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- 06/13/18--19:42: _Ramadan Arabian Nig...
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- 06/23/18--14:59: _World Refugee Day 2...
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- 08/06/18--16:18: _Catching Mars from ...
- 08/08/18--14:58: _Mummified Animals s...
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Channel Description:
7000 years and counting ...
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And we came to the end of the Holy blessed generous month of Ramadan.
According to the official calculations, tonight is the last night of Ramadan 1439 and tonight is the last night of our annual Ramadan Arabian Nights Podcast.
Just like the holy month, it ran too fast.
I can not thank enough Gramafon Radio for its help to make the show run for this year and hopefully for years to come inshallah.
Now after the break, you are going to listen to episode No.29 and No.30 or to be accurate episodes 290 and 291 of Egyptian State Radio classical show “One Thousand and One Nights” after the break.
Seeing her love rejecting her and refuses to touch her, Miamona reveals herself to him and confesses what she had done.
Anbar tells her that he loves but as a wife or a lover but as a sister.
The wise princess decides it is better to have a brother-sister relation than a husband and a wife relation. The marriage is dissolved.
Miamona decides to help Anbar, she takes to meet the brass vendor aka strange man who knows the story our hero is searching for.
She also decides to give her magical ring aka the seal of Solomon. She tells Anbar that if he needs help from any kind, he can summon the ring’s Djinn to bring her and she will come immediately.
Anbar decides to leave but he insists to take his rival suitors and the Mirzaban. Miamona tells him not to trust after he persists, she turns them into humans once again.
Near from the Kingdom, the suitors and the Mirzaban decide to turn against Anbar. While attacking him, Anbar used the magical kingdom to summon the Djinn in order to summon Miamona.
Miamoa saves the day and decides to turn the suitors into cats because cats do not have any kind of loyalty except to their food and the Mirzaban into a donkey because of his stupidity.
And so Anbar returns to the kingdom while riding the Mirzaban and dragging with him 3 cats. They will return to their human image when Anbar meets Sukar.
Sukar finishes the tale of the tale and her king as well her father , the vizier listening.
The king decides to make Sukar marry Anbar. After the marriage , the suitors and the Mirzaban turn in to their human image.
And they lived happily ever after till death came and separated between people.
I hope you like our tale for this year. If you want to listen to previous tales, you can find it in Egyptian Chronicles’ archives here.
Happy Eid to all Muslims around the globe and till we meet next Ramadan inshallah.
According to the official calculations, tonight is the last night of Ramadan 1439 and tonight is the last night of our annual Ramadan Arabian Nights Podcast.
Just like the holy month, it ran too fast.
I can not thank enough Gramafon Radio for its help to make the show run for this year and hopefully for years to come inshallah.
Now after the break, you are going to listen to episode No.29 and No.30 or to be accurate episodes 290 and 291 of Egyptian State Radio classical show “One Thousand and One Nights” after the break.
Episode No.29 or Episode No. 290 of Egyptian State Radio classical show “One Thousand and One Nights”
Miamona turned herself to Sukar by magic to win the heart of Anbar. She manages to get him to marry her but there is something wrong about this marriage, about this Sukar. Anbar feels something wrong and gets depressed.Seeing her love rejecting her and refuses to touch her, Miamona reveals herself to him and confesses what she had done.
Anbar tells her that he loves but as a wife or a lover but as a sister.
The wise princess decides it is better to have a brother-sister relation than a husband and a wife relation. The marriage is dissolved.
Episode No.30 or No.291 of Egyptian State Radio classical show “One Thousand and One Nights”
Miamona decides to help Anbar, she takes to meet the brass vendor aka strange man who knows the story our hero is searching for.
 |
| by Eric Goldberg |
She also decides to give her magical ring aka the seal of Solomon. She tells Anbar that if he needs help from any kind, he can summon the ring’s Djinn to bring her and she will come immediately.
Anbar decides to leave but he insists to take his rival suitors and the Mirzaban. Miamona tells him not to trust after he persists, she turns them into humans once again.
