What people in Egypt want, and what they should get.

Today at my university I overheared a bunch of guys talking about politics. I've known the guys from before, and they wheren't religious extremist or anything so I thought i'd join in. This is how it went:

guy A:" You know, the reason the arab world is so backward is because we as muslims have lost our way." (huh?)

guy B: "That's right. Once we muslims turn back to our religion, we'll become the greatest nation, just like we where at the time of the Khilafa. (The Khalifat Muslim empire of the middle ages.)"

Me : "Could you please explain that last part to me, how in the world is we becoming better muslims and more devout going to bring growth (let alone greatness) to our country?"

guy A : "Islam is the solution my brother"

Me : "I got that part already, but how??"

guy B : "The solution to all our problems is in an Islamic government, one that rule s in the name of God and his prophet"

Me : "What is the structure of this government, how is it supposed to function?"

guy A: "Structure, what structure? We want a government based on Khilafa and Sharia. Like the one that we had at the time of the great Islamic empire."

Me : "But that was a middle age Empire, the world has changed since?"

guy A : "No, no, Its fit for all times and all ages." (oh dear!)

Me : "ehm, OK"

guy B :"What do you think?"

Me : "Well,i think the only way we as Arabs could advance is through decent democratic governing. A competetive multiparty system, where we could vote the type of government we think would work into power."

guy A : "You mean a secular government?"

Me : "I'm not talking about the government, i'm talking about the framework, the constitution."

guy B : "But where is Islam, in what you are saying?"

Me : "You could vote an Islamic party into power if you wanted?"

guy A " This is not the Islamic government we had in mind, it seem like a western secular government with seperation of islam and state to me."

Me : "That's not what I said."

guy B : " No, Islam is the solution." (oh brother)

Me : "So what you're saying is that you wan't a government like Iran. A theocracy where the ruler as a representative of God, and where disagreeing with him is heresy."

guy A : "No, not like Iran, Iran is shiite."(!!!!!)

Me : "Great talking to you guys, sorry, got to go, bye."

I had to leave because obviously both had simply no idea what they where talking about. That is why I rarely ever talk about politics. Many people here in egypt are as deluded. They tend to confuse politics with religion, and you end up not knowing what you where talking about in the first place.

I have to ask this though. What led to this wide spread ignorance of basic politics in our society?

continued....