Cairo, the 26th November, 2009

“The “Aid Kibir” …”zahma, ya dunya zahma…(Ahmed Adaweya song)”

The crowing days of the “Big Feast” (“Aid il Kibir”) are here!
Cairo must be the best city in the world for all kinds of celebrations and Egyptians are the craziest, funniest, out-going kind of people for partying till they drop.
Says the legend that God ordered Ibrahim to kill his own son and he was ready to do it – as a proof of his total faith and submission to God’s Will – when God spared him from this immense sacrifice. Instead of his son, Ibrahim sacrificed a sheep.
The “Big Aid” event was born from this story.

“Lakhma, ya dunya lakhma…(meat, oh life, meat…)” – Me, joking around with Ahmed Adaweya’s song “Zahma, ya dunya Zahma” (“Traffic, oh life, traffic!”)…every where you look there are sheeps ready to be killed very soon.
Traumatizing (for me and for all animal lovers)!

Also very soon enough, the city will be inundated with the sick odour of blood and huge red spots made of animal sacrifice.
For me, this is painful to experience.
For most people who celebrate the Feast (muslim feast), the blood and the red spots symbolize something great. As always, life depends so much on your own perspective. Nothing is REAL or objective.

Families gather, food, company and presents are shared like in “our” Christmas time and the divisions between religions are attenuated (even if imperceptibly for the distracted eyes).

All religions speak about the same THING. I wonder when human beings will start realizing IT.