Near from the Kingdom, the suitors and the Mirzaban decide to turn against Anbar. While attacking him, Anbar used the magical kingdom to summon the Djinn in order to summon Miamona.
Miamoa saves the day and decides to turn the suitors into cats because cats do not have any kind of loyalty except to their food and the Mirzaban into a donkey because of his stupidity.
And so Anbar returns to the kingdom while riding the Mirzaban and dragging with him 3 cats. They will return to their human image when Anbar meets Sukar.
Sukar finishes the tale of the tale and her king as well her father , the vizier listening.
The king decides to make Sukar marry Anbar. After the marriage , the suitors and the Mirzaban turn in to their human image.
And they lived happily ever after till death came and separated between people.
I hope you like our tale for this year. If you want to listen to previous tales, you can find it in Egyptian Chronicles’ archives here.
Happy Eid to all Muslims around the globe and till we meet next Ramadan inshallah.
Happy Eid Fitar from Egyptian Chronicles to Muslims celebrating the feast today.
May Allah accept your fasting in the holy month of Ramadan.
I know there are many things that happened this week in Egypt but let’s enjoy the short Eid holiday as well pray for Egypt and Morocco to win their matches in the World Cup later on Friday in Russia.
Millions of Egyptians have not slept and it is not because Thursday or because it is Eid eve “God knows what it means in Egypt” but they worried about our first match in the Mondial.
It is a big deal.
Anyhow happy Eid Fitar ☺☺
May Allah accept your fasting in the holy month of Ramadan.
I know there are many things that happened this week in Egypt but let’s enjoy the short Eid holiday as well pray for Egypt and Morocco to win their matches in the World Cup later on Friday in Russia.
 |
| Happy Eid from my favorite ad in Ramadan this year Dolceka Waffer nailed it |
It is a big deal.
Anyhow happy Eid Fitar ☺☺
There are lots of economic and political updates and decisions that have taken place in Egypt in the past ten days and I am just trying to keep up with those decisions because they are all important and will affect Egypt on the short and long run.
I will start with the new controversial media and press laws which were approved in principle last week.
Last week the Egyptian House of Representatives approved in principal three draft laws to regulated media and press in the country.
Originally a draft law presented by the government “by Sherif Ismail’s cabinet”, the Media committee in the parliament decided to divide it into three separate draft laws.
The laws are regulating the three bodies currently regulating press and media in Egypt.
We got the Supreme Council of media “SCM” that regulates Private TV and radio channels as well private-owned newspapers and websites, the National Media authority “NMA” which regulates the activities of Egyptian Radio and TV Union “ERT” and National Press Authority “NPA” which regulates state-owned newspapers and press institutions according to the 2014 Constitution.
Head of Media committee Osama Heikal told journalists that those laws include unprecedented guarantees freedom of journalism and media in Egypt.
I could not believe what 201SCAF’s information minister said in his meeting with the journalists.
The Egyptian foreign ministry issued an infogram calling the new “Egyptian law regulating media and press” as a victory of freedom of expression highlighting the Pro-Freedom of expression articles in that law or laws.
I can’t deny that those articles but something is not right indeed, there must be a catch in those laws. This is not administration or government that supports freedom of expression or thought as we have seen.
Well, it turns out that those laws got articles that will give the state a true full control of the Media and Social media.
For example, the law of supreme council of Media “SCM” has got very alarming articles about the social media.
Article No.19 stipulatesthat social media accounts on Facebook or Twitter and blogs that got more than 5,000 subscribers or followers fall under the law !!
Yes, you read right.
Article No.19 also stipulates too that newspapers, websites and TV channels are prohibited to publish or air fake news or any incitement to break the law to spread hatred or violence or spread discrimination or racism or radicalism or attack against monotheistic religions or beliefs.
Article No.19 gives the right to SCM to suspend or block the media outlet including blogs and social media networks’ accounts and pages with more than 5,000 subscribers or followers if they violate what is mentioned in the above paragraph.
As you can the article gives the right to the SCM to control the social media in Egypt, the last uncensored media medium where people can express their thoughts as well news freely away from censorship.
