Quantcast
Channel: Egyptian Chronicles
Viewing all 4289 articles
Browse latest View live

Tourists at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo سائحين فى المتحف المصرى بالقاهرة [Flickr]

0
0

Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

Tourists at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo سائحين فى المتحف المصرى بالقاهرة

Tourists at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo مجموعات من سيائحين فى المتحف المصرى بالتحرير


An ancient Egyptian necklace at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo عقد اثرى فى المتحف المصرى بالقاهرة [Flickr]

0
0

Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

An ancient Egyptian necklace at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo عقد اثرى فى المتحف المصرى بالقاهرة

An ancient Egyptian necklace made of gold and turquoise at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo. عقد من الذهب و الفيروز فى المتحف المصرى بالتحرير

Ancient Egyptian bag at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo حقبية اثرية فى المتحف المصرى بالقاهرة [Flickr]

0
0

Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

Ancient Egyptian bag at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo حقبية اثرية فى المتحف المصرى بالقاهرة

An ancient Egyptian bag that survived all those centuries at the Egyptian museum of Cairo حقبية مصرية قديمة فى المتحف المصرى بميدان التحرير

Ancient Egyptian Jars at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo اوانى فخارية فى المتحف المصرى بالقاهرة [Flickr]

0
0

Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

Ancient Egyptian Jars at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo اوانى فخارية فى المتحف المصرى بالقاهرة

Two ancient Egyptian jars made of pottery and an old surviving plant at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo اوانى فخارية فى المتحف المصرى بالتحرير

Arabs do deserve democracy like any other people in the world

0
0
Are Arab people ready for democracy?
Do Arab people deserve democracy in the first place?

Sorry for the strange questions but tonight I entered a discussion about whether the Arab people or to be specifically those people who live in the Middle East “there are other Non-Arab speaking and ethnicity in the region” can or can not live in democratic.
I had it with someone who is younger than me from a complete younger generation “A decade difference”, someone who studied political science unlike me.
The discussion started as we are speaking about what is going in Sudan
He believe that he should be ruled by the iron fist of the military strongmen like Qaddafi, Saddam and El-Bashir, otherwise we will have chaos as we have seen in Libya and Iraq after the fall of both Qaddafi and Saddam’s regimes.

Power and victory to the people
From Tahrir square on 1 February 2011
He believes that we “as Arab people” if we want to live a decent life then we have to immigrate to live the West instead of trying to fix our countries because the majority of the people need an iron fist, otherwise chaos will prevail.

He also believes that democracy made it in Europe because they have a better mentality.
He is not alone, there are people in Egypt and other Arab countries believe what once Mubarak’s intelligence chief Omar Suleiman told Christine Amanpour during the January 25th revolution: The Egyptian people are not ready for democracy.

I believe that the chaos that happened in Iraq and Libya is originally the product of those corrupted dictatorship.
The road of democracy is not an easy one and it does not take a genius to get this.

With the exception of Tunisia , the Arab countries of the so-called Arab Spring including Egypt did not have full or even full democratic experience thanks to several factors like external powers that do not want democracy or want to exploit riches or old regime that won’t give up without a god damn fight or even both like in the case of Yemen and Syria.


One of the major factors that played a role in creating that chaos is the fact all those Arab regimes that were downed like in Libya or Iraq did not give a chance for any leading political civilian alternative or let alone a true civilian state that won’t fall by the fall of the regime or its head.

The Egyptian people stood by hours in front of ballot boxes to choose their political map roadmap referendum in March 2011 regardless of the flaws of the whole process in less than four months from the infamous 2010 parliamentary elections that witnessed empty polls.
In 2017, the people in the island of Warraq which is technically a countryside rural area organized themselves and elected a representative council defending their locals’ rights according to the current Egyptian laws and constitution against the state.

I won’t speak about 2012 and 2013 and the sins that the Muslim Brotherhood and so-called liberal political figures committed then and afterward because they all paid and are still paying despite all the warnings.

I won’t speak about the Egyptian public because going through what happened in the US elections and Brexit, I feel Egypt was ground zero.
But I will say that my people of Egypt did not have a full true democratic experience in the first place to say that they failed miserably or that they are too stupid than their European counterparts.
Europeans are not smarter than Arabs or any other people in the world when it comes to political choices and democracy.
Modern democracy was not reached within a day and night in Europe, take France as an example of chaos and upheaval following the French revolution.

Fascism and Nazism are the product of Europeans’ free political will and the world is still paying because of that choice that were once taken in Germany and Italy in the 1930s.
God knows that the world is still being hunted by the Europeans’ populist political choice supporting fascism.
Brazilian people have elected a man who does not see Hitler as a dictator and the Americans selected Donald Trump as their president, who subsequently is the so-called leader of the free world.
Europe is taken by a populist right-wing storm and yet nobody says that the Europeans are too stupid or too savage to deserve democracy.
Middle Eastern strongmen are actually the chaos makers because they build their regime around themselves, once they are gone it crumbles.
The Middle East is not an exception. We just need time and help to stop external regional and international interventions to let democracy find its way in the region.
Several African countries that witnessed civil wars and military dictatorships are having those political democratic reforms right now and nobody is saying that African do not deserve democracy except racists.

Arab people and Middle Easterners, in general, deserve to leave in democracies where their officials are held accountable for their actions because God knows that they paid more than taxes just to give their children better living nothing more, nothing else.

FYI after two years from now, we will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Arab Spring start and God knows how this makes my heart cringe and sad because my generation has failed because of older generations.
Nevertheless, sometimes I try to hang on small hopes, I see Tunisia “despite some of their political powers kissing El-Assad’s ass for standing against the West”, I see Sudan and I see Warraq island and how they elected their own council but still I am realistic.

“This too shall pass” I remember those words about that ancient Eastern tale of a wise vizier that gave his king a piece of paper that would cheer him up whenever he was blue or would make him sad and back to the ground whenever he was flying from happiness.
The thing is that when it will pass.

Once a nice Egyptian lady who is a liberal activist told me when I was still optimistic that she may not be alive to see something like 25 January 2011 again or true democracy in Egypt. She was 50 years old during that conversation. I am in my mid-30s and I feel the same.

I wish the first true political post in 2019 was more joyful.

Sudan Protests : Going strong and big against El-Bashir

0
0
The anniversary of Sudan’s independence was loud and big in 2019 without a doubt, it will be a day to remember for several generations.
Within few hours following the Friday prayers in Sudan, Sudanese political powers and parties and before them, Sudanese people will protest once again demanding Omar El-Bashir to step down across the country in an original Arab Spring traditional Friday protest.
El-Bashir degage
El-Bashir degage graffiti is making round in Sudan
It also has got a name “The Freedom and change Friday”.

This will be the first major protest after the successful mass protests event on 31 December 2018, the eve of Sudanese independence Day which I will about later.

The Freedom and Change Friday is organized by the Sudanese Professional Association “SPA” and its new allies and it will be a start for a series of mass protests across the country.

