Why did I convert to Islam? If you read my last blog post, you’ll know that I started thinking about this because I wanted to marry an Egyptian Muslim, and in order to do that it was a legal necessity. But we broke up, so that ceased to be an issue. Nevertheless, I converted. IContinue reading “On my conversion to Islam”
Tag Archives: egypt
Can young people handle free speech?
Acharnians, Aristophanes’ first play that has survived in full, was produced at the Lenaia festival in January 425 BCE, a mere nine months after Babylonians. While the apparent aim of Acharnians is to advocate for peace–and that is indeed one of its goals–it is, I think, most fruitful to consider it first and foremost partContinue reading “Can young people handle free speech?”
Art Reflects Reality: the treatment of non-human animals in Ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt (by Yousef Koura)
Non-human animals have been part of our lives since the beginning of time. Sometimes as sources of food, sometimes as subjects of research, and sometimes even as lifetime
companions. Examining ancient literature gives us an idea of how some ancient cultures viewed and treated these non-human animals. In this paper I mainly take a look at Aristophanes’ The Birds, Apuleius’ The Golden Ass, and The Stories of Setne Khamwas; these stories give some insight into how the Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, and Ancient Egyptian societies, respectively, regarded non-human animals and how, in turn, they treated them. In addition to those stories, a variety of secondary sources from the fields of literature, law, and philosophy are also examined in an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the reasoning behind each culture’s actions and ethical considerations.
On struggling to learn Arabic
When you’re learning a new language, you must associate everything in your world of experience, knowledge, and imagination–every object, every historical event, every fantastic creature–with unfamiliar sounds and visual signs. When you learn a new language with a close historical connection to your native tongue(s), most of the new sounds and signs are at leastContinue reading “On struggling to learn Arabic”
On catastrophe, the Arabic alphabet, and gratitude
Recently I flew from Alabama to Egypt to begin my job as Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at the American University in Cairo. This was my first time on a plane since March, when I flew to Egypt to interview for the job. At that time the world was justContinue reading “On catastrophe, the Arabic alphabet, and gratitude”
On packing
How does a guy from Alabama pack to move to Egypt? I’ve been pondering this question for more than a month, but I’ve yet to do any actual packing. The time has come, it would seem, to do something. But what? The legion of unknowns here feels paralyzing. I’ve never moved to another country before,Continue reading “On packing”
On starting to blog
Hi there! I’ve decided to start a blog. It will be a personal blog, so I should begin by introducing myself. My name is Samuel Durham Cooper. I have a PhD, so people sometimes call me Dr. Samuel or Dr. Cooper. Or Dr. Scooper. Or just Samuel, or Sam. My job title is Assistant ProfessorContinue reading “On starting to blog”
Cairo Cooper: Dr. Sam's Blog 