The Pharaonic Kingdom of Fear and Torture

Published in June 30, 2018

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Firstly: the vicious circle of fear:

1- This is a true story/incident that took place during the era of Mubarak in Egypt; a prisoner in Torah Prison saw a dream (and narrated it to his cell inmates) that he drove a motorcycle with a friend from his village and with both of them was a bomb; when this dream/vision reached the wardens and then the high-rank officers in this prison, this prisoner was interrogated about the dream and the friend he saw in this dream; next day, this friend was arrested in the village and brought to Torah Prison; cell inmates ridiculed him as the man who was imprisoned merely because of the 'motorcycle' dream his friend saw!    

2- We analyze this story on one word: fear. The fear and fright of Mubarak and the men of the Mubarak regime. Mubarak ruled for 30 years using the Emergency Law to protect himself. As a military ruler, Mubarak gave his authority to policemen and State Security Apparatus men so as they can arrest, detain, incarcerate, imprison, and torture any citizens anytime for any reason. The more torture crimes are committed, the more tyrants and cronies fear the coming revenge; the specters of the dead/tortured/imprisoned victims haunt them all the time; existential fear drive tyrants (like Mubarak and his men) to imprison and torture any suspected persons; this is why they readily arrested a young man because of his being seen in a dream by a prisoner in Torah Prison!      

3- This is the same type of deep-seated fear that seized the heart of Moses' Pharaoh; once he doubted that the Israelites were not worshiping him and were not loyal to him, he tortured and oppressed them so as not to let them grow too powerful and too many in number inside the land of Egypt: "Pharaoh exalted himself on earth, and divided its people into factions. He persecuted a group of them, slaughtering their sons, while sparing their daughters. He was truly a corrupter." (28:4). The females were spared to be used in service and the males were murdered to lessen the number of the Israelites; such severe torture was employed to make the Israelite fear Pharaoh and submit to him; he himself feared them for no reason, except for imaginary doubts and deep-seated fright of any chance of insubordination from anyone inside Egypt. 

4- Hence, Moses' Pharaoh employed torture to terrorize all Egyptians; this is why he tortured victims in public; this is done by all those tyrants who followed the footsteps of Moses' Pharaoh; e.g., the Mameluke sultans commanded the flaying alive of victims who were tortured and their straw-stuffed dead bodies roamed the streets of Cairo to terrorize the masses; also, those who were sentenced to death by being beheaded were made to roam streets of Cairo first before being beheaded in public. More details about this fact regarding the Mameluke Era in Egypt are found in our book about the Mameluke society and how the Mameluke sultan Qaitbay applied the Sunnite sharia laws. The military rule in Egypt since 1952 still tortures victims in prison and spread the news about such torture to intimidate citizens; in 2000s, videos of torture inside prisons and police stations were deliberately being diffused to terrorize citizens. President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, the current pharaoh today in Egypt, has threatened an unknown person in one of his speeches recently; this reflects his deep-seated fear.     

5- It is frightening and it sends shivers down our spine to imagine how Israelite men and women saw their male babies slaughtered before their eyes by cruel men of Moses' Pharaoh; the Quran reminds the Israelites several times of their being delivered from such immense torture: "Moses said to his people, "Remember God's blessings upon you, as He delivered you from the people of Pharaoh, who inflicted on you terrible suffering, slaughtering your sons while sparing your daughters. In that was a serious trial from your Lord."" (14:6); "And recall that We delivered you from the people of Pharaoh. They inflicted on you terrible persecution, killing your sons and sparing your women. Therein was a tremendous trial from your Lord." (2:49); "Remember how We saved you from Pharaoh's people, who subjected you to the worst of sufferings-killing your sons and sparing your women. In that was a tremendous trial from your Lord." (7:141). Such painful memories of torture haunt the victims whose sons were slaughtered before their eyes; Pharaoh, of course, heard their screams and he had deep-seated fears of possible revenge; this drove him to commit more crimes of torture; this has been an endless, vicious circle of fear, injustices, and torture.  

6- Moses' Pharaoh expected 100% loyalty from his retinue members who deified and worshiped him as their god; this is why when the magicians believed in the Lord of Moses and Aaron instead of defeating Moses by their magic, their insubordination made Moses' Pharaoh so furious and he crucified and tortured them in public (by dismembering their bodies or cutting off their limbs while they were alive) so as to terrorize and intimidate other Egyptians who should remain submissive to Pharaoh.

7- In the 1990s, we have encountered a retired Egyptian Prime Minister who occupied this position in the 1970s, and he was very reserved in his manner of talking with us because he knew we are vociferous in our stance and views against the Mubarak regime and he felt afraid of Mubarak men; this man used to talk to us about Mubarak in a low voice while making sure no one else is hearing what he said; he did not use the word (Mubarak); instead, he referred to him as (the Big Man); we have met this man once more in a conference in Washington; he kept talking to us in whispers about Mubarak lest any Egyptian men would hear him and notify Mubarak about words overheard during the conference. A former university professor who was a minister of finance and then a Parliament member was detained for a week in a solitary-confinement cell where he heard ceaseless cries of pain by tortured men in other cells; his 'crime' was being vociferous in criticizing Mubarak; upon his release he retired from his political career and was paranoid all the time lest the Mubarak men would be watching him all the time; he kept praising Mubarak to anyone he meets, almost every day, out of deep-seated fear; he never felt relieved until the ouster of Mubarak in Feb. 2011.   