It will be followed mass-protests on 6th January and 9th January. The 6th January mass protests event aims to reach to the presidential palace in Khartoum while the 9th January mass protests will be centralized in Omdurman city as they head to the National Council to present a petition demanding the current Sudanese regime to step down.

Now as I hinted above the SPA  has got some partners and allies from Sudanese parties and political parties.
On Tuesday, SPA issued the “Freedom and change declaration” with other three political coalitions in Sudan. Made of 9 points, the declaration says that the Sudanese people won’t stop protesting peacefully till the totalitarian regime is downed.

The declaration demands Omar El-Bashir and his regime to step down immediately without any terms or conditions as well as the formation of an interim government to rule the country for the next four years.

In those four years, the interim government should stop the civil wars and try to solve the current “Sudanese issue” through peace agreement while helping the refugees to their homes as well as to stop the economic deterioration in the country.
The declaration adds that the role of this interim government will include supervising the interim period and the political transformation from a totalitarian regime to a multi-party system with a restructure to police and army forces so they will become independent.
The interim government will also supervise the restructuring of the human rights and legal system to ensure the independence of the judiciary and the state of law. It will work on true women empowerment as well as eliminating all shapes of discrimination.
Forming a constitutional committee and to stop all violations and laws against freedoms in the country are among the goals of that declaration or to be accurate this growing political protests movement.

The declaration did not forget Sudan’s foreign policies as it aims to have independent foreign policies with diplomatic relations based on common interests and staying away from the so-called axis. “I think they refer indirectly to Saudi Arabi and UAE

I like the idea of interim government and despite some says that it is too early to plan. Well, plans stop chaos.

may say that it is too early to make a roadmap for Sudan post-El-Bashir, I believe it is good that
The other three political coalitions cooperating with SPA are The coalition of Sudanese calling forces “Sudanese calling forces”, the coalition of national Conesus and the United opposition assembly.
Now judging from the backgrounds of those coalitions, Sudanese calling forces coalition stands out at least for me.

Formed on 11 November 2011, the coalition is made of several Sudanese political parties as well political groups that once carried arms in Darfur.
The Sudanese Congress Party “SCP” and National Umma Party“I saw its flag held by protesters in the 28 December videos”.
Interestingly, Islamist affiliated Umma party is headed by none other than Sadiq Al-Mahdi.
On Wednesday, Sudanese Communist party declared its support to the Freedom and Change declaration.
On Thursday, popular Girfna political movement announced that it supported the Freedom and change declaration and jointed SPA in its quest.

Busy Tuesday in Sudan

Aside from smaller but spread protests on Tuesday during the Sudanese independence day, there had been a lot of political developments
On Tuesday, 22 parties reportedly participating in the current cabinet in Sudan announced their withdrawal from the government demanding Omar El-Bashir to step down in a huge development following more than 11 days of public protests across the country.
The National Front of Change “echoes a familiar name in Egypt ” which includes parties like Reform Sudanese held a press conference in Khartoum declaring that aside from withdrawing from the government coalition that they presented a petition demanding the current Sudanese president to step down from rule, to dissolve the current Sudanese parliament and to form Sudanese interim government.
The ruling National Congress party“NCP” officials slammed the move saying that those parties were leaving the “national consensus” and they “the parties” were violating the politics ethics adding that they were parties with no political or popular weight. “Then why you entered a coalition with them to form a government”
The NCP expectedly rejected all the calls to dismiss El-Bashir.
On the other hand, the “SPA” that played an important role in the past weeks in the protests announced publicly that it did not trust those parties and their intentions adding that the SPA was not concerned with their announcement.
Nevertheless, the SPA did not close the door to cooperate with political parties or political coalition in the country and we saw above it decided to coordinate with other Sudanese political powers and parties.
In a sad irony on the same day, Bashir ordered to set up a fact-finding committee“to investigate violence during the anti-government protests”

The eve of Independence Day’s mass protests.

On the eve of Sudan’s day of independence, thousands of Sudanese from all ages protested against Sudanese president and the pro-regime militias and forces tried to disperse those protests by force.
Video footage emerging from the protests show horrifying head injuries that can lead to death.
The Sudanese Communist Party held a presser on 2 January Wednesday where it said that number of fatalities since the 19 December 2018 mass protests had reached 40 people while the security forces detained not less 200 people.

Merry Christmas 2018 : Christian Orthodox Edition

0
0
Egyptian Church in Giza

Merry Christmas from Egypt to all Christians celebrating the Orthodox Christmas tonight especially the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christians ☺️🎄.

This is an entrance of a church I always see in the way to Sheikh Ziyad and October City in Giza Governorate.
This church's name is "Saint George , the Great martyr" and it follows Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church.

The painting shows the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus in their way to Egypt.

Amending the Egyptian Constitution in 2019 : More details and More reactions

0
0
Do you remember what I told you in early December 2018 that there is a plan to amend the Egyptian Constitution in 2019 and we began to see its prelude in front of the court?

Well two days before the end of 2018 , close to presidency journalist and Akhbar Al-Youm editor in chief Yasser Rizk wrote  in his weekly column about “how the new year should be the year of political reform {after the successful economic reform}” and that this reform should be focused on one thing: amending the constitution.

According to Rizk, the 2014 constitution is full of flaws about them the limitation of the presidential terms and how the parliament got so-called bigger power than the president and the government.

The editor in chief and CEO of Egypt's second biggest state-owned newspaper says that the parliament should return to be two chambers , Egypt should have a full presidential political system with open presidential terms, the return of information ministry and bunch of other amendments including the cancellation of “transitional justice” section in the constitution because it opens the doors for “reconciliation with the Muslim Brotherhood”.

Almost all the amendments Mr. Rizk proposed in his column would turn the 2014 constitution into Mubarak’s own version of 1971 constitution.

Constitution For all Egyptians banner in Egypt's Tahrir square
One constitution for all Egyptians banner in Tahrir square once upon a time 
Now being realistically enough, he suggested that if the amendments idea failed, then the regime should establish some Supreme council to protect “the values of the 30 June Revolution” headed by El-Sisi for the rest of his life to make sure that the “30 June Revolution” achieve its goals.

I do not know if that Supreme council idea was inspired by the current Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution of Iran or what but its idea actually bothers more than amending the constitution.
I love how he completely ignores the 25 January revolution.

In his column this week, Yasser Rizk said that what he had mentioned a week earlier was the child of his own thoughts and that he was not dictated by higher orders bragging that he created a “tsunami” in the media.

The thing is that what he had mentioned as his own suggestions were previously mentioned in Mada Masr’s own exclusive report about those future constitutional amendments.


