to go to Ramses. So those who were not heading to Ramses will get down at Salam, a station beside the Cairo airport.
I want to go to Ramses, because I want to go to Nasr City. It is better to go to Nasr City by taking a van from Ramses because the van from Ramses is the one and only van that will pass beside the Malaysian Complex. But because it was difficult to reach Ramses and because I want to avoid policemen and soldiers that might want to see my passport that day, I decided to get down at Salam like some passengers.
I would like to say goodbye to Abu Muslim. I shook his hand and told him, in order to cheer him back up,
O Obama!
After I reached the Malaysian Complex, I straightly headed to a Malaysian restaurant and ordered a glass of iced lemon syrup. I tuned the restaurant TV to Al-Jazeera channel to find out if there any replay of your speech but to my disappointment, there is no replay at that time except reviews from some Arab country leaders. The reporters and the reviews said that your speech was brilliant especially the part where the building of peaceful relationship between West and Islam was mentioned. The reviews really have made me felt so curious and eager to hear that speech. I made a promise to myself that I will anyhow listen to your speech in order to quench my curiosity.
But please don't think that I was doing that because I am interested in politics. I never like politics. For me politics is full with people who only think about his life in this short world yet ignoring their everlasting afterlife. Thank God, I've already found a hadith about politic that has been said by the Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him,
Meaning:
O Obama!
After my class ended, I once again headed to the Malaysian restaurant and this time around many customers were in. Shamelessly, I took the remote and tune in the television to Al-Jazerra English channel, hogging the TV all for myself. Fortunately, Al-Jazerra English was showing your speech. I quickly sat down on a chair and started concentrating of every word that you were saying.
Your speech bedazzled me because your speech was so different from what I was thinking. Your arguments about building a peaceful relationship made me amazed and I couldn’t sleep all night long thinking about its truth and your sincerity.
But I am not that type of person who will believe you as easy as that. This is because I know you have your hidden agenda behind it. It is because you want Muslim world to always support you especially when America is facing a critical economic crisis right now.
Yes, a critical economic crisis.
Many people do not know about this crisis because America has shifted the world views from this crisis to Swine Flu so that people won't know about it. In fact, the Swine Flu does not deserved to be the world focus as it is nowadays. Thank God I always make Al-Jazeera channel as my favourite choice. Al-Jazerra has given me this enlightenment by also bringing together the evidence that this is not the first time America doing it. They also have changed the world view to Bird Flu when they were having a big military lost in Iraq.
You also can say that it's hard for me to trust you because I am still affected because of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yes, it's true. Besides, I do it this way because I still have brain and heart to think, not like any other Muslim leaders who have trusted you so easily. Do review their statements and you will know how much they have supported you.
For me, I like to follow what Sharkozy has said to the reporters when some of them critisized him about his first five months of ruling the cabinet that seemingly to be so awful. Sharkozy told them that don't judge his ruling ability by looking at the first five months, but judge it after he quitted his office because social reconstruction does need time.
So you also need to win our heart, Muslims hearts by using and spending a lot of time. We won't trust you so easily just by only one visit. And if you serious about it, you should do it more often.
O Obama!
You made me written an entry today and made me feel guilty to publicize it to the public because I don't know whether you deserve it or not. But after some thoughts, I believe that you do. You have made me walk from Bawwabah Talatah to Malaysian Complex while usually I don't have to if I take a van from Ramses. Also you have made me pay ticket twice time while usually I only pay it once if I get down at Ramses. Even though the ticket is only 1.75 Pound and you won't matter about it, I still think it is much better to give it to the beggars. So, I think this writing is fair enough for both of us. You have made me pay double and I got my issues to complain. It’s just that I don't know whether you will read this or not. Or maybe you are not even blogging.
O Obama!
