VINTAGE TALES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

FOREIGNER AND CITIZEN (Egypt 🇪🇬)

Egypt, a transcontinental country connecting northeast Africa with the Middle East, boasts a rich history that dates back to the time of the pharaohs. Millennia-old monuments dot the fertile Nile River Valley, including Giza's colossal Pyramids and Great Sphinx, which are considered some of the world's most impressive architectural marvels. Luxor's hieroglyph-lined Karnak Temple and Valley of the Kings tombs offer a glimpse into the ancient Egyptian civilization's religious and cultural practices. The capital city, Cairo, is home to Ottoman-era landmarks like the Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Egyptian Museum, a treasure trove of antiquities that showcases the country's fascinating history.

Besides its architectural and cultural heritage, Egypt is known for its elaborate fairy tales and mythology that are rooted in the country's ancient religious beliefs. These sacred tales revolve around the themes of order, chaos, and renewal, and feature a pantheon of gods and goddesses who are believed to have created and controlled the Universe. The Pharaohs, who were considered divine rulers, played a vital role in maintaining the order of the Universe. The mythology also portrays these gods, goddesses, and Pharaohs as dying and being reborn, symbolizing the cyclical nature of life and existence. These mythical stories, like many of the world's folklore and fairy tales, served as origin stories that helped people make sense of their world and find meaning in their lives.

The story that I recall is a captivating piece of Egyptian folklore that touches upon a sensitive issue. A young male government employee, in September 1968, wrote a short story or tale expressing his concerns about the unequal treatment of Egyptian citizens compared to foreign Europeans. The writer, a university graduate, believed that the Egyptian government should treat its citizens equally, regardless of their nationality, and extend the same courtesy and consideration to all. He also highlighted how this issue could have a significant impact on people's lives, especially in foreign travel matters.

Moreover, the tale includes a humorous joke that was in circulation two years before the death of Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussain in 1970. For those unfamiliar with Gamal Abdel Nasser, he was an Egyptian military officer and politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death.

The joke is centered around Nasser's afterlife experience and goes something like this: When Gamal Abdel Nasser died, the angels of paradise and the angels of hell disputed over his soul. They weighed his good deeds against his bad deeds, and the scales were balanced. Finally, they decided and said, "Let him go to paradise." This joke may seem humorous, but it also underscores the importance of living a balanced and virtuous life.

The story goes on to describe Nasser's journey through the afterlife, where he explores both paradise and hell. When he arrives in paradise and sees how happy everyone is, he becomes curious about what the hell might be like. He said to himself, " I should visit hell and see how things are there". So, he decides to visit hell and takes out a tourist visa to enter the fiery underworld.

Upon arriving, he sees the entrance gates of hell guarded by hell's Angels or you could say demons. The moment they see his visa, they receive him with all kinds of honor and respect. They give him a comprehensive tour of all the chambers of Hell, where he witnesses the gruesome punishments of sinners. Some are burning in unrelenting fire, while others are skewered in various ways. The deafening sounds of shrieks and cries fill the air as the sinners lament their wrong deeds. Despite the macabre scene, Nasser finds the tour to be quite intriguing and is pleased with the experience. After the tour is over, he returns to Paradise carrying the memories of the trip with him.

However, Nasser decides to move to hell and applies for an immigrant visa to the fiery underworld.

Upon returning, the hell's angels receive him again, but this time they behave differently. They immediately seize him and chain him up, leaving Nasser confused and frightened. In an attempt to understand what's going on, he asks them, "What's the matter? Why are you treating me so rudely? I was just here a few days ago, and you were wonderful to me," he exclaims. The Hell's Angels respond with harsh truth and reply, "You were a tourist then, and now you're a citizen."

Nasser realizes that as a tourist, he was only there for a short period and wasn't subject to the full horror of Hell. But now, as a citizen, he's trapped in that fiery abyss forever.

The moral of the story is that we should make our decisions very carefully, whether before life or in the afterlife. This story reminds us of Galatians 6:7, which says, "for you reap whatever you sow," meaning that every action we take has consequences, and we must be mindful of the decisions and actions or treatment we make. whatever you treat others one day it will back to you.

Source:An Egyptian Folktales.

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