He also says that according to his interactions with El-Sisi since he was a minister of defense, the man does not want to run for another presidential term adding that he did not want to run for the presidency in the first place.
It is worth to mention that in November 2017, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said in an interview that was broadcasted on US-based CNBC that he would not seek another third presidential term.
The good thing about Yasser Rizk that it brought that proposed roadmap to the public.
More people are speaking about it as a fact. Here is a very report on Ahram Online about those constitutional amendments.
What caught my eyes in that report is the bold statement of Pro-regime extremist MP Mostafa Bakri that the “the 2014 constitution was drafted under heavy international pressure and extortion by the Muslim Brotherhood”.
I wonder what Amr Moussa and the rest of 2014 Constitution committee think about that !?

So-called hardcore Pro-Sisi supporters in the Media want it to happen yet some other people say no.
On Friday, nearly 100 opposition leftist, liberal and Nasserite public figures signed a statement rejecting the attempts to amend the constitution including former President Candidate Hamdeen whom I will speak about later in this post.
Needless to say, in the current political opposition silence, this is an act of bravery.
Reading the names, I spotted some of the names that strongly supported El-Sisi in the first but had a second thought in the past few years.
The mainstream media completely ignored this statement.
Interestingly one began to see opposition to the so-called ideas or suggestions proposed by Razek inside Sisi’s own supporters camp.
I can’t ignore those voices.

There has been a rumor spread around that the regime is negotiating with Hamdeen Sabbahi and his Nasserite Karama Party to support the upcoming constitutional amendments in return of releasing detained political activists and bigger share for the opposition in the upcoming parliament.
A parliament with a bigger share for the opposition “The 25January-30June so-called camp” with nearly 100 seats is something I have been hearing for a while now because the current all yes-parliament looks bad.
 This means the parliamentary elections are not going to be fair and that the results are being tailored.

Anyhow back to the rumor that spread shortly online, leading members in Karama Party have denied it also online like Dr. Mohamed Bassiouny denied that there were any talks between his party and the regime currently or in the future.

Any attempt to amend the constitution to extend the presidential terms is completely rejected and we will stand against if this happens regardless of the dangers just like we fought with the national powers the battle to defend the Egyptian identity of Tiran and Sanafir” He said on 2 January in his official Facebook.

Completely ignored by the mainstream media, founder of Karama Party and former Presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi posted this his official Facebook page on Friday.
“No for attacking the constitution , no for supporting oppression and defending the constitution is a patriotic and moral duty,” He said.

On Saturday, former Constitution committee member, current MP and prominent director Khaled Youssef issued a long statement in his official statement of his official Facebook also denied too that there is some kind of “ a deal” between the regime and the “opposition”.
He also expressed his complete rejection to amending the constitution as an original member of those 50 people who drafted the 2014 constitution.

My stance is still the same from amending the current constitution which I was honored to be one from 50 Egyptian citizens that participated in drafting it. I said publicly over and over in many statements in TV shows from more than two years ago and I am saying it ; the Egyptian constitution is a need to be implemented not to be amended” He said adding that his stance won’t change despite he may pay soon a heavy price for that stance sooner or later.

I will continue to believe that it is patriotic duty to defend this popular document {the constitution} is the most important and the last of what remained to the Egyptian people from 25 January /30 June revolution because it is the only remaining hope to establish a democratic modern civilian state” He added slamming both the MB and “the supporters of the regime” in the rest of the statement.
Youssef’s statement is full many interesting points that speak crystal clear about the current political situation in Egypt.

Ironically some of old Mubarak’s regime men have expressed their rejection of the constitutional amendment despite their total support to El-Sisi.

Among these men, leading figure in former NDFP Dr. Hossam Badrawi


" We started to read about constitutional amendments allegedly for the lack of alternatives to President El-Sisi in ruling the country after three of years now. I tell those "who promote this idea" any regime that does not allow alternatives to appear from 100 million citizens is the inefficient regime. Egypt is bigger from any president. I am sure that the President respects his people and won’t allow this.” He said on the first day of the year on his official Twitter account.

I think in the upcoming weeks we will see more developments about the constitution.

Seen in Cairo : Why is the Baron palace turning red ?

0
0
Baron Empain palace under restoration works

WTH is happening to the historical and magnificent Baron Empain palace?

I passed by it earlier this morning after months of restoration to find half of that landmark building has turned to red ??

This is how it looked before the restoration works
The Baron Palace before restoration works
The Baron Palace before restoration works 
Built by the founder of Heliopolis in Cairo in the early 20th century, eccentric Baron Empain’s palace is probably the first Indian Hindu inspired building in Cairo, Egypt and Africa as well.
I fear that some genius decided to paint it red like the buildings in India.

It's breathtaking whether from outside or inside and just like its owner the Baron, it got its share of eccentricity making it Cairo’s top haunting place of all times.

Designed by French architect Alexandre Marcel, its cues came from the famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia. the Egyptian government launched its restoration works in 2018 as it is considered as a national heritage site.
Under the supervision of the ministry of antiquities, the government allocated LE 114 Million for the project that will finish in 2022.
The ministry of antiquities hired the Egyptian army’s Engineering authority to do the restoration works.

I do not know if the Engineering authority got expertise in restoration old palaces with history and cultural complexity like the Baron Palace.

To be honest I was worried when I first read the news about restoration works because I fear some of the Hindu characterizations may disappear by mistake.
details in the palace
The palace is full of amazing pieces of art like this
"Michel Hana" 
Everything in that palace was designed for a specific meaning to Baron Empain and his genius yet eccentric mind.
What I have read so far that the palace was extremely in bad shape and yet new staircases and statues were discovered.

Egypt hosts 2019 African Nations Cup : Time for the fans to return to the stadium for once and all

0
0
Last Tuesday was a very active loaded day when it comes to sports news or to be specific football news in Egypt.

First of all, Egypt won hosting rights for the 2019 African Nations Cup Championship "CAN 2019".
This is big news and actually, it was the ONLY news of the day.

The 2019 African Nations Cup “AFCON” was originally going to be in Cameroon but in December CAF stripped of the rights from the central African country because of the delays in the preparations for the cup as well the political instabilities in the country.
CAN 2019 in Egypt
I hope that is not the final logo of the tournament "EF" 
Egypt and South Africa competed to host the 2019 AFCON in the same month.
As far as I have read Egypt got all the votes except one that had gone to South Africa.

Egypt hosted the African Nations Cup four times before. Once in 1959 while the second time was in 1974 and the third was in 1986.
The last one was in 2006. You can read more about the history of the African Nations Cup in Egypt in Ahram Online.
Needless to say, the African Nations Cup in Egypt is the perfect kind of distraction to pass politically something like constitutional amendments for instance.

Personally, when I read the news in December I was quite amazed about how bold the Egyptian government is because in the end how could you organize a championship like that when you have another premier league without Egyptian football fans attending it ??


Egyptian football fans are not allowed the local championship except 30 fans in local games like premier league !!
There is a fear that the football fans especially the sports club hardcore fans “Ultras” will assembly and chant anti-regime chants like in the old days.
There is fear that those Ultras members who played an important role in 25 January revolution will engage in violence or riot against the Egyptian security forces as simple as that
The Egyptian football fans are only allowed regional football matches played in Egypt because the Egyptian government has no say who can attend.

