The heroic martyr Muhammad Salah, the Egyptian soldier who carried out a heroic operation in June 2023 near the Al-Auja crossing that separates Egypt's Sinai from occupied Palestine, has opened the floodgates for the free people and heroes of the Ummah. This call to action is not limited to Egypt alone but extends to all Arab and Islamic countries, urging them to carry out heroic acts that we yearn for in response to the terrorism of the Zionist occupation. It is a call to defend Islamic sanctities and stand against the Zionists wherever they are found until the occupation is expelled from Palestine, the Arab Islamic land usurped by Zionist gangs who seized it after committing massacres against its Palestinian people, and continue to perpetrate this killing and terrorism to this day.

Muhammad Salah, the Egyptian hero who has captured the hearts of Arab youth, sent a message through his heroic operation: Nothing is impossible, and silence on the crimes of the occupation is unacceptable. There can be no tolerance for the usurpation of the land, and no obstacle, no matter how great, can stand in the way of Arab youth defending their land, people, and religion. Even if facing a fascist regime collaborating with the occupation, all paths remain open, requiring only willpower, faith in Allah, planning, training, and organization to achieve the goal. Ultimately, we will reach what we aspire to.

Muhammad Salah lives up to his name, for he is Muhammad, a follower of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), adhering to a faith that does not accept humiliation or silence in the face of injustice. He embodies righteousness for himself, his people, his Ummah, and his religion. Muhammad Salah became a living model, inspiring all who see in him an Arab Muslim hero to follow his path, despite the rough and difficult road. Yet, this road will be overcome by the free and proud willpower that believes in Allah's victory.

So, come forth, youth of the Ummah, and walk the path of the Egyptian hero, and those who followed. Show us what will warm our hearts, and be like Muhammad Salah, Salman Khater, and all the free souls.

We ask Allah to see from you what will help us, as a Palestinian people, achieve our deeply-rooted aspirations. You are the free ones who, together with the Palestinians, will liberate Palestine and cleanse its land of the occupation. Unite and be the hallmark of this phase we are living in and a beacon of hope for the coming stages.

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Sheikh Hassan al-Banna used to say about the relationship between Egypt and Sudan: “Egypt is the northern Sudan, and Sudan is the southern Egypt.” Similarly, we can say: Palestine is northern Egypt, and Egypt is southern Palestine, due to the historical reality and proximity. As Dr. Gamal Hamdan mentions in his book “We and Our Four Dimensions,” neighbors are almost always related, as a quasi-general rule in anthropogeography. For most of Islamic history, Egypt and Palestine were one country.

Dr. Gamal Hamdan says: “Just as Palestine is the beginning of the Asian dimension in the entity of Egypt, Egypt is necessarily the beginning of the African dimension in the entity of Palestine. Both are like the button and the loop that join the two dimensions or like the halves of a capsule. It is no coincidence that the city of Rafah is split on both sides of the border, a rare symbol indicating this broader and deeper integration.”

Abbas Al-Akkad, in his book “The Life of a Pen,” says: “The Palestinian society is similar to the Egyptian society in its composition, and in most of its customs and traditions. They differ only in some traditions. There are migrants from Palestine in Egypt and from Egypt in Palestine. A Palestinian may live in Egypt for a while and then return to his homeland. Among them, you may find those who are nicknamed Al-Anshasi, Al-Belbisi, and Al-Tantawi, just as you find among us those who are nicknamed Al-Ghazi, Al-Ramli, and Al-Akkawi, as if they are competing or catching up with each other in one arena, not leaving it, nor rushing to change its rules, whether in social traditions or household living. Even “Mulukhiyah,” (jute mallow) an Egyptian dish mastered only by cooks in the Nile Valley, is eaten in the house of Abu Khadra as it is eaten at our finest tables that are proud to serve it because the people of this house have maintained their old heritage since they were in rural Egypt and still are related to it. The relationship between Egypt and Palestine is closer than a geographical one; it is also a historical and population relationship.”

Dr. Hamdan also says: “Throughout history, Palestine has been a refuge and escape or exile for many Egyptians during times of persecution, unrest, or crises. This started from the French campaign, to Muhammad Ali's campaigns and wars in the Levant and Palestine itself, to forced labor during the digging of the Suez Canal, to the Urabi movement, and even the conscription of men during World War I. Some of these returned to Egypt after a short or long stay, but it is certain that a significant number settled and integrated into the Palestinian entity. Their traces and memories are still noticeable in complexion, dialect, customs, and names.”

