Nation in View: Egypt
Restoring Lost Glory
Glory comes in different dimensions and at different rates. To some, glory means having more money to do whatever they want to do and for which men praise them as glorious. To others, glory means being able to be at the center of all attention and fame. To some, their glory is found in their pain and suffering which they go through for the deliverance and emancipation of others. We all have different aspects of glory that we are manifesting at every point in time, irrespective of who is aware of it or not, or if its glamorous like many would like it to be, or not.
Looking at the image of the first Prime Minister of DRC, Patrice Lumumba as he sat in the back of the military truck about to be taken to his death, and the image of a man shoving a crumpled paper into his mouth, it cuts the image of disgrace and shame for such a man of such position. But take a minute to think about this. Looking back in hindsight, will a clear thinking mind see that picture of Lumumba in that horrible state and call it an image of shame and disgrace? I leave you to answer.
Most times when you search on Google for images of Afrika, if it does not show you the images of pyramids of Egypt, it will bring you the images of poor Afrikans living in poor environments. And in as much as this is an error and a covert propaganda to keep the image of Afrika lopsided and weird, it still points to something very interesting. The image of poverty in Afrika instantly shows you the contrast between the current Afrika that we have right now and what ancient Afrika was, especially when you look at Egypt, which is one of the earliest civilizations on earth with the enormous riches, glory, knowledge, wisdom, spirituality and global power it wielded.
From all indications, the glory of Afrika as the birthplace of humanity is mostly tied to ancient Egypt, and that because most of the archaeological studies that shed light on Afrika’s history was done in Egypt. This in itself was also propaganda which created the field of study called Egyptology and which Europe and the West have used to create a narrative that Egypt is not part of Afrika. This they did just to keep the narrative of a backward and history-less Afrika going on. So, now we have millions of diasporans who have ancestral connections to Afrika doing serious studies of Egypt and especially its spiritual principles and for which pride also has entered into their hearts since they now think that any Afrikan who is not talking Egypt or following the spirituality and principles of Egypt must be out of tune with the true Afrikan narrative, spirituality and culture. This is an error. For the glory of Afrika is neither material possessions as is seen in the massive wealth of ancient Egypt, neither is Egypt the only place in Afrika where ancient civilization was found. But let me leave this here.
Even though there is a divine word for the restoration of the lost glory of Afrika, using Egypt as the face of that restoration, it may not really be how many may think it will. Not all glory is attached to physical things and not all wealth is money. So, for some aspect of the Afrikan life and the Afrikan people, the restoration of lost glory may be about the restoration of family heritages, restoration of forgotten ancient wisdom and knowledge systems, restoration of peace between communities, restoration of life to things and ideas that have been called dead, restoration of righteousness in the society and many other things that need restoration. It’s definitely an open ended restoration drive for Afrika and for Afrikans.
Egypt is the face of this restoration of lost glory because of her rich history and heritage, but it is really about the entire spectrum of Afrika and the Afrikan people.
Here are 10 interesting facts about Egypt.
Located on the northeast corner of Africa, Egypt is home to one of the world’s earliest and greatest civilizations, with a unified kingdom first surfacing around 3,200 B.C. With a population estimated at more than 99 million, it is the most populous country in the Arab world, and the third-most populous nation in Africa.
1. The country is ethnically homogeneous, with Egyptians comprising more than 99% of the population.
2. The country’s population is estimated to be 90% Muslim (primarily Sunni) and various Christian denominations make up the remaining 10%.
3. Cairo has served as Egypt’s capital for more than 1,000 years, but the government is building a new capital some 45 kilometers (28 miles) to the east to help ease congestion in Cairo. Plans call for the yet-to-be-named city to host the main government departments and ministries, as well as foreign embassies.
4. One of the most famous figures tied to Egypt, Cleopatra VII, was Greek.
5. Ancient Egypt produced one of history’s earliest peace treaties, the Kadesh Peace Treaty, negotiated in 1259 B.C. with the Hittite Empire. In 1970 the government of Turkey gave a copy of the treaty to the United Nations, where it can be seen at the entrance of the Security Council chambers.
6. Egypt is home to seven UNESCO-designated World Heritage sites: Abu Mena; ancient Thebes with its Necropolis; Historic Cairo; Memphis and its Necropolis; Nubian monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae; the Saint Catherine area; and Wadi Al-Hitan, or Whale Valley, home to fossil remains of the earliest and now extinct form of whales.
7. Various international rights groups, including Amnesty International, Freedom House and Human Rights Watch, criticize the country for low levels of personal freedom and the arrests and jailing of peaceful activists who are critical of the government.
8. Social media accounts with more than 5,000 followers are subject to the country’s media laws and can be monitored by authorities and must be licensed by the government.
9. Ancient Egypt produced the world’s first prosthetic limb, a toe composed of leather, wood and thread and dated between 950 and 710 B.C.
10. The 365-day calendar that is divided into 12 months was invented in Egypt.
I pray for Egypt even as I pray for Afrika that all of her glory that has been lost will be restored and much more. The the light of the Most High will shine upon this land of Egypt and Afrika and unrighteousness will be banished and goodness and goodwill will take its place. God bless Egypt and God bless Afrika and her people.
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