Needless to say, the scene of empty stadiums while footballers playing local games is depressing to the level that we got generation footballers who have not had a chance to play in the presence of thousands screaming in the stadium.

Up till this moment, there are football fans and sports fans associated with the Ultras groups whether Ahlawy or White Knights who are either imprisoned or detained or released pending investigations or trials on charges like “inciting violence”, “joining illegal groups” and “attacking security forces”.

I could not find any exact numbers for the imprisoned and pre-trial detainees from football fans but I know on a monthly basis in the past couple of years, I see the “Freedom_for_Ahly_fans” or “Freedom_for_Siyad El-Moshagheb” in Arabic top trending on Twitter.
Siyad Moshagheb was among the leading figures “Capos” of Zamalek Ultras group “White Knights” and he is serving sentences for God knows what.
I remember reading his name all the time in the news website that he is either being sentenced to a number of years in jail that could make him miss his child whole childhood and at the same time he is being acquitted in several retrials.
I lost counting.

In 2018, Ultras Ahlawy and Ultras White Nights announced that there would have disbanded their groups in May 2018.
Speaking about the African Nations Cup, I can’t ignore how legendary ex-footballer Mohamed Abou Trika who is officially listed as a terrorist in Egypt stood beside his country until it won the hosting right.
Abou Trika who is hailed a living football in Africa and in the world can’t come home. Mohamed Salah aka Mo Salah says that he is the star of all times and yet Pro-regime media still attacks saying that he is a terrorist because he once supported the MB “He is a friend of Mubarak’s sons too especially Alaa Mubarak” and is working in Qatari-owned Bein sports channels.
Mohamed Abou Trika in  2008 CAN
Abou Trika doing his famous airplane celebration move after winning
the 2008 CAN in Cameroon "Reuters" 
I find it so sad that this championship is going to be held in Cairo and Abou Trika won’t attend it live !!
After knowing that we got the hosting rights, people on Twitter demanded that he would be pardoned despite he actually deserves clemency.

Needless to say, the smear campaign against him continues by some people despite the fact that even pro-regime supporters in the football field from former footballers or Egyptian Football Association “EFA” support him and say that he is a great guy.

Either way, good luck to Egypt and our national team in the African Nations Cup which I hope that it is not used politically to pass some wicked some stuff.
I hope also Mohamed Abou Trika returns back as soon as possible to his homeland and to leave the rest of his life freely as a noble gentleman.

Amending Constitution in 2019 : More quiet rejection

0
0
The calls for amending the 2014 Constitutions have not stopped, nor did the calls standing against those proposed constitutional amendments.
On Wednesday, “25-30” parliamentary bloc declared that its total rejection for any attempt to amend the current constitution.
On 13 January 2019, The Civil Democratic Movement issued a statement rejecting “the attempts to mess with the constitution”.
We all know that the main declared reason for those calls [to amend the constitution] is to return back to that phase we believed that passed by the revolution [25 January] and turned over its page forever and that is the one-man and dictatorship rule that destroys the state institution and turns the ruler in to a god” said the statement of the centrist and leftist opposition parties coalition declaring their total refusal.

The Civil Democratic Movement includes the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, Karama Party, The Constitution Party, The Popular Socialist Alliance Party, The Bread and Freedom Party, Egypt Freedom Party and El-Adl Party.
As usual, the mainstream media ignored both statements and the social media did not know about it in the first place.
Instead , some media figures in the mainstream media unleashed an attack against Hamdeen Sabbahi, the former presidential candidate and opposition figure who has been vocal against constitution amendments.

For example, he was being called a loser womanizer whose wife “who actually works in the American University in Cairo” gets foreign funding to support him.

But it is not his campaign against constitutional amendments that are making some people, rather it is his latest interview where he opened the fire on the current regime and Abdel Fattah El-Sisi unprecedently.
Hamdeen Sabbahi
"Yes, we made a mistake," Says Sabbahi in El-Mashhad

In an interview with less known El-Mashhad newspaper in early January, Hamdeen Sabbahi admitted for the first time that the military hijacked the 30 June protests just like how SCAF hijacked the 25 January revolution.
The lesson that we should understand and the mistake that we should apologize for and admit it is that we went against the authoritarian regime on 30 June replacing it with another authoritarian regime” He said hinting that the protests to support Sisi giving him so-called popular delegation to fight terrorism on 26 July 2013 was the moment the military rule took over.
Seriously speaking I can’t believe my eyes that Nasserite Sabbahi is criticizing the military openly like that.
Strange times indeed.
In the interview, Sabbahi also said that amending the constitution means“installing a dictator in the presidency for another 30 years”
On Sunday, another concerned citizen and lawyer reported Hamdeen Sabbahi to the prosecutor general for “inciting against the state” and “spreading fake news” because of that interview.
It is noticeable that major newspapers and TV channels ignore completely Sabbahi and do not interview him anymore.
Hamdeen Sabbahi is not the only opposition figure attacked viciously in pro-regime media and tabloids lately.
He is joined by MP and film director Khaled Youssef who actually hinted out that he may pay a price for his political actions earlier if you remember.
This week he was surrounded by a bunch of sexual scandals including alleged sex videos with women as well as a secret marriage from renowned public personality and artist Yasmine El-Khatib too.
Youssef is currently married to Saudi artist Shalimar Sharbatly.
I won’t go in details about what is happening to him because it seems the guy got his own demons and the regime’s demons to fight.
Former vice President Mohamed El-Baradei continues to be vocal on Twitter.
This week he praised how current president of Mauritania “who coup through in 2008” Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has rejected calls to amend the Mauritanian constitution so he could run for a third presidential term.

“The Mauritanian President General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz rejects constitutional amendments that would enable him to run for the office for the third time. An unprecedented move in the Arab World, May and perhaps…” He said in his tweet in Arabic.
Needless to say, he is being attacked in the mainstream media day and night.
Till 10 January 2019, the Egyptian Parliament did not receive any official request to amend the constitution.

Nazlet El-Samman : People Fear displacement as simple as that

0
0
On Monday, clashes erupted in Giza’s Nazlet El-Samman area as security forces continued its campaign to evict and demolish buildings built illegal blocks away from Egypt’s pyramids plateau.

According to news reports, not less than 20 young men who work mostly as tourists guide in the area were arrested while protesting.
The locals say that they were protesting peacefully chanting “Peacefully , peacefully” when the security forces fired tear gas grenades and arrested some of them.
Sources in the security forces say that they fired tear gas grenades when the locals or the protesters hurled rocks at them first.

On Wednesday, 18 arrested locals were ordered to be detained 15 days pending investigations for “resisting authorities, illegal assembly and injuring a police sergeant
The security forces came to continue an eviction and demolishment order of those buildings built illegally started four days earlier.

