Lanternix: August 2006

31 August 2006

Naguib Mahfouz, RIP

Today (technically yesterday, but I haven't gone to bed yet), the Egyptian Literature Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz passed away. He was 94.
Naguib Mahfouz was born in 1911 in Cairo, and was named after the internationally renowned Coptic doctor Naguib Mahfouz who supervised his delivery. He began his career writing novels with themes taken from the Ancient Egyptian life and mythology, such as Radopis and The Struggle of Thebes. Later he shifted gears and began writing about 20th century Egypt. He is considered in many ways the father of modern Egyptian novel writing.
Throughout his lifetime, Naguib Mahfouz was fiercely attacked by Muslim fundamentalists for what they viewed as transgressions against Allah and Islam in Mahfouz's works. His most controversial work is Awlad Haretna or The Sons of our Alley, which was banned by Al Azhar, although it was published a number of times by Egyptian newspapers.
In 1988, Mahfouz received the Nobel Prize in literature, thus becoming the second Egyptian Nobel Prize winner after Anwar El Sadat. He is the only writer ever to receive a Nobel Prize for works in the Arabic language.
Naguib Mahfouz maintained an excellent health until October 1994 when he was attacked on the street by an Islamic fundamentalist who, objecting to Mahfouz's daring writings, attempted to cut his throat. Mahfouz's life was saved but his health continuously deteriorated until he passed away yesterday, 12 years after the incident.
Mahfouz was very loved and appreciated in Egypt. He was an icon; like a father and grandfather to all Egyptians. We will certainly miss his humble and happy character. And although his body left us yesterday, his works will survive with us forever.
Naguib Mahfouz, Rest In Peace!

30 August 2006

O King of Peace

From The Coptic Heritage, Hymn entitled O King of Peace

To view the Coptic text, please download the Coptic Fonts from this Website

` Pouro `nte ]hiryny @ moi nan `ntekhiryny @ cemni nan `ntekhiryny @ ,a nennobi nan `ebol

Jwr `ebol `nnijaji @ `nte ]ek`klycia @ `aricobt `eroc @ `nneckim sa `eneh

Emmanouyl Pennou] @ qen tenmy] ]nou @ qen `p`wou `nte Pefiwt @ nem Pi`pneuma e;ouab

` Ntef`cmou `eron tyren @ `nteftoubo `nnenhyt @ `nteftal[o `niswni @ `nte nen'u,y nem nencwma

Tenouwst `mmok `w Pi`,rictoc @ nem Pekiwt `n`aga;oc @ nem Pi`pneuma e;ouab @ je (ak`i) `akcw] `mmon

25 August 2006

Farwell Ramses the Great

Ramses II
Lord of the Two Lands, Living in Truth, King of Upper and Lower Egypt
The Horus, Strong Bull Son of Khepri Appearing in Thebes
The King of Upper and Lower Egypt, User Maat Ra, Chosen of Ra, the Golden Horus
Mighty in years and great of victories, the Son of Ra
Ramses, Beloved of Amun, who came forth from the womb to receive the crowns of Ra who created him to be sole Lord of the Two Lands
He of the Two La Goddesses
Enduring of Kingship like Ra in heaven, Bodily son of Atum
Men Kheper Ra, Beloved of Atum
The great god, together with his Enneat
Granted all Life, Stability, and Dominion like Ra for ever
The noble youth, beloved like Aten when he shines on the horizon
One serviceable to Ra and granted life like Ra
"O Pharaoh Ramses the Great - life, health, strength be to you!"

A Nation For All

I saw the following logo, promoting religious tolerance in Egypt, on many blogs:

So I took the liberty to add some colors and some effects, and of course to fix the cross. Now it looks like this:

Feel free to use it on your blog or website without asking for my permission.

23 August 2006

Good Physician

- I thought you stop being a good physician when you start looking at your patient as a human being.
- No. You stop being a good phyisician when you stop looking at yourself as a human being.

From my new obsession: Chicago Hope, on Discovery Health Channel

21 August 2006

When you must stop reading a book

So I began reading that book The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson, and granted, it was one of the most boring books I've come across. But of course I'm stubborn and never give up so easily. So I continued reading, trying to convince myself that it may get better and that I may actually end up learning something new from the boring stories Mr. Bryson told about his upbringing in the American Midwest. But, then...

It was one of those sentences that make me want to put my finger through my eye into my brain and swirl it around (that line is stolen from Friends). It read:

"I signed in and crunched across the gravel to my suite du nuit." (page 29)

Du nuit? Du nuit? What the hell is that?

Why doesn't he just stick to English if he doesn't know how to speak French?

Et voilà. Today's enjoyment. Next book please.

