Introduction

gypt is the most important country in the world, Napolon

Bonaparte said in his fi rst interview with the governor of St.

Helena, where he was imprisoned after his fi nal defeat in 1815. This
sounds grandiose, but Egypt does rank high among the countries of the
world for its longevity as a civilization, the roles it has played in history,
and its strategic location. Most people in the world have heard of it. No
doubt Egypt owes its fame in part to its historic infl uence over other
civilizations and countries. We may include the infl uence of pharaonic
Egypt on the ancient Hebrews, Mesopotamians, and Syrians, and on
classical Greece and Rome. It appears often in both the Bible and the
Quran. Egypt has been a leading player in the history of Islam, at times
as its political leader, usually as a trading entrepot, and almost always
as a religious and cultural center. Modern Egypt is the most populous
Arab state, and it has led the Arabs in education, literature, music,
architecture, cinema, radio, and television. Its capital, Cairo, is the largest
city in Africa and in the Arab world, and it hosts the headquarters
of the Arab League. Hardly any Middle Eastern political issue, from the
War on Terror to the Arab-Israeli Confl ict, can be addressed without
considering Egypt.
Egypt is important and indeed interesting to study because of the
Egyptian people. Although it is hard to generalize, most Egyptians are
friendly, hospitable, patient in a crowded and hence challenging
environment,
and fond of cracking jokes. Devoted to their families, they
believe that nothing is as important as loving ones spouse, rearing ones
children wisely, caring for ones aging parents, and standing up for ones
brothers, sisters, and cousins. Although Egyptians are rightly proud of
their nations history, they worry about its present and future condition.
They also want to be liked and respected by foreigners, and some are
sensitive to critical remarks about Egypt, Arabs, or Islam.
The people of Egypt possess at least three identities: Egyptian, Arab,
and Muslim. They carry Egyptian identity cards or passports and usually
introduce themselves to new acquaintances as Egyptians. They
speak a dialect of Arabic, eit