Since When Has Egypt Been Western Nation?

In his column, “Gulf War’s Hard Economic Lesson for the Middle East” (June 16), James Flanigan commits an error when he states: “This is no sand-blown emirate, but the oldest nation in the Western world.”

I can find no references--in encyclopedias, geography or history books--that refer to Egypt as a part of the Western world. To the contrary, this North African state is referred to as a part of the Islamic culture of the Middle East.

These Egyptian Hamites, who had Islam forced upon them by conquering Arabs, generally support the Arab states culturally and politically, and certainly do not fall under any Western traditions that I’m aware of. In fact, Egypt attempted to make a permanent alliance and unite with the Islamic-Arab state of Syria just a few years ago.

I realize that Flanigan is accepted by many as a respected economist, but I wish he would investigate the facts about the culture and geography of the Middle East before making such erroneous statements.

IRVING E. FRIEDMAN

Laguna Niguel