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So We Got Egyptian Ground Forces in KSA !? A Little Transparency Please !!!!

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The news came from Saudi Arabia as usual not from Egypt. It came from the State-owned Saudi Press Agency “SPA” and not from the the official Facebook page of the Egyptian armed forces Spokesperson Brigadier General Ahmad Samir.

According to SPA news published on Thursday Egypt's minister of defense Sedky Sobhy met with his Saudi counterpart Prince Mohamed Bin Salman in Riyadh to discuss the latest developments of Operation Decisive storm after the visit of Sedky to Pakistan.

The Saudi news agency mentioned in the end of its news that the meeting was attended by the Head of the Egyptian Reinforcement authority Major General Abdel Mohsen Mossa El-Shabarawy and the commander of the Egyptian force participating in the Saudi-led Coalition Brigadier General Rafik Rafaat Arafat and the Egyptian military attaché to Riyadh Colonel Mohamed Abdel Fatttah Abu Bakr.
Egypt’s armed forces Spox did not mention those names in his short statement about the minister of defense’s short visit to the Kingdom in that critical time.


بعد زيارته الناجحة لباكستان.. الفريق أول/صدقى صبحى يتوجه إلى المملكة العربية السعودية..ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ...
Posted by ‎الصفحة الرسمية للمتحدث العسكري للقوات المسلحة‎ on Thursday, April 9, 2015

On Saturday we found Saudi news websites sharing the photo of Brigadier General Rafik Rafaat Arafat.
Brigadier General Rafik Arafat wearing the ground
forces uniform "paratroopers if I am not mistaken" 
Once again We know the news of our country’s army from abroad as it seems !! 
It is worth to mention that only on April 10 Saturday the Spokesperson of the Saudi coalition announced that an Egyptian fighter jets participated in at least one air strikes on Yemen.
I do not know till when we are going to suffer from this lack of transparency. It is enough that we do not know for real the progress of that endless military operation in North Sinai so we would stumble in another military operation across seas. Speaking  about Sinai , I wanted to raise this matter up but I was lost with all the updates in Yemen.
From two weeks ago  ISIS-affiliated group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis “ABM” announced its responsibility for a series on attacks on several security checkpoints killing not less than 15 according to health sources. Late Friday the Sinai-based group released a very shocking video showing the execution of an Egyptian solider captured at one of the security checkpoints.
It is heartbreaking video where a kidnapped soldier “Ahmed Abu El-Fotouh” spoke in tears to the camera urging young Egyptian men not to join the army.
The video included also a beheading of a local from Sinai who was accused by ABM of working with Israeli Mossad.
Officially 20-years old Abou El-Fotouh died from his wound and was not shot till death by ABM according to the government.
As usual the video started with clips showing the mistreatment of the people in Sinai and their torture as well photos showing the victims from civilians specifically children killed by mistakes.
It is noticeable that ABM  returned back to claim that their main goal was to liberate Jerusalem instead of vengeance for the Muslims in Egypt after the Raba’a massacre.
BY the way till this day the official statement of the Egyptian armed forces about the attack says that only 5 security forces personnel were killed in the attack where as all the Media outlets speak about not less 15 casualties
Added to the lack of transparency when it comes to the news coming from Sinai , we got the infamous disinformation and lies spread by the Pro-regime and state media proudly and shamelessly.
This is from Al-Akhbar newspaper which headed by Pro-Military and former military correspondent Yasser Razik’s coverage to that attack was another insult to Egyptian journalism.
The first edition and the Third "last" edition of Al-Akhbar 
In the First edition of the newspaper on the same day of the attack , it was claimed that the army killed 27 infidels“yes they used the word infidel to refer to the ABM Militants because we are not a religious state !!” then in the third edition we found out that the army killed 35 infidels !!
It is worth to mention that the State-owned newspaper claimed that attack was actually an Iranian plot according to unnamed security sources !!
A security source to Al Akhbar : The planning for that attack
was Iranian !! 
It is worth to mention that Akhbar Al-Youm , the weekly edition of Al-Akhbar published a report claiming that a Houthi cell was arrested in Sinai and that it included members from ABM , Iran, Muslim Brotherhood and Houthis !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This 1967 media does not make me optimistic at all.
That tragedy in North Sinai should stop for the the sake of all people there whether the locals or the army soldiers and officers. The strategy adopted must be changed. This is guerrilla warfare not organized traditional war. The government must win the local community to its side. I do not know how many times people should say that so the political and military decision makers realize that !!
Above all that there should be transparency , true transparency because after all those are our youth in the army and this is our national security that affects our future whether in Sinai or Yemen.
 El-Sisi said that we were not rewinding the 1960s when it comes to Yemen , well I am afraid we are rewinding the infamous lack of transparency of that bloody era which ended with the worst defeat ever.
By the way because I do really care about the people in Sinai and the Egyptian army , I speak and I criticize.

Egypt's Rapid Deployment Forces Head to the Kingdom !?

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There is a lot of reaction about my post regarding the Egyptian Ground troops in Saudi Arabia.
The rumors mill did not stop on Sunday , in fact I woke up and found lots of talk about a photo showing Egyptian soldiers wearing their uniform in their way allegedly to Saudi Arabia in a civilian Egypt Air Flight “Why would they go on an Egypt Air Flight in the first place? “ on twitter and Facebook.
Going to Saudi Arabia then to Yemen ?? "Mohamed El-Bolok" 
The Egyptian and Yemeni social media users claimed that those smiling soldiers were actually the first group of Egyptian Ground troops heading to the Kingdom and then to Yemen.
This photo was posted by Egyptian Sky News Arabia Correspondent Mohamed ElBolok on his Facebook account earlier Sunday. According to El-Bolok it was taken by the flight’s Captain.
The date was unclear.
He removed the photo later. I do not understand why to keep the matter secret.
Of course if you take a closer look to the military uniform of the soldiers , you will find that the badge on their right arm says “Rapid Deployment Forces”. Yes El-Sisi sent the newly formed forces to Saudi Arabia to participate in possible military intervention/Land invasion to Yemen according to where you stand.
There has been not official statement from Egypt regarding this matter so far.


On Saturday minister of defense Sedky Sobhi visited the Rapid Deployment Forces and said in a speech that Egypt’s stability depended on having strong Armed Forces capable of doing all missions whether on land or sea or air to keep the Egyptian and Arabic national security safe.

In that speech the minister of defense added that the Rapid Deployment Forces were ready to operate whether inside Egypt our outside it.

I think sending those forces in missions across the borders needs the approval of the National Defense council and the government publicly according to the constitution in the absence of the parliament.

Famous Saudi twitter Whistleblower “@Mujtahdid” claimed on Saturday that after the failure of Saudi Arabia to bring Pakistani troops to that coalition for the second time, allegedly Saudi Defense minister Mohamed Bin Salman called El-Sisi and told him that all his requests would be fulfilled if he sent ground troops to the Kingdom now. The Pro-Islamist twitter figure claimed that El-Sisi promised to send ground troops immediately.

Many regarded those as signs that the Egyptian government would send those troops to Saudi Arabia or rather Yemen despite the public’s fear.

Of course on Sunday  we found out at there was a reshuffle in the Egyptian Armed Forces’ top posts including the head of the military intelligence , the Navy commander and the head of the second army “North Sinai and Suez zone”. There has been no statement on the official armed Spokesperson FB page about the reshuffle or the bios of the new commanders till this moment.

Needless to say that decision in that timing fueled speculations that there is a split inside SCAF and that some commanders do not agree with Egypt’s military involvement in Yemen. Personally I feel it has to do with Sinai more aside of course with that reshuffle in the Navy Forces. The former second army “North Sinai and Suez” commander is now the head of the military intelligence and the there is a new commander for the Second army in a very critical time. We got not less than three deadly attacks against the security forces in North Sinai for God Sake.  
The Navy Forces got battleships at Bab El-Mandeb strain. 
The rumors did not stop as I told earlier. People began to speak about how Al-Watan newspaper claimed that Egypt would 70,000 soldiers to Yemen on social media. Of course when I checked the Pro-regime website, I found out that it only translated a Christian Science Monitor report about the latest developments in Yemen. The original CSM report says that following :
The result is a tribal coalition of some 70,000 fighters – and the pledge of a Saudi-Egyptian expeditionary force. Yemeni officials say they are preparing to retake the southern port city of Aden “within days,” and thence fight for control over the rest of Yemen.
The 70,000 fighters are not Egyptians but rather Yemeni fighters.
Of course hours later we found Pro-regime website Al-Bawaba claiming that Egypt would send 46,000 soldiers from Yemen !!!!
 I do not think that El-Sisi will be able to send that number.
Sinai is on fire , it is unwise to get involve in that deep regional military conflict in that way now !! El-Sisi should focus on ending that human tragedy in North Sinai before sending Egyptians to die in order to restore “ironically” the legitimacy of the Yemeni President who is supported by None-other than the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen.
May God bless and protect those soldiers may their return back home safe without spilling the blood of the great Yemeni people. I do not want those young men to meet the ill fate of those young Egyptians who went and fought in Yemen in 1963 and never came back from there.
May God protect the people of Egypt, Yemen and Saudi Arabia away from that political and military regional crap !!

Happy Sham Nassim 2015 From Egypt

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Happy Sham Nassim Aka Spring Day from Egypt.
And for this occasion I would like to share with you this wonderful video clip made by filmmaker Abdel Rahman Gaber.
Gaber shot this amazing time lapses video in several locations in Egypt. He filmed it in Siwa, Luxor, Aswan, Sinai and Fayoum
Happy Sham Nassim to all Egyptians despite all the hardships.



Picture 228
From Flowers Fair in Giza 2007 

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A flower at Kitchener's Island, Aswan 2012

Ain El-Sokhna , Suez 2015

Fahrenheit 451 Live in Egypt : Burning Books in the Schoolyards

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We are living Fahrenheit 451 live in Egypt.
Burning the books at the schoolyard !!
These photos showing ministry of education officials burning 73 books in a School Yard “yes burning books” on 6 April 2015 because those books allegedly spread radical religious thought and terrorism at Fadl language school in Haram district in Giza governorate.

Burning the books while holding the Egyptian flags !! 
Allegedly those books spread violence, terrorism and the Muslim Brotherhood Thought as the Brotherhood is officially an terrorist organization in Egypt now.
That mini-holocaust was supervised by Dr. Bothiana Kishk , the head of Giza educational directorate.
Dr.Bothiana Kishk supervising the burning of the books 
In statements to Al Masry Al Youm  on Monday , Dr. Kishk revealed that the ministry of education recently formed “Books execution committee” to inspect and execute dangerous books spreading radical thought in school libraries at the schools owned by Muslim Brotherhood members. Yes “Books execution committee” if we are going to translate literality from Arabic. It is not even “Censorship committee” or “Disposal committee” but rather  “Executing” !! She added those books were promoting the MB radical thought.
After designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorism organization in November 2013, the Egyptian government gave its orders to the ministry of education to take over the management of nearly 147 private schools affiliated with the Brotherhood across Egypt. Fadl language school is among those schools despite its owners are currently suing the government in order to end the ministry of education’s control on the school.
As the photos went viral online , the minister of education Mohab El-Rafei found himself under fire. In statements to Ahram Arabic News website on Tuesday that the ministry would investigate the incident. He also added that he rejected the idea of disposing books like that even if they spread radical thought. It seems that the minister was kept in the dark and did not know about that bonfire at Fadl language school.
Dr. Bothiana Kishk ,who supervised the burning of the books revealed also on Tuesday afternoon in statement to Ahram Arabic News that “Security authorities gave her orders to burn the books”. Yes she took her orders from security authorities to burn the books !!
Kishk , a former NDP member claimed that the books had Rabaa sign on the books cover and that the books had covers and titles of other books that were unrelated to their actual content
Tuesday evening Bothiana Kishk backtracked what she told Ahram website and spoke at Pro-regime Sada El-Balad claiming that the books were full of radical and dangerous thought adding that the photos were edited in Photoshop. BY the way Dr. Kishk was a candidate to become the minister of education in 2013. 
Dr. Bothiana Kishk can say whatever she wants because there are photos as well the statement and lists Fadl school’s administration published on its official Facebook page. The school administration apologized to the parents and the students for what happened insisting that it was not part of any political agenda nor did it spread any political thought.
The school also published the list of the 73 books burned on that day and I do not understand how some of those books consider to be religiously radical in the first place. No wonder Dr. Bothiana Kishk is trying to defend herself in the media.

Here are some of the books in the list :
  • The fundamentals of rule in Islam by the father of Arab states’ Constitutions Abd El-Razzak El-Sanhuri who wanted to modernize Islamic Sharia.
  • Islam and the Foundations of Governance by Sheikh Ali Abdel Razik. This is one of the most important and controversial books in Egypt.Sheikh Abdel Razik argues in it that the idea of Caliphate was not supported in Sharia nor in Sunnah. Abdel Razik was dragged to court because of it in 1950s
  • The reform discourse in Islam by late Grand Emam of Al Azhar Sheikh Abdel Halim Mahmoud , the great religious reformist 
  • A translated version of Bonaparte in Egypt by J. Christopher Herold
  • The politics men by Samir Rageb “ The famous Pro-Mubarak journalist and writer”
  • Searching for the future by Rageb El-Banna “ Another Famous Pro-Mubarak journalist and writer”
  • Three books about the war in Bosnia
  • Seven books about the dangers of drugs published by National council For Fighting Drugs.
  • Books by Salafist Sheikhs.

Personally I believe they do not want any political books or books that ask questions about rule or a true reform in Islam !! 
The fact that the ministry of education officials supervised that mini-book holocaust by the orders of the security authorities shows you the true problem in education in Egypt.Our education system is being controlled by a police state mentality. This incident shows that ministers do not have any control in their ministries. The officials did not inform him back but they rather inform the security authorities that told him to burn the books. The ministry of education’s officials turned to be bureaucratic employees who do not have any knowledge or interest in reading a book.  
How can we raise generations that think , criticize and innovate when those who are responsible of putting the plans and strategies for education take orders from security to burn and ban books in the 21st century !?? Thoughts and books can not be fought like that. Banned books are available online and for free for God’s sake.
After the bonfire 
What is the difference between the ministry of education or the Egyptian government or the Egyptian
security authority to be precise and the Islamic State that burns books in order to fight thought ?? Why does the Egyptian regime fear books !? Young men are inspected in the checkpoints if serious books about politics or literature or religion are found with them.
We still remember what happened to that young man who had “1984” with him. My friends coming from abroad tell me that they are being asked by customs officers if they got books with them and what those books are about if they brought books from abroad !! Of course I do not hear any of those secular intellectuals who used to scream “Freedom of thought and expression” during the days of Mohamed Morsi speak now about this disaster. 
It is like we live in 1930s Germany with the same police/military/nationalist disastrous mindset that brought nothing except defeat and humiliation to the German people.
Why does the regime fear books !??


Photos From Planet #Egypt : Mawlid Sayyida Nafisa 2015

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This could be late but it is never too late to share those photos captured by Egypt’s most talented photographers like Mosa’ab El-Shamy, Roger Anis and Ahmed Haymen. Those photos from the Mawlid of Sayyida or Saint Nafisa in Cairo late last month.
Lady Nafisa who is considered one of the most important Islamic Patron Saints of Cairo was the granddaughter of Prophet Mohamed “PBUH.
She was also one of the most important teachers of Islam in her age and got many students including Emam El-Shafei , the founder of Shafei school of Fiqh.
In the Mawlid you will find people from all over the country and all ages paying their respect to the Prophet's great grand daughter. You see the rich and poor , the old and the young, the sufis and the simple people looking for miracles. It is another world.
The photos are amazing. Those guys do not stop to amaze me every year with their wonderful photos.
It is like another world in Egypt with all followers paying tribute to Lady Nafisa. I look to her history and how she was considered one of the most important scholars at her time and how now women are being marginalized by religious men.
This is my favorite photo from that collection. This photo is by Roger Anis.
By Roger Anis
 The old man looks as if he were in another realm.

Officially No Egyptian Ground Troops in Yemen …. Till Now

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This is another follow up for the big question of whether the Egyptian regime is going to send ground troops to Yemen or not. The question or rather speculations were fueled by the photos emerged online showing Egyptian soldiers on the board of an Egypt Air Flight to Saudi Arabia.“It turned out that there were several photos not only one.”

On Tuesday Al Watan Newspaper already published a report saying that there was confusion about those troopers adding that despite the denial of Egypt Air CEO that his company did not transfer any troops to Yemen or Saudi Arabia recently , a source inside the company said that Egyptian army special forces were transferred to Saudi Arabia.

On the same day the official spokesperson of Egyptian Armed Forces Mohamed Samir issued a statement denying that report considering a part of that Fourth generation warfare against the Egyptian army despite this is the Pro-Regime Al-Watan Interestingly.

Samir added that Egypt has not got any ground troops participating in the Saudi led operation decisive storm up till now.

بيانــــــفى إطار إستغلال بعض الجهات المعادية لحروب الجيل الرابع (حرب المعلومات) بغرض التأثير على الأمن القومى المصرى...
Posted by ‎الصفحة الرسمية للمتحدث العسكري للقوات المسلحة‎ on Tuesday, April 14, 2015



On Friday in a visit to the Military academy following the bomb attack on its students on Kafr El-Sheikh on Wednesday , President Abdel El-Sisi made it clear that he did not dispatch ground troops to Yemen. He also added in his statements that Egypt was keen on a political solution in the war-torn country.

Interestingly also this week on Tuesday as well President El-Sisi met with Saudi minister of defense Mohamed Bin Salman who came in a short visit to Cairo.

According to the Egyptian Presidency’s statement about this visit  the Egyptian president and the Saudi minister agreed to hold a major Egyptian-Saudi-Gulf military exercises in Saudi Arabia.

Some would speculate that this major exercise can be a cover to send ground troops to Saudi Arabia.
Nevertheless there is not specific timing for those exercises and I think El-Sisi knows the Egyptian people may not buy this as a cover now especially with the bad situation in Sinai.
Officially we do not have ground troops in Yemen .. so far. Let’s pray it will remain like that.

Bin Salman and El-Sisi in Cairo "Egyptian Presidency" 

Destroying Our Heritage Officially in Alexandria

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I feel sad and angry that I did not blog about this earlier.
A Hellenistic-era archaeological site in Alexandria was demolished in Alexandria last week according to Egypt’s Heritage Task Force which campaigned unsuccessfully to stop this crime online.

This site is or rather was al-Abd Theater in Camp Shizar district in Alexandria. The site was discovered in 2013 only and it looked amazing. I see that it included a cemetery.
The site dates back to the Hellenistic era. Here are photos of the site before demolishing it. "Photos : Egypt's Heritage Task Force" 








It was demolished on Thursday. According to Egypt’s Heritage Task Force , the site was demolished because the land owner wanted to sell it and the ministry of antiquities approved the selling of the land to some Construction company.



Alexandria Antiquities Director Mostafa Roshdy told Youm 7  the site built in 323 B.C was demolished after residents complained it threatened the architectural stability of the adjacent buildings.
Well Constructing a new building for sure won’t affect the stability of the adjacent buildings !!! This is just sad !!

From what I understood the archaeologists transferred some of the ruins and artifacts they found in the site but honestly I feel it need to be preserved not to be demolished for further demolished.

Already what is difference between the officials in Alexandria and ISIS when it comes to destroying ancient cities and sites ??

The governorate officials as well the ministry of antiquities do not understand that we are not speaking about an Egyptian heritage but rather about world heritage. That site was part of the world’s history , we share it with the rest of the world for God’s sake !!

UNESCO launched #UNITE4Heritage campaign to protect the archaeological sites in areas of armed conflict especially in the Middle East. I think this campaign should include archaeological and world heritage sites in Third World Corrupted countries as well. 

Yesterday we got a ministry of education official who burns books in schoolyard and defends her decision and today we got antiquities officials who are okay with demolishing archaeological sites.

Release Karmooz Refugees After more than 150 days !!

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Do you remember Karmooz police station refugees ? The 74 Syrian and Palestinian Syrian refugees
For more than 150 days , those children
are detained in an Egyptian police station
who have been detained in Karmooz police station since last November despite the prosecutor general’s order to release the. Those refugees are still detained.
Those refugees including children are still detained for more than 150 days.
That group includes 16 Syrians and 58 Palestinian Syrians.
There is also one Somali refugee who has been in detention since last August staying with them.

Updated : 

According to journalist Tom Rollins  all the Palestinian-Syrian men were transferred to Qanater prison from couple of days ago leaving children and women behind at Karmooz police station !! 

I do not know when their agony will end.

Already they did not do any crime for real. They were left at the Nelson Island and they were the one who called the police to save them.

The Egyptian authorities have either to deport them or to release them.

What I know that the prosecutor general gave his orders to release them while the National Security ordered their deportation and yet they were not released nor deported. Just stuck in a two small detention cells in an Egyptian police station for more than 150 days !!
I believe that the Egyptian media should focus on the agony of those refugees.

#OpDecisiveStorm ceased , Operation “Restoring Hope” to start

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And Saudi Arabia announced from couple of hours ago "on Tuesday as I finished this post early Wednesday morning !!"  that its military operation against Iranian-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen was over and that new operation called “Restoring Hope” was to start tonight.
From the Saudi Yemeni borders on April 20, 2015
"AP" 

The Saudi-led military coalition spokesperson Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri announced in his daily briefing on Tuesday that “Operation Decisive Storm” reached its goals which are protecting Saudi Arabia and the Arab countries as well destroying the Houthis’ ballistic rockets capabilities.

The 8 original goals of Operation  Decisive Storm announced from three weeks ago , they  did not include those goals. Operation Decisive storm aimed that a Houthi withdrawal from Sana'a and Aden as well to reinstate President Hadi.
Hadi has not returned back nor did the Houthis leave Sana'a or Aden.

I think many people will ask and discuss whether Saudi Arabia and its coalition won in that operation or not in the upcoming days. Of course the Saudis are saying that the action has not stopped yet and the kingdom will launch a new operation “Restoring Hope”.

Some Saudis say that the operation succeeded from stopping the Houthis’ advance to the Kingdom.

May be the operation stopped the Houthis indeed but the militant attacks on the Saudi borders do not ballistic missiles. 
Anyhow after 3 weeks of airstrikes , the one thing we are sure of is that according to the WHO’s latest estimation not less than 994 dead and 3,487 injured in Yemen

Personally I believe the Kingdom had to stop its military operation after it began to lost huge support among the Yemeni population following the airstrikes on Sana'a in the past few days.

I also find very it very strange that the Kingdom announces that Operation Decisive Storm was over when few hours earlier today it announced that the Saudi National Guards would join the operation. Some considered it a sign that there would be a ground invasion.

Oddly enough at the same time of  Spox Ahmed al-Assiri’s press conference Turkish Anadolu News agency claimed that the Ground invasion operations !!
Anyhow aside from Anadolu false news , some predicted today’s sudden change officially and Unofficially

Unofficially famous Saudi whistleblower “@Mujtahidd” said in a series of tweets on his twitter account that Saudi Arabia had talks in the past few days with Houthis “as well Iran” through Oman and that the talks reached out that the Houthis would keep their gains without claiming victory in order to reach for a political solution.
The Pro-Islamist whistleblower added that one of the signs of that agreement was appointing Khaled Bahah as Hadi’s vice-president. Bahah is accepted by the Houthis.



Officially earlier today Iranian deputy Foreign minister Hussein Amir told Iranian “Tansim” news agency that the Saudi operation would stop in Yemen.
Strangely the Supreme leader in Iran Khamenei published this post on his official instagram on Monday saying in nutshell that Saudis will be defeated in Yemen.
@khamenei_quote #احتمال_زیر_صفر #سعودي ها در مسئله #يمن خسارت خواهند كرد، ضرر خواهند كرد و به هيچ وجه پيروز نخواهند شد... پيروزي اينها احتمالش زير صفر است ١٣٩٤/١/٢٠ • • "احتمال انتصارهم تحت الصفر" سيتضرر #السعوديون جراء ما يجري في #اليمن وسيكون تحقيقهم للنصر مستحيلا .. احتمال انتصار هؤلاء تحت الصفر الإمام الخامنئي 09/04/2015 • • Ayatollah Khamenei #Saudis will suffer a loss on this matter(issue of Yemen). They will suffer a loss and they will not achieve any victory. the chances for the Saudis to achieve victory in #Yemen would be zero. In the present time, their chances are less than zero 09/04/2015 • • • #السعودية #عربستان #عاصفة_الحزم #عاصفه_الحزم #عاصفة_الحزم_السعودية #عاصفةالحزم #عاصفة_الخيانة #عربستان_سعودي #انصارالله_یمن #حوثي #انصارالله_اليمن #یمن #حوثيين #الحوثيين #اليمن #عدن #تعز #صعدة #صنعا ____ #khamenei #khamenei_ir #supremeleader #خامنه_ای #الخامنئي • • •
A photo posted by Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei (@khamenei_ir) on

I do not recall that his account published something like that in Arabic before.
Few hours after the announcement of Saudi Arabia that operation decisive storm was operation , the Khameni’s account published that short statement in Arabic and English plus of course Persian slamming the Saudis comparing them to Israelis.

Video time: 51sec #انكسار_العاصفة #انتصار_الإرادة ________ #سعودی‌ ها در این مسئله (تجاوز به يمن) خسارت خواهند کرد، ضرر خواهند کرد و #به_هيچ_وجه_پيروز_نخواهند_شد... قطعاً بینی سعودی‌ها به خاک مالیده خواهد شد. ________ الإمام الخامنئي لقد أطلق #السعوديون بدعة سيئة في هذه المنطقة، و قد أخطأوا طبعاً. الشيء الذي تفعله الحكومة السعودية في اليمن اليوم هو بالضبط ما فعله الصهاينة في غزة. سوف يخسر السعوديون و #سيتضررون في هذه القضية و #لن_ينتصروا_أبداً. لو كان أولئك قد استطاعوا الانتصار في غزة فإن هؤلاء أيضاً سيستطيعون الانتصار هنا. طبعاً حتى لو كان أولئك قد انتصروا لبقي احتمال انتصار هؤلاء صفراً، و احتماله الآن تحت الصفر. هؤلاء سوف يخسرون بالتأكيد، و سوف يتمرّغ أنف السعوديين في التراب قطعاً. 09/04/2015 • • Ayatollah Khamenei: the #Saudis have established a bad tradition in the region. Of course, they have made a mistake. Today, what the government of Saudi Arabia is doing in Yemen is exactly the same thing that the Zionists are doing in Gaza. the Saudis #will_suffer_a_loss on this matter. They will suffer a loss and they #will_not_achieve_any_victory. If the Zionists can achieve victory in Gaza, the Saudis too will achieve victory in Yemen. Of course, even if the Zionists achieved victory, the chances for the Saudis to achieve victory in Yemen would be zero. In the present time, their chances are less than zero. So, they will definitely receive a blow. Without a doubt, their noses will be rubbed in dirt. 09/04/2015 __________ #السعودية #عربستان #عاصفة_الحزم #عاصفه_الحزم #عاصفة_الحزم_السعودية #عاصفةالحزم #عاصفة_الخيانة #عربستان_سعودي #انصارالله_یمن #حوثي #انصارالله_اليمن #یمن #حوثيين #الحوثيين #اليمن #عدن #تعز #صعدة #صنعا _________
A video posted by Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei (@khamenei_ir) on

I just do not understand.
The latest update comes from Yemen as Houthi released Hadi's minister of defense whom they captured last March !! 

The Egyptian Media and The Holes in The Ministry of Interior

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Earlier this week a group of Al-Masry Al Youm “AMAY” Daily newspaper’s journalists were referred  to investigation at Egypt’s State security Prosecution for publishing a special report in the Newspaper on Monday about the ministry of interior and its violations.

The 5 journalists are : Mahmoud Mossalam , Mostafa Makhlouf, Yousry El-Badry , Ibrahim El-Kara’a and Hassan Ahmed Hussein.
A copy from the order of state security prosecution 
The story started when AMAY published a full 7-pages special reports about its violations as well heroic acts of its martyrs who were killed in the past 2 years.
The police's martyrs and the 9 sins 
The special report’s catchy headlines on AMAY’s Front page included“The police’s martyrs , 9 sins and holes in the police uniform” , “31 court rulings send police officers behind bars , the prosecution investigates 32 violations and 5-stars prison cells for jailed officers” , “The mission is to protect the citizen and the charge : fraud, theft , bribery, rape and kidnap” , “ Citizens : it is worst than the days of Mubarak”. 




The front page 
The report lists the Pros and cons of the MOI now stating in number and names the good and the bad , the martyrs and criminals of MOI.
Here is the English translation for one the reports by AMAY’s Egypt Independent.
Now this special report comes in a series of special reports by AMAY according to my insider info. That MOI special file is supervised by Yousry El-Badry , the head of the Crime Section who is actually regarded as a journalist close to the MOI due to his position.

This is the first special report about the ministry of interior and its violations since July 2013 in a major newspaper if I am correct.

Following that report , the Ministry of interior went mad and issued a statement slamming the newspaper and its journalists announcing that it would take a legal action against those insults.
That statement of the MOI also claimed that the reporters who worked on that special report were being investigated currently for false news in front of the prosecution.


صرح مسئول مركز الإعلام الأمنى بوزارة الداخلية أنه على خلفية ما نشرته صحيفة "المصرى اليوم" بتاريخ 19 إبريل الجارى تحت ع...
Posted by ‎الصفحة الرسمية لوزارة الداخلية‎ on Sunday, April 19, 2015

Next day we found out that the journalists are summoned to State security prosecution for investigation !! I do not an investigation for what considering the fact that they just mentioned documented cases and facts with numbers , names and dates !!

This is not the first time the MOI goes after journalists who criticize its violations and conduct.
Just from several weeks ago Pro-Regime newspaper “Dostour” attacked the MOI in series of reports and it was the strangest thing ever considering that this is the Dostour.
Anyhow the MOI arrested journalist Hussein Abdel Halim, the head of Crime page in the paper over a set of charges including thuggery and weapons possession.
The MOI added that he was not a journalist and is a fugitive in the first place.


إستمراراً لجهود الإدارة العامة لمباحث تنفيذ الأحكام بقطاع مصلحة الأمن العام فى مجال ضبط الهاربين وتنفيذ الأحكام القضائية...
Posted by ‎الصفحة الرسمية لوزارة الداخلية‎ on Sunday, April 12, 2015

Last week Al-Dostour newspaper revealed that journalist Hussein Abdel Halim was recommended by the MOI itself to work in the newspaper as the head of crime section !!!!!!!!
This tells you a lot about the relation between the MOI and Al-Dostour newspaper now !! The whole affair is shady when it comes to this newspaper.

Back to the AMAY.
Now AMAY is being attacked by the Pro-regime supporters as well Pro-regime media madly accusing it of having an agenda to the end of those accusations.

As the attackers launched “Boycott AMAY” , the Social media team of AMAY launched successfully “#Holes in the Police Uniform” which is being used to document violations of police officers.

Ironically and strangely when Al-Masry Al Youm published the special report , many people suspected and wondered how come it attacks the MOI in that way except that there is some kind fight between different security apparatuses or to be precise the army and police a usual. Recently there was another fight between army officers and police officers in some Nile Delta governorate and some suspected that the special report about MOI violations is related to that fight.

The fact that the current AMAY’s CEO is a famous Pro-Mubarak regime journalist “Abdel Moneim Saeed” and its current editor-in-chief  is military correspondent and close to Abbas Kamel’s office  “Mahmoud Mossalam” made many Pro-revolutionaries suspect the intentions of Al-Masry Al-Youm because of that.

Egypt's MOI is its own worst enemy as long as there are no true radical reforms in the ministry as a civilian security institution in the first and last place owned by the people of Egypt.

I just do not know what to say more. Again the press is not the MOI’s worst enemy , the police state mentality is the MOI’s worst enemy. The police state mentality is the biggest black hole in the MOI and it can destroy it. Black holes do this according to the laws of physics.

About Those Amazing Egyptian Armenians

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Armenia commemorates the 100th anniversary of  the Armenian genocide today  reminding the world with one of the worst war crimes and genocides committed against its people by Ottoman empire.

I will not go into endless and meaningless historical and political debate after 100 years about the genocide nor I will not comment on how suddenly Arab nationalists remember the Armenian genocide and ignore genocides committed against ethnic groups and minorities whether in Iraq or Sudan or any other part of the Arab world because they want to tease Turkey.

I know that the world won’t learn from what happened 100 years ago because genocides are still committed and people are forced to leave their homes, it is an ugly old human truth.

Today members of the Armenian community in Egypt commemorated the Armenian Genocide centennial at Egypt's Unknown Solider Memorial in Nasr City in a rally led by the scout boys and girls of  The Armenian community in Egypt.

By Kegham Karsian 
By Kegham Karsian
You can see the rest of photos from the event here at this photo album by Kegham Karsian. 


Allowing the memorial to be held at Egypt's Unknown Solider Memorial sends a message I think at least to the community and Armenia after the fact that Egypt's ambassador to Armenia did not participate in the official Commemoration in Yerevan.

There is no official reason on why the ambassador did not participate, but unofficial reasons say that the Egyptian regime was worried about the Egyptian workers in Turkey !!!!

This is a joke , seriously speaking considering the fact that Egyptian government kicked the Turkish ambassador himself and they care now for the Egyptian workers in Turkey !!!

Here is a video from Ahram Online showing the Commemoration of  the Armenian genocide at the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate in Cairo on Thursday


I will rather speak today about those beautiful Egyptian Armenians whose grandparents and parents found a safe refuge in Egypt escaping the war and the genocide. I will speak briefly about the Egyptian Armenian community.

The Egyptian Armenian community has got a very long history in Egypt since the Middle ages and the rule of Mamluks. It is enough already that Queen or Sultana Shajar Al-Durr was said to be of Armenian origins according to some historical accounts.

In 19th century, the Egyptian Armenian community began to participate effectively in building the Modern Egypt we know now. We had several ministers in the 19th century from Armenian origin above them Nubar Pasha, Egypt’s first Prime minister.

After the Armenian genocide and its forced migration, Egypt received many of the refugees and survivors who found safe haven in this country.
The Near East Relief placed Armenian orphans in Egyptian Armenian
homes in Cairo and Alexandria "Amr Ali
Thousands of Armenians came and settled down in Egypt as new home and Egypt truly became their second or rather their substitute home. Since then Armenian community played a critical role in building that cosmopolitan nation we are speaking about its glory now.

I can not list all the names of famous Egyptian Armenians, but there are certain names in my mind I can not ignore. Above them Alexander Saroukan, the famous legendary cartoonist who created “Al-Masry Effendi” cartoon character to comment on Egypt’s political affairs.

Saroukan
I can not also forget Egypt’s most famous portrait photographer Van Leo, please visit his official Facebook page to see his work.
Van Leo and his family "Official Van Leo FB page 

And who can forget the Artian girls “ Fayrouz and Nelly” as well their cousin Ninochka aka Leblebla.
Fariouz , Nelly and Leblebla 
The legendary child actor  Fayrouz is sick according to actor Khaled El-Sawy.
After 1952 and the nationalization policies adopted later by Nasser’s administration, many Egyptian Armenians left Egypt to Europe and to the United States.
Nevertheless, there are still thousands of Egyptian Armenians living now in Egypt quietly.
Most Egyptians now do not know that the Armenian community still got two daily Armenian newspapers and an Armenian school still operating in Cairo since the 19th century.
Already I pass by Kalousidan School, Egypt’s oldest private school in Boulaq, Cairo every day on my way to work.
There are two daily Armenian newspapers published in Egypt: Housaper and Arev. Both newspapers are among the oldest private daily newspapers in Egypt.
When I mention all this, I can not keep myself from thinking how Egypt and Egyptians were open to everybody and how this made Egypt flourish when it comes socially and culturally. I just wonder if we can be that open once again.

There is certainly something going on !!

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First of all Al-Masry Al-Youm journalists were investigated earlier today at Egypt’s National Security Prosecution  for publishing a special report on the police force and its documented violations.
Now there is something strange in the media.

Despite all the Pro-regime TV channels and newspapers took the ministry of interior’s side against Al-Masry Al-Youm “AMAY” , we found out that State-owned Ahram Daily Newspaper criticizes the treatment of the suspects and detainees in Cairo’s police stations in a half page report.
Al-Ahram's report on Saturday 
The report was published on Saturday using a very interesting and shocking headline in the Crime Page “If you do not die from torture, you will die from suffocation at police stations”. The headline is a recognition from Ahram’s Crime page that people die from torture at Egypt’s police stations. The report details how the members of prosecution inspected Cairo’s police stations to check on the detention’s facilities and its situation and how they found detainees and suspects are living inhuman conditions in custody. Suffocation here does not mean another way of torture but rather the lack of proper ventilation.

What is even stranger than Ahram Daily newspaper is that one finds a Pro-Military/Pro-Police website like El-Bawaba published a video showing police officers’ abuse of a citizen on a highway in Cairo earlier Sunday.  El-Bawaba, which is headed by Abdel Rahim Ali does not publish this stuff like that for the sake of transparency and human rights, on the contrary.  This is really fishy.
I do not know if it is a fight between security apparatuses in Egypt or what but there is something going. Unfortunately we reached to a degree of mistrust in the media. 

BY the way a new minister of interior’s aide for media and public relations Police General Abu Bakr Abdel Karim was appointed on Friday whereas Police general Hany Abdel Latif , the former MOI spokesperson was transferred to Police academy. Abdel Karim was the minister’s aide for human rights. 

Another Blow to Online Media in Egypt Coming on the way !!

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As soon as I read “ The National Media Authority “ Draft law in Al-Watan Newspaper , I knew that I will be a big blow to Internet Media and Social media in Egypt.
“The National Media Authority” is a new authority to be founded in Egypt replacing the Current Egyptian Radio and Television Union “ERTU” if its draft law is approved by the upcoming
Source : Free Press 
parliament. The draft law does not regulate the official televised and radio media in Egypt but also any sort of broadcast in Egypt whether through Satellite or Online.
As soon as I put my eyes on Article “16” mentioned in the report I knew private online radio stations in Egypt as well Online live streams like Bambuser and US stream will be banned in Egypt.
Article 16 stipulates the following :
No party or person is allowed to use any means or device or technology for live broadcast  or re-broadcast through  Satellites or  Internet for any event inside Egypt.  Also re-airing the broadcast owned by National Media authority in public places or residential gatherings or means of transportation is banned except for a paid authorization issued from the authority and who will violates this pay a fine determined by authority.
All what I can think about that it will be a crime in Egypt to broadcast anything on Bambuser according to this law. Private Online Radio services like Gramafoon and Radio Horytna will be banned as well.
Bambuser played an essential role in transferring events and protests as well clashes in the past 5 years in Egypt in real time.It was the only thing that transferred protests on air in the past 2 years.
Radio Horytna was the first Egyptian private online radio service that started its broadcast in 2008 founded by Andalus Institute for tolerance and anti-violence studies.
Interestingly earlier this month security stormed Radio Horytna HQ in Cairo arresting Ahmed Samih , the director of Andalus Institute as well head of Radio Horytna. Samih was under investigation for broadcasting without a permit. He was also asked about the political affiliation of Radio Horytna. He was also accused of possessing illegal copy of Windows OS !!
Samih was released later but the message was received.
Radio Gramafoon is by far the most famous Online Radio service in Egypt after 2011. May be I am biased because I am big fan of Gramafoon , which started as a Free-ad Online 24/7 classical Arabic music Radio station and then extended to include other stations like Jazz , Arabic Folk , Soundtrack and Western Classic Music.


Young people used to download the Gramafoon radio apps whether on android and iOS
Gramafoon already was having hard times and with that draft law , Gramafoon founder Ahmed Kamal decided it was no use unfortunately.
In an announcement published on Gamafoon’s official Facebook page on April 25 , Kamal stated starting from 5 May 2015 Gramafoon would suspend its service online and its online archive because simply if that law is applied , all those working in Gramafoon Radio will be sent to jail.


عيد ميلاد جرامافون الرابع بعد أيام و في كل سنة اليوم ده بيكون نسبيًا مختلف على الراديو بس السنه دي قررنا نحتفل بشكل مختل...
Posted by ‎Gramafoon.com - جرامافون‎ on Saturday, April 25, 2015 

Anyhow Ahmed Kamal announced that he would upload its huge archive on torrent. Of course I do not understand much.
January 25 revolution’s slogans including freedom and freedom includes the freedom of expression as well the freedom of media. I do not know what to say , the world is witnessing how media is liberated from the State’s authority as well corporate's authority around the globe thanks to the Internet and yet we insist in 2015 to have 1960s media !!!!
Now quick fact about Radio channel industry in Egypt. There is full state-control on radio. Nogoom FM and Nile FM are actually joint venture between ERTU and Good News. Nagham FM is also a joint venture between ERTU and Mazzika TV channel. 
Historically Radio service in Egypt started as privately owned. Oh Yes in 1924 privately owned radio stations started to flourish in Egypt but they were nationalized in 1934 and since then the State got full control on Radio stations in Egypt.
Of course Sisi supporters say that the Egyptian people are not ready for freedom of media and that we need that 1960s media El-Sisi explicitly wished over and over to have just like Nasser.
I will say one thing , it started with online streaming and it will end with banning blogs and twitter.

And Now They Dare and Criticize El-Sisi on TV !?

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Do You remember that sudden wave of criticism to the ministry of interior and misconduct of police force I spoke about it earlier this week ?? It escalated to become a direct criticism as well an attack on Abdel Fattah El-Sisi himself by the same TV hosts who used to spread the Presidential cult every night through their talk shows.
Tawfik Okasha unleashed verbal attack against El-Sisi describing him as a “donkey” { stupid} and a coward for not sending the Egyptian army to Yemen.
Tawfik Okasha: El-Sisi is coward
Okahsa, who is going to shut down his channel next Saturday due to financial problems, predicted earlier that El-Sisi was going to be toppled next Tuesday !!!!!
I do not need to recount how this man was too close to SCAF.
Pro-regime TV host Rania Badawy asked El-Sisi on air from couple of days on Saudi-owned Youm Channel about the fate of the mega-projects he promised during his presidential campaign as well the projects announced in the Sharm El-Sheikh economic conference. The video of her rant was available Online, but it was removed from YouTube from a couple of hours ago.


Of course Okahsa and Badawy are not like Ibrahim Eissa who has been criticizing El-Sisi strangely and systematically for the past two weeks. Eissa is the most vocal so far stating the country is ruled by the same way used in Mubarak’s time. Now Personally I believe Ibrahim Eissa is really angry from El-Sisi because the later took Egypt’s Al-Azhar Institution when it comes to that talk about Islamic revolution. Eissa has been criticizing Al-Azhar in his TV shows and articles accusing the top Islamic institution of being the cradle of radicalism by sticking to the old texts and explanations of Emam El-Bukhari. After a war of words between the Sheikhs and Eissa , El-Sisi announced that reforming the religious discourse was the responsibility of the official state institutions aka Al-Azhar.
Just check the dates of Eissa’s attack on El-Sisi and the later’s statements about reforming the religious discourse and you will know what I mean.
Something is not normal and please do not tell me that this is the freedom of expression because those TV hosts are far away from freedom of expression and they were participated effectively in the past three years in paralyzing the freedom of expression in Egypt after the 25 January revolution.
Ironically a group of Pro-Sisi supporters on twitter launched a Hashtag called “Your media is not appropriate for Egypt” attacking the same old media figures who used to worship Sisi for the past three years !!!!
Moving to Press, today this was the front page of weekly Tahrir Newspaper on Thursday.
Let's hold the president accountable !!
Let’s Hold The president accountable !!!????? Here is article speaking about the president’s accountability according to the constitution. Tahrir Newspaper is currently owned by businessman Akmal Kortam, the former NDP member and founder of Pro-Military Conservatives Party which is considered actually another NDP-off shoot party.
Many people are wondering what is going on. Is there a fight between security apparatuses? Is there a fight between the regime and the businessmen in Egypt ?? Is there a fight between the old Mubarak state and the New Sisi state !? God only knows. Time will tell.

The return of the living dead in Egypt !!!

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It is very promising and very cheerful when you read n the newspapers and websites that Gamal Mubarak has visited the pyramids plateau with his wife Khadija El-Gamal, his little daughter Farida and his big Nikon D4 I think.
Gamal Mubarak with his daughter Farida and wife Khadija
"Source: Youm7"
It is very provoking actually because you remember at the same time thousands of Egyptian young protesters and activists who revolted again him and his father are currently in jail like Alaa Seif, Ahmed Douma, Mohamed Adel and Ahmed Maher as well Sanaa Seif and a long list of young men and girls.
Anyhow there is sudden insistence from the Mubarak boys whether Alaa or Gamal to resurface in Egypt’s social scene once again since their release pending their trials. They appeared first in early April while attending the memorial service of famous Pro-Military journalist Mustafa Bakery’s mother at none other than Omar Makram mosque in the heart of Tahrir square in some sad irony.

The Mubaraks at Omar Makram
The Mubarak brothers were received warmly by all the cronies in the memorial service.
Ironically I remember that Mustafa Bakry or Bakryman as Bassem Youssef used to call him was the first to attack Hosni Mubarak and his sons on TV days after the former president was ousted. I even remember him while saying on TV chilling dramatic moments about the fall of the Mubarak era including the moment when Alaa slammed his brother Gamal or Jimmy at the Presidential palace while crying on 10 February 2011 and screaming “You brought Papa down !!”. In August 2011, Bakry claimed that he chanted against Hosni Mubarak himself !!

I think the Mubarak brothers hold no hard feelings for Bakry whom the Muslim Brotherhood used to cheer for him in the parliament 2011/2012 because he used to attack ElBaradei.

Newspapers and media figures report from time to time that presidency aka El-Sisi does not like their activity , nevertheless I believe that that sort of news is just to absorb the public anger from their return back to the scene even away from politics.

Hosni Mubarak already was back to the spotlight last week when he spoke on the phone on air with TV host Ahmed Moussa urging the people to stand behind their president Sisi.  Moussa is close to the presidency and traveled to Greece and Spain among the media delegation accompanying El-Sisi.

Anyhow today’s Pyramids plateau's visit is more than interesting. Ironically it comes after the visit another controversial figure to the Pyramids. On Thursday Porn actress Carmen De Luz posted a photo for her naked derriere while riding a camel at the Pyramids plateau on her social media networks breaking the internet for real in Egypt to the level that the ministry of antiquities decided to open an investigation about the whole affair.

If you think about it Gamal Mubarak was flashing his derriere a Giza Pyramids theoretically in the face of millions of Egypt during that short family visit to The pyramids.

Now interestingly as we are speaking about the return of Gamal Mubarak to the social scene, it seems that there is another presidential hopeful who wants to come back to Egypt.

This weekend suddenly people find posters calling for the return of former PM and presidential candidate Ahmed Shafik from Dubai.
By Tito Tarek 
By Tito Tarek 
“We want Major General Shafik to return back to Egypt” and it is signed by an unknown group called “You are the President” movement. I could not find a public group or Facebook page with that name dedicated to Shafik except one closed group with 200 members only.

Political activist and Constitution party member Tito Tarek found those posters disturbed Downtown Cairo late Thursday. He also found them hanged on the buildings in Downtown Cairo next day.
Those posters remind me of Omar Suleiman’s presidential posters which appeared suddenly in fall 2010. During then we did not know who was behind that campaign.

After the ousting of Mubarak in 2011, Journalist and TV host Ibrahim Eissa confessed that he and other three young political activists from the founding members of the Revolution Youth Coalition. Eissa claimed that it was their plan to hit Gamal Mubarak.

Of course there is another unofficial version then Eissa’s saying that Eissa and his youth activists were actually pawns used in that war between Gamal Mubarak and Omar Suleiman which ended of course that Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is currently ruling the country.

Back to Shafik , the last time we heard of him when he backtracked his leaked recording where he slammed El-Sisi and army in 2014 over the presidential elections. 

By the way, the appearance of Jimmy Mubarak and Shafik’s posters certainly indicate that those living dead are back !! 

DSC08199 [Flickr]

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Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

DSC08199

Egypt's Spring Flowers Show 2015.
Scenes from Egypt's annual Flowers Show in Spring at Orman Public Park.
It is not the best shot as no one prepared me for the hot weather and the vertical sun in early May !!

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