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Regarding the #AJTrial in Cairo and its media Circus : Prove that You are journalist

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This post is about the Al Jazeera journalists retrial earlier, its meaning and the media circus followed it.
Earlier Saturday , a Cairo Criminal court sentenced six defendants including three journalists to three years in jail for broadcasting false news and working without a permit. The Al Jazeera international journalists Peter Greste ,Mohamed Fadel and Baher Mohamed were convicted in the retrial of the famous controversial case.
Students Sohip Saad , Shady Abdel Hamid and Khaled Abdel Raouf were also found guilty in the case and were sentenced for 3 years in the trial.
Sohip Saad  has already been referred to a military court last week for allegedly participating in a terrorist organization.
TV producer Baher Mohamed was sentenced for additional 6 months in jail for possessing “illegal arms” aka an ammunition casing he brought from Libya during his work there covering the Libyan revolution.
Baher Mohamed standing at the court room before
the start of the trial "Heba El-Kholy" 
Baher Mohamed was celebrating his son Haroon’s birthday yesterday. Haroun was born last year when Mohamed was in detention.
Baher with his children on Friday "Abdullah Shamy" 
The court also acquitted two defendants Khaled Abdel Rahman and Noura Hassan ElBanna.
The Mother of Khaled Abdel Rahman writes on paper "Acquitted"
so her son can read it at the sealed glass cage "Heba El-Kholy" 
Peter Greste was sentenced in absentia as he was already deported in February 2015 to Australia according to the extradition law amended by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi late last year. That law stipulates that the foreign convicted can be extradited to his country where he serves his jail term there. Australia did not sentence or jail Greste because he simply did not break any law there.
Greste slammed online the verdict describing the conviction of the journalists in this trial including his as “politically motivated” vowing to use every diplomatic , legal, political and social tool to free the rest of Al Jazeera staff.

Journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy’s lawyer Amal Clooney and the Canadian ambassador asked President El-Sisi to pardon the journalists because that what he promised before publicly and the deportation of Fadel Fahmy.
Mohamed Fahmy Fadel , his wfie Marwa and his lawyer Amal
Clooney "Heba El-Kholy" 
The internationally renowned human right lawyer slammed today’s court verdict saying that it was sending a dangerous message about Egypt.

“The verdict today sends a very dangerous message in Egypt“It sends a message that journalists can be locked up for simply doing their job, for telling the truth and reporting the news.”Defence lawyer Amal Clooney criticises the sentencing of three Al-Jazeera journalists in Egypt.
Posted by Channel 4 News on Saturday, August 29, 2015
It is worth to mention that Mohamed Fadel Fahmy had given up with his Egyptian citizenship earlier this year in hope that he would be deported to Canada just like Peter Greste. This did not happen
Shadi Abdel Hamid reading Quran before
the start of the trial "Kristen McTighe" 
despite Egyptian authorities released him pending the trial with the rest of the defendants. The Egyptian authorities did not return back his Canadian Passport they confiscated in his arrest.
Since his release pending the retrial, Fahmy has been active in proving that he was deceived by Al Jazeera network. He started to sue the Qatari news network as well exposing the oppression against political dissidents in Qatar. He was always demanding freedom for other journalists and photojournalists currently in jail in Egypt like Shawkan.
Personally I believe that Mohamed Fadel will be extradited to Canada eventually or he will be pardoned for his medical condition as he is suffering from Hepatitis C.
Baher , Fadel and Abdel Hamid have been transferred to Tora prison where they will serve their jail sentence according to Al Jazeera journalist Abdulla El-Shamy.
To be honest I feel more angrier for Baher and the rest of the Egyptians in the trial because I know Fadel has got an exist out ticket and he could be free in return of some deal or diplomatic pressures as a Canadian citizen.
Legally the court of cassation can accept another appeal for the case but it will take a time long according to my limited legally knowledge.

The cost of being journalist and TV reporter in Egypt

No one as it seems paid attention to what was really said at the court today as it seems because if they do especially journalists and TV reporters then should be alarmed
Now thankfully the defendants were no longer accused of terrorism-related charges but they were accused of broadcasting false. Dangerously the Prosecution said that Baher and Fadel were not officially considered journalists because they were not members in Egypt’s Journalists syndicate !!
Most of Egypt’s reporters and journalists are not members in the syndicate. They have to prove themselves to the court that they are officially journalists !!
I think that this is not the first time courts and prosecution accuse journalists of that.
Not to mention, TV reporters and producers are not members in the syndicate and for years they have been trying to unionize.
The prosecutor also added in his word in front of the court that using Final Cut Pro to edit video was an evidence to falsifying the news because the raw material was edited !!!!!!!!!
This is just madness !!

