Quantcast
Channel: Egyptian Chronicles
Viewing all 4293 articles
Browse latest View live

Reem Magued’s Show suspended on ONTV after two episodes only

$
0
0
TV host Reem Magued’s new TV show discussing social and feminist issues has been suspended by orders of authorities in Egypt after only two episodes on ONTV.
It started Friday afternoon when news hit the internet that ONTV will suspend the broadcast of the show. The news was confirmed by tweets from ONTV TV host Lilane Dauod.

“Authorities” order the suspension of Reem Magued’s show “Feminine plural”. We would like some “sane” explain to us what is happening and where that would lead us in Egypt.
One of my friends is from Reem’s producers and he confirmed the news to me. At the same time channel Albert Shafik refused to comment during then.
almost all news websites in Egypt confirmed the news unofficially. The head of the TV

Pro-25 January revolution renowned TV host Reem Magued returned back to Television after a long absence. Since July 2013, Reem Magued took a bold decision to suspend her Night news Talk show on ONTV. Reem Magued supports freedoms and 25 January revolution. It is known to everybody. She used to participate in protests against military trials for civilians.

Early May Reem Magued returned back to TV with a new brand TV show discussing feminist issues and highlighting amazing and bright examples of Egyptian women. The TV show is produced by German DW-Arabic service in cooperation with ONTV. The TV show is aired on DW-Arabic and then is re-aired on ONTV.

So far Reem Magued presented two amazing episodes from that show.

Her guest in the first episode was Shahira Mehrez , the famous Egyptian folklorist and researcher. Mehrez spoke about her life and the history of women’s traditional clothes. There was no direct talk about politics except when Shahira Mehrez said in the end of the episode that the 25 January revolution day was the best day in her long life. I can not forget how Mehrez looked when she said that last word.

The guest in the second episode with Al-Masry Al-Youm talented photographer Eman Helal who recorded Egypt’s toughest moments on her camera in the past 4 years. Eman Helal spoke about women photojournalists as well her experience as photojournalist during the 25 January revolution.
Helal also described the toughest moments she witnessed in the dispersal of Pro-Morsi Rabaa sit-in.

Some say that this was the real reason why the show was suspended on ONTV. Nobody should speak about Rabaa massacre on Egyptian TV channels.
I am going to post both episodes below.


Hours after the spread of news , DW issued a statement denouncing the decision to suspend the TV show on ONTV stating the Egyptian authorities’ interfere.

Reem Magued spoke with Mahmoud Saad on Al-Nahar TV channel on Friday stating that she was informed by ONTV administration that the TV show was suspended because of authorities pressures. She did not believe it at first because it is not political focused show then it turned to be a real thing.

Reem Magued : I did not believe it at first

Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb denied that the government had anything to do with the suspension of the TV show. I believe him , simply because there are other authorities in Egypt above him.

Late Friday night ONTV administration issued an official statement claiming that there was no pressure from anyone to suspend airing the show. The statement added that the channel just postponed airing the TV show so it would achieve higher viewership !!

Interestingly Bassem Youssef tweeted about the matter earlier afternoon and predicted that the official explanation would be related to viewership or financial woes.
Reem Magued should stop whining , since when TV shows are suspended in Egypt or channels are forced to suspend shows !!? Certainty there are financial problems or viewership declined or she was compensated or …..looool
Seeing the ads of Reem Magued’’s show on 15 May bridge last week made me think for some time that thee is something going especially it came at the same time press was getting bolder and criticizing the ministry of interior. Little I know , nothing really changed.

It seems to me that the political regime in Egypt is really scared from Reem Magued even if she speaks about feminist issues and showing off Egypt’s strong and successful ladies

Of course there is a strong possibility that the presidency will intervene and the President’s office will pick up the phone to call ONTV telling them that the show will be back.

Personally I highly doubt that this will happen because Reem Magued is not that type of TV hosts.

Feminine Plural : Shahira Mehrez

Feminine plural : Eman Helal

So much for freedom of expression and freedom of media in Egypt.

Notes on a Historical verdict

$
0
0
Today an Egyptian Criminal court made another history as it sentenced for the first time an Egyptian president to death.
Oh yes and this is what I am going to speak about , about short notes and facts in the Morsi’s prison escape and espionage trials on Saturday where he was sentenced to death.
  • Mohamed Morsi is the first Egyptian president sentenced preliminary to death in modern
    By Khalil Al-Baih 
    Egypt.
  • Mohamed Morsi is the first Elected Egyptian president sentenced preliminary to death.
  • This is  a preliminary death sentence as the Judges in court asks the grand Mufti of Egypt to revise the case according to the law to see if the defendants should be executed according to Islamic Sharia.
  • The grand Mufti’s decision is not binding to the judges
  • If the grand Mufti agrees with the judges that those defendants should be executed then the court will uphold the verdict finally.
  • Because this is case involves a death sentence, there will be an appeal and a retrial which is expected in our case here like other cases involved death sentences and Muslim Brotherhood leading figures.
  • The case  involves Mohamed Morsi and 105 other defendants including defendants who stood a trial in an absentia.
  • The case involves members of Hezbollah Lebanese militant group and political party as well members of Hamas Palestinian militant group.
  • The Prosecution in the case believes that Lebanese Shia Hezbollah is part of the international organization of the Muslim Brotherhood !!!
  • The Convicted defendants facing death sentence in Cairo include two deceased Palestinians and another imprisoned Palestinian !!
  • The Palestinians who are facing death sentences in Morsi’s jailbreak case are : Hossam El-Sanae “ A member of the Islamic Jihad who was killed in an Israeli attack in 2008” , Tayseer Abu Snema “ A member of Hamas who was killed in an Israeli attack in 2011” and Hassan Salama“ Currently serving endless life sentences in Israel since 1996”
  • When confronted with those facts about the Palestinian defendants , Judge Shaaban El-Shamy “who made history in this trial for real” told press that it was not his “business” as we do not have official evidence in Egypt regarding the status of those guys !!
  • Political sciences professor Emad Shahin , who is sentenced to death in “espionage” case is not a Muslim Brotherhood member contrary to what is claimed in the media. Here is Shahin’s statement on his official website. Here is the statement from FB account as I see now his website is down.

Of course the question remains here: If Morsi was in the eyes of the state and security authorities as well the army a fugitive, why they let him run for presidency and win the elections ??? If Morsi and his brothers were in the eyes of that deep security state a fugitive, why then SCAF cooperated with them !? Please respect my mind as an adult who uses her brain and stop saying that the legendary Egyptian deep state wanted to expose the Muslim Brotherhood and other traitors in front of the public because this contradicts logic.
In the end I will quote Dr. Khaled Fahmy’s words about his colleague Dr.Emad Shahin because it is not only about his colleague but more about Egypt and how I honestly feel right now.
“As a student of modern Egyptian history, I can hardly think of a darker day in Egypt’s recent past. Sadly, with all signs showing the regime determined to stay the course, more ominous days lie ahead.”
I can not say anything more. I am so tired. I will speak later about Morsi’s jailbreak case.

The oriental hall at #AUC in #Tahrir #Cairo #Egypt [Flickr]

El-Mogamma in the heart of #Tahrir square after the new paint #Egypt #downtowncairo [Flickr]

The oriental hall's ceiling at the AUC [Flickr]

Mohamed Mahmoud street graffiti [Flickr]

Mohamed Mahmoud street graffiti [Flickr]

Reem Magued Interviews Dahab of Downtown Cairo

$
0
0
First of all here is Reem Magued’s Feminine Plural’s third episode for those who did not see it.
Reem Magued interviewed Dahab or Manal who owns a small kiosk for traditional Egyptian food in Downtown Cairo. Dahab , a University graduate from a working class background defied the odds after failing to find a job and decided to open a small kiosk for traditional food in a Downtown Cairo passage alone to become one of the popular food attractions in that busy part of the capital.
Feminine Plural: Dahab, the traditional food seller
Unfortunately, it is in Arabic. I wish DW translates it to English or German so the world sees those examples of fantastic and strong Egyptian ladies.
Now the crisis with ONTV is still going on.
ONTV owner Naguib Sawiris told Al Masry Al Youm that his Channel had to stop the TV show “ which is produced by DW” after two episodes only because it did not attract advertisements !!!
Ironically ONTV has this useless morning show “ON Morning” running for several years without commercials. The biggest irony also that ONA, the news agency owned by Naguib Sawiris published a report that is still online that says the TV show was suspended on ONTV due to political pressures !!
From her side, Reem Magued issued a statement on her official Facebook page slamming ONTV’s official statement.
Oh and the Pro-Sisi and Pro-Military Facebook accounts and twitter accounts began its dirty attack on Reem.
First they spread photos of her wearing a swimsuit then they began to spread  rumors that Reem converted to Judaism !!! You know during Mohamed Morsi’s rule, his supporters used to claim that Magued was Christian.
oh and they attack Naguib Sawiris with her also.

A New Minister of Justice , More Controversial Than the Old one

$
0
0
I do not know how they think at the presidency, but they surely do not think straight. Earlier today it was announced that Judge Ahmed El-Zend, the head of Judges’ Club as the new minister of justice replacing Mahfouz Saber who resigned after his classist statements. The irony is that Ahmed El-Zend is classist and controversial more than Saber.
Sisi and Zend "Egyptian presidency" 

Many people are shocked that El-Zend was chosen for this position but actually I believe appointing him means that the government exposes its  true anti-Jan25 agenda knowing El-Zend political views and statements. Already we should not forget that El-Zend represented the opposite current supported by Mubarak’s regime in the Judges Club against the Reformists judges in the first place.
Now this post celebrates El-Zend’s most controversial statements in the past couple of years  :
  • Judges want Islamic Sharia “ February 2012”
In a meeting with Salafist preacher Mohamed Hassan at Judges Club in Cairo , El-Zend stated that the judges in Egypt were dying to have Islamic Sharia fully implemented in Egypt but they do not have a legislative power.
  • The United States is a “dirty” country and Egypt should stop the visit of foreign delegations 
After ousting Morsi in July 2013 , there were many visits to Egypt by foreign delegations from African Union and European Union. This did not make El-Zend happy and so he called SCAF then to stop those foreign delegations from entering the country. He also called the United States as a "dirty"  country in an interview on CBC TV channel. I can find the video but the websites covered his statements.
  • The Holy March of Judges’ children in Judiciary “September 2013”
In a meeting at the Judges club in Monufia , El-Zend criticized those who spoke about despotism in judiciary describing them as envious. He also added that nobody would stop that holy March of Judges’ children.

  • We are the masters in this land and the others are slaves “January 2014” :
El-Zend : Judges are masters
In an interview with notorious Tawfik Okasha , El-Zend says that Judges are the masters in this land “Egypt” while others are slaves.
The Pro-Sisi supporters defended El-Zend saying that he meant the Muslim Brotherhood and their supporters.
  • Cut the relations with the States “January 2014” :
In The same months El-Zend demanded the Egyptian government to cut the relations with the United States during an On Air TV Show.
El-Zend : Cut the relations with the States
  • El-Sisi kicked Obama's back so hard " September 2014" 


In an interview with Pro-Military Ahmed Moussa , El-Zend said that El-Sisi kicked Obama's back "equivalent to ass" so hard. 
  • I have never believed in 25 January “November 2014”
In a meeting at Judges Club in Assuit in November 2014, Judge El-Zen said that he has never believed in 25 January revolution because it brought the Muslim Brotherhood to rule.

  • A tax to support the police and shanty towns inhabitants are rich  "February 2015" 


El-Zend wants to impose a 20 LE tax on citizens to support the police. Those who can afford it can pay despite the Shanty towns inhabitants can pay because they are rich from begging and claim otherwise !!

By the way some source in presidency told Ahram Arabic News website Wednesday afternoon that Ibrahim Mehlab chose El-Zend and that El-Sisi only chooses the ministers of defense , Foreign affairs and interior.
I have always thought that the ministry of justice is as important as the ministry of defense and interior.
Anyhow that source can claim whatever he or she wants but according to Constitution 2014's article no. 146  the president must consult the prime minister in choosing the ministers of justice , interior , foreign affairs and interior. 

Celebrating Moulid El-Sayyida 2015

$
0
0
when one speaks about El-Sayyida {The lady} in Egypt or rather in Cairo , he or she means one particular lady who is believed to be the Islamic Saint Patron of Cairo and that lady is Zeinab Bint Ali.
Despite there is a Mausoleum for El-Sayyida Zeinab in Syria and there are some historical records saying that she was buried in Damascus but according to other historical records she was buried in Cairo.
I do not need to say that how much El-Sayyida Zeinab is popular among Egyptians but it is enough that thousands of Egyptians from all over the country leaving their work to attend the celebrations of her birthday “Moulid”. It is major attractions of Sunni Sufi movements and Shia Muslims alike as well thousands of normal Egyptians seeking an aid or miracle from God through the help of Lady Zeinab.
El-Sayyia Zeinab Mosque Moulid By Tinne Van Loon 
This year I chose a collection of photos from photographers in Egypt : My favorite photographer and friend Mosaab El-Shamiwho you should check his work in AP” , Hossam Mosallam  , Tarek Wajeh , Momen Samir and Belgian American documentary photographer Tinne Van Loon who you should follow her work.
Van Loon took amazing photos from the Moulid, truly amazing.
Now The Moulid of El-Sayyida Zeinab takes for a week at least with the festival mods all over the place surrounding her Mosque in Cairo. The Moulid was held earlier this month.
You would find street vendors selling all sort of food, circus performers doing dangerous acts, singers singing Sufi chants in tents and poems and traditional swings and carousel.
You find all this in the photo gallery below, I hope you enjoy it.


It is a sign of changing times indeed

$
0
0
Last week was a busy one when it come to death sentences in Egypt.

On Saturday Former President Mohamed Morsi and 105 others were sentenced to death by the criminal court.

BY Khalil El-Baih 
On Sunday Egyptian authorities executed 6 men convicted by a military court in the case known in the media as the “Arab Sharks cell” over a range of charges including the murder of army officers.

On Monday a Mansoura Criminal court sentenced one person to death over another terrorism-related charges in some case.

The debate about capital punishment had to be brought up and for the first time we see Islamists speaking about the suspension of Capital punishment in the country.

Abdel Moneim Abu El-Fotouh , the former presidential candidate and leader of Strong Egypt party called on Monday in an official statement for abolishing Capital punishment in Egypt in a short statement in English released by Strong Egypt. This is a huge thing for the former leading member in the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist politician to call for.

Needless to say I am realistic enough to know that this could a mistake in translation because in tweet sent on his official twitter account, Abu El-Fotouh demanded the suspension of capital punishment in Egypt due to the lacks of any guarantees to have justice and political as well social polarization.


There is a big difference between the suspension of the capital punishment and the abolishment of capital even linguistically.
Of course on Thursday the party issued another statement saying Abu El-Fotouh was demanding the cancellation of special courts in Egypt and the temporarily suspension of capital punishment. I think in late 2013 new special terrorism circuit inside the Criminal Court was set up allegedly to speed up justice.

Even when it comes to the temporarily suspension, this is unprecedented for Islamist politicians to speak about that in public after years of defending capital punishment and considering it a taboo.
Already the Islamic Sharia includes death sentence as punishment in its panel code especially for premeditated murder as a retribution “an eye for an eye”. Still there are still views about the death sentence in other issues according to my knowledge including apostasy itself. Of course now most Islamic scholars support capital punishment as part of the Islamic Hudud.

Well in our Islamic history Omar Ibn El-Khattab suspended the punishment of theft “Cutting hands of the thieves” which is from Hudud in time of a famine because poverty pushed the people to the edge. SO Hudud can be suspended sometimes specifically in hard times and in necessities.
Many Islamists echoed Abu El-Fotouh in the past few days.
Interestingly Abu El-Fotouh was not the only the public figure to speak about capital punishment abolishment last week.

Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights “NCHR” member and human rights activist Nasser Amin reminded people on how human rights activists in Egypt called for abolishing Capital punishment but bot the State and Islamists stood against that.

Amin added that both parties whether state or Islamists use capital punishment now whether as death sentences or political assassination against each other.
Nasser Amin was the only official working a state-related institution-“The National Council For Human rights” already to express his refusal to the execution of 6 men convicted in the Arab Sharkas case.

Surprisingly former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi also condemned the Arab Sharks execution. I have not seen this coming from his side.

“Death sentence is not the solution”
The Arab Sharkas case is truly controversial starting with the fact that we are speaking about civilians standing a trial in front of a military court with one degree of appeal unlike the civilian judiciary which got two degrees of appeals. There is also a disturbing fact the families of three convicted men in the case say that

Personally I have mixed thoughts about capital punishment , there are some criminals especially war criminals sometimes I believe that they should be executed and other times I believe keeping them stuck between four walls for the rest of their lives is the best punishment. The matter is truly puzzling for me but of course what is happening now in Egypt calls for the suspension of capital punishment.

Speaking about abolishing or at least suspending it in Egypt temporarily is another a sign of changing times considering that this is a taboo.
BY the way the mainstream media does not speak about that change now and totally ignores it. Already Egyptian newspapers cheers for the executions of Arab Sharks cell as “revenge” for the murder of three Judges and their drivers in North Sinai. Yes the newspapers use the word “revenge” when it should call for the state of law that should ensure in perfect circumstances justice.


Ramadan is coming [Flickr]

May 25, 2015 at 02:28PM

$
0
0

#Ramdan is coming #Blogger #Citizenjournalism May 25, 2015 at 02:28PM via Instagram http://ift.tt/1AtxcFB

Teaching the GUC students and other University students a lesson

$
0
0
Do you remember the strike of the German University in Cairo“GUC” students’ strike in solidarity with their colleague Yara Tarek from a couple of months ago?
The strike and sit-in seemed to be successful and the students seemed to be winning the fight for their rights in safety at first.
The GUC administration reached agreement with the GUC Students Union after threats that the students would be reported to Prosecution following one-week sit-in and a strike.
According to that agreement, then all the students who boycotted the midterm exams would present petitions to have new examinations and no action would be taken by the GUC Administration to punish the protesting students.
Now months after the whole affairs the GUC administration decided to report against the president of the students union and other 10 students to the prosecution accusing him and his colleagues of assaulting the University Chairman and his guards as well his car during the sit-in.
The administration also rejected the petition to have new exams for a number of students which mean they may fail.
Three students were only officially summoned to New Cairo prosecution. The three students are president of the GUC 's student union Hazem Abdel Khalek, his vice-president Karim Nagib and a third student Alaa Al-Atar.
Now because we got the internet, there is a video showing that incident if I am mistaken. You can see clearly in the video that students did not touch the chairman’s car, in fact, Hazem Abdel Khalek appeared telling his colleagues not to touch. Earlier the students were angry because they heard the University’s chairman telling his driver to run over the students.
The incident captured on video.

Here is the photo of Alaa Al-Atar in shackles at the Prosecution after finishing her exams.



Alaa smiles in shackles.
"Mokhtar Mounir"
Here is also the students coming out from the prosecution.

According to the students’ lawyer Mounir Mokhtarthe administration said that it would retract its accusation if the students apologized officially.


Karim, Hazem and Alaa by Mounir Mokhtar earlier Monday
Mokhtar also says the New Cairo prosecution refused to give him the official copy of the case’s file.

نيابة القاهرة الجديدة ترفض التصريح لنا بالحصول علي صورة رسمية من اوراق القضية الخاصة بطلاب الجامعة الالمانية " كريم نجي...
Posted by Mokhtar Hemedah on Monday, May 25, 2015

The students have not apologized yet and they are currently detained for 4 days pending investigations by the orders of prosecution.

Here is a video in Arabic showing Alaa Al-Atar speaking about the crisis with GUC administration.

كلمة - 1
عن إنتهاكات إدارة الألمانية بالقاهرة في الأحداث الجارية إثر وفاة الطالبة يارا طارق بالفرقة الأولى بكلية الهندسة في مارس الماضي. فماذا عن وعود الإدارة الشفوية
Posted by Sansim Vero on Sunday, May 24, 2015


I do not know what the State University of Stuttgart will think of the whole affair as a patron University to the GUC.
Now what I see in front of me actually something beyond the GUC. It is about teaching the university students to avoid any kind of politics or activism from any kind. It is like a state policy whether in Public Universities or Private Universities. After all, those students are the future of Egypt and the regime believes that they should not be rebellious and stand up for their basic rights.

Another 100-years old watches and clocks store in #downtowncairo #Cairo [Flickr]


Just Remember Shawkan and Mahmoud Mohamed

$
0
0
Shawkan and Mahmoud Mohamed , two Egyptian young men who have been detained for more than a year  unjustly and unfairly. Only their families and friends are still fighting and reminding the world with their case without giving up hope.
Mahmoud and Shawkan 
Mahmoud Abu Zaid aka Shawkan has been in detention since August 2013. He has been in detention for more than 640 days now. He is currently detained pending a trial in protesting and inciting violence-related charges when he was arrested while doing his job as a photojournalist.
Shawkan in court on 14 May 2015 
Here was Shawkan standing in front of Judge Nagy Shehata “oh yes” on 14 May 2015 defending himself and saying that he was a photojournalist.

Unfortunately, Shehata renewed his detention for another 45 days !! Shawkan has been detained for more than 640 days for God Sake so far for just doing his job.


The freelance journalist wrote a letter from Torah prison saying that it may be his last letter as the security authorities may take from him the pen and papers he got in his cell. Shawkan wrote that eloquent letter before the trial casting  doubt that he would be released and slamming that “State sovereignty” which imprisons reporters and journalists in Egypt.

شوكان يكتب:-¤طره "ترى" هل تكون هذه هى الرسالة الاخيرة؟!!ولكن، كيف تكون الاخيرة؟!تكون رسالتي هذه هى الرسالة الاخيرة ...
Posted by Freedom for Shawkan on Thursday, May 21, 2015
Mahmoud Mohamed is a 19 years old high school student who has been detained since 25 January 2014. He was arrested because he wearing a t-shirt against torture and 25th January Scarf. For more than than a year now he has been detained pending investigations. His family released that statement in English and Arabic.

#بيان من اسرة الطالب محمود محمد افرجوا عن محمود محمدPlease scroll down for Englishمحمود محمد طالب ثانوي عمره ١٩عام، م...
Posted by ‎الحرية لمحمود محمد‎ on Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Just remember Shawkan and Mohamed. Just make noise to remind the world that they should be outside jail.There is no proper media coverage

Also please remember April 6 Co-founders Ahmed Maher and Mohamed Adel as well Alaa and Sanaa Abdel Fattah, Ahmed Douma , Abdullah El-Fakarany and Mohamed Soltan. It is just depressing when you think about that long list. 

DSC08270 [Flickr]

$
0
0

Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

DSC08270

A view from Egypt's Countryside in Sharkia governorate , Nile Delta

DSC08271 [Flickr]

$
0
0

Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

DSC08271

A view from Egypt's Countryside in Sharkia governorate , Nile Delta

DSC08272 [Flickr]

$
0
0

Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

DSC08272

A view from Egypt's Countryside in Sharkia governorate , Nile Delta

DSC08274 [Flickr]

$
0
0

Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

DSC08274

A view from Egypt's Countryside in Sharkia governorate , Nile Delta

Viewing all 4293 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images