At this fetal time in Egypt's voyage to democracy there is a lot of tit-for-tat or mudslinging being bandied about and given air time. This low-level media phenomenon emerging from user-generated material such as appears on YouTube can give a rather alarming impression on the state of affairs while in fact mainly capturing voices of the extreme ends of the debates-- what are in essence the petty elements. One would hope this is a false impression of what really remains overwhelmingly (the optimistic voice of Al Bawaba would argue) a story of the spirit of understanding and tolerance in an actually still united Egyptian people who all seek better lives than those granted during the pre-democracy era.
Here is an example of an Egyptian Coptic young girl-- a product of American-fashioned education or life-style- opining in an 'OMG- Oh-my-God' manner on her impatience with the Salafi Muslims who are invading the Mideast at this time, specifically her patch of the ME that is Egypt and the churches. She lashes out at those viscously targeting the Christian Churches in the Arab world. She pontificates how those who have tried to harm the Father or Papal head of the Coptic Church are getting what's coming to them- citing the late OBL as well as the former President Anwar Sadat as Haters who fell. She issues her narrative on the absurdity of the Salafi movement- their 'backward' and prehistoric way of life and their ludicrous calls for a return to desert and primitive forms of living. She certaintly does not hold back her frustration and disappointment, quite passionately expressing her impatience with what seems to be a degenerating relationship between Muslims and Christians in Egypt. She grew up with many Muslim friends etc... Essentially she appeals rather disdainfully to these extreme factions from Islam to stop encroaching on her religion and instead 'get a grip or life'.
At a time when Egypt is going through one of the most challenging and ground-breaking transformations for both itself and the Arab world- perhaps inspiring others to follow suit or else to stay clear- the Egyptians should cleave together. They must face and conquer the cracks and divisions being possibly exploited and played upon by media or other political agendas to undermine this brave and remarkable achievement so far. What is needed is the promotion of the voices of reason, understanding and progress -- not the shrill alarmist voices as this rather inflammatory young woman example offers. Giving sensationalist elements prime coverage at this time is a dangerous game to play, given the climate post-OBL and the distinct affiliation of Salaafi factions with the late bin Laden.