Thank for you coming and don't forget to come again. You are always welcome here but please remember next time to come and bring together some presents. That time, Muslim might have grown up and he has knows how to think. I mean Muslim the small boy in the bus, not the world Muslim community -- because this Muslim community is not like Muslim when he is grown up --. This world Muslim community would never know how to think and are will always stay the same and never change. They can only change only after they have change what is inside them. Otherwise, they are still nothing.[2]
Muslim! O Muslim!
Ops!
Obama! O Obama!
By the way, don't forget to tweet me if you come here again.
--------------------------------------
NOTE:
[1]^By saying The Town, he meant the Uptown, Tahrir, Ramses, and the area around the Cairo University. It is empty because the roads were closed and not any car or vehicle is allowed to enter.
[2]^These statements are the mafhum of a verse of The Holy Quran which said,
I know that you have had a very great time last Thursday here in Egypt. You have visited the pyramids and The Masjid of The Sultan Hasan and surely you have made many magazines put your smiley face on their covers because of it. But, please don't think that when you are happy, other people are feeling the same too. Now, let me show you some of those who are not happy like you do.
I was just departing from Old Damietta City by an express bus to Cairo when you were starting giving your speech at the Cairo University. I sat beside a man which was holding a small son. Both live near to Ra'sul Bar in Damietta. He told me that his son’s name is Muslim. And if I was not mistaken Muslim is only one year old, but that is not important because what I really want to mention here is that I will call his father in this writing by Abu Muslim, after his name. And not to forget, Muslim is so adorable.
Abu Muslim is so cool. He gives me permission to keep this photo.
O Obama!
I told Abu Muslim that we might reach Cairo a big late because there would be heavy traffic due to your visit. He rectified what i've said. He also told me that he had phoned his family in Cairo and they told him the current situation of the city by saying,
Ops, I've forgotten that you don't understand Arabic! But it's ok because I will translate it for you for free, but if you want another version of translation, you could use some help from Google Translate. It is also for free. But I don't suggest you to use it often, because even though they are saying that they are presenting better translations, I do not fully believe in them because they still do not give any translation service from English to Malay, my mother tongue language. That is why I only use it when I got desperate.
“Al-balad kullaha fadiyyah.”
Abu Muslim said that his family told him,
“The Town is fully empty from people.”[1]His saying really made me started to feel bad about it, but fortunately seeing many ships crossing the Suez Canal along the highway has soothed me. Its tranquility draws me to sleep so easily.
O Obama!
In my sleep, I heard a voice that keep talking and talking and talking. After I woke up I realised that the voice came from the bus driver telling us something that seemingly so important, but I couldn’t really catch what he said because I just woke up. Abu Muslim turned to me and suddenly said,
“Kulluha ashan Obama.”Ops, I've once again forgotten that you don't understand Arabic. He said,
“All this is because of Obama.”After hearing it, I straightly understand that while I was sleeping, the bus driver was telling the passengers, using the microphone, that some of entering roads to Cairo has been closed starting from Dimnawi. So those who want to go to Heliopolis, Abbasia, Ramses, Tahrir, they are not going to make it because the bus cannot enter the roads.
Abu Muslim was so sad about that. He tried to phone his family in Cairo once again but he could not reach them. He almost lost his temper and told me,
“Great! Now, there is no coverage. Just because of Obama, they have closed it.”Oh, don't think that Abu Muslim is talking English now! It is just that I directly translate his words to English so that you can understand better. Indeed, I know that you can't understand Arabic.
I checked my handphone coverage to find out whether Abu Muslim was telling the truth or he just mistook the whole situation. My handphone showed a full coverage. Now I understand that Abu Muslim just put all the blame to you because he is so upset that he could not reach his family. I tell him that there is a full coverage. But he was still saying that some responsible people has decline any phone calls.
O Obama!
When we almost reached Cairo, the bus driver stopped the vehicle. Some passengers were panicked. He stood up and went to the center of the bus to discuss with us about what we should do. The road to Ramses, our last station, was closed. He suggest to send those who want to go to Ramses to Giza, so that from there they can take Metro, a subway train, because that is the only way to go to Ramses for now. Some of them agreed but not all of us want to go to Ramses. So those who were not heading to Ramses will get down at Salam, a station beside the Cairo airport.