Things escalated to reach this confrontation from five days ago when Al-Ahram Daily published a report showing photos of buildings built illegally blocks away from Egypt’s pyramids plateau.
A photo of those buildings built illegally
near the great pyramid 


Those buildings were said to be built in a direct violation of the 1982-law regulating the protection of monuments and antiquities in Egypt.
That law prohibits the construction in the premises of a monumental location.

Exactly there were reportedly four buildings built illegally in Zone “A” which is considered a prohibited area.
Three buildings were under construction and were demolished in the past couple of days.
The building that was demolished on Monday was 3-stars Bed and Breakfast motel.
Of course, we must wonder how that motel operated successfully under the eyes of the authorities and got its license from the ministry of tourism when it was built in a direct violation to the law in a prohibited area.

Updated: The locals say that those buildings were built legally on the land they owned according to legal contracts !!!!!!!
Same goes to all the shops and buildings built and operating in that area.

I checked its page on Trip Advisor and Booking.com and I found out that it was very successful in its degree giving tourists from around the globe an opportunity to stay in place few meters away from the only remaining original world wonder “The great pyramids” for a very cheap price.
Here is a video showing the protest being dispersed by tear gas grenades.



Scary and stupidly enough I saw a video for security forces telling the hotel staff to evict the tourists from that hotel or motel circulating online.

Now the real reason why the locals were protesting in Nazlet El-Samman is the fear to be forcibly displaced for sake of urban development plans by the government.
Nazlet Al-Samman people are afraid of being evicted and forced to leave the area just like the people of Maspero Triangle.

There are plans to “renovate” and “upgrade” the area but just like in “Al-Waraq” Island, the people in Nazlet Al-Samman do not know what those plans are and what the intentions of the government towards them and most importantly they do not want to leave their village.

Giza governor denied that there were plans to displace the locals or demolish their houses.

There is news here and then that Nazlet Al-Samman people will have to leave the place because of the mega-plans to renovate the whole pyramids plateau area especially before the upcoming inauguration of the New Mega Grand Egyptian Museum“GEM”.

Following the sex photos over the pyramids of that Danish photographer and his girlfriend in December, the Egyptian government decided to assign the management of the Pyramids plateau to Orascom.
Owned by the famous Sawiris family, the company will start working next 29 January 2019 according to Naguib Sawiris himself on Twitter.

I have not found anything online concerning the plans of Orascom regarding Nazlet El-Samman or whether it is included in the plans in the first place.

There is no mention so far about any Emirati investments in the project or Pyramids plateau management officially as it has been claimed.
Rumors spread like fire online that the government would sell the area of Nazlet El-Samman to Emirati investors in the past 72 hours.
There have been rumors in the past that an Emirati company would manage the Pyramids plateau area but the government has always denied it.

Needless to say, UAE is the new Qatar when it comes to the rumors like that.

The mainstream media is ignoring the pleas of the Nazlet El-Samman’s people to the government and the President not to be displaced and to include them in any discussion about the future of the area.
The mainstream media either is ignoring the whole matter or focusing and stressing that the people in Nazlet El-Samman were breaking the law and harassing tourists…etc.

Publicly Nazlet El-Samman and its people got a bad reputation for two reasons Egypt unfortunately.

The first reason is that there is an unfortunate reputation that the people of Nazlet El-Samman are involved in the ancient Egyptian antiquities illegal excavation and trafficking.

There have been people from Nazlet El-Samman who have been involved in those actions indeed but it is unfair to stain the whole community technically speaking nor it is fair to punish them collectively because some people were searching for a quick way to become rich.

In the past few hours , I have found several Pro-regime Facebook pages and Twitter accounts repeating and spreading claims that the government started “this eviction campaign” because there were people there involved in illegal antiquities excavation and trafficking.

The second reason is that during the 25 January revolution, it was associated with the “Battle of the Camel” on 2 February 2011 in Tahrir square.
On that unforgettable day, Mubarak regime figures including influential NDP figures organized an attack of thugs led by camels and horses brought from Nazlet El-Samman against the Tahrir protesters.

Many Pro-revolution youth have not forgotten this and they blame on the people of Nazlet El-Samman for participating in that attack.

Ironically during the protests of the locals in Nazlet El-Samman that were filmed and shared online, I heard 25 January chants like “Peaceful, peaceful”, “One hand, one hand”.

I also heard an angry citizen pleading for the President to save them and at the same wondering why the security forces fired tear gas grenades when we are days away from the 25 January revolution anniversary.

Going back to the infamous “The 2011 Battle of the Camel”, those NDP figures were acquitted and they have returned to play a role in the society and politics as if there is nothing happened above them Mohamed Abu El-Ainin, the famous businessman and owner of Sada El-Balad TV Network and bigger than life and loudmouth Zamalek club president Mortada Mansour.

Nazlet El-Samman’s famous NDP member Abdel Nasser El-Gabry was among the suspects in the case but he passed away in September 2011.
El-Gabry is considered one of the big families or clans in the area along with Fayed clan “Not related to London-based Egyptian billionaire Mohamed El-Fayed”.
There were at least four young men from El-Gabry clan and Fayed clan each were arrested on Monday.
From Mada Masr’s report about the protest and the clashes, I knew that the locals have formed an association to support their community.
The name of the association is The National Association for Nazlet El-Samman development and it was officially registered as an NGO in 2015 to serve the area.
It is interesting to see that the community began to organize itself.

There has been a Facebook page publishing updates about the situations in the area with videos and photos but on Tuesday that FB page disappeared.
I am waiting to see what is going to happen next.

#Jan25 : That time of year

0
0
And here it comes that time of year where it becomes so heavy and sad to just remember.
It is that time of year when my generation of once young Egyptians remember how they touched heaven and knew the meaning of freedom.
Mubarak poster in 2011
When Mubarak's posters were torn up in Mahallah on 25 January 2011
"Reuters"
We were fortunate and misfortunate at the same time because unlike old Egyptian generations, we brought freedom and then we lost it.

In the 1950s and 1960s, generations in our age lived the rise and decline of the so-called Nasserite dream that started with suppressing freedoms and ended by with a military defeat that whole the Middle East is paying its price right now.

Now we are the generation that once got stroke by a dream and ended up to live a nightmare reality because of older generations if you think about it.

I am not an ageist, heavens forbid but it is the reality of what happened.

We simply screwed because of old generation leading the scene when it comes to the political scene in Egypt whether the military or politicians or the liberals or Islamists or leftists or media figures or businessmen or religious men or artists.

We were naïve and trusted those figures. We were naïve and also trusted the world that hailed the Egyptian youth and their bravery in a PR move nothing more and nothing less.

We trusted the Gulf countries when it was working since day one against the revolution to ensure that this "disease" won't transfer to them.

Most of those who were killed in our revolution in all its stages up till now have been youth.

I am just reading that a group of detained Egyptian political activists including young political activists like Shady El-Ghazly Harb who participated in the 25 January revolution since day one have started a hunger strike to protest their pre-trial detention.