The media Circus about that actor’s wife

Needless to say, there has been a media circus in the court earlier today revolving about Amal Clooney and her celebrity status.
A true media circus "Independent" 
I totally understand that she is the most famous international celebrity lawyer to enter that Court set up at the Low ranking Police officers Academy in New Cairo. I do not recall if international human rights lawyer and former U.S attorney general Ramsey Clark attended trials there but surely he is not that famous like Amal Clooney now and he did not attract cameras like that in court like that.
The conscripts trying to see what all that fuzz about
"Kareem Fahim" 
On the other hand, I can not blame the photographers , after all she is more famous and attractive than Mubarak’s  Kuwaiti defense team !!
Speaking about Mubarak’s defense team , I have not seen today Mohamed Hammouda , Mubarak’s attorney who represents Mohamed Fadel Fahmy in court… thankfully. Seeing Hammouda and Clooney would be another surreal photo !!
Since early morning , I have seen very few photos or even news about other defendants in the case whether those who have been found guilty or those who have acquitted let alone their photos and the photos of their families. All cameras were spotted on Amal to the level that we have not seen a photo for the defendants including her own client in the cage.
Now moving to the Egyptian media coverage which was only focusing on her as being the wife of George Clooney that represents one of the convicted in the Al Jazeera journalists trial. The Pro-regime media covered the whole matter from a sexiest perspective as I expected. Youm 7 ran a whole report with pictures about how Amal Clooney’s big diamond ring captured the eyes of the people in the court !!
I think it captured the eyes of the photographer only who did not think about his colleagues in the trial and thought about her diamond ring !!
Dot Misr reached rock bottom as usual and published that photos from the court with that title on their Facebook page “ Photos show intimacy between Amal Clooney and Mohamed Fadel !!”
Pro-Regime CBC TV host Lamis El-Hadidy presented Amal Clooney as the wife of the most handsome actor in the world and not as the internationally prominent human rights lawyer before showing her interview with the British Lebanese lawyer. In a rare move , El-Hadidy criticized the court verdict. El-Hadidy already hosted Mohamed Fadel from short time ago in her show where he slammed and attacked Al-Jazeera and Qatar praising the 30 June revolution.. etc.
Already ET Arabia was covering Amal Clooney’s statements to the reporters after the trial!!?? Why would ET be interested in covering her political statements to their viewers in Arabia who care only about singers and actors is beyond me !?
Nevertheless, I would be lying if I said that I do not like that world/tabloid attention paid to the Al- Jazeera journalists trial now thanks to Amal Clooney. At least now many more people around the globe know what journalists in Egypt face and can face.
Of course officially the world is slamming us over those verdicts. There is nothing new.
Again journalism is not a crime.
We are back to the #FreeAJStaff hashtag as it seems

DSC09567 (1) [Flickr]

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Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

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Supermoon August 2015
Not the best shot for the supermoon as I am sick and could not stand too late to get better shots

DSC09575 (1) [Flickr]

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Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

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Supermoon August 2015
Not the best shot for the supermoon as I am sick and could not stand too late to get better shots

Kodak Agfa Presents : August’s Full Moon

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Meet August’s amazing Full Moon.

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Those are not the best shots for the full moon for real as I am sick and I could not stand too late tonight

The smoke from Shubra's big fire smoke is still there and can be see from Nile street in Agouza #Cairo #Citizenjournalism #Blogger [Flickr]

August 31, 2015 at 05:47PM

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The smoke from Shubra's big fire smoke is still there and can be see from Nile street in Agouza #Cairo #Citizenjournalism #Blogger August 31, 2015 at 05:47PM via Instagram http://ift.tt/1X5VCgt

A Minolta 430 Ex camera for 110mm films #cameras #vintagecameras [Flickr]

