GEORGE ONSY

INTERVIEW

BACK TO THE ROOTS

SONGSOPTOK QUARTERLY:  What does the phrase “Back to roots” mean to you?

GEORGE ONSY: It really means a lot. Back to the root could be our very soul call to go back to our spiritual soulful origin that we are also called to beyond this earthly lie. It could also nature’s continuing call for us to come back to its bosom of simplicity and spontaneity. There are also roots of our long human heritage which should go in harmony with our roots of religious faith and nationality.

SONGSOPTOK QUARTERLY: Where are your roots? Have you migrated far from your roots? Why?

GEORGE ONSY: My roots actually reside in Heaven. I live always with such a strong feeling that I do belong to that eternal world there. Immigration in such a case is not a choice, being in this earthly life is a passage everyone has to go through till its end. But what I try to live and tell others to live as well is to be able to visit there from time to time at moments of silence and connection with the God, the King of the Eternal Abide.

SONGSOPTOK QUARTERLY: In today’s fast-changing world, is it important to feel “rooted” to something, some place or some culture – or is the feeling just an impediment to progress?

GEORGE ONSY: We should have our roots deep and unalterable while a compatible change in the surface of our daily life and interactions go in harmony with what’s deep and permanent.

SONGSOPTOK QUARTERLY: Do you think the urge to go back to one’s roots is at the root of global political disturbance today? Can you please elaborate your views for us?

GEORGE ONSY: The urge to go back to one’s roots is a menacing global phenomenon of our today’s world. This is simply because of the discrepancy between our awareness of our global human roots and our urge to go back to more ‘personalized’ roots, like one’s own religion, even sect of a religion, own race or nationality. Such discrepancy or conflict has to be measured with respect to the influence of EGO working negatively inside each individual. Enhancing the back-to-the roots journey is a must in a world suffering from continual conflicts because of everywhere egoist, or even fanatic back-to-the roots journey.

SONGSOPTOK QUARTERLY: Do you have any such yearning for going back anywhere? Is that your pleasure or pain? We will be happy if you can share it with our readers.

GEORGE ONSY: I have always such yearning but I have also the pleasure to be able, throughout my life journey, to weave the heavenly awaiting there for us and the temporary we have to go through every day and even every moment of this life.

SONGSOPTOK QUARTERLY: The feeling of being rootless is often equivalent to nostalgia which may be defined as a longing for a home that no longer exists or even one that has never existed. In your opinion, is it a longing for a particular place or a particular time? Can you please explain with some examples if possible?

GEORGE ONSY: The longing of many people for the past may answer this question. Many of us feel belonging to another period of history, another place, somewhere, some time. Some would say it’s the experience of reincarnation. As for me, however, I would rather say it is our nostalgia to the timelessness, i.e. the eternal existence we came from before being born in a world governed by time.

SONGSOPTOK QUARTERLY: Are your roots in the country or the society you live in? If not, then why? Is it because of political, religious or cultural reasons? Or is it related to your own value system? Please take some time to answer this question and illustrate with examples whenever relevant.

GEORGE ONSY: My roots are in my beloved country but it extends deeper to merge into the global root of humanity. They have been also in the religion I believe in, but by now it has developed and matured to dive into the more profound realm of a universal religion of love of which I’m preaching now for peacemaking and human solidarity across all barriers of deeply rooted differences; religious, racial etc. My continual struggle over the last decades has witnessed an uplifting success as I can see my message of love being accepted by many audiences of all religions and races.

SONGSOPTOK QUARTERLY: In the country or the society you live in, have you witnessed the ‘Diaspora’ phenomenon? If yes, then in what form? What, according to you, are the main values and concepts shared by a particular Diaspora?

GEORGE ONSY: Belonging to a minority is a sort of Diaspora on one’s own patriot. But, again, working for human unity can create a universal patriot where nobody would feel any stranger.

SONGSOPTOK QUARTERLY: In your opinion, is this nostalgia of going back to roots a direct consequence of globalization and technological progress? What are the specific reasons for your opinion?

GEORGE ONSY: For many people, yes it is. But, as I said before, if we get aware of the fact that globalization is a universal back-to-roots journey we wouldn’t suffer such nostalgia, especially when we take technological progress as a vehicle to reach that. I believe that the internet and satellite TV have made a good job on that.

SONGSOPTOK QUARTERLY: Finally, do you think that the concept of ‘back to roots’ is ultimately derogatory to progress and unity in any given country or society? Why?

GEORGE ONSY:   As I said, it all depends on which back-to-roots journey we are going to take, deep to the global roots of human race or individualistic, egocentric back-to-root fundamentalism and separatism that our world of today is heavily wounded with.

 

GEORGE ONSY: Egyptian Poet, writer and artist Dr. George Onsy writes in English and Arabic. He is a recipient of several prestigious awards notably The Icon of Peace from the World Institute of Peace (WIP) in Nigeria and awarded several times for his works, in Italy and Ghana, through Pentasi B World Friendship Poetry, India, the World Festival of Poetry (WFP)-Udaipur University and Sicily. His works of poetry and art have been published in many international anthologies He has also served as an international Jury Member for several world contests. He is an acting international director and Jury Member at The World Union of Poets (WUP), an acting admin at Pentasi B, and an acting member at the Italian International Association, Verbumlandiart. A Professor of Technical English and Technical Writing at the Egyptian-Russian University, he has co-authored with the eminent Indian scholar and poet Dr. Jernail S Anand a poetry collection ‘Voices from Eternity’ that showcases many of his poems and artworks. He is in the process of co-authoring another book with the renowned Indian poet and philosopher Dr. Madan Gandhi, the Nobel Prize nominated and Founder President of the publishing society, The Poetry Society of India. Dr. George Onsy is actively involved in establishing new and effective approaches to World Peacemaking and Human Solidarity.

We sincerely thank you for your time and hope we shall have your continued support.

Aparajita Sen

(EDITOR)

SONGSOPTOK QUARTERLY