The article is also vague as I do not know who will determine news is fake or not. For instance, social media is currently being used to cover the humanitarian condition of people in North Sinai, especially in Rafah and Al-Arish during Sinai 2018 military operation.
The Egyptian government says the locals are not suffering while those alleged locals say online that they are suffering from displacement and ill-treatment.
With such law, citizen journalists can lose their blogs and social media accounts and pages for reporting the other version of a story which the government does not include in its narrative.
If you think that’s bad, wait for more.
Article No.60 reads that if anyone wants to have a news website then he or she must present a website license application to SCM as well to pay LE 50,000 as application fees.
SCM will look into the application request within 90 days following the admission.
Article No.61 saysthe website license is for five years and it can be renewed by a request to SCM 6 months before the end of the license.
Many Egyptian News websites do not have that sum of money to license their websites in the first place not to mention what’s about all that red tape !!!
Article No. 67 says that websites, as well as TV channels and radio channels, cannot broadcast or publish their material on mobile phones except after the approval of SCM !!
It is worth to mention on the same day, the Parliament agreed to add an article to the taxation and customs law in Egypt to collect taxes from the revenues of Facebook ads and Google AdSense.
The taxation authority believes it can get at least one billion Egyptian pounds from the taxes on Facebook ads and Google AdSense
Since 2005 or 2008 to be accurate following the role played Facebook in organizing 6 April strike, the Egyptian regime has been trying tame social media in Egypt and I think it has got finally the opportunity.
There are other articles that are causing as well anger, alarm and controversy among state-owned newspapers journalists and employees surprisingly.
Article No.35 and Article No.37 of the National Press Authority “NPA” law gives the authority supervising the state-owned press institutions more powers while at the same time, it reduced the number of journalists in the board of those institutions.
The head of Egypt’s journalists' syndicate Abdel Mohsen Salama said that the Parliament approved in principle the two new laws without sending the final version of the draft laws before passing them so the syndicate could discuss them and send back its remarks.
Salama adds that the parliament sent only the first version of the draft law and the syndicate had its remarks on it.
According to the 2014 Egyptian Constitution’s article No.77, the opinion of unions and syndicates shall be sought on draft legislation pertaining to it.
The pro-regime journalist stated in his statements to Tahrir website that the two laws got pros and cons. Salama believes that among its pros is the taxation of Facebook and google ads.
At least 400 Egyptian journalists from the Egyptian journalists' syndicate’s general assembly have expressed their rejection and signed a petition against those laws.
According to that petition, the final press and media draft laws were not sent to the Journalists Syndicate to discuss them and issue its opinion about it in accordance with Egyptian Constitution’s article No.77.
Aside from calling other journalist members of the syndicate to sign the petition, those journalists are calling their syndicate’s board to meet.
We will see what happens
I will start with the new controversial media and press laws which were approved in principle last week.
Last week the Egyptian House of Representatives approved in principal three draft laws to regulated media and press in the country.
Originally a draft law presented by the government “by Sherif Ismail’s cabinet”, the Media committee in the parliament decided to divide it into three separate draft laws.
The laws are regulating the three bodies currently regulating press and media in Egypt.
We got the Supreme Council of media “SCM” that regulates Private TV and radio channels as well private-owned newspapers and websites, the National Media authority “NMA” which regulates the activities of Egyptian Radio and TV Union “ERT” and National Press Authority “NPA” which regulates state-owned newspapers and press institutions according to the 2014 Constitution.
Head of Media committee Osama Heikal told journalists that those laws include unprecedented guarantees freedom of journalism and media in Egypt.
I could not believe what 201SCAF’s information minister said in his meeting with the journalists.
The Egyptian foreign ministry issued an infogram calling the new “Egyptian law regulating media and press” as a victory of freedom of expression highlighting the Pro-Freedom of expression articles in that law or laws.
— Egypt MFA Spokesman (@MfaEgypt) June 12, 2018
I can’t deny that those articles but something is not right indeed, there must be a catch in those laws. This is not administration or government that supports freedom of expression or thought as we have seen.
