Elfiky, Amir, and Houston: when we lose exceptional people

People around the world received some bad news during the second week of February. The loss of three exceptional people shook the world as it shook me. You might not have shed any tears on any of them, nor were you sad, but I am quite sure you paused some time during the week to pay them, or at least one of them, some respect.

In terms of lives lost, Egyptians were hard hit as their loss was greater. Their grief for the deaths of two influential figures added to the uncertainty their torn and destabilized country is head to. Egypt surely did not see it coming, nor was it ready to deal with it. Two fine men were no longer among their fellow Egyptians to contribute in the rebuilding in one of the oldest civilization on earth.

Renowned home and overseas, Dr. Ibrahim Elfiky’ expertise in the field of the human development techniques was far from denying. According to many testimonials, he was instrumental in transforming hundreds of people’s lives into a more functional and productive ones, which deservedly earned him a worldwide recognition and love by millions of people. Without doubt, too many praised him for his extensive knowledge that was showcased with an unmistakable humility, a commodity rare nowadays among academia. But because he was the type of the man who saw things different from the way we do, he was never preoccupied with our mundane concerns and outward appearances as most of us do, for he committed himself to a better cause. Is there anything more rewarding and noble than helping others in bettering themselves and lives?

The second loss Egypt, Egyptians and others outside this country had to endure was the one of Jalal Amir. Some of you might not know him, especially if you are not into the habit of reading newspapers. Having a military background, he did not hesitate to venture the fourth estate risky business with hopes of defending and protecting his country, but this time with his pen, not his assigned gun. He was convinced that the power of his pen could be analogous to any type of weapons including shell bombs. Yes, his articles were as clamorous in Egypt as a dropped bomb. Was not he the one among few who rose up to criticize the toppled president Hosni Mubarak before he was place on a moving bed?

Being a journalist and satirist par excellence, he was clever at “dissecting Egypt 'ill society” so people in power might bother to care. That is not the case in Middle East where dictators are very skeptical of any type of criticism directed toward them. In this troubled region our prominent people die unnoticed. Sadly, we usually recognize them posthumously.

The third death happened in America, but the news of her death soon replicated in major TV stations and newspapers around the world. She was simply a world star. Her voice transcended any limits her native language could create. She was best at utilizing her voice cords to reach out to a wider audience, wider than our man-made boundaries of language, sex, race and religion. In sum, Whitney Houston was not just a singer, but a person who carried a message in her heart felt through all her songs.


The three deaths were not only broadcast on every major TV or news outlet either home or abroad, it was listed in most national or international newspaper’s obituaries too. During their eventful lives, all of them enjoyed an admiration from most people who came to know them. They shared what they were endowed with, each in his field, to bring some hope, light, enjoyment and change in our lives As we mourn these deaths, the only commitment that I am sure we will always bind ourselves to keep is our remembrance and love for them all.

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