#AJTrial : Now that’s a new level of Sexism in the Media

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The media circus about Al-Jazeera Staff and Amal Clooney goes on in Egypt.
If you think that the top of sexism towards Clooney was manifested in the AP infamous tweet representing her as “The actor’s wife”, then you must think again.  In Egypt, the official and unofficial mainstream media hit rock bottom as usual and as expected but I did not even sexism would reach to the Official Spokesperson of the Egyptian cabinet.
The official spokesperson of the Egyptian cabinet Hossam Gowaish told Ten TV channel on Sunday that if it were not for the fame of George Clooney ; Amal’s visit would not create such controversy whether in local or international media !!
This is a new level of sexism in the media , we are speaking about official media now.
Hossam Gowaish speaks about Amal Clooney
Amal Clooney met with PM Mahlab on Sunday along with Marwa Omara, Mohamed Fadel’s wife. Clooney represents Fadel, the former head Al-Jazeera international bureau in Cairo sentenced three years in jail.
Hossam Gowaish is a diplomat and yet he did not notice that the amount of sexism in his statement about a renowned international human rights lawyer.
That degraded look to Amal Clooney was the common theme in the Pro-regime mainstream and social media as well their awful mob online.
The international human rights lawyer is now ridiculed to the level of speaking about her as “Novice lawyer from a small attorney office in London who is married to a famous Hollywood actor who divided South Sudan and want to divide Egypt as well’. I did not know that George Clooney was so influential !!!!
Two samples of those comments on CBC
FB page by Pro-regime supporters 
That comment or rather Conspiracy theory was shared frequently in the Pro-regime Facebook pages and comments in the past 48 hours. There was another comment I saw frequently that she is too thin and not that beautiful so she would marry a Hollywood star in the first place.
On TV, it was even worse and I am not speaking about Gowaish but rather the Pro-regime TV hosts band.
For two days , the infamous Pro-regime “whatever regime it is” TV host Siyad Ali accused Amal Clooney of being paid by Qatar despite he demanded the release of Fadel because the “boy confessed that he was deceived” !!
On Saturday : Clooney paid by Qatar
Mohamed Fadel Fahmy made it clear several times that neither Qatar nor Al-Jazeera hired Clooney to defend him.
On Sunday , Ali wondered why Prime minister Mahlab would agree to meet her.
The TV host known for his notorious lies and attack against the protesters of Tahrir square during the 18 days did not stop here.
He even claimed that Amal was a Muslim who was married to a Christian “George Clooney” as Muslim women are prohibited from marrying Non-Muslim men in a cheap attempt to tackle the feelings of the Conservative Pro-Sisi supporters.
Amal Clooney is born to a Druze Lebanese family in the first place.
Pro-Mubarak TV host Rola Kharsa wondered why Amal did not defend Gamal and Alaa Mubarak !!
You know coz they are innocent defenders of human rights and freedom of expression in Egypt.
Close to presidency and regime in general, Notorious TV host Ahmed Moussa wondered why “Amal Claoney” was allowed to enter Egypt and attended the trial when she had a tourist visa according to his informed sources !!
Last Sunday night Pro-Mubarak Pro-Military former footballer and Sports commentator Mostafa Younis said on TV that he did not understand why all people cared for Amal Clooney despite he “Mostafa Younis” was prettier than her !!
Mostaf Younis : I am prettier than Amal Clooney
I am waiting Mortada Mansour now to say what he thinks about Mrs. Clooney because I know that he won't miss that sexist circus.
After running a story about her diamond ring , many op-ed writers in Pro-regime Youm 7 slammed and attacked the renowned human rights lawyer madly whether online or in the printed issue.
For example, Akram El-Kassas called Amal Clooney as the Kim Kardashian of human rights who was not unknown lawyer till she married Clooney and became famous.
You can notice that all the attack is revolving about her looks and age and not that smoking hot for the standards of the Pro-regime supporters and media.
Amal Clooney in the court room by Hussein Tallal 
Amazingly Amal Clooney is facing all that sexism and that political motivated attack when she only represents Mohamed Fadel Fahmy “Who is suing Al-Jazeera and trashing the MB” and is asking President El-Sisi to pardon her client as he promised !!
I understand that the regime is angry that she dared and criticized the Egyptian independent judiciary stating the obvious and saying that it was politicized, but at least you should try to be more civilized in your criticism or just shut up.
What if she were defending Mohamed Morsi himself in front of the court !! On the other hand, imagine she defends Morsi and how we would be having a bigger circus.
I am truly amazed at the double standards of the Current Pro-regime media whether the mainstream or social media because during the days of Morsi those TV hosts and journalists used to preach us on how Islamists look down to women when they look to Amal Clooney as-not-so-attractive-wife-of Hollywood star with a sinister agenda against Egypt.
Of course mocking a woman’s look and attacking her in that sexist way are something Egyptian as I noticed lately but unfortunately we do not fight it properly. It is just sad how those people are attacking Amal in that way while she is a successful Arab lady when it comes to her work in human rights and international law.
FYI Clooney is heading the Maldives to defend its former President who is on the trial by the current regime. 