This is further explained in detail by Major General Ibrahim Muhammad Al-Fahham in an article in the Kuwaiti “Al-Arabi” magazine, issue 287, October 1982, titled “Egyptians and Palestinians Are One.” He says: “Many Palestinian families settled in the Egyptian countryside, bringing their expertise in fruit tree cultivation. Some Egyptian villages bear the names of well-known villages and clans in Palestine. For example, the village of Al-Sama’ina in Al-Sharqia is named after the Al- Sama’ina Arab clan from Palestine who settled there, as mentioned in 'Taj Al-Aroos.' The village of Burqin in Al-Daqahlia derived its name from the Palestinian village of Burqin, and Ahmed Lutfi Al-Sayyid suggests that the ancestors of the current inhabitants migrated to it from Palestine, as mentioned in his memoirs. Many Palestinian families live in Cairo, engaging in trade, most of them from Nablus and Hebron. Conversely, many Egyptian traders settled in Palestinian cities, where they practiced trade, especially those from Bilbeis in Al-Sharqia, to the extent that it is said there is at least one person from Bilbeis in every Palestinian city. The commercial, social, and cultural ties between the people of Damietta and Jaffa exceeded any ties between the people of two cities within one country.”

In the book “History of Gaza” by Arif Pasha Al-Arif, he says: “Egyptians were the most significant element of the population who settled in Gaza over the ages. You can find similarities in dialect, customs, celebrations, funerals, complexion, facial features, buildings, food, and everything.”

When Napoleon captured Jaffa in March 1799, he found 400 Egyptians there, including the head of the Ashraf (nobles), Omar Makram. When French occupation forces suppressed the popular resistance led by Hassan Toubar, he fled to Gaza. When it was decided to exile Abdullah Al-Nadim, the orator of the Urabi Revolution, to the Levant, he chose Jaffa, where he was received at the port by many scholars and notables. The city's Mufti, Mr. Ali Abu Al-Mawahib, hosted him in his home for a month until he rented his own house.

Palestinian writer Omar Al-Barghouti estimates that “more than a tenth of the population of Palestine has Egyptian origins since the arrival of Ibrahim Pasha's army.” In Jerusalem, there were at least 200 Egyptian Coptic families who had settled for generations.

Mohammad Kurd Ali, in an article titled “The Egyptian Outside His Land,” published in Al-Hilal magazine, issue 6, April 1940, says: “If you did not see the beautiful tan in the complexions of the people of Gaza, Jaffa, Haifa, and Acre, and did not hear the word “Al-Masry” (meaning Egyptian) in some of their names, you would think they are Levantines from various clans.”

Major General Al-Fahham says: “The Palestinian people have been deeply affected by events in Egypt, and Palestine has been one of the Arab countries most influenced by the Egyptian national movement. The Egyptian people, in turn, have been highly sensitive to and deeply affected by the conditions and events faced by the Palestinian people because the bond between these two peoples is not merely derived from agreements or official policies but is a real bond between two peoples who each contribute significantly to the social fabric of the other.”

Dr. Hamdan says: “It is clear at present that the largest part of contemporary Egypt's national policy is directed towards the Asian front, undoubtedly due to the Palestinian issue. This issue has become, in one way or another, whether we like it or not, the core and axis of Egypt's foreign policy in reality.”

After this historical narration proving the historical relationship, integration, and intermarriage in all aspects between the Egyptian and Palestinian peoples, and between the countries of Egypt and Palestine, can anyone say that the Palestinian cause concerns only the Palestinian people?

Dr. Hamdan answers in his book “Palestine First”: "The Palestinian cause does not concern the Palestinians alone. They are truly its first victims, but not the last. They are undoubtedly at the forefront of liberation, but not its tail. The danger threatens everyone, rather it urges them all. The cause is as Arab as it is Palestinian. It is not, as might be thought, Palestinian first and Arab second. Indeed, Palestine no longer hypothetically possesses the right to dispose of its cause alone, without this meaning at all to usurp its will or to impose guardianship. The danger surrounding it surrounds all Arabs, and the problem of 'Israel' is in fact greater than the problem of Palestine. It does not parallel or concern it alone but extends to be the problem of all the countries of the Arab East directly and the entire Arab world indirectly.

Palestine has become in a very real sense an essential dimension in the existence, entity, and destiny of every Arab state. It has become a part of Syria, a part of Egypt, a part of Jordan, a part of Iraq, etc., just as each of these countries has become a part of Palestine in fate and outcome. This represents the pinnacle of Arab national integration and unification in theory and practice. This defines practical responsibilities and destroys retreating operations.

We say this because some defeatists and pessimists wanted to say that the cause is Palestinian first and Arab second, so as to lay the burden of liberation on the Palestinians to wash their hands of it and evade responsibility.

The correct position is the integration of Palestinian and Arab struggle: the Palestinian as the vanguard of the struggle, the owners of the cause and the body of the crime, and the Arab as the sum of force and the heart of resistance and liberation.”

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Egyptian writer interested in Islamic and political thought.

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Reem Hamed was killed in France, and her death topped the trend, with clear mystery surrounding her death. Reem Hamed was assassinated to stop her research, which focused on the fields of biotechnology and genetics, which are fields of global interest due to their great impact on scientific and medical development. It seems that Reem Hamed touched a red line, or approached a forbidden science, or refused to collude to be part of a conspiracy from the many conspiracies being hatched.

Reem Hamed's cries for help

"I am Reem Hamed, a doctoral student in France, and I am in dire need of reporting to the relevant authorities in Egypt, because I am under surveillance and my devices have been hacked, and on top of that I am currently forced to remain silent and not report." From a post she wrote on Facebook.

She added: "I continue to work under these circumstances, and this may mean that I am complicit with them in their crime by accepting their actions of spying. And using political directives within the work environment and university housing to spy on me as well.

I refuse to work under these circumstances. I am under pressure and surveillance, and recently my life was threatened. The motive behind this is the head of the unit I work in."

Premeditated involvement

In another post, Reem Hamed wrote: "The audacity reached the point where my neighbor brought drugs, something that raises my heart rate, and she keeps evaporating it under the door until I suffocate. I called the police, but no one came. I put water to stop the steam, and she adds substances to the water and puts it in my house. "Reporting is useless while the crime is right in front of your eyes, of course. Is this normal here or what?" Reem Hamed continues, "The lady (She seems to be referring to her neighbor who was mentioned earlier) is the same person whose picture was posted on her account before because she was spying on people in the building. It's not enough that the crime of violating personal security occurred. Now we've gotten into drugs or unlicensed substances. What I can say is that they burn the eyes and nose and increase the heart rate. This happens inside the university residence very normally. All of this is to cover up her first crime."

In other posts, she wrote: "Recently, every time I go to a restaurant to order (food), someone comes in front of me and calls the person who will take the order, and then the order is prepared differently."

"And recently, my heart rate has increased as a result, and the person who comes in front of me is rude and says that I have a problem, and this is to my advantage. Of course, I cancel the order."

Victim Monitoring

Reem Hamed wrote in another story on the social networking site: "I am currently at the bus station, it is very normal, in front of me are about 5 people whose movements are uncomfortable, and when I noticed this, they went to the police to report me, and I was sitting by myself... They were almost watching, when they recognized them, they got upset, and now they are standing trying to take pictures of me and make any story they can come up with."

It is worth noting that all the posts in which Reem documented what she was exposed to were deleted immediately before her murder.

Her body was found in front of her apartment

Reem Hamed died, or was killed last Thursday, August 22, 2024, in the French capital, Paris. Saleh Farhoud, head of the Egyptian community in France, told Al Arabiya that the investigation into the death of Egyptian researcher Reem Hamed is being conducted in complete secrecy, to determine the cause of death and whether there is a criminal suspicion or if the death was natural, adding that the information currently available is that her body was found in front of the door of the apartment in which she lives.

Farhoud continued that his information about the researcher is that she holds a bachelor's degree in biotechnology from Cairo University, and a master's degree in genomics from the University of Paris-Saclay, where she was conducting her research to obtain a doctorate. According to the information reported, the Egyptian researcher was focusing her research, through which she was seeking to obtain a doctorate, on what is known as gene expression, which is the process by which genetic information is used to create synthetic genetic products and focusing on the process of producing proteins based on the information found in the genetic material. The researcher was aiming through her research to find out the reason for the spread of some diseases and ways to confront them. Reactions

The killing of Reem Hamed has sparked widespread controversy on social media, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs confirmed that it is following up on the death incident.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on its official Facebook page, yesterday, Sunday: "Within the framework of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs' follow-up of the death of Egyptian researcher Reem Hamed.

The ministry's statement said, "As soon as Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aati learned of the incident, he ordered the Consulate General in Paris to strictly adhere to the procedures and course of the investigation by the French authorities, and to review the report of the competent French authorities to determine the causes of death.

