Egypt and the Cross-Cultural Arrest

Egypt is one of the very few deep and rich civilizations of this world. About 5,000 years ago, a remarkable way of life, or civilization, grew up along the banks of the Nile River in Egypt. It flourished for over 3,000 years, longer than most other civilizations in the world's history. An exquisite location that lies between Africa, the Middle-East(Arab world) and Europe.
Egyptian history begins around 3300 BC. It was the time when the pharaoh, King Menes, created Egypt by uniting the two parts of Egypt, also known as Upper and Lower Egypt, into a single kingdom. Then a series of occupants ruled Egypt from the Ptolemaic Dynasty, passing through the Roman Period, Byzantine Period, Islamic Period and reaching the French and British occupations.
What a rich “Acculturation” Egypt went through which made the Egypt of today. But this mix – in order to be a mix- it should have multiple components. And in order to safely state that Egypt has been through a positive, productive cross–cultural interaction it has to have its own culture which proactively interacts with a new foreign culture. Egypt had this unique culture; a unique set of values, beliefs, behaviors and norms that kept inducing and absorbing back and forth from the different cultures it came in contact with.
But what now? What is happening now in the current globalization wave? Where does Egypt stand from the cross-cultural viewpoint? What new is it offering besides the pharonic wonderous monuments and the grand ancestors achievements? What new and valuable is our Egyptian culture presenting to the world? What values are we contributing to the universal global value system? What beliefs are we projecting? What norms do we support as Egyptians?
Answering these questions is a bit challenging, at least for myself. Where I stand I can strongly detect we are in a clearly sad cross-cultural arrest. I don’t know anymore what “Egyptian” stands for!.I don’t know if we are real religious people or seeming to be. I don’t know if we are hard workers or acting to be. I don’t know if we are knowledgeable and proud with our Egyptian identity or not any more or may be indifferent. I don’t know If we are an open-minded society or a conservative one. Egyptians have lost their “cross -cultural competencies” and reached a state of “Cultural Alienation”.