The little Syrian angel sleeping on a Turkish shore

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I have seen a lot of graphic photos since the start of the Syrian revolution and how it turned into an awful civil/regional war but some of them have stuck into my mind.
The photos of Hamza Al-Khateeb in 2011 are still in my mind whether he was alive or dead by the hand of Bashar El-Assad’s security forces.
The video of that boy whose jaw was blown off and died before he would be transferred to another country for treatment by the Red Cross in 2012.
The photo of that Syrian toddler washed up at a Turkish shore has joined that awful graphic photos and videos from the Syrian regional war.
Syrian toddler washed up on Turkish shore by Reuters
I can not describe how I felt and still feel when I see his tiny body lying like that on the sand except that I want to hug him in my arms and put him in a bed. He looks as if he were sleeping.
The look of the Turkish Gendarmerie soldiers says it all.
Found by the Gendarmerie "Reuters" 
That boy is 3-years Aylan Kurdi and he drowned along his 5-years old brother Ghaleb along their mother Rihan. 
Aylan and Ghaleb with their teddy bear.
His father Abdullah Kurdi survived and I can not imagine how he feels now.
 They came from Kobani and died along their family in the sea, in their way to Greece, to Kos.



The little angels 
Here are the boys smiling to the world. I believe they are in a better place than this awful world.
Little Aylan is now a better world, but his image has united the people online more than anything whether Arabs or Kurds or Europeans or Americans with hastags and cartoons from all over the world.
His little body now is represented as a symbol for the failure for the international political system to put an end to the Syrian tragedy.
By Islam Gawish for Masr Al-Arabia 
He came to you sea to cure him
But you left him injured
You could have left him before
the soul would depart him
Where was it Noah's ark
"Nabil Abdel Hamid's words and Islam Gawish"

I won’t speak about Europe.
I will speak about the Arab countries which got a lot of money to help the Arab and Kurdish refugees problems easily. I mean for God’s sake the Gulf countries “which played and are playing strong part in the Syrian tragedy” are competing in building the biggest park in the world and the biggest city in the galaxy..etc. I think those countries can help the refugees and building their mega-projects in parallel.
Arab reaction by Saudi Cartoonist Aiman 
Arab leaders by Salim Al-Salami
The Arab League HQ in Cairo 
The Arab and Islamic nation on the shoes
of little Aylan by Osama Nazal 

The Arab conscience graveyard
"Belal Khaled" 
Unfortunately Pro-Egyptian regime TV host Ahmed Moussa used that photo tonight in his show telling the Egyptian people that that would be their fate if they dared and protested against the Civil service law or any other law or policy but the current government.
Egypt is hosting a considerable number of Syrian refugees that is declining due to the bad economic situation, it does not receive Syrian refugees like before in the past due to the Visa requirement and the security approval imposed on Syrians now for fear of ISIS coming to Egypt despite ISISI is already there. Egypt also exports fighters to Syria not vice-versa !!



Above is warmer "M.T
It is also worth to mention that the photos of Kurdi did not make the front page of Egypt’s private owned newspapers. I am not surprised because last month a media delegation visited Damascus and met with the El-Assad’s FM.
On the other hand, The photos of Aylan are on British newspapers’ Front page including The Guardian or The Sun.
The British newspapers on Thursday
It is not a big secret now that the Egyptian regime is cozy to Bashar Al-Assad and wants it to continue marketing the so-called “Political solution” in the region.
Again Fuck the Arab leaders from the Gulf to the 

Good morning and blessed Friday #Blogger #Citizenjournalism #Egypt [Flickr]

