Abdelhamid Mahmoud

Roqayah Farouk Interview

JRMC-2202 Interviewing Project

Interview Transcript

Interviewer:

Abdelhamid Mahmoud

Narrator:

Roqayah Farouk

Date:

17/03/15

Place:

Interviewers car

College:

The American University in Cairo

Prof.:

Kim Fox

Date completed:

17 Oct. 2015

Page 1 of 6

Abdelhamid Mahmoud

Roqayah Farouk Interview

Page 2 of 6

17 March 2015
Persons present:

Abdelhamid Mahmoud
Roqayah Farouk

Mahmoud:

Good evening, this is Abdelhamid Mahmoud, and I will be talking today with my
interviewee about Shiism.

Mahmoud:

Whats your name?

Farouk:

Ahh, Roqayah Farouk.

Mahmoud:

And your title?

Farouk:

Umm, I am ahh, Im unemployed, I graduated from Political Science and

Journalism in from US umm, from AUC, sorry. And ahm, thats basically it. I am
looking for a job. (Laugh)

Mahmoud:

Aha, good luck with that!

Farouk:

Thank you.

Mahmoud:

Umm, and your area of residence?

Farouk:

Its Zamalek.

Mahmoud:

Ok, and age?

Farouk:

Ahh, I am 25.

Mahmoud:

Ok, so according to my information, you are a Shiite. Can you tell me more about
this?

Abdelhamid Mahmoud

Farouk:

Roqayah Farouk Interview

Page 3 of 6

Ahh, well basically ahm, Shiism is a sect of Islam thats really not common in
ahh, Egypt or ahh, places like Saudi Arabia, ahm or, ahm, or most of the Arab
world. However, we are very concentrated in Iran, the Eastern Province, the Gulf
area ahh, and in Lebanon and Iraq. Ahh, thats basically it. The only difference I
think it was ahm, I would believe that it is ahm, an, a political difference between
Ali-Bin-Abi-Taleb, and Abou-Bakr, at the early stages of Islam, and it led to a
very ahm, a very polarized ahm, two sects of Islam. Thats basically it. Ahm

Mahmoud:

Ok, so how is it for you being a Shiite individual, living in a Sunni society?

Farouk:

Well, I actually lived my whole life in a Sunni society, I was never really aware of
ahm, the differences until my fellow class-mates in high school started
emphasizing on the difference. Umm, and whenever they repeated ahh, what the
fundamentalist Sunni clerics ahm, claim about our faith. Ahm, its, honestly, when
I was young, I wasnt really aware of the difference, as the prayer is mostly the
same, so is the rest of practices. Yet, as I grew older, I realized that everyone is
being aware and slightly judgmental ahh, of our belief without really ahm, being
exposed to our scholars and our jurisdiction. Ahm, as a matter of fact, I lived in
Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia, and people there are extremely intolerant to ahh, Shiism.
Ahm, teachers at my school repeatedly claimed our blasphemy and ahh,
repeatedly claimed our blasphemy, and ahh

Mahmoud:

So, you weren't open about being a Shiite in, in Saudi?

Abdelhamid Mahmoud
Farouk:

Roqayah Farouk Interview

Page 4 of 6

I was, I was ahh, when I was very ahh, very angry and ahh, I was very angry
outraged by those claims, so I eventually ahm, had to defend it, and it was
obvious to them that I was Shiia.

Mahmoud:

Ok, so how is it different for you living ahh, living here in Egypt, than living in
Saudi. Is Egypt like more accepting ahh you being Shiite, or or was it more
accepting for you in Saudi?

Farouk:

Not really, the Egyptian society isn't really THAT different from the Saudi one.
However

Mahmoud:

Hows that?

Farouk:

However, however I believe by now ahm, ahm because of the ahh, political
conflict between Hizbollah and the Egyptian government, a few years ago ahh,
the Egyptian people now ha- grew, if I may say allergic, more allergic towards
Shiism. Ahh, so basically, I I don't I grew older, I learnt how to actually ignore
ahh the, the intolerance, so I dont, I seldom actually, I seldom mention that Im
Shiaa, Shiite.

Mahmoud:

Uhm

Farouk:

Ahh, but on the other hand, ahh, religiously, Egyptians are more ahm, are more,
are more traditional.

Mahmoud:

What do you mean by that?

Abdelhamid Mahmoud
Farouk:

Roqayah Farouk Interview

Page 5 of 6

More traditional because ahh, they are, they are closer to Sufism than ahh, the
Wahhabi, or the fundamentalist Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia, ahh, so they are more
ahm, they are more affiliated with the decedents of the Prophet; Al Hassan and Al
Hussein, what we call them Aal Al Beit. And therefore, they appreciate them, and
they love them more, and they really sometimes, traditionally Egyptians believed
in their superiority, religious superiority over other Muslims, and this we agree
upon. However, there are many many differences in the sects. I am not Sufi, I am
Shiia, and thats the difference, thats a huge difference. However, we have
common grounds enough to actually not be irritated by their religious talks or
ahm, by their religion or by Sufism. However the Wahhabis were very
fundamentalist, they had a clear vision against Al-Al-Beit superiorities, superiority
over other Muslims.

Mahmoud:

Ok, so do you ever feel like insecure about being here in Egypt, and ahm since
like you are a Shiite?

Abdelhamid Mahmoud
Farouk:

Roqayah Farouk Interview

Page 6 of 6

Ahm, well it only happened when ahm, when they killed ahm, a Shiite ahm
leader. Ahh, I wasn't really affiliated with the community here, I am living on my
own, and I don't really ahm, go to attend, or at- try to find a Shiite community.
Ahm, however, Im, when that happened and people were outraged about ahm
Shiias, and their existence in Egypt, and the claims that they are trying to spread
their belief in a, in a Sunni society. Ahm, I felt a bit insecure and slightly outraged
and offended, ahm by by the media and everything, everything around me
basically, people who talked about it, whenever they talked about it. However,
like the Egyptian society really helps you to ignore

Mahmoud:

Yea.

Farouk:

Because they don't really talk a lot about you know, interesting and (Laugh) you
know their religious beliefs.

Mahmoud:

Yea.

Farouk:

And political stances, and thats it.

Mahmoud:

Ok, so now we come to the end of our interview, thank you very much for tour
time.

Farouk:

Thank you.

Mahmoud:

Thank you.