I want to go to Ramses, because I want to go to Nasr City. It is better to go to Nasr City by taking a van from Ramses because the van from Ramses is the one and only van that will pass beside the Malaysian Complex. But because it was difficult to reach Ramses and because I want to avoid policemen and soldiers that might want to see my passport that day, I decided to get down at Salam like some passengers.
I would like to say goodbye to Abu Muslim. I shook his hand and told him, in order to cheer him back up,
“Send my regard to Obama if you see him.”He smiled but I don't think that the smile will stay all day long because I know that he will face some circumstances when he reach Giza. This is because Cairo City seems not to be so familiar to Abu Muslim. And to add insult to injury, he is carrying Muslim, a small kid that might cry a lot because of the hotness of the summer. Maybe I should let them borrow my umbrella that time, but I forgot to offer it to them. Oh, poor them both!
O Obama!
After I reached the Malaysian Complex, I straightly headed to a Malaysian restaurant and ordered a glass of iced lemon syrup. I tuned the restaurant TV to Al-Jazeera channel to find out if there any replay of your speech but to my disappointment, there is no replay at that time except reviews from some Arab country leaders. The reporters and the reviews said that your speech was brilliant especially the part where the building of peaceful relationship between West and Islam was mentioned. The reviews really have made me felt so curious and eager to hear that speech. I made a promise to myself that I will anyhow listen to your speech in order to quench my curiosity.
But please don't think that I was doing that because I am interested in politics. I never like politics. For me politics is full with people who only think about his life in this short world yet ignoring their everlasting afterlife. Thank God, I've already found a hadith about politic that has been said by the Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him,
أولها ملامة ووسطها ندامة و وأخرها عذاب يوم القيامة
Meaning:The first of it is a censure, and the center of it is a regret, and the last of it is the torment in the Day of Judgement.But, sometimes I also learnt to know about it, especially when it disturbs my life like what was happening during your visit. Does that mean I have forgotten what the Prophet PBUH has said? No, I am not. I just learn to know it and am not participating in it.
O Obama!
After my class ended, I once again headed to the Malaysian restaurant and this time around many customers were in. Shamelessly, I took the remote and tune in the television to Al-Jazerra English channel, hogging the TV all for myself. Fortunately, Al-Jazerra English was showing your speech. I quickly sat down on a chair and started concentrating of every word that you were saying.
Your speech bedazzled me because your speech was so different from what I was thinking. Your arguments about building a peaceful relationship made me amazed and I couldn’t sleep all night long thinking about its truth and your sincerity.
But I am not that type of person who will believe you as easy as that. This is because I know you have your hidden agenda behind it. It is because you want Muslim world to always support you especially when America is facing a critical economic crisis right now.
Yes, a critical economic crisis.
Many people do not know about this crisis because America has shifted the world views from this crisis to Swine Flu so that people won't know about it. In fact, the Swine Flu does not deserved to be the world focus as it is nowadays. Thank God I always make Al-Jazeera channel as my favourite choice. Al-Jazerra has given me this enlightenment by also bringing together the evidence that this is not the first time America doing it. They also have changed the world view to Bird Flu when they were having a big military lost in Iraq.
You also can say that it's hard for me to trust you because I am still affected because of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yes, it's true. Besides, I do it this way because I still have brain and heart to think, not like any other Muslim leaders who have trusted you so easily. Do review their statements and you will know how much they have supported you.
For me, I like to follow what Sharkozy has said to the reporters when some of them critisized him about his first five months of ruling the cabinet that seemingly to be so awful. Sharkozy told them that don't judge his ruling ability by looking at the first five months, but judge it after he quitted his office because social reconstruction does need time.
So you also need to win our heart, Muslims hearts by using and spending a lot of time. We won't trust you so easily just by only one visit. And if you serious about it, you should do it more often.
O Obama!
