In this coming New Year, we all take the time to send our best wishes to one another and congratulate them for a new upcoming year, hopefully filled with happiness and health for family and loved one everywhere. At the same time we celebrate the birth of Christ, which gives us a new hope for life, not only for our traditional life but also our spiritual life. The birth of Christ represents the new birth for all of us with our new nature. This nature should glorify God in all His grace that He gave to every one of us. I know giving thanks nowadays is not an easy thing, especially with what’s going on the world everywhere which many people are suffering from different things. Some people may be facing the war that goes on everywhere nowadays, some may be suffering from their health, and others from losing someone they love. Suffering should not push you to be hopeless; it should give you a new incentive towards life, and always look to the birth of Jesus as a new hope in your life. In conclusion, I want to wish all our readers a Happy New Years with a new hope. Asking God to help Christians in the Middle East, especially with what’s going against them every day.

Richard Nixon, President of the United States showed respect for the Egyptian soldiers who sacrificed their souls and fought well during the war of October 6th. This is still true until today as the Egyptian soldiers are well-appreciated. This was clear when officer Mohamed Ayman decided to sacrifice his soul in order to save his colleagues in the battalion. He continues what Egyptian soldiers started 40 years ago. The grandparents fought and their grandchildren continue their hard work. They proved their bravery and steadfastness. Indeed, the Egyptian soldiers are willing to die in order to save their land and honor.

The Saudi Arabia announced the formation of the International Islamic military alliance to fight terrorism. This is the third military alliances that have been formed during the last two years. How come 100 states in three alliances are not enough to fight ISIS? The first alliance led by the United States of America completely failed in its mission. Then Russia announced a second alliance with the Syrian regime supported by China and Iran, and was joined later by France. Later, the Saudi Arabia announced the third international alliance which is the Islamic alliance.

Several Egyptian activists talk about the importance of democracy in Egypt following the Western instructions. Yet, the Parliamentary elections were held following the road map. The elections was good but the nominees were bad. The new MPs failed to embrace democracy in their acts and morals. Some of them won the election using electoral bribes. Others fooled the naive people making heroes of themselves. Others promised what they can’t fulfill promising several services for the people ignoring their role of legislation.

This legend movie of the sixties has two major similarities with our lives then and now and how it was reshaped. First similarity was the music, 90% if not all local production had MUSIC! By local production I mean movies produced locally -in Egypt- using local funds or resources like director of photography or artists or whatever local resources to produce even Lebanon or Syrian movies! Not just Music but music we all loved and sung and danced on its rhythms, who can forget the bare foot dancer Samia Jamal or the unforgettable love songs of the Lebanon -Origin- Farid El-Atrash who lived and died in Egypt after the run away from their birth land due to political conflicts! Obviously since ever this area was a boiling area that without the BLESSINGS OF GOD would had disappeared!

Egypt has about a million faults. It has garbage everywhere. The streets are not safe. The political process is still a sight for sore eyes. Today, I want to focus on one thing that the country of Egypt doesn’t have, which is devastation. Yes there are many tragedies, kidnappings, killings, but not enough to declare the country of Egypt in a state of devastation. Syria does not have the same luxury at the moment; they are struggling between living under ISIS or the Regime, or with the Rebels. The holiday season is upon us. This is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, to spend time with our families, cherish memories and moments that gives us the very meaning of life. It is also a time, where loneliness and depression is felt for those who have no one to celebrate with. I don’t mean to create this air of sadness, but I want us to take a moment to remember that we are blessed in this life.

In Egypt we have about 100 political parties that are mainly weak and ineffective. However, the elections were held to complete the final phase of the Egyptian future map after the revolution of June 30. This very important election came after saving Egypt from evil scheme to destroy its security, society and economy. Yet, it brought negative results. This is indeed a fair election that the government hasn’t interfered by fraud as usual. Such transparency was witnessed by all local and international institutions and associations supervising the elections.

Saudi Arabia made a mistake when decided to finance civil war in many neighboring countries like Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya. Recently, the Syrian National Army supported by Russian Air Force restored villages belonging to the Syrian province of Hasaka, which is inhabited by Christians. This came after ISIS destroyed many villages, burned their churches, killed its men and raped its women.

Our media tend to flatter the President who actually doesn’t like such adulation. He prefers to face criticism in order to learn and fix errors. Therefore, the president tried to change that and said he complains to the people. He didn’t threaten to close newspapers or channels as media do enjoy unprecedented freedom. Before, we couldn’t even criticize the president! In Turkey, journalists are arrested and even killed. Anti-Erdogan newspaper was attacked and burned. Several satellite channels were closed and the opposition is under attack of the government and terrorists as well.

Israel wants Egypt to pay her about sixteen billion Egyptian pounds! This came after the International Chamber of Commerce Center obliged Egyptian Petroleum Authority and E-Gas Inc. to pay Israel 1.76 billion dollars in compensation for the loss of for the Israeli Electricity company after stopping gas transfer to Israel since the government has canceled the agreement in April 2012. Gas export agreement between Egypt and Israel was signed in June 2005 under Mubarak regime. Egyptian government announced that it would appeal the verdict. This money can be used to establish many schools in Egyptian villages.

