[size=14pt]Egyptian Immigrant Wants to be Reclassified as Black[/size]

By Aylin Zafar

Sept. 07, 2012

Anyone who’s ever filled out a census document or taken the SATs is familiar with that odd moment when you have to bubble in your racial classification. For many, the choices are confusing, limiting, and problematic. In the end, each person bubbles in what they best feel represents their identity. But when Mostafa Hefny immigrated to the United States from Egypt in 1978, he didn’t get a say in that decision.

“The government [interviewer] said, ‘You are now white,” Hefny told CBS Detroit.

Since the 1980s, CBS reports, Henfy has been fighting to have the U.S. government reclassify him as black, which is how he’s always seen himself. “My classification as a white man takes away my black pride, my black heritage and my strong black identity,” Henfy told the Detroit News.

Hefny, 61, filed a suit in 1997 against the U.S. government to be reclassified, but his case was dismissed. Hefny has also reached out to President Obama for help, writing him a letter on June 29, the Detroit News reports, as well as the Justice Department and the United Nations.

“I have been awarded, inadvertently, the negative effects of being black such as racial profiling, stereotypes and disenfranchisement due to my Negroid features. However, the legal demand of my racial classification of ‘white’ prevents me from receiving benefits established for black people, “ he told CBS. Hefny says he’s lost out on university teaching positions because they were positions designed for a minority and he did not qualify.

Currently, Directive 15 for the federal Office of Management and Budget Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity defines race by the following categories: Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black of African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific islander, White, Nonresident alien, Resident alien, and Race/ethnicity unknown.

“White” is defined as “a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa” — which is why the U.S. government classifies Hefny as such. However, the desgination for “Black or African American” applies to “a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.” According to CBS, Hefny says that he is descended from the Nubians, the ancient group of Egyptians from the northern part of Sudan and southern part of Egypt.

An article by Charles Whitaker in Ebony in 2002 entitled “Was Cleopatra Black?” explored this topic of racial classification in Egypt, and found that, among scholars, “discussions of Cleopatra’s race were so couched and so guarded that professors even fear engaging in the discussion publicly.”

“Cleopatra is one of those figures whose race often depends on the lens you use to view her,” Julia Perkins, associate directors of community programs for the Art Institute of Chicago told Ebony. Whitaker talked to various scholars who all found classifying Cleopatra to be “full of complexity, full of odd historical twists, and that there was no real, easy answer.” Her father’s mother may have been a concubine from Nubia, Whitaker writes, so that would make her African Egyptian.

Hefny also classifies himself as African Egyptian, and has co-founded The Association of Black Egyptian, Ethiopian, and Nubian Advocates to drum up support for his cause. He’s posted a petition online, and currently has collected 188 signatures.

Akshow: white Otondoo. Lol

cap28: nigerians will forever remain slaves of whitey - why is this a big deal, no white person celebrates anything you do but you celebrate when a white person goes to the toilet keep sucking on those white nuts hope you enjoy them - fools

edreesabiodun: He's white. He's better than you.

freshdude: chai..9ja youths don suffer. because one arab graduated and came to serve in Nigeria he is now important. u guyz need to emancipate urselves from mental slavery.

edreesabiodun: He's white. He's better than you.

2pence: Mohammed Jammal AKA ‘White Nigerian’ is a 25 year old graduate with both a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Global Management from London Metropolitan University and Regents Business School London. He was born in the City of Jos, Plateau State where he completed his secondary school.
Jammal joined Nigerian entertainment industry whilst studying in London. His debut performance was as a guest comedian on the AY Live in London’s 02 indigo show in 2010.

He’s also performed in different shows including AY Live (London, Abuja, Lagos, Asaba), Lord of the Ribs with Basket Mouth in Abuja, Nigeria @ 50 in Trafalgar Square, London, P-Square’s Album Launch in Lagos, Harp Rhythm Unplugged, Crack Ur Ribs and many more.

Jammal recently moved into the music industry collaborating with artists JJC and Terry Tha Rapman and released popular club songs in 2011 rapping in both Hausa and Pidgin English single called “Taka Rawa” His latest effort is a single titled Dirty Wine, the single made it to the No. 1 spot on Wazobia FM and No 10. On MTV's top 10 Afro beats songs.

‘White Nigerian’ is currently in the NYSC Orientation Camp in Nasarawa State Central Nigeria. Jammal is arguably the first ever full "White" or Nigerian participate in the National Youth Service Corp scheme, a programme established to expose young Nigerians to cultures and people they would not otherwise have contemplated knowing. NYSC came into being in Nigeria in the 70's.
‘White Nigerian’ Jammal does not have dual citizenship. In his words ‘Nigeria is the only country I know. It is my homeland and with all its challenges it is a place that will make substantial progress if we all decide to commit ourselves to his betterment’

http://kayodeogundamisi..com/

Akshow: white Otondoo. Lol

freshdude: chai..9ja youths don suffer. because one arab graduated and came to serve in Nigeria he is now important. u guyz need to emancipate urselves from mental slavery.

freshdude: chai..9ja youths don suffer. because one arab graduated and came to serve in Nigeria he is now important. u guyz need to emancipate urselves from mental slavery.

tellwsdom: Is he any better than me?? ..why this noise??

cap28: nigerians will forever remain slaves of whitey - why is this a big deal, no white person celebrates anything you do but you celebrate when a white person goes to the toilet keep sucking on those white nuts hope you enjoy them - fools

naptu2:

Right, so he should never stand alone right? Hm! Did you also see the pic of him doing the frog hop?

ocman: Bafore you begin to praise him like a village opportunist who by a twist of faith had a tertiary education from a university in ur remote village of otueke. i know how happy u feel sharing same camp with an expired arabia fugitive in Nigeria. Please if i were u, you needed to alert the immigration to ascertain his eligibility of being in this country. imagine, he is not a naija citizen yet he is partaking in the NYSC. and he is spitting it out so boldly to ur face. go to abroad and partake in a paramilitary stuffs as an immigrant(even if na community service). you go hear nweeee! aturu please stop disgracing my skin color. where i work in portharcourt. whites respect us, they are scared of those blacks who knows their worth and value. they fear that the black man shud not discover the potentials hidden in them, so if dey see that u are the type still with the inferiority complex, they tk advantage of u. please u may come down to my office and spend like 30mins, u will see whites(i mean real whites) from US, Uk taking orders from us. so pls dnt post any rubbish here just becus modem has gone so cheap, and access to internet is almst costing notin

big deal 007:
Your frustration is beclouding ur judgment. It's not ur fault though na Naija condition. [b]
Your frustration is beclouding ur judgment. It's not ur fault though na Naija condition. Note he was born Nigeria and what else does one need to be a citizen? He's not an immigrant get that into your skull and the the post again this time with open mind. It's you and all those beefing this guy that have inferior complex. It is so hard for you to acknowledge a 'white' or 'Arab' person simply because you feel it will make you look inferior. It is in your mindset. If whites or Arabs celebrate blacks it is no big deal but if the other way round...it is complex. Black people I hail!