It is sad to see that the margin of freedom of expression especially in the media became lower than on 24 January 2011 currently, even online one must be careful. I will not even speak about the freedom of media and expression we enjoyed briefly after 11 February 2011.

It is enough what my ex-editor who is a veteran journalist once told me “You are a lucky generation, you practice true journalism and have got freedom of expression I have not seen in 30 years of working in Egypt”.
It was a brief moment.

Many of my friends and colleagues are leaving the country because it won’t get any better as they say.
They are more desperate than ever and I can’t blame them.
by Doaa Al-Adl
The 8-year challenge by Cartoonist Doaa Al-Adl 
On the right, the 25 January revolution in 2011 and the left the 25
January revolution in 2019
It is the 8th anniversary of the 25 January revolution that officially made sure the spark started in Tunisia to be transferred to the rest of the world especially the Arab world loud and clear.

It was like opening Pandora’s box to revolt against decades-long corrupted dictatorships, it brought ISIS and refugees crisis that led to the rise of the right wing and the revival of modern Nazism.

But you know in Pandora box, there was hope. There is hope. I am trying to hold to any hope whatever it is wherever it is now. The French revolution was more disastrous than ours and it took decades to become the mother of all revolutions.

Now I am following that growing uprising in Sudan and I feel nostalgic as well hopeful that the Sudanese will succeed in what we fail in.

I also feel heavy each year because it seems #Jan25 is fading away.
I will stop here.
May God bless the soul of all those died for the sake of better Egypt, you are in a better place.
May God have mercy on our souls.

#Jan28 : The kids have grown up indeed and some of them know what happened

0
0
Today is the 8th anniversary of 28 January 2011 aka the Friday of Fury, the true day of the Egyptian revolution when Mubarak’s regime and the whole world knew that that the Egyptian people had enough and could be really angry.

There was nothing celebratory about the revolution because it was all about the French President’s and his visit or rather his presser with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as well as his early statements to the reporters. “Video link

Unprecedently, Emmanuel Macron is the first foreign president to be attacked on Pro-regime TV channels and news websites while he is still visiting Egypt.

I am too tired to speak about what Sisi said or Macron did and why because I spent most of the day in traffic thanks to the trips of France’s first lady Bridgette Macron from the Pyramids Plateau in Giza governorate to Mohamed Ali Mosque in Salahuddin Citadel in Cairo. “From East to West”
The traffic on Monday is terrible already in Cairo and so to have foreign VIP guests means it will be a living hell.

One thing for sure I will say I was happy to see #Mubarak trending once again on 28th January but this time as a benchmark for low freedoms in English.

Another thing, earlier today I found out that a famous tweep and oncologist Heba Khafgy who turned to be a great philanthropist had passed away suddenly and it overshadowed the day for me.
In her 30s, Khafgy was active in helping all kinds of patients, especially cancer patients in very hard economic times whether online or offline. May Allah bless her soul.

The only thing I will share tonight is that post by Adam Ahmed Basyouny, the son of 28th January icon and martyr Ahmed Basyouny.
Here is what he wrote in Arabic. I did not change anything.

On 28 January after we knew that Papa died , we still had hope while searching for him that he would be alive. I knew that Papa went to God , he told me earlier that I would not see him again but we still searched on the hope to see you “his dad” again. I know that I would not see again even before Mama knew.
I love you Papa so much and I wish to see you besides me and I wish to live with you lots of things I and my sister missed when we were small. Thank God on everything , surely you are in a better place than all of us. May Allah accept you in heaven as a martyr and make us meet in heaven inshallah
He was a little boy when his father, a young professor at the faculty of applied arts was shot down during the protests on 28 January 2018.
Adam with his dad late Ahmed Basyouny in 2009
Adam with his dad late Ahmed Basyouny in 2009
According to eyewitnesses, Professor Ahmed Basyouny was shot when he was trying to spot the snippers over the buildings’ rooftops in Tahrir square.
May Allah bless Adam and all the kids that lost their parents in Egypt in the past 8 years.

Seen in Cairo : Bajocchi jewelry shop

0
0

Seen in Downtown Cairo: Founded in 1900, Bajocchi jewelry shop is considered Downtown Cairo’s oldest jewelry open business. Some say it is the oldest in the Middle East.

An original Italian family business that started in Egypt in the late 19th century, it has not stopped working nor it did change its old looks in its famous shop at the famous Abdel Halek Tharwat street for 118 years. 

Egyptian Constitutional amendments 2019 : Let the games begin

0
0

And the Egyptian parliament began to pave the away for the upcoming Constitutional amendments.

Without waiting for the Urgent matters court to say its word, more than one fifth of the MPs in the House of Representatives presented a written petition to the Speaker of the House Ali Abdel Aal on Saturday to amend Constitution 2014.

On Sunday , the general committee of the parliament issued a statement about the main issues involving the proposed amendments officially.

So far the 15 major articles that are going to be amended are related to Presidential terms “6 years for two presidential terms instead of four” , creating a parliamentary quota for women and Christians, the procedures to appoint the minister of defense , the military courts for civilians.

There are going to be at least 10 new articles to be added including creating a vice-president position , a Shura council , special quotas for women,a judiciary coordinating committee headed by the President.

The general committee of the parliament will continue discussing the proposed amendments on Tuesday.

Most of those MPs that presented the petition, if not all of them are members of Pro-regime “Support Egypt” bloc

Interestingly , I can’t find any serious article enforcing the freedoms or guarantees that it would be turned in to one man show constitutionally in the proposed articles as article 226 of the current constitution stipulates.

The article is crystal clear.

“In all cases, texts pertaining to the re-election of the president of the republic or the principles of freedom and equality stipulated in this Constitution may not be amended, unless the amendment brings more guarantees.”

I knew about that move since last week but I did not imagine that the process would be so fast.

I will be out of town with limited access online this week.

Egypt’s Constitutional Amendments 2019 : Too Fast but too quiet in the Media

0
0
I am back in town and I can’t believe how to speed the Egyptian House of Representatives is moving when it comes to the upcoming constitutional amendments.
I am trying to catch up what has been happening so fast in the past week.

On Tuesday, the Parliament’s general committee approved the proposed Constitutional amendments presented by one-fifth of the MPs on Sunday.

The amendments if passed by the House of Representatives then approved by the majority of eligible voters in a referendum will not only enable the president to stay in power for another two decades but also enable him to have more control over judiciary as well as enable the army to interfere in the political life constitutionally.
The Egyptian parliament
The Egyptian parliament 

I believe any constitutional amendments will take more time for discussions in any parliament’s general committee in the world on any planet in any solar system but we are speaking about Egypt’s current House of Representatives.

Now the House of Representatives will have a final vote on 17 February 2018 and if approved by 2/3 of the MPs then there will be a referendum within 60 days.

The parliament’s biggest bloc “Support Egypt” supports the amendments along with pro-regime parties like “Future of Homeland Party” and “Free Egyptians Party”
Again things are moving fast to the level that I can’t comprehend naively considering we are speaking about alarming constitution amendments.