19 August 2006

18 August 2006

أسد

أسد في لبنان وأرنب في الجولان

12 August 2006

A New Coptic Martyr - شهيد قبطي جديد

Taken from the site of the Free Copts. In referring to this article, please link to the following page: http://www.freecopts.net/english/content/view/268/9

Hani Sarofim Nasrala Issak, a soldier in the Egyptian army, was tortured and killed last week after refusing to convert to Islam.
Hani's family issued a statement about the incident. In translation, the statement says:
Our son, the soldier Hani Sarofim Nasrala, from the village of Rahmaneya Kebly in the city of Nag Hamadi of the Qena governorate, was a soldier in the southern sector of the city of Aswan. His unit number was 2152C33. We found him drowned in the Nile near the city of Nag Hamadi. Marks of torture covered the entirety of his body. Earlier, Hani had told his family that there were problems between him and the direct leader of his unit because Hani was a Christian. He also told his family that his leader used to molest and torture him in front of his peer soldiers. When his leader asked him blatantly to reject Chrisitianity and convert to Islam, Hani refused and told him he would notify the military intelligence. The leader threatened him saying "Ok Hani, I will settle things with you!" The leader subsequently arranged to kill Hani by sending him to a station near his village, at Nag Al-Ghaliz of the city of Nag Hamadi, in order to eliminate any suspicions about the plan. At that time, Hani was supposed to be on an official vacation of eight days, which would end on July 30th 2006. He also had two permissions for one other vacation, which would have finished on August 13th 2006, in case one of the two permissions got lost. An official report was filled at the Nag Hamadi police station under the number 5251 year of 2006.
This statement was written by the following family members:
Sarofim Nasrala Issak
Zakareya Thabet Abdel-Nour Hanna
Hamam Thabet Abdel-Nour Hanna
Raafat Sarofim Nasrala Issak
Raouf Sarofim Nasrala Issak
Rozeyky Lamyy Deryas Tawadros
Contact Phones:
++(20)966-595751
++(20)1259-85160
++(20)1270-84836

Photos of the martyr's body, and recordings of the interview with his family can be found on the website of the Middle East Christian Association (MECA), dated 11/8/2006.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Viewer discretion advised when viweing the above link. These photos are not to be seen by individuals under 18 years of age, nor by individuals suffering from heart diseases.

هاني صاروفيم نصر الله اسحق، المجند بالجيش المصري، وُجد معذبا ومقتولا الأسبوع الماضي، بعد أن رفض التحول للإسلام. عائلة هاني قامت بإصدار البيان التالي عن الحادثة:
نتشرف بعرض الاتى على سياتدكم
ان ابننا العريف مجند هانى صاروفيم نصر الله من قرية الرحمانية قبلى بلد مركز نجع حمادى محافظة قنا - كان مجندا بالمنطقة الجنوبية باسوان - بالوحدة رقم 2152-ج-33 وجدناة ملقى قتيلا بمياة نهر النيل - بجوار مركز نجع حمادى وان الجثة تظهر عليها علامات تعذيب فى كامل جسمة وسبق وان قرر لاهلة بالمنزل انة توجد خلافات بينة وبين قائد وحدة المباشر بسبب انة مسيحى - ويقوم دائما بتعذيبة وتكديرة بالوحدة دونا عن زملائة وامامهم - وقرر لاهلة ان قائد الوحدة طلب منة ان يترك دينة المسيحى وينضم الى دين الاسلام ورفض القتيل وقال للقائد اننى ساقوم باخطار المخابرات العسكرية بذلك فقال لة القائد ماشى ياهانى سوف اصفى حسابى معك ورتب القائد خطة قتلة وارسالة بطريقتة الخاصة الى اقرب مكان من مركزة وهو ناحية نجع الغليظ تابع مركز نجع حمادى وذلك حتى يبعد الشبهات عنة علما بانة كان باجازتة الرسمية ثمانية ايام نهايتها فى 30-7-2006 وعمل تصريحين باجازة ثانية من 4-8-2006 حتى 13-8-2006 وذلك حتى يضمن العثور على اى تصريح منهما اذا فقد الاخر وتم تحرير محضر بمركز شرطة نجع حمادى تحت رقم 5251 لسنة 2006 ادارى نجع حمادى
وتفضلو بقبول فائق الاحترام وجعلكم الله عونا لنا ولجميع ابناء الشعب المصرى
مقدمة لسيادتكم الراسلين:
صاروفيم نصر الله اسحق
زكريا ثابت عبد النور حنا
حمام ثابت عبد النور حنا
رافت صاروفيم نصر الله اسحق
روؤف صاروفيم نصر الله اسحق
رزيقى لمعى درياس تواضروس
فى حال الاستفسار يتم الاتصال على تليفونات:
0127084836
0125985160
0966595751

صور جسد الشهيد وتسجيلات مع عائلته موجودة على صفحة منظمة مسيحيي الشرق الأوسط، بتاريخ 11/8/2006
تنبيه هام: على المشاهد الحذر عند مشاهدة الرابط السابق. وتمنع مشاهدة الصور لمن هم أقل من 18 سنة أو لمن يعانون من أمراض القلب