Dr. Bahaa Helmy Writes: Egyptian Women and National Spirit

The Egyptian woman is the mother, wife, sister and daughter, and she is the one who has given her son, husband, father and brother as martyrs and wounded for Egypt. She is the vessel in which national values and the meanings of humanity mix, giving the family a spirit of giving, sacrifice, contentment, endurance, tolerance and selflessness, so as to keep the family together and society cohesive. She is also the crucible in which the spirit of struggle and resistance mixes in the face of the economic and security circumstances and challenges facing the family and the nation, and she is the one who has borne the burden of management and wisdom in facing the effects of the economic reforms, whether from the floating of the exchange rate or from inflation and rising prices. She is the mother who raised and gave willingly, the wife who was faithful and lifted up the family, and the sister and daughter who will continue to give, like water flowing through the arteries and veins of the family and the nation. That is why it has been said of the Egyptian woman that she is the icon of national work and the safety valve of Egypt and its people. The Egyptian woman has contributed to building much of our heritage and deserves every salute and honor, not only on Mother's Day, International Women's Day or Egyptian Women's Day or on any special occasion, but in permanent appreciation and pride, and on the pages of history that record the Egyptian woman's giving and her national spirit. If the history of the Egyptian woman is full of giving and sacrifice, she has set the finest examples of the spirit of defiance and determination and of being at the forefront of the scene to recover Egypt from the unknown: she chose to stand in unusually long queues to cast her vote without fear or apprehension, and encouraged her husband and children to face the challenges and side with the nation to save it from the clutches of collapse. The Egyptian woman is the one who sacrifices and gives the most, and devotes herself and her abilities to her family, her society and her nation. The Egyptian woman carries the genes of civilization and special abilities and is a genuine partner in financing and managing the home and in reforming the family and society. She is the one who plants love of the nation in her children's hearts, out of her awareness and her intellectual and emotional understanding of the state of the nation, its strengths and weaknesses and the challenges it faces. It is the national spirit the Egyptian woman has shown throughout history that makes her jealous for the nation and its reputation and for preserving its gains, its security, the safety of its property and the future of its children. It also unleashes her creative energies to deepen national spirit in the mind and heart of every person near or far, to embrace the pains and hopes of the nation. What the Egyptian woman offers and expresses – feelings, strength, resolve and determination – as she takes center stage at the celebration of Martyrs' Day is an unprecedented national spirit in the face of challenges and difficulties. It is a true display of the meanings of patience, endurance, contentment, heroism and sacrifice to fulfill the noble mission of defending the nation. And she is still pressing on, patient, to preserve its security and stability with all resolve and determination. The concept of national spirit may only be grasped or understood by those who carry for their nation full belonging, loyalty and giving, and who are jealous for the dignity and glory of the nation in which they were raised and grew up. It is a moral and educational concept that we draw from the spirit of the Egyptian woman, stirring our inner motives and driving us to sacrifice for our country and to protect our land and our future. There seems to be a lack of clarity about some of these concepts among a segment of teenagers and young people, which must be taken into account, calling on sociologists, creative artists, writers, intellectuals, religious scholars and clerics, and education officials to study modern means and methods of entrenching and strengthening national spirit and the values of loyalty and belonging among our children, our young people and our coming generations, following the example of the Egyptian woman, who deserves every salute and appreciation.