Meeting Joshua Muravchik

Last week I accepted a very kind lunch invitation from the Joshua Muravchik and Golnar Oveyssi from the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.

I was at the AEI on time, I did not want to give the impression that Egypytians have lousy schedules, that's only between you and me. The place is so elegant and filled with a certain grace. May be I just got used to the practical style of offices in the U.S. The AEI is different somehow.

During our lunch, I had the pleasure of shaking hands with the President of AEI, Christopher DeMuth ,and one of his guests. Josh introduced me as an Egyptian blogger whose name is "Freedom for Egyptians". The President immediately refered to Josh's new article on Egypt, "The Trials of Ayman Nour" which was published on May 8 on the Wall Street Journal. As I fully understand how Nour was treated with injustice, but I took the opportunity to divert the attention to Egypt's current battle of democracy and freedom. I had to mention the honorable Egyptian judges from Judges Club (Syndicate) who are defying with courage a very unrelenting regime.

Muravchik wrote his Wall Street Journal 's article in anticipation to Ayman Nour's appeal due on May 18. As he is relating the different dimentions of Nour's case, he is also refering to the Judges demands for judicial independence following the parliamentary elections and to the renewal of the repressive emergency law. Though the article's main focus is the trial of Ayman Nour and his deteriorating health contidtions, it ties the case to the whole political scene in Egypt which I believe are inseparable.

Josh promised to write about the Egyptian judges' battle against the regime in his upcoming article about Egypt. And by the way, he visited Cairo last March and he believes Egyptians are very friendly people. In Cairo, no one can never feel alone. Take a walk in the street, anyone takes the liberity to approach you and talk to you. If you go window shopping, there is always someone at door asking you to come in. And actually, when I used to live in Cairo, I was fed up, I used not to answer anyone. But my new hobby when I go to Cairo is to almost grab every opportunity to talk to people. I probably miss my people.

I had so much fun talking to Josh and Golnar that day. It is so exciting to find in this big globe some few knowledgeable people who are showing understanding and compassion to the Egyptians people and ready to help.