Well, it turns out that those laws got articles that will give the state a true full control of the Media and Social media.
For example, the law of supreme council of Media “SCM” has got very alarming articles about the social media.
Article No.19 stipulatesthat social media accounts on Facebook or Twitter and blogs that got more than 5,000 subscribers or followers fall under the law !!
 |
|
Closing the current curtains on the current margin of freedom by Doaa El-Adl |
Article No.19 also stipulates too that newspapers, websites and TV channels are prohibited to publish or air fake news or any incitement to break the law to spread hatred or violence or spread discrimination or racism or radicalism or attack against monotheistic religions or beliefs.
Article No.19 gives the right to SCM to suspend or block the media outlet including blogs and social media networks’ accounts and pages with more than 5,000 subscribers or followers if they violate what is mentioned in the above paragraph.
As you can the article gives the right to the SCM to control the social media in Egypt, the last uncensored media medium where people can express their thoughts as well news freely away from censorship.
The article is also vague as I do not know who will determine news is fake or not. For instance, social media is currently being used to cover the humanitarian condition of people in North Sinai, especially in Rafah and Al-Arish during Sinai 2018 military operation.
The Egyptian government says the locals are not suffering while those alleged locals say online that they are suffering from displacement and ill-treatment.
With such law, citizen journalists can lose their blogs and social media accounts and pages for reporting the other version of a story which the government does not include in its narrative.
If you think that’s bad, wait for more.
Article No.60 reads that if anyone wants to have a news website then he or she must present a website license application to SCM as well to pay LE 50,000 as application fees.
SCM will look into the application request within 90 days following the admission.
Article No.61 saysthe website license is for five years and it can be renewed by a request to SCM 6 months before the end of the license.
Many Egyptian News websites do not have that sum of money to license their websites in the first place not to mention what’s about all that red tape !!!
Article No. 67 says that websites, as well as TV channels and radio channels, cannot broadcast or publish their material on mobile phones except after the approval of SCM !!
It is worth to mention on the same day, the Parliament agreed to add an article to the taxation and customs law in Egypt to collect taxes from the revenues of Facebook ads and Google AdSense.
The taxation authority believes it can get at least one billion Egyptian pounds from the taxes on Facebook ads and Google AdSense
Since 2005 or 2008 to be accurate following the role played Facebook in organizing 6 April strike, the Egyptian regime has been trying tame social media in Egypt and I think it has got finally the opportunity.
There are other articles that are causing as well anger, alarm and controversy among state-owned newspapers journalists and employees surprisingly.
Article No.35 and Article No.37 of the National Press Authority “NPA” law gives the authority supervising the state-owned press institutions more powers while at the same time, it reduced the number of journalists in the board of those institutions.
The head of Egypt’s journalists' syndicate Abdel Mohsen Salama said that the Parliament approved in principle the two new laws without sending the final version of the draft laws before passing them so the syndicate could discuss them and send back its remarks.
Salama adds that the parliament sent only the first version of the draft law and the syndicate had its remarks on it.
According to the 2014 Egyptian Constitution’s article No.77, the opinion of unions and syndicates shall be sought on draft legislation pertaining to it.
The pro-regime journalist stated in his statements to Tahrir website that the two laws got pros and cons. Salama believes that among its pros is the taxation of Facebook and google ads.
At least 400 Egyptian journalists from the Egyptian journalists' syndicate’s general assembly have expressed their rejection and signed a petition against those laws.
According to that petition, the final press and media draft laws were not sent to the Journalists Syndicate to discuss them and issue its opinion about it in accordance with Egyptian Constitution’s article No.77.
Aside from calling other journalist members of the syndicate to sign the petition, those journalists are calling their syndicate’s board to meet.
We will see what happens
On Wednesday, the World commemorated the World Refugee Day and it seems that the situation of the refugees worldwide is not getting better but rather worse especially for Arab refugees.
The UN’s Refugees watchdog “UNHCR” says the number of refugees worldwide has reached at the end of 2017 in total to 68.5 million people displaced from their homes in its annual report.