September 04, 2015 at 11:26AM

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Good morning and blessed Friday #Blogger #Citizenjournalism #Egypt September 04, 2015 at 11:26AM via Instagram http://ift.tt/1JDE6Hg

The ministry of education and breaking the Constitution For “National security concerns”

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I do not know how many times the Egyptian constitution was violated by the governmental officials and the regime in general for the sake of the so-called “National security concerns”.
On Wednesday , Al-Shorouk newspaper reported that the Supreme council of Universities and exempted the officers and judges’ offspring from the new Geographic placement requirements when it comes to public Universities admission due to so called “National interest” of their parents’ work.
Cairo University
Ministry of higher education
That exemption is applied to the new students’ admission and transfer from another public universities in Egypt to the country’s top public universities, Cairo University and Ain Shams University in Grand Cairo zone.
This is the first year the ministry of high education and supreme council of Universities apply the new Public Universities admission system which depends on Geographic placement requirements as well the grades or scores of students in High school especially in the Egyptian High school system aka “Thanawya Aama”.
The geographic placements requirements stipulate that students must choose or admit to public universities in the zones they live in or nearby aside from their grades.
This is the first time this system is applied in Egypt. Personally I think that it is adopted in order to drop the number of students from other governorates in Cairo and Ain Shams Universities.
Anyhow now the officers and judges’ offspring are exempted from those requirements and they transfer from Universities in governorates to Cairo and Ain Shams Universities easily.
When Al-Shorouk newspaper asked the minister of higher education about the decision and he said that he did not want the officers and judges to get distracted in their work and worried about their children if they are in another governorate and that it was better to make them focus in their work affecting Egypt’s Nationals security !!!!!


Seriously !!?? What about doctors who need to focus in their work !?
Already realistically speaking usually officers and judges are delegated to governorates and cities outside Cairo zone and not vice-versa !!
I just want to tell that minister that in the United States officers and judges enroll in universities from coast to coast away from home and their parents do not lose their focus including those who work in the National security sector !!
According to Shorouk Newspaper,Ain Shams University stated it was following the orders of the Supreme council of Universities.
The head of Cairo University, Gaber Nasar is said to reject that exemption at first because it would violate the “Equal opportunities” principle but in the end he agreed.
It is worth to mention that the head of Cairo University is Constitutional Professor Gaber Nasar who knows exactly that he is breaking the constitution by accepting such discriminatory decision.
Well it is more than a violation to the “Equal opportunities” principles as it violates the Constitution and its articles above them article no.9 which says crystal clear that “The State shall ensure equal opportunities for all citizens without discrimination. "
Ironically those decisions gaps in the society and enforce that feeling that officers and judges are a ruling class in Egypt !!
Already those decisions can be challenged easily in front of the Supreme Constitutional Court but that needs support and a good lawyer.

Kodak Agfa Presents: That old Bookshop in Khan El-Khalili

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If you have ever been to the famous Khan El-Khalili quarter, I am sure that you stopped at small bookshop inside selling old magazines and posters.
That bookshop in Khan El-Khalili

I do not know its name, but this is from the places you can not forget thanks to its excellent old magazines, newspapers. films posters and stamps

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From old political magazines to comics magazines
It is the place to find old pricey newspapers and magazines in good condition if you are ready to spend a lot of money and do not like buying old magazines and newspapers from El-Azbakeya market for old and used books in Cairo.
As I hinted the old magazines and newspapers are pricey, they are not cheap at all compared to other places in Cairo.

An old magazine from the Royal Family era pre-1952 can reach up to LE 1,200.
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Queen Farida on the cover of Al-Mussawar magazine
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Princess Fawzia, former Queen of Iran
on the covers of Al-Mussawar magazine in
1930s and 1950s 
The collections of magazines from that era already include magazines that I have never heard of like El-Kashkol “The Notebook” magazine.

There was an issue from "El-Kashkol" magazine featuring Saad Pasha Zaghlol on its cover in a comic from the 1920s I assume.
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Al-Kashkol magazine covers 
I did not imagine magazines would survive all that time in Egypt outside archives and private collections.
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Saad Pasha on the cover of Monday Magazine 
Now an old magazine from Nasser era or Sadat era could reach up to LE 700.