8- Retinue members or courtiers remained in constant fear of Moses' Pharaoh; this does not apply to the believing prince who preached (in vain) his people to believe in God with Moses: "A believing man from Pharaoh's family, who had concealed his faith, said, "Are you going to kill a man for saying, `My Lord is God,' and he has brought you clear proofs from your Lord? If he is a liar, his lying will rebound upon him; but if he is truthful, then some of what he promises you will befall you. God does not guide the extravagant imposter." (40:28); God saved this prince from conspiracies of the evil ones: "You will remember what I am telling you, so I commit my case to God. God is Observant of the servants." So God protected him from the evils of their scheming, while a terrible torment besieged Pharaoh's family." (40:44-45).

9- Moses' Pharaoh's wife was a princess/queen who believed in God with Moses and was very much afraid of her husband who shared her bed. She implore God to deliver her from schemes of her unjust husband and the unjust ones who served him; God has made her faith exemplary: "And God illustrates an example of those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, "My Lord, build for me, with you, a house in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his works, and save me from the unjust people."" (66:11).

10- Pharaoh himself was afraid very much of Moses; he could have killed Moses but God prevented this scheme: "Pharaoh said, "Allow me to kill Moses, and let him appeal to his Lord. I fear he may change your religion, or spread corruption on earth."" (40:26). This means that the might of Pharaoh was imaginary and false; it was based on the false religion of deifying Pharaoh; Moses destroyed this false religion of polytheism; Pharaoh feared that Moses would undermine his authority as a self-deified tyrant; corruption for him was  that Moses would change the religion of Egyptians who deified Pharaoh. This is why Pharaoh asked his courtiers or retinue members to allow him to kill Moses; this is strange because the obsequious courtiers or retinue members worshiped and feared Pharaoh; this request of Pharaoh shows that God kept his promise made to Moses and Aaron that He will protect them from the tyranny of Pharaoh and will throw fear inside the heart of Pharaoh so as not to think of murdering or even harming Moses and Aaron.     

Secondly: the Quranic laws of fear and security:

1- God says the following about polytheists/disbelievers who are always afraid and live in fear because of their polytheism/disbelief: "We will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they attribute to God partners for which He revealed no authority. Their lodging is the Hell-fire. Miserable is the lodging of the unjust ones." (3:151).

2- God says the following about believers who feel security and relief as they remember their Lord God: "Those who believe, and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of God. Surely, it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find comfort." (13:28); they know that polytheism is a grave injustice and sin: "...for polytheism is a grave injustice." (31:13); they never omit injustices against people; God grants them security in return: "Those who believe, and do not obscure their faith by committing injustices - those will have security, and they are guided." (6:82).

3- In contrast, Satan and devils cause fear to their human allies who are sinners, disbelievers, polytheists, and disobedient ones. Real believing monotheists never fear anything or anyone; they fear only their Lord God within piety and He provides them with serenity, calm, relief, peace of mind, and security. The disobedient ones who rejected the Quran feel afraid of everyone and everything: "That is only Satan frightening his allies; so do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are believers." (3:175).

4- When monotheistic believers feel afraid and suffer persecution, they are to follow these steps.

4/1: They must adhere to patience; Moses gave the same piece of advice to the Israelite: "Moses said to his people, "Seek help in God, and be patient. The earth belongs to God. He gives it in inheritance to whomever He wills of His servants, and the future belongs to the pious ones."" (7:128).

4/2: They must adhere to their reliance on the Lord God and to supplicate Him for victory/deliverance. Again this is exemplified in the Quran by Moses and his people: "But none believed in Moses except some children of his people, for fear that Pharaoh and his chiefs would persecute them. Pharaoh was high and mighty in the land. He was a tyrant. Moses said, "O my people, if you have believed in God, then put your trust in Him, if you have submitted." They said, "In God we have put our trust. Our Lord, do not make us victims of the oppressive people." "And deliver us, by Your mercy, from the disbelieving people."" (10:83-86).

4/3: They must adhere to prayers all the time within patience; this is God's command to the Israelites: "And seek help through patience and prayer. But it is difficult, except for the devout ones." (2:45); the same command of the Lord God is addressed directly to Quran-believing people here: "O you who believe! Seek help through patience and prayers. God is with the patient ones." (2:153).Moses told his people to pray within congregations in Egypt inside their houses to invoke God's wrath against Pharaoh and Moses joined them and God answered these prayers: "And We inspired Moses and his brother, "Settle your people in Egypt, and make your homes places of worship, and perform the prayer, and give good news to the believers." Moses said, "Our Lord, you have given Pharaoh and his chiefs splendor and wealth in the worldly life. Our Lord, for them to lead away from Your path. Our Lord, obliterate their wealth, and harden their hearts, they will not believe until they see the painful torment." He said, "Your prayer has been answered, so go straight, and do not follow the path of those who do not know."" (10:87-89) 

Lastly:

1- Any pharaohs who are enthroned as tyrants oppress and humiliate citizens by means of torture; such torture sows fear inside the hearts of the victims and inside the hearts of tyrants as well.  

2- Salvation for people is by adhering to God and His Word; God does not desire injustices for people.

3- The Egyptian who have been oppressed, humiliated, and tortured should make them fill the air and space with supplications and invocations to the Lord God against Al-Sisi and his generals.

4- Even if they mention bad words in public, God will forgive those Egyptians because they are oppressed and wronged ones who suffered injustices inflicted on them: "God does not like the public uttering of bad language, unless someone was wronged. God is Hearing and Knowing." (4:148).

5- Who knows? The Lord God may answer their (and our) prayers and smite and punish Al-Sisi and his deep-state men very soon.