Egypt opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei in 2007.
Don't be surprised when I tell you the leading figure of the Egypt uprising counts among his mentors a brilliant New York professor who was Jewish and fled the Nazis as a boy.
Or that this same professor happened to be openly gay and had married his longtime partner before dying two years ago.
After all, Mohamed ElBaradei worked as Prof. Thomas Franck's research assistant here in New York, where the swirling mix of ethnicities and backgrounds and faiths is our city's greatness.
Those tear gas canisters might be "Made in the U.S.A.," but part of what makes ElBaradei stand up against those who fire them is "Made in N.Y."
Franck was 7 when his family escaped Berlin just ahead of Kristallnacht, and he carried with him a life-long understanding that fascism is the darkest evil and freedom is as important as air.
He grew up to become the preeminent scholar and practitioner of international law, advising a host of newborn nations as they merged from colonialism, helping to draft the constitution of Tanzania.
He represented Bosnia in The Hague when it accused Serbia of genocide - a Jew standing up against the mass murder of Muslims.
In the early 1970s, Franck's students included a young man from Cairo whose father was head of the Egyptian Bar Association and often at odds with the repressive Nasser regime.
"Fighting for democracy, fighting for human rights," ElBaradei later said of his father.
"I wanted to have a world where people are free to express their views, to have freedom of worship, to have freedom from want."
Such a hope, when shared, crosses all differences. Franck became ElBaradei's guide toward making it a reality on a bigger than big scale.
"He was really instrumental in making me understand that we need to look at the global picture, and we always need to not take anything for granted, but go very much through a process of critical thinking before we formulate our views," ElBaradei later said.
"He was ... instrumental in shaping my views as to how to pursue my career in the future."
Franck helped ElBaradei get a job at the United Nations. ElBaradei rose on his own to head the International Atomic Energy Agency, much to the consternation of the Bush administration as it contrived to invade Iraq.
When ElBaradei received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005, he invited his mentor to attend. Franck continued to teach and to practice the best kind of international law even when stricken with cancer.
Two months before his death in 2009, Franck was in Macedonia, representing that nation in its effort to join NATO and the European Union. He and his partner, Martin Daly, stopped in Vienna on the way back and had dinner with ElBaradei and his wife, Aida Elkachef.
"They really are the nicest people in the world," Daly has said.
ElBaradei was calm and thoughtful, as always.
"He's a total intellectual. He's a very smart man," Daly said. "If I was going to think of somebody he's like, it would be Obama."
There's talk of ElBaradei running for president of Egypt. It was hard to imagine anyone quitting a quiet and comfortable existence in Vienna for the tumult and dangers of Cairo, especially somebody who did not seem to be driven by personal ambition.
"So not [a] maniac ego person," Daly said.
The answer could only be a true love of freedom. The love that ElBaradei shared with the man who became his mentor, thanks to the greatness of Lady Liberty's city.
Re: So this is the opposition proudly tutored homo zionists
"repressive Nasser regime", I guess the writer has a lot of hate for anyone who's anti zionist.
But then, another point is, that right now who is pro nasser or who's anti nasser, it's difficult to decide, we can't even tell much about Mohammed Morsi right now, even though he has already became the leading figure of the country.
Re: So this is the opposition proudly tutored homo zionists
we can tell plenty about him. The man has been in and out of jail, advocating for rights and being slammed for them and until now the despot Mubarak is working from behind the bars with the money he stole from Egyptians to send the country into chaos..
May Allah make Dr. Mursi steadfast and guide him aright in spite of the haters.
Re: So this is the opposition proudly tutored homo zionists
format_quote Originally Posted by شَادِنُ
we can tell plenty about him. The man has been in and out of jail, advocating for rights and being slammed for them and until now the despot Mubarak is working from behind the bars with the money he stole from Egyptians to send the country into chaos..
May Allah make Dr. Mursi steadfast and guide him aright in spite of the haters.
ameen
He's against Assad's government.
But can you tell who are his idols(inspiration)? Is it Sadat or Nasser?
Another thing is, that Mubarak had no billions. You sure remember that Gaddafi had said in 8th February 2011, that Mubarak is a poor man who can't even afford to buy his own clothes.. That surely sounded funny in those days, but today every egyptian would ask like, "where are 70 billion of mubarak?".