The ministry's statement concluded by saying: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs expresses its deep regret for the death of the deceased and extends its sincere condolences to his family."

Reem's Family

The family of the late researcher issued a statement confirming that the case is under investigation by the French Public Prosecution, and no official report has yet been issued regarding the death or confirming or denying criminal suspicion.

The statement added, "We hope that caution will be exercised in publishing any news that may harm the course of justice or lead to infringement of the rights of deceased Reem."

The statement concluded that the family's lawyer is in contact with the French and Egyptian authorities in France to coordinate the return of the deceased's body to the homeland.

Died or killed?

If the Egyptian researcher Reem Hamed died under natural circumstances, what is the story of the posts she made on her social media pages? And why were they deleted immediately after her death, or shortly before her death?

In August 1952, the Egyptian nuclear scientist Samira Moussa, the first Egyptian and Arab nuclear scientist, was assassinated, and the killer or the party responsible for her assassination has not been discovered to this day.

Also in August 2024, another Egyptian scientist is assassinated or killed in Paris. Will the killer or the party involved in the murder be revealed this time? Or will the case be filed against an unknown perpetrator?

The implications of the events led by the Egyptian Free Officers Movement on July 23, 1952, on both the Arab and global levels were not merely confined to the removal of King Farouk from power and the transformation of the country from a monarchy to a republic. Egypt was not the only country at that time ruled by a monarchy, which some might see as tyrannical and corrupt. The importance of these events lay in the fact that they gave hope to many liberation movements in the Arab world and other developing countries in Africa and Asia in the possibility of overthrowing any regime subjected to the dominance of imperialist colonial powers. These powers had divided these countries among themselves as spoils to control their people and plunder their resources.

Within Egypt, these implications had other dimensions besides the apparent changes. Despite the fact that the movements leading to these events were primarily associated with the Egyptian army, they found popular support and backing, which greatly contributed to the movement's swift control of the situation and its ability to achieve security and stability without significant problems. This reflected the extent to which the Egyptian public, as well as the Arab public, was looking forward to such movements, not for their own sake but for the subsequent more important steps as the true goal behind this support. The most important of these steps included reducing class gaps, expanding political participation, confronting the plan to Judaize Jerusalem and occupy Palestine, and taking all possible measures to fuel the sense of Arab and Islamic identity and national belonging, which had been severely shaken by persistent policies of Westernization.

The Growing Sense of Identity

Perhaps the intense and successive confrontations of Egyptians and Arabs during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with French, British, Italian, Spanish, and other occupations played a significant role in fostering the Islamic and national identity, as well as national belonging, whether in Egypt or the Arab world. This was reflected in the programs and ideas of some political and religious parties and movements that emerged in the early twentieth century. For example, in Egypt, the National Party was led by Mustafa Kamel and later by Muhammad Farid, as were the Young Egypt Party led by Ahmed Hussein and the Muslim Brotherhood founded by Hassan al-Banna, among other organizations at that time.

These sentiments emerged as reactions to the oppressive behaviors of colonialism, becoming a common bond that connected people within each nation, urging them to continue and expressing the unity of their cause.

Certainly, the Egyptian and Arab popular celebrations of the transformations that occurred after July 23, 1952, embodied a sense of triumph for these sentiments, following struggles that spanned decades. The nation felt it could be an effective agent in shaping events according to its own interests rather than those of others. These transformations in Egypt were seen as the beginning of a series of changes aimed at strengthening identity and subsequently achieving independence and liberation from dependency.

Exploitation and Utilization

In truth, the authorities in Egypt and all its supporting Arab regimes at that time did not hesitate to exploit and utilize these sentiments in various forms to solidify their influence. They highlighted stark contrasts between past hardships and a new era, alongside initiatives to decrease class distinctions like agrarian reform laws and projects that boosted production and development, such as nationalizing the Suez Canal, building factories, and constructing the High Dam. These efforts significantly fueled a sense of national dignity.

Furthermore, the authorities and their supporters spared no effort in leveraging their media and propaganda capabilities to promote their massive and unprecedented military capabilities. This occurred concurrently with efforts to strengthen Arab unity, forming a unified front capable of confronting Zionist projects and achieving the complete liberation of Palestine. This propaganda had a mesmerizing effect on broad sectors of public opinion across the Arab world, prompting widespread support, defense, and sometimes justification of the authorities' actions and decisions, whether they aligned with what they announced or diverged from them.

