WHAT’S IN YOUR BLOOD?

The true melting pot of nations.

by Islam El Shazly

Over the last few months a feud was ignited between two Arab and Muslim countries, Egypt and Algeria; with each calling the other everything in the book of hatred that had previously been saved for the worst of enemies. The flames fanned by shady tabloids on both sides to a point that is very close to calling for outright war. All over a silly little sport called football (soccer), and later on for a handball match.

Finally people like Jamal Abdul Nasser and Ataturk have something to be proud of, their dreams of disunity and nationalism has finally come to fruition. Their poison finally achieving what the decades of French and British colonialism could not accomplish.

Both are Muslim countries, and somehow each wanted Allah on their side for each match, which is as stupid as anything I ever heard. Utter disrespect for Allah subhanahu wa ta3ala.

What is Nationalism? It’s the modern equivalent of pre-Islamic Ignorant tribal solidarity. It pops up every now and then throughout history; the Romans thought everyone other than them were barbaric, the Greeks thought the same, so did the Persians. The Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and English colonials took over that belief in the years following the fall of Andalusia in 1492 CE. In modern times, fuelled by Darwin’s massively erroneous theories, the British Empire, the French, Italian, Japanese, and of course the Nazis took the flag.

It’s a stinky principal, the notion that one is superior due to their ‘race’ or ‘ethnicity’ has caused a lot of grief throughout the ages; the foundation for the ideology is that the specific race or ethnicity in question is ‘pure’. There’s no such thing, unless a person is from some tribe deep in the Amazon or in some other land and that person had no connection with the outside world ever. Very few fit the bill.

We are not going to dive into an anthropology lesson, we’re just going to try and reflect on the events that took place between Egypt and Algeria.

A lot of ignorant Egyptians will claim that they have nothing to do with Arabs, or North Africans, they will claim they are a completely different race, as if they came from the Moon or a distant planet. The same time their counterparts in Algeria think equally the same about themselves. Have they any proof of their claims? Can they prove that they are 100% Algerian or 100% Egyptian?

The area that we live in have a long history, we have been conquerors and we have been conquered, we have seen people emigrate to and from the area. Romans, Greeks, Phoenicians, Egyptians… etc; all came and went. Then came the Muslim conquest, and everyone became equal. Arabs married into Egyptians and Berber, and vice versa. No more 100 % Egyptian or Berber.

Another matter; since we are on the topic of nationalities; modern Arabs are descendants of and Iraqi and an Egyptian, Ibrahim عليه السلام was Iraqi, and Hajar was Egyptian.

Nationalism was eradicated by the advent of Islam, in the same army you found Arabs next to Persians, Romans next to Egyptians, Kurdish and Turks. Hated enemies at one point instantly became brothers when they became Muslim. This kind of equality and brotherhood was eventually obliterated by Western powers at a time of weakness from the Muslim nations, and that to lead to the revival of nationalism.

Most of the great Sultans and Generals of old where not even Arab, no one cared, as long as they followed the correct path. Tariq Ibn Zeyad was a Berber, Salah Al-Din was Kurdish, the Ottomans were Turks, Beybars was a Kipchak, Qutuz from Khuwarizm. The list goes on.

As for me, I have Moroccan, Turkish, and Arab (referring to the Al Higaz, what is now Saudi Arabia) ancestry, and these are the ones I know of that I managed to track, Allah ya3lam what else I will find if I dig a little deeper.

What’s in your blood?

Surah Al Hujurat 49:13 O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).