Any 2 things, whether he had no money, or if he had money it was actually governmental funds that are accessed by multiple powers now.
Indeed, may allah guide every of us, to the right way.
Re: So this is the opposition proudly tutored homo zionists
format_quote Originally Posted by Networks
He's against Assad's government.
Indeed and that's a plus!
format_quote Originally Posted by Networks
But can you tell who are his idols(inspiration)? Is it Sadat or Nasser?
Neither his inspiration should be the prophet and Umar ibn Ilkhtaab whom he often speaks of in his speeches way before he became president.
format_quote Originally Posted by Networks
Another thing is, that Mubarak had no billions. You sure remember that Gaddafi had said in 8th February 2011, that Mubarak is a poor man who can't even afford to buy his own clothes.. That surely sounded funny in those days, but today every egyptian would ask like, "where are 70 billion of mubarak?".
sure he did, he divided them all over the place and El-Baradi is going around urging kaffir regimes not to give Egypt said money! We can write volumes on that alone, including a recent discovery in one of the islands near cyprus where his equally despotic power hungry wife was smuggling or rather had Hawas the 'Egyptologist of antiquities' was dealing Egypt's natural monuments and putting money in his and her pockets.
Re: So this is the opposition proudly tutored homo zionists
Egypt's 'Indiana Jones' faces charges
Zahi Hawass, the former minister of state for antiquities faces charges of breaking Egypt's antiquities law when he agreed to display rare Egyptian objects in Australia and the US
Ahram Online, Monday 2 Apr 2012
Zahi Hawass, former minister of state for antiquities (Photo: Ahram Archives)
General Prosecutor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud on Monday referred charges of wasting public money and stealing Egyptian antiquities against Zahi Hawass, former minister of state for antiquities to the Public Fund Prosecution office.
Nour El-Din Abdul-Samad, Director of Archeological Sites, had filed the accusations against Hawass, and requested that the objects in question be returned to the Egyptian Museum.
The Public Funds Prosecution office also received other charges accusing Hawass of wasting public money and exposing Egyptian antiquities to stealing in collaboration with former regime members.
Re: So this is the opposition proudly tutored homo zionists
Inspiration, well, we all know, that it's always some human, who inspire us to do something, Allah is the ultimate guidance, if we want to know about right or wrong.
Hope you know now, who i support actually.
Other thing is, that Mubarak was past, at this moment maybe all of us can't decide what is wrong or right, let's see what is actually going on in Egypt, because human rights are worse now.
Looks like you know a lot about this, which news channel/sources you have subscribed? I would like to know.
Re: So this is the opposition proudly tutored homo zionists
format_quote Originally Posted by Networks
Hope you know now, who i support actually.
No I don't!
format_quote Originally Posted by Networks
Other thing is, that Mubarak was past, at this moment maybe all of us can't decide what is wrong or right, let's see what is actually going on in Egypt, because human rights are worse now.
Really in what way? Are you in Egypt?
format_quote Originally Posted by Networks
Looks like you know a lot about this, which news channel/sources you have subscribed? I would like to know.
I am there on the ground with the people as it happens, when the shots of the thugs are being fired and we take cover, When Muslims sheikhs are going to prisons for calling upon wh0res to quit their wh0ring and when Mosques are being burned down and sheikhs surrounded like in Alexandria. That's how I know!
Re: So this is the opposition proudly tutored homo zionists
well thanks for letting us know. and for citing Haretz as a source for human rights abuses!
May Allah hasten the demise of that rafidi Alawite pig who is really a na3ja and not an Asad and all his followers and supporters and bring us khilafah rashida on the minhaj of the prophet, and may he hasten the demise of Zionists and those who support them!
Hey there! Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.
When you create an account, we remember exactly what you've read, so you always come right back where you left off. You also get notifications, here and via email, whenever new posts are made. And you can like posts and share your thoughts. Sign Up
Zak/AP
ba51th liked this post
make Dr. Mursi steadfast and guide him aright in spite of the haters.
we can tell plenty about him. The man has been in and out of jail, advocating for rights and being slammed for them and until now the despot Mubarak is working from behind the bars with the money he stole from Egyptians to send the country into chaos..his inspiration should be the prophet and Umar ibn Ilkhtaab
whom he often speaks of in his speeches way before he became president.
.
Hide
Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks