DIALOGO ISLAMO CRISTIANO

225 AHRAMWEEKLY DISCRIMINATION Al-Ahram Weekly Letter to the EDITOR Sober truths: As a regular reader I appreciate the qua- lity of our Weekly and freedom of expres- sion allowed to readers. I take that op- portunity to reply to Edward Said article published january end. It is true that in Israel non-jews , muslims and christians, do not enjoy the same pri- vileges and citizens’ rights as jews, the law considering them as second class ci- tizens. Your diagnosis would have been transparent should it gave a full-round information about discrimination in Israel as well as in the newly formed Palestine and other neighbour countries. Discrimination is one of the major reasons causing the emigration of arab christians out of that territory , their homeland, and generally speaking from the whole Ma- shreq. Arab christians have been settled in this region since ever, do not deser- ve to be treated as second class citizens whether it be under the jewish law or under the sharia, the islamic law pre- vailing in most arab countries including, perhaps, Palestine. One major differen- ce exists though: freedom of expression as you state is allowed in Israel allowing Prof. Israel Shabak to dissent and to pu- blicize his dissent to the aplication of the jewish law, halasha. Would my opinion be permitted to be pu- blished in Egypt? Youssef Samir Eid Milan,Italy