You made me written an entry today and made me feel guilty to publicize it to the public because I don't know whether you deserve it or not. But after some thoughts, I believe that you do. You have made me walk from Bawwabah Talatah to Malaysian Complex while usually I don't have to if I take a van from Ramses. Also you have made me pay ticket twice time while usually I only pay it once if I get down at Ramses. Even though the ticket is only 1.75 Pound and you won't matter about it, I still think it is much better to give it to the beggars. So, I think this writing is fair enough for both of us. You have made me pay double and I got my issues to complain. It’s just that I don't know whether you will read this or not. Or maybe you are not even blogging.
O Obama!
Thank for you coming and don't forget to come again. You are always welcome here but please remember next time to come and bring together some presents. That time, Muslim might have grown up and he has knows how to think. I mean Muslim the small boy in the bus, not the world Muslim community -- because this Muslim community is not like Muslim when he is grown up --. This world Muslim community would never know how to think and are will always stay the same and never change. They can only change only after they have change what is inside them. Otherwise, they are still nothing.[2]
Muslim! O Muslim!
Ops!
Obama! O Obama!
By the way, don't forget to tweet me if you come here again.
--------------------------------------
NOTE:
[1]^By saying The Town, he meant the Uptown, Tahrir, Ramses, and the area around the Cairo University. It is empty because the roads were closed and not any car or vehicle is allowed to enter.
[2]^These statements are the mafhum of a verse of The Holy Quran which said,
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِم
Meaning:
Allah does not change the state of life of their people until the people have changed the of their innrmost beings.
Surah Ar-Ra`d ; chapter 11
Labels: Cairo, Isu Semasa, Musim Panas, Surat
Assalam Walekum,
You are doing very good. I read about you from Yahoo Answers. My name is Md (Muhammad) Rizwanul Islam. You are very creative, and put a lot of effort into your work. Good job, and may Allah bestow you with his blessings. My email is mdbowness@yahoo.ca if you want to talk. Thank you.
Assalamu'alaikum,
O Mr. Abqori!
Hehe! Saya mengomen guna lughah Melayuwiyah sahajalah.
Wahai Encik Abqori! Sampai begitu sekalikah penangan kedatangan Encik Obama ke Mesir. Kasihan warga-warga mesir. Tentu sukar mejalani kehidupan, apatah lagi orang yang telah diPATIkan seperti Encik Abqori. :P
Kehebatan Encik Obama, bukan hanya terletak pada huruf O-nya, ini terbukti kerana hanya dengan kedatangan beliau ke Mesir, telah memaksa Encik Abqori menulis satu entri, atau lebih tepat lagi, satu surat khas buat beliau yang menjadi satu-satunya entri berbahasa inggeris.
Tiadalah saya membaca entri yang se-geeky ini walau dalam blog Tuan Guru (baca: Sensei). Bahkan saya merasakan, entri-entri Encik Abqori di dalam blog ini teramatlah geeky. Sampaikan kadang-kadang saya juga akan terasa. Namun, ke-geeky-an dalam penulisan Encik Abqori ini banyak memberi peringatan.
Semoga dapatlah kita sama-sama diperingatkan, walaupun leluhur Encik Obama itu ada yang Muslim (yakni beragama Islam, bukan Muslim si anak kecil yang bersama ayahnya -abu Muslim- itu), tiadalah iman itu dapat diwariskan. Bahkan ada sahaja orang yang mengaku Islam tetapi tidak beriman.
you know , this visit costed egypt 100 million EGP and better if we invested this money in a project for youth , but anyway we will see if obama is really peacefull man or he does that for the usa
nice blog masha'a allah , would you mind if we chat on yahoo ? alsamman6210@yahoo.com
Very nice job. I enjoyed reading it because you gave it the personal touch of how your day was personally affected by the traffic changes. A big and annoying, but necessary, security measure.
Also nice the way you gave a voice to Abu Muslim. I was interesting to see the point of view of the everyday people and how they were affected by Obama's visit - and not just all the political hype.