In the Parliament, 25-30 Bloc is still insisting on its position to reject the Constitutional amendments and I guess some of its prominent members may not stay long in the parliament as I explain later in the post.

Interestingly, the Conservatives Party seems to have a split over the amendments as its leader declared his rejection to the amendments whereas its MPs and other leading figures in the party declared their support.
Needless to say, State-owned media newspapers like Rosa al-Youssef began to attack the Conservatives Party leader Akmal Kartam.
The opposition’s Civil Democratic Movement declared its official rejection to the amendments launching a “Union to defend the constitution”
The centrist and leftist leaning parties declared the launch of that movement as well as their rejection to the amendment in a statement on Wednesday quietly with no proper media coverage.
This is not a political opposition battle against President El-Sisi’s regime as some imagine and the media promotes for to deceive us all. This battle is the battle of every Egyptian citizens. It has ideological goals or aims or personal gains or interest of a certain political powers. It is the battle of being a true state or not to be.
The movement told the Egyptians in its statement to stand together and to say “No to shifting the country’s path to the unknown”, “No to support autocracy and confiscating the citizens’ rights in choice” and “ No to the assault on State’s institutions”.

The Constitution Party, “Karama Party”, “Egyptian Social Democratic Party”, “Bread and Liberty Party”, “The Reform and Development Party”, “The popular socialist alliance party”, “Masr Al-Horreya Party” are among the parties taking part in this movement.

On the other side, at least 45 pro-regime parties declared their support and endorsement to the constitutional amendments including truly less-known to unknown parties.
You do not have to guess which news is being covered in the mainstream media.

Speaking about the mainstream and its focus nowadays only about MP Khaled Youssef and his so-called sex scandal. Do you remember when I told you earlier that Youssef, who opposes the constitutional amendments hinted out that he would pay a so-called price for his “political stances”?
Well, he is involved in an alleged sex scandal that is a mix of #Metoo, hacking, sex tapes and he is out of town too in Paris.
Updated: Some lawyer reported opposition MP Haitham El-Harriri to the prosecution too for allegedly sexually harassing some woman thanks to an alleged audio recording that went viral online.
Youssef and El-Hariri are the prominent 25-30 Bloc I have referred to earlier.

If both are officially accused or convicted, they may lose their seats in the parliament.

A possible scenario that without even being referred to the prosecution, they can be referred to a disciplinary committee in the parliament and lose their seats eventually before 15 February seriously speaking if we take in consideration what happened to MP Anwar Sadat JR.

The Constitutional amendments are also overshadowed by the on-going fight between Al-Ahly SC and the Zamalek- Turki Al-Sheikh’s Pyramids alliance.
All the trends on Twitter are about football related issues in Egypt.
Bottom-line there is no proper mainstream media coverage for those amendments despite their importance and their danger.

I am trying to gather more reactions, mostly opposing reactions from public figures and so far the usual suspects of 25 January revolution prominent figures are leading the online rejection movement.

Now so far there is complete silence from the presidency.

Old videos of Abdel Fattah El-Sisi have resurfaced showing him speaking in praise of the constitution 2014 and how he did not have any intention to stay more than two presidential terms and handing over the presidency to a young president in the age of Emmanuel Macron.


In that video from a public meeting on 19 January 2018, El-Sisi criticized the old constitution “I assume Constitution 1971” for giving the president too much power.
That interview with CNBC that was aired in November 2017 is also shared virally where he said that he would not stay in power more than what was mentioned in the 2014 constitution. “Two terms”
I believe that there is a slight possibility that El-Sisi may come up in the next public event and declare his rejection to the amendments and we will find the parliament removing some of them.

Demolishing the perfumers agency in Islamic Cairo : What History Do We brag about in Egypt !!?

0
0
As Egyptians , we like to brag all the time about we are the oldest nation with a recorded civilization in the globe with 3000 B.C history or even 7000 B.C history and yet all that we are currently doing in Egypt now is watching how our history, our heritage is being demolished in front of our eyes for the sake of so-called modernism.

On Monday, I was hit by the news that the ancient “Perfumers agency” which was built originally from 900 years ago by the orders of Middle Cairo district because it allegedly imposes a danger on the public.
Perfumers agency now
The Perfumers agency after it was demolished "Facebook"
Shamefully Egypt’s ministry of antiquities said that it was not a monument and was not registered as one and that Cairo governorate issued a demolishment order due to safety reasons.

The ministry's officials now say that the only thing ancient in the place was the facade !!

 The former head of Islamic antiquities authority says on the other hand that the building should have been renovated adding that the facade and parts of the building were all part of the ancient building of the agency that disappeared by time. 
The perfumers agency in the old days
The entrance of the agency before it was demolished 
Amazingly from four days ago, Egypt’s Administrative prosecution announced that investigated in the matter as citizens presented filed a complaint against that demolishment order and it recommended that it should be registered as a monumental building due to its history.

Cairo governorate and the Ministry of antiquities ignored the findings and the recommendation to the Administrative Prosecution.

The history of Cairo’s last Perfumers agency

Located at Muizz street in Islamic Cairo, the perfumers' agency was reportedly built as a prison from 900 years ago when the Fatimids built Cairo to be their Capital according to Egyptian historian Al-Maqrizi.

It became an agency or a market for perfumers in the time of Mamluks Era during the rule of Sultan Al-Mansur Qalawun.

During the Ottomans rule in Egypt, it was renovated and then in the 19th century during Mohamed Ali Pasha’s rule had undergone another renovation under the supervision of Yacoub Pasha Sabri.
Since then it was registered as a Waqf for charity officially but for some reason, it was sold in the 1960s to some people whereas it hosted many shops working in local perfumes industry.
The agency after it was demolished in February 2019
The agency after it was demolished in February 2019
In 2005, after a fire in the agency and with the lack of any renovations and maintenance works, a decision was taken to demolish.
The word was said that the agency was going to be demolished so a modern mall would be built instead of it Muizz street !!

I do not understand why or how the officials are shortsighted in seeing the lost opportunity in renovating that old market turning in to another touristic attraction in Muizz street !!
Already I do not understand the fate of that land in Muizz street after the demolishment of the ancient agency especially Muizz street is part of the Islamic Cairo, you can’t build a so-called modern mall there !!

Why was not it renovated instead? Why?

I feel too angry and too sad

Happy Valentine’s Day : From ancient Egypt with love

0
0
Happy Valentine’s Day
Here is a beautiful small statue feature an ancient Egyptian and his lady at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo.

Ancient Egyptian Couple at the Egyptian museum of Cairo

I do not remember the names of that beautiful couple but I know that they were regular commoners from ancient Egypt’s old kingdom.
The husband was working as an official as far as I remember. Even thought they were not royal , they had a beautiful statue featuring them as young couple.
The statue was found in the husband’s tomb.
I feel a lot of love in that small statue.
Happy Valentine’s Day.

