Post #2- By Cole Stoecklein:
Egypt, once a very unique culture,
has been heavily “Arabized” over the last 2000 years. Around 2000 years ago,
Egypt was a land of predominately Christian roots, which is evident by the
significant role it plays in the Bible. However, after the arrival of Islam the
culture has slowly shifted to blend in with the Arabic culture of Egypt’s
surrounding countries. This culture
shift is evident in the language that Egyptian’s now speak.
After the
Muslim conquest, which took place in around 600AD, the culture of Egypt was
forever shaken. Since then, the Egyptians adopted Arabic as their primary
language. However, they kept many quirks from their original Egyptian;
consequently, the predominant language in Egypt is called “Egyptian Arabic”.
Egyptian Arabic is spoken by 68% of Egyptians (Wikipedia); however, there are a
few other variations of Arabic spoken such as Sa’idi Arabic (29%), Bedawi
Arabic (1.6%), and Sudanese Arabic (1.6%) (Wikipedia). The differences in
language are determined mostly by geographical location. For example, those who
speak Bedawi Arabic are from the Eastern parts of Egypt, and those who speak
Sudanese Arabic are those who migrated from Sudan.
There are a few indigenous languages that are spoken at a very low frequency such as Domari (0.3%), Nobiin (0.3%), and Beja (0.1%) (Wikipedia). For the most part, it is rather rare for people who speak these indigenous languages to not be able to communicate in Arabic as well. However, in the case of the Beja tribes of Northern Sudan and Southern Egypt, their indigenous language has caused problems for them. The Beja are a nomadic group that migrates from Sudan to Egypt, and because of their language they are very isolated from the culture of Egypt, and their impoverished lifestyle is a result of that. In fact, they are one of the few non-Arabic people groups left in Egypt. Very little effort has been made to reach this group, for they have settled into their nomadic lifestyle for the last 4000 years of their existence.
As for
Egypt’s involvement as a nation, they are members of both the United Nations
(UN) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). However, their involvement in the
UN is significantly more profound. They were one of the 51 original countries
to join the UN joining the UN on June 30th, 1945. They played a
crucial role in establishing the United Nations in the preliminary discussions
that took place between several countries throughout the world (SIS). Egypt
sent several delegates that were essential in establishing some of the rules,
goals, and visions for the UN such as the rule of law in international affairs,
restricting the powers country had due to veto power, and giving a stronger role
to the UN General Assembly (SIS).
Due to their contributions in the establishment of the UN, they have been granted a permanent representative to the UN headquarters in New York and Geneva, and can also send delegates to UN subsidiaries (SIS). Also, their role in the UN has allowed Egypt to be selected to several positions within the UN such as Security Council, deputy president of the UN general assembly, and UN economic and social council. Egyptian individuals have also been elected to positions such as Boutros-Ghali who was elected in 1992 as the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Egypt has played a crucial role in the UN, and continues to be involved in representing the goals and ideas of the UN. They have placed a lot of importance on International relations by dedicating themselves to maintaining international peace, security, as well as enhancing social relations and human rights.
In the end, Egypt is a rather
uniform society due to its Arabic influences. However, internationally the
country is rather diverse, and has proven to be a major element of the United
Nations organization.
Sources:
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