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Akher Saad Magazine covers featuring President Sadat after replacing Nasser in 1970 and
after his correction revolution against Nasser's men in 1971
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Al-Mussawar magazine featuring Sadat in 1973 after October war "Right" and
after his assassination in October 1981 
The shop also got old newspapers from that era. Of course we are speaking about special newspapers issues.
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Al-Akhbar announcing President
The farewell day in September 1970

Wisely the Bookshop owner and keepers organized the magazines with eras and themes.
Just as you noticed above you got the collection of President Sadat and President Nasser as well the Mohamed Ali Royal Family.
There was a collection of entertainment and showbiz magazines showing old actors and stars on magazines’ covers from 1940s till 1960s.

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Entertainment magazines 
There was interesting collection showing old Arab kings and Presidents on the cover of old Egyptian magazines like King Hussein of Jordan and King Abdel Azizi  Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia as well late Iraqi president Abdel Karim Kassem.


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Arab leaders on Egyptian magazines covers 

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A Saudi King on the cover of Al-Mussawar magazine in
special issue about the Saudi Kingdom
The shop also sells reproduced old Egyptian films posters as well orientalist paintings of Egypt and Orient as well post stamps.
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Stamps and posters

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The second wife film poster "1960s" 
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"A Day from my life" starring Halim poster.
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Raya and Sakina film poster from 1953
If you go to Khan El-Khalili, do not forget to visit that interesting place.
Those photos were taken in 2012 and 2015 by the way. 

Egypt and Daesh's Most Wanted !!!

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Ironically, It seems that former army officer-turned to Al-Qaeda prince Hisham El-Ashamawy is not a wanted man in Egypt officially, but he is also a wanted man in Libya according to Egypt's enemies in Derna.
The Islamic State group aka Daesh also wants to see him dead !! !!
I told you it is ironic but yes the former Egyptian special forces  officer is a wanted man by both Egyptian government and Daesh.
Daesh claimed responsibility of killing 20 Egyptian Christian Copt workers last February and the Egyptian government answered back by air strikes in the city of Derna , Libya.
El-Ashamawy is already facing a military trial in Egypt and is said to be the main suspect in the assassination of former Egypt's prosecutor general Hisham Barakat.
Wanted dead 
The Islamic state aka Daesh in Libya released an announcement late last month showing the photo of El-Ashamawy demanding him dead.
That announcement reveals more information about the 35-years old former/defected special forces officer.
The married father of 2 boys  joined Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis “ABM”, the Sinai-based militant group in 2013 after his return in Syria.
It says also that he defected from ABM in 2014 and headed to Libya in the same year.
In Libya, precisely in Derna where Daesh announced the so-called  Derna Province, Hisham El-Ashmawy joined what they called “Sahawat council Derna” and  started a war against Daesh in the Libyan city.
The Sahawat council of Derna is affiliated with Shura council of Mujahideen in Derna, which is also affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
Since last October, there have been tough battles between the Al-Qaeda affiliated group and the Daesh affiliated group in Derna.

Now back to the released announcement, this means that El-Ashamawy is not in Egypt currently or at least he is not occupied by fighting that so-called El-Sisi regime and army.
A screencap for a Pro-Daesh twitter
account describing El-Ashamawy
as Apostate 
It also means that he may not be the mastermind of all the ABM operations in 2014 or 2015 if he were in Libya all that time.
Historically there was a disagreement among the members of Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis in North Sinai over its allegiance to the Islamic state aka Daesh in November 2014 and changing its name to “Sinai Province”.
Already ABM is made up of Salafist Jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and during then some said that due to financial reasons ABM shifted its affiliation to Daesh.
This announcement is another proof on the ongoing war between Daesh and Al-Qaeda.
Ironically even more Daesh is accusing “The Sahawat” of being backed up by none other the Libyan armed forces aka Khalifa Haftar’s forces. Daesh says that Haftar’s air forces attacks its locations in Derna and leaves Sahawat from time to time. Khalifa Haftar is supported and backed up by Egypt !!
So theoretically speaking, Hisham El-Ashamawy who is wanted by both Egypt and Daesh , is backed by the Libyan armed forces which are backed by Egypt 0_o
Anyhow The Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna issued a statement claiming that Daesh was spreading rumors about Derna in order to drag El-Sisi to strike it with Egyptian air forces like what happened in February. The council even described Daesh, Sisi regime and Haftar regime as the axis of evil !!!!!!
The statement !! 
Welcome to the Middle East !!
Anyhow at least we know where allegedly Hisham El-Ashmaway is !!
Speaking about Daesh and ABM,last month Al-Qaeda affiliated-Sinai based militant group “Gond Al-Islam” has made a sudden comeback in the Media by releasing a video in early August  for an operation that took place in September 2013.
In September 2013, the militant group claimed responsibility for the bombing of the Military intelligence building in the city of Rafah then where 6 military personnel were killed along civilians.
It seems that the militant group wants to remind the people with what it did because it was simply overshadowed by ABM.
The video is not that advanced or high-quality production just like ABM’s unique production. Using clips of Ayman El-Zawahary’s speech along with footage from Al-Aqsa mosque and Rabaa sit-in dispersal, there is nothing new in the video.
The group also released a statement last month slamming El-Sisi’s regime for the forced displacement of local citizens of North Sinai claiming that it was part of a conspiracy to empty Sinai from its people for the sake of Israel.
Interestingly, in the end of that statement, the militant group demands the intellectuals, thinkers and journalists to expose that conspiracy to the public !! Usually, those groups attack intellectuals, thinkers and journalists accusing them of blasphemy.
Personally I think just like El-Ashamawy’s El-Morabtoon, “Gond El-Islam” is back from Crypt to tell ABM and the Egyptian regime as well the world that Al-Qaeda is still alive and kicking.

