The Wolf Addresses the Non-compliant Lamb Pt. 2
by Hamdy El-Gazzar and translated by Nour Abdelghani / January 28, 2013 / No comments
In the second part of an imagined monologue, Hamdy El-Gazzar addresses the unrest surrounding the new Egyptian constitution.
President Mohammed Morsi's supporters hold a rally as Egyptians go to the polls to vote on the constitution in 2012. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Voice of America.
God is great. To him we give thanks when truth prevails and injustice falls.
May God’s blessings be upon you my dearest, loyal love. You approved the constitution. You have shamed me with your excessive love, compliance, and voice. You remain a devout, pure believer: To me and my constitution you said, “Yes” and another “Yes.” You spoke the truth with honesty and loyalty, rubbing it in the face of the enemy. I am endlessly grateful and proud of you. With the help of God, may you be blessed with all that is good. As long as your obedience lies with me, one day you will roll in rivers of milk and honey, glory and fame.
- “From Egypt” attempts to draw a cultural map of Egypt and the Arab world by profiling the artistic, literary, and political issues that affect the region via on-the-ground coverage of current events, publications, and the fight for freedom of expression.
- Hamdy El-Gazzar is an Egyptian writer and one of the 39 young Arab writers included in the Beirut 39 Project. His first novel, Sihr Aswad (Dar Merit, 2005) won the prestigious Sawaris Award, and was subsequently translated by Humphrey Davies (Black Magic, AUC Press, 2007). His second novel, Ladhdhat Sirriyya (Secret Pleasures) was published by Dar al-Dar in 2008. He is currently working on a third novel.
As for the few lost souls who oppose the constitution without reason, I have nothing to say to them. I stand by God’s words: “And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth;” (Quran 7: 96)
But don’t worry about the opposition. God alone will guide them on the right path. As for you, come to me.
Do not fear those who oppose us. Don’t be bothered by their business. I have taken all the necessary precautions and soon an overruling decision will eliminate the presence of your enemies. You will not see their dirty faces in the “People” or as “Counsels.”
By God’s will, I shall keep those devils and atheists and liberals and nationals and anyone else we don’t know about yet away from you. They have no loyalty to God. I will not allow them to sully the purity of your world, but if they do, you will receive your reward in the afterlife. However, as long as I am by your side, those devils will not succeed.
Thanks be to God because now the Consultative Council stands as a cleansed white robe with no room for stains or smudges. Such will be the fate of the People’s Assembly; it will be pure of all filth and infidelity.
But come here; let me tell you a secret:
The recently approved law of elections in the Constitution will prevent the stray minority from tarnishing our progress. The circles have widened and we have gained support in civilized, secular regions. Under their control, we have added our powerful influence.
As we supported our brothers in the past when they were tortured in prison and barred from serving in the armed forces, we will now help them to run a successful campaign for office.
Don’t worry. In this secure nation I will not allow the opposition to raise their voices and speak in your name.
With God’s will, I will remain with you forever. Amen.