Well`for the past few weeks I was busy with my unexpected problem with the Turkish Airlines problem like if Turkey is behind all of us to make there lives a misery; Starting with the Russian fighter to Iraq invasion - well I can not find any other nomination for the armed forces in IRAQ WITHOUT THE PERMISSION of the Iraqi authorities but Invasion! We still see Saudi Arabia backing up Isis in different forms changing face does not mean change of policies, even the so called moderate opposition hide behind the Saudi Arabia invitation for a political resolution whoever the did not forget to announce it clear and nit no resolutions while El-Assad still in power! Are we discussing solutions here or impose solutions?

With all the turmoil and suffering around us, we have always had strong hearts with hopeful spirits. The general consensus has been “Egypt will get better” “Give the Country time to rebuild” I believe that there has been a shift in this ideology, because honestly speaking there is a limit for everyone, and for every circumstance, and when that limit is reached, an ideology based on apathetic, indifferent attitudes is formed. I can’t speak for all of Egypt, but I can speak for myself when I say I have grown cold to the idea of positive thinking. It is so tiring to always remain hopeful in terrible situations. Or when tragedy strikes, to think “That’s ok, we are taking steps to fix the issue” We are always acting in a response to something bad happening. We then proceed to tell ourselves that we should remain strong and to believe in our country, our parliament, our people.

In December 3, 2012, the Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Turkey in a historic visit as described by Russian media. There is no doubt that the two countries were at odd for centuries before the two empires lost their power in 1917 and in 1923. Yet, the conflict continued in the Second World War. Then, Turkey joined NATO after years of its inception in 1948. Turkey supported the camp of the west in the battle of the Cold War. However, with the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in December 1991, the two countries signed on May 25, 1992 a treaty that determined the principles of their relations and the mutual respect.

The government has recently created a body to ensure quality of Education. However, such quality has nothing to do with the free university education. At the same time several disasters and accidents happened in Egypt include traffic and means of transportation, I found a book in my library that was issued in 1929 by the Ministry of Public Knowledge as part of the curricula 75 years ago. The Minister of Education Ali Maher wrote to Mr. Ahmed Amin asking him to write such book about National Education after the rest of the curricula were changed.

60 years have passed in Egypt since the Free Officers Revolution in 1952. This revolution aimed to eliminate the monarchy in cooperation with the Muslim Brotherhood that dreams of reviving the glory of Islam and applying the Islamic Sharia in Egypt and all over the world. This was sponsored by the Saudi Arabia, capital of Wahhabism. The goal was to use Al-Azhar institution to spread such teachings after it became a huge university. Graduates of this university are preferred in all institutions, which allow them to spread fanaticism in all institutions. This was the reason behind religious intolerance and the increasing religious outward like beards, niqab and hijab. Egyptian labor returning from the Saudi Arabia contributed to achieve such goal.

The visit of the President to the Egyptian police last Thursday was a strong message to enemies of Egypt who tried to affect the relation between the people and police in Egypt after several claims that police torture the people! Such visit came to appreciate the effort of policemen and to assure that several individual incidents won’t affect the good relation between police and the people. The President added that Egyptian police work under pressure and are willing to sacrifice in order to achieve our safety.

When my trip to Manchester was cancelled while in the New Airport as the Turkish Airline check in counter employee were trying to find any information about the Antigua & Barbuda passports I figured out the computer system information was incomplete, my doubts were confirmed later on by the Lufthansa check in counter employee no communications with the old airport server no internet moreover no ups allowed or possible! At the beginning I was furious about this luck of information but giving it a second thought I start thinking this is a kind of extreme security as I noticed thought I was able to receive mobile phone calls I was unable to call over any of my multiple lines local or overseas and I could see network coverage was full well if not how do I receive calls?

The many recent accidents that have happened in Egypt show us how “responsible” people, those who are in charge, are careless and don’t care about other peoples’ lives. One of these such accidents is the fire at the nightclub that left at least 20 people dead and many injured. Also, we can’t forget what happened in Alexandria recently due to the heavy rain and also how this careless tragedy left many people dead, while also destroying a lot of shops and stores in the city. However, without the interference of the Army to save to the city, Alexandria would be drowning right now.

The Egyptians don’t support the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people when they decided not to visit Jerusalem. This applies to both Muslims and Christians after they refused several initiations from the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen and the Palestinian people to visit Jerusalem. The President Abu Mazen said that such visit comes to support them morally and financially. However, Pope Tawadros had to visit Jerusalem to attend the funeral of his teacher Abba Abraham. Many people claimed that such visit is a betrayal to the Palestinian cause!

The former US President Jimmy Carter said that America did not invent human rights, the opposite is true, that human rights invented America. Human rights may remind us of democracy. For long time, the American society glorified democracy as reason for its progress of civilization and economy. Democracy and human rights in America helped many people to restore their creativity and hard working for their own benefit as well as the American society. Therefore, democracy became the religion of leaders of America that they preach all over the world. However, the American experience with the Middle East changed their point of view concerning exporting American democracy abroad.