Khamis and El-Bakry should die in 2015 !!

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Yesterday the 63th anniversary of the famous execution of Kafr Al-Dawar textile workers Khamis and Bakry.
Mostafa Khamis “18 years old” and Mohamed Bakry “19 years” were young workers in one of Kafr Al-Dawar industrial zone, they were among hundreds of workers who started a strike on 13 August 1952 demanding a raise in their wages.  Next day, the security forces dispersed the strike by force killing 12 people and arrested tens of workers.
Mostafa Khamis before his execution
The detained workers were referred to a special military tribunal led by members of the Free officers movement. The defendants did not have lawyers in that shameful trial.
Khamis and El-Bakry were sentenced to death in that shameful trial.On 7 September 1952 , there were  executed.
Dear friend Omar Zazou decided to remind the people of what happened during and then the role of the Free Officers as well the Muslim Brotherhood in that shameful execution in very short and summarized tweets.
Zazou wrote that first tweet and got that reply from an old Egyptian man who lives in California “ I assume according to the geographical location of the tweet”




Omar Zazou : Today is the anniversiary of Kafr Al-Dawar workers Mostafa Khamis and Mohamed El-Bakry by the Revolution Commandership Council in 1952. All what they did wrong was to particpate in a strike after 23 July.
The reply of Mr. Hassan Ismail : And we want that to happen to everyone who thinks about himself alone. Egypt is facing a war now and the country that falls , will never return like what the President said !!
Mr. Ismail said referring to the comments of Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to the students of the Military academy in early Sunday morning where he spoke about the dangers of the information wars and the how the country if it falls , will never return.
So this is how Mr. Ismail looks to the execution to Khamis and El-Bakry, two extremely poor workers who did not reach the age of 21 in 1952 as the perfect role example to follow now in 2015.
I do not know what to say except that comment or reply shows the different between the old generations raised on oppression and president cult and how young Egyptians look forward to democracy and human rights.
This execution was a huge sign, a huge warning sign to be precise of what would happen next but nobody cared. The old liberal parties did not care and the Muslim Brotherhood cheered for the execution of those communists.
I just do not understand this acceptance of injustice. It won’t bring any stability nor it will make from Egypt a great country !!!
To be honest the view of Mr. Ismail is shared by many Pro-Sisi supporters who believe that anyone who demands his legal rights now should be traitor and be executed. This is how they look to any strike or sit-in in Egypt now. I do not have doubt that if we have our own version of Khamis and Bakry in 2015 , they would support their execution because they consider that will be for the greater good !!
It is jut sad thing.
It is worth to mention that strikes , protests and sits-in are now criminalized if they are not permitted by the government.
We also got a hike in both military trials for civilians as well executions.
Is it a generational problem as I hinted above ? or a society problem where a right-wing class is too damn strong. I do not know really. I am provoked by this comment yet I am happy that dear Omar who is young than Mr. Ismail is defending the rights of Khamis and Bakry despite he is not leftist. There is still hope after all.
By the way despite he signed the death sentence, former President Mohamed Naguib regretted later. It seems that the execution of two poor young men hunted him when he was an extremely old man in early 80s. In his only TV interview with Shafie Shalaby in 1984 , he screamed “pain” when he spoke about Khamis and El-Bakry.
I invited them to my office and ordered them coffee… then it was pain , pain, pain
Mohamed Naguib speaks for the first and last time on camera about Khamis and Bakry.

