When people ask me about the main difference between Egypt and the US. Usually, they expect to hear something along the lines of a different culture or lifestyle. My answer is simple. Here in the US, I don’t have to apologize for my own existence. I don’t have to feel guilty for being myself. This is not the case in Egypt, where I constantly feel the need to apologize for my very existence. In Egypt, tolerance often feels like a facade, and I’ve been told I should be grateful simply because my ancestors weren’t killed and I’m still alive.
Don’t get me wrong, the US is far from perfect. But it’s not Egypt. Here, I don’t live under a cruel tyrant and among people who hate me for having a different faith. And while I might still face hardship and suffering, I don’t live in a place that makes me hate myself or wish I were never born
Out of Egypt 