Home > Author > Basma Abdel Aziz
1 " She raised her voice, reminding him that he was a doctor, that his first priority was to help the sick, and he shot back that helping the sick was subject to the law, too; it wasn't just every man for himself. "
― Basma Abdel Aziz
2 " The Riffraff defended themselves fiercely, arguing that months had passed without the slightest change. People should unite and forget the Gate, they said but they couldn't offer any convincing alternatives, so everyone in the queue - those behind the barriers and the rest - refused to give up hope. "
3 " From the Fatwa and Rationalizatons Committee, on the Fifth Day of this Venerable Month:In light of its meeting today, the Committee hereby announces this fatwa to the entire nation, to ward off civil strife and its evils, and preserve the country's integrity. To keep those of faith from succumbing to sin in the eyes of God Almighty, all believers must verify any news before giving it credence, and all those who make claims must substantiate their assertions with proof, lest they spread false allegations and therefore corruption. Believers shall not boycott their brothers, nor cause them to suffer financial or emotional distress, and shall not call upon others to take such actions, as this is one of the gravest sins, unless done in support of religion. A believer who is weak of faith, and does not join his brothers, is guilty of a sin, which shall be weighed on Judgment Day. This sin can be absolved by fasting, or by making seven consecutive phone calls, each one not separated by more than a month. Our Book pronounces this truth upon you. May God lead you to the path of righteousness, and may His peace, blessings, and mercy be upon you. "
4 " The first boycott was against a candy factory that owned a well-known chain of stores in several districts. The Committee had discovered that this factory was producing candy made of sugar swirls, in which - in a certain light - one could make out the word "God." The Committee released a statement calling upon people to boycott the factory, since allowing the name of God to be eaten and digested was the ultimate denigration of religion's place in society and thus warranted a country-wide campaign. "
5 " In addition to anxiety and irritability, other symptoms include an irrational belief that he can alter reality; a clear tendency to act in a socially unacceptable and unhealthy manner; and a sharp, unfriendly manner when interacting with others. "
6 " Like many others, she'd received a threat from the Riffraff - though she wasn't sure she understood it completely - accusing her of helping to maintain the status quo, and even profiting from it. "
7 " Soon the situation unraveled, and different groups who had taken part in the First Storm accused one another of betrayal. They were so entrenched in their own conflicts that they forgot about the ruler, who started to rally his inner circle and regained influence on the ground. While the people were distracted with their squabbles, the old guard regrouped and began to rebuild. Not long after this, the Gate appeared. "
8 " كانت الخطيئة المشتركة بين الجميع هي خطيئة المعرفة المحرمة التي عُقِد العزم على إخفائها عن عامة الناس علمية كانت أو دينية "
― Basma Abdel Aziz , ذاكرة القهر: دراسة حول منظومة التعذيب
9 " So I shut up and hold out a one-pound note, but he throws it on the ground, snatches back both pieces of bread, and shouts at me, 'We don't have any bread! And don't come back! "
10 " Politics had eaten away at people's heads until they in turn had begun to devour one another. "
11 " If a doctor or nurse had been with him when he'd been injured, she would have made the others carry him more carefully. Doing so would have taken just enough time for them to arrive at the emergency room an hour or so after Tarek's shift had ended, and the name of another doctor would have been at the end of this file.... "
12 " The High Sheikh invoked a few passages from the Greater Book, explaining that if a believer were to be struck by a bullet (despite his prayers and supplication), his faith would guide him to the understanding that it was God himself who'd struck him down. A wounded believer should not despair or oppose God's will. Nor should he question the unquestionable - such an act could lead him down a perilous path toward doubt. Instead, the believer must accept the will of God. He must acknowledge how lucky he was to be struck by a bullet, and exalted to a place in heaven ordinarily reserved only for the most dutiful. "
13 " Yehya would never admit that he was just a single, powerless man in a society where rules and restrictions were stronger than everything else, stronger than the ruler himself, stronger "
― Basma Abdel Aziz , The Queue
14 " أحيانا ما تجد الضحية نفسها فى محنة لا تستطيع الخروج منها نتيجة تعرضها لبعض المؤثرات. تتشابه هذه المؤثرات مع أخرى كانت موجودة وقت وقوع الصدمة؛ ربما كمقعد ذى شكل مميز أو إضاءة ملونة، أو بساط، أو منضدة، أو حتى صوت له نبرة خاصة. ما إن ترى الضحية أو تسمع هذه المؤثرات مرة أخرى فى أى مكان، حتى تستدعى إلى ذاكرتها التجربة المريرة بتفاصيلها الكاملة، وقد يحدث هذا لسوء الحظ أثناء الفحص الطبى، مما يجعلها تفقد الثقة فى المعالج، وتشعر بالخوف منه كونه فى موضع قوة يخوّله سلطة أعلى منها، لذلك ففى البلدان التى تكون الدولة فيها طرفا ضالعا بشكل مباشر وفج فى انتهاك الحقوق والحريات وقمعها، لا ينبغى أن يُؤخذ خوف الضحية من أى رمز من رموز السلطة على أنه رد فعل مرضى وغير سوى، حتى وإن بدا هذا الرمز بسيطا وغير مؤذ؛ كلون زى الشرطى مثلا، أو العلامة المميزة على قبعته، وما إلى ذلك من إشارات "