September 08, 2015 at 02:48PM

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#Levant sand storm is here in #Cairo #Egypt #Citizenjournalism #Blogger #Weather September 08, 2015 at 02:48PM via Instagram http://ift.tt/1LV5P9k

September 08, 2015 at 02:57PM

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Newspapers Headlines today after the arrest of minister of agriculture praising #Sisi #Egypt #Citizenjournalism #Blogger September 08, 2015 at 02:57PM via Instagram http://ift.tt/1K4kWcS

Storming out of Presser does not help, Mr. PM

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Earlier Tuesday, Egypt’s Prime minister Ibrahim Mahlab stormed out from a press conference with his Tunisian counterpart during to his visit to Carthage because a Tunisian journalist dared and asked him about the latest corruption scandal rocking his cabinet back in Cairo.
You can see what happened here.
Egypt’s PM storms out of a presser in Tunisia
Mahlab is in two-days visit to Tunisia
Tunisian journalist Miqdad Al-Majari asked Ibrahim Mahlab about the resignation of the agriculture minister Salah Helal and his arrest in Cairo because of his involvement in a huge corruption scandal yesterday.
He also hinted that Mahlab chose that minister and  he brought up the fact the name of Mahlab was included in the Mubaraks’ mansion case.
I do not recall that any journalist whether in Egypt or outside has confronted Mahlab in his direct involvement in that case.
Mahlab did not have any answer and walked away in that shameful way that does not suit the Prime Minister of Egypt or any country actually as you have seen.
He weakened his position already
In May 2014, Ousted President Mubarak and his sons Alaa and Gamal were sentenced three and four-year jail sentences on charges of embezzlement. To refresh your memory, I recommend reading Mada Masr’s investigative report about Mubarak’s mansions.

Now a side remark, choosing the ministers is not Mahlab’s responsibility only because there are intelligence and national security’s investigations about the candidates for ministerial positions and they must be approved by the presidency so far.
Now the Egyptian journalists in Tunisia accompanying Prime minister Mahlab say the Tunisian journalist is a Muslim Brotherhood member.
Al-Majari turned to be Islamist, but he asked a valid question anyone should ask.
Again, I do not care if that journalist is a Brotherhood member or not, Ibrahim Mahlab should have completed presser and answered the journalist in a calm way. This is how politicians deal with pressers worldwide.
Already if he can not deal with the questions of foreign journalist, he can ask his host not to hold one !!!! 
Honestly, I am not surprised of Mahlab’s action because Egyptian officials especially presidents and ministers are not used to be confronted with such type of questions or journalists.
Most of the journalists attended the official pressers in Egypt are the chosen ones who won’t dare cross the line with the government in any possible.
Anyhow, it seems that Mahlab had one of those bad Tuesday and he will have a lot to deal with when he returns back thanks to that big corruption probe taking place in Cairo.
Already the rumors mill does not stop and there is strong gossip that former Minister Salah Helal of agriculture won’t be the last and only minister to be involved in that huge corruption scandal.
Some are saying that there are between 7 to 9 other ministers involved in the investigation of that scandal including allegedly the ministers of religious endowment, higher education and justice !!! oh yes Justice !!!
Mahlab denied before travelling to Tunisia that there would be any ministerial reshuffle or any more ministerial resignations.
Nevertheless, there is no smoke without a fire.
Already I believe if 9 or 7 ministers turned to be involved in that huge corruption scandal then, Mahlab must step down.
Anyhow we will see.

DSC09567 (1) [Flickr]

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Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

DSC09567 (1)

Supermoon August 2015
Not the best shot for the supermoon as I am sick and could not stand too late to get better shots

DSC09575 (1) [Flickr]

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Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

DSC09575 (1)

Supermoon August 2015
Not the best shot for the supermoon as I am sick and could not stand too late to get better shots

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