Egypt’s Constitutional amendments 2019 : The Parliament approves preliminary too quickly

0
0
On Thursday, Egypt’s House of Representatives passed in Cairo preliminary the constitutional amendments preliminary that will allow current President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to run for more presidential terms.

The amendments which were presented to the parliament by one-fifth of its members,were approved by 485 members out of the 596-seat parliament after two days of discussion only "In a total of ten hours only".

During that preliminary discussion , it was agreed to keep the two constitutional articles related to the National Press Council and the National Media Council after it was originally suggested in the amendments their cancellation.
Egyptian parliament 

Only 17 MPs rejected the amendments and their names are : MP Talaat Khalil , MP Nadia Henry , MP Faiza Mahmoud , MP Samir Ghattas , MP Reda El-Beltagy, MP Gamal El-Sherif , MP Haitham El-Hariri , MP Siyad Abd El-Aal , MP Mohamed El-Attmany , MP Mostafa Kamel El-Din, MP Ahmed El-Sharkawy, MP Mohamed Abdel El-Ghanny , MP Salah Abdel Badie , MP Ahmed El-Bredesy and MP Akmal Kourtam.

I believe it is important to mention their names.

It is worth to mention MP Faiza Mahmoud is a member of the Support Egypt Bloc and yet she voted against the amendments.
She is the only MP from that bloc to do so considering the fact that Support Egypt bloc was the one that represented the petition to amend the constitution in the first place.

Interestingly the leader of Conservatives Party MP Akmal Kourtam was among the MPs who said a big NO in the parliament when the rest of the MPs in his party’s parliamentary bloc said “Yes”.
Kourtam, a former NDP figure had his moment during the discussion of the amendments on Thursday that unfortunately is not recorded officially in the Parliament’s logs.
During his word during the assembly, he had had a nearly verbal fight with other MPs because they were angry of what he said before he left the session.
The constitutional amendments are aggression,” He said adding those amendments were also a crime against the people and the state institution in Egypt.
Akmal Kourtam led a party known to its support to the army and the regime in general in Egypt since its official and legal launch after the January 2011 revolution.
Since announcing his rejection to the amendments from two weeks, the man has been attacked by Pro-regime media madly.

Still, Kourtam was not the star of the opposition in the parliament during that fast discussion, the new star of the opposition was MP Ahmed Tantawy and his short word in front of the assembly.



My own personal deep convictions make me say that what is happening {discussing those constitutional amendments} is null constitutionally according to two points in Constitution article no.226 and it is not the right of the parliament to extend the presidential terms except after more freedoms guarantees, the parliament has no right to add new articles” He said criticizing the short time given to discuss constitutional amendments at the same time.
It did not stop there.

All amendments are a worse return to what things have been before 25 January, the absolute power is absolute corruption , what is happening reminds us with logic used in the middle age, all the amendments go in to the opposite wrong direction when the people are waiting to get their rights in bread, freedom and dignityThe journalist MP added.

The founding member in Nasserite Karma Party also said that the presidential term amended article was tailored for one person and we all know who was speaking about.

He quoted a verse from “The prisoners’ laughter” poem by Egyptian poet Abdel Rahman El-Abnoudy saying the following “ Egypt knows and sees but she is patient but in no time she crosses the hardships to restore the name and addresses”.
I do not think that the verse needs more explanation.
The end was not less dramatic. He quoted that Quranic verse (QS 40: 44)
And you will remember what I [now] say to you, and I entrust my affair to Allah. Indeed, Allah is Seeing of [His] servants.
That video has gone viral and was shared in every social media network in Egypt. You can see that it managed to get 1.9 million views on Facebook only !!
My mom found her friend who lives in the States sending her video on WhatsApp.
I do not know if Ahmed Tantawy had put on a show as some accuse him saying that if he had been serious in his opposition, he would have been resigned from the parliament during the Tiran and Sanafir.
I can’t blame them actually and I have my own doubts but MP Tantawy said what many want to say publicly but do not have a podium or media outlet as freely as before to say it.
I do not have any high hopes for any political figures right now. 

MP Haitham El-Hariri made another surprise for some when he declared his explicit rejection to the amendments on Thursday.
Needless to say, it was overshadowed by the short yet powerful word by MP El-Tantawy.
El-Hariri confused earlier last week many when he declared on his official Facebook that constitutional amendments’ current procedures were done in accordance to the constitution and that he called the Egyptian people to participate in the referendum in a short FB post.
He removed that short statement from his Facebook page later.
The Pro-regime media claimed that “he corrected his position” and “he called the people to support the amendments”
Earlier last week too, notorious lawyer Samir Sabry reported El-Hariri to the prosecutor general fosexuallyal harassing a woman in a telephone call based on some alleged recording that found its way online in the past two weeks.

Aside from Tantawy , El-Hariri and Kourtam , the “Yes for Amendments” parliamentary camp had its own golden moments showing to Egyptians and the whole world the kind of MPs we have got representing the people.

MP Hany Abaza of Al-Wafd Party said that Egypt was a “semi-state” that did not exist before President Sisi.There was no education nor health nor infrastructure,” He said adding that Sisi was constructing Egypt as a true state !!
“It is unlogic to tell the man to leave when he did a lot of work” He stated.

MP Mostafa El-Gendy said that he returned back from Ethiopia and that the people there “in Ethiopia” saw their only hope in President El-Sisi who was currently heading the African Union.
They see him as the leader of the war against terrorism,” He said.
I say yes to the constitutional amendment giving the army the right to preserve the civil state because I don’t want to leave my kids to a bunch of politicians”  The independent veteran MP who is technically a politician himself added.

MP Riyad Abdel Sattar cursed “Democracies” in his word.
God damn democracies , God damn the international organizations you belong to (addressing the opposition and activists I suppose) , Egypt is stronger than all and we will work on amending the constitution , yes for Abdel Fattah El-Sisi” He said.

MP Ibrahim Abdel Wahab supported the amendments but at the same time he demanded the formation of a new constitution committee to draft a new constitution to support and to enforce the “Civil Democratic State”.
MP and chairman of Zamalek SC , the bigger than life Mortada Mansour believes too that Egypt needs a better constitution than the current one and he got no sex tapes in an indirect reference following opposition MP and renewed director Khaled Youssef.
Mansour supports the regime and the constitutional amendments without a say.

What is next for those constitutional amendments ?

Now the to be referred to parliament’s legislative and constitutional committee to prepare a report in no more than 60 days.
For the first 30 days , there should be a social discussion about those amendments with members of the society and politicians where they should present their suggestions accordingly.
The amendments will then be put to a final vote in the parliament and if approved then will be put to a national referendum.
We are speaking about three months in total.

The Arabic hashtag “#No_For_Constitution” has been trending for two days since Thursday in Egypt.
Sometimes it reaches the top trends against all odds and against all trolls and trivial hashtags about useless news about football and D-List actors or even A-List actors.
Viewing all 4289 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images