The Shattered Dreams

However, the beautiful dream did not last long. Egyptians, along with all Arab people and Third World countries, woke up on June 5, 1967, to a major calamity: a humiliating defeat lasting six days at the hands of Zionist occupation forces. This defeat not only reaffirmed their control over territories seized in 1948 but also granted them new territories in Palestine, Sinai, and the Syrian Golan Heights.

Just as the events of July 23, 1952, were not merely to depose a king and change the regime, the danger of the June 1967 defeat did not lie solely in military defeat but in its profound and negative impact on national identity and belonging among large segments of the public. It shattered nationalist spirit, shook the feasibility of Arab unity projects, and eroded trust in Arab leaders who championed these initiatives, leading to feelings of despair and disappointment.

Ultimately, these circumstances led some to retreat within narrow nationalist frameworks and reject unity projects, sparking ongoing political and ideological conflicts that continue to drain energies and weaken common Arab identity to this day.

Conscious Identity

On the other hand, there is a positive aspect that can’t be overlooked: the June defeat, despite its bitterness, compelled other popular and elite sectors to reassess the reasons behind it. Deep flaws against the authorities surfaced, including evident and covert power struggles, the suppression of political parties, absolute leadership centered around one figure, unchecked security apparatuses, and alignment with political and economic ideologies, opening the door for secular, materialistic, and atheistic intellectual currents to tamper with universities, cultural institutions, and media. This approach also exhibited considerable hostility towards Islamic perspectives.

Of course, this process of self-examination and critique spurred many to propose a new vision of identity, national belonging, and their relationship with religious values and directives. This resurgence of Islamic roots offered a more robust and realistic foundation, presenting itself as a superior alternative capable of confronting challenges. Islam embodies genuine social justice concepts, principles of shura (consultation), equality, impartial rule of law, equal opportunities, capacity building, mobilization for resilience, resistance against imperialism, and addressing issues of national, ethnic, and Islamic identity in a complementary, non-contradictory manner to achieve a renaissance. This approach found acceptance and enthusiasm among communities, prompting them to embrace and strive for its full realization in the future.

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Egyptian actor Fathi Abdelwahab called for assistance and job openings for Palestinians who are currently in Egypt on his official Facebook page.

Abdul Wahab mentioned how he gets letters from Palestinians stating their stories and specializations which will be publicized later and prospective employers could call them.

Supporting the cause

This was not the first initiative for the Egyptian actor, who had been keen to provide help since the beginning of October 7, 2023 ‘Al-Aqsa flood’ during Israeli war on Gaza, showing his solidarity with the Palestinian people against the long Israeli army massacres that lasted over five months.

In conclusion of 2023, Abdel Wahhab wrote through his account “I pray to all humanity that 2024 will be more equitable, compassionate, humane and peaceful so that we can witness with our own eyes an end to injustice towards Palestine. I want our people there to be freed from the tyranny of this cruel occupation.” He also commented on another war taking place in Sudan by writing “Gaza is yearning for peace”.

On November 17, 2023, he recited literary texts by the Palestinian poet Hind Joudeh, written after the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” and published them in a video on his Facebook account.

The Palestinian poet commented on the post and wrote, “Grateful to read my words with such closeness and belonging, and grateful for Gaza’s humanitarian voice to be heard. We hope that the war will stop and that Gaza and Palestine will live their Palestinianness without anger, injustice, intimidation, and the killing of its children and people. Long live a free, Arab Palestine.”

The Egyptian artist had previously published an audio clip of an Israeli soldier pleading with his commander, expressing his fear of the Palestinian resistance fighters by saying, “We cannot defeat them.” Fathi Abdel Wahab commented on it and wrote, “This is hilarious.”

Earlier, Abdel Wahab called for a boycott of the products of companies that support Israel and support for Egyptian products, and he published more than one post on his Facebook page to confirm that call.

He also asked his audience at the beginning of November to provide job opportunities for two Palestinian students at universities in Egypt after they lost contact with their families in Gaza.

Because of his posts in support of Palestine, Abdel Wahab’s Facebook page was banned, and he asked his fans to interact with him.

It is noteworthy that Abdel Wahab is participating in the Ramadan 2024 drama season in more than one work, as he presents the character of Nizam al-Mulk in the controversial series “The Assassins,” and the artist Hamada Hilal is also participating in the starring role of the fourth part of the series “Al-Maddah - The Legend of Return.”