This is the highest number of refugees the world has ever seen. Forget about the World Wars of the 20th century, the number of refugees has been increasing for the past 6 years and it does not want to stop.
According to the UNHCR’s numbers, 2.9 million people have become refugeesin 2017 only worldwide.
The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide is 44,000 people every day. That’s an unfortunate record rate as well scary one.
The UNHCR is reporting that31 people were newly displaced every minute in 2017
Unfortunately, that increase comes at the same time the World is witnessing an awful scary return of right-wing fascism that rejects refugees worldwide.
I do not think that the world has seen such hateful attitude against foreign refugees we are currently witnessing since the World War II.
Now out of those 68.5 refugees who are forced to their home because of conflicts, wars and human rights violations; only 25.4 million refugees are registered with the United Nations’ refugees agencies.
Arabs as in Palestinians and Syrians are still making the biggest group of refugees technically speaking.
There are 5.4 million Palestinians registered UNRWA.
Palestinian refugees are the biggest group of refugees displaced from their homes even before 1948. For more than 60 years, the world has ignored them.
They are the only people in the world that the United Nations created a special refugees agency for other than the UNHCR.
The Palestinian refugees are also the first people in the world without a truly independent country to return to.
In case you ask why, well simply because their land where they lived there all their history was taken away and was occupied by Zionist settlers thanks to Europeans who decided to get to rid of all Jews in Europe and send them to Palestine so they “Jews” and Arabs go on with an endless fight.
I won’t go into details and explain what has been said thousand times. This is the only way to put it.
The future of Palestinian refugees and their right to return to their homeland are one of the unresolved issues in the Middle East’s peace process.
As US President Donald Trump and his administration think that they resolved the unresolved Jerusalem issue with his stupid decision by recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The Trump administration decided to cut its funding to the UNRWA in order to force the Palestinian people to accept their terms.
Rich Arab Gulf countries can bail out the UNRWA if they stop to fight each other simply.
Now his son-in-law , the Miracle child of US politics Jared Kushner is touring the Middle East just like a salesman to offer that deal that resolve both the Gaza siege and the refugees in Gaza as well : USD 1 billion investments in Gaza’s economy aka constructing bunch of economic and development projects that will benefit Gaza in North Sinai.
You read it right: in North Sinai. Once again the talk about resettling part of the Palestinian refugees in North Sinai is back at least online in Egypt.
The fact that thousands of Egyptians have been evacuated from their homes in the border city of Rafah in the past three years as part of Egypt’s war on terrorism scares many people. Some Egyptians believe that it could be an introduction to the resettlement project and that the not-so-good economic conditions of Egypt will be used as a negotiation card.
One important fact people also tend to ignore is that neither the Egyptians people nor the Palestinian people will accept this deal.
Moving to the Syrian refugees, the second biggest group of Arab refugees in the world
Out of 19.9 million refugees under the UNHCR Mandate, there are 6.3 million Syrian refugees in the World so far. The Al-Assad regime in Syria says that its population has reached 18 million in 2018.
I do not think that Syrians refugees will return back to their homeland any time soon as long as Al-Assad regime is there protected by Russia and Iranian-backed sectarian militias. I do not think that rich Arab countries that helped in turning the Syrian revolution into a civil war by proxy
There are currently 129,507 Syrian refugees out of 228,941 refugees registered with the UNHCR in Egypt according to its official numbers in June.
The Syrian refugees make up 57% of the refugees registered with the UN refugees body.
Most of those Syrian refugees are concreted in Cairo as well Nile Delta yet there are other undocumented Syrian refugees communities in Upper Egypt.
Unofficially, some are estimating that there are half million Syrian refugees in Egypt.
It is worth to say that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi always says that Egypt is currently hosting 5 million refugees.
Now interestingly, Egypt and EU reached in December some agreement or understanding accordingly EU countries like Britain and Netherlands are going to take some of the refugees staying in Egypt and resettle them in their territories.
That had been done already in the past few months according to the Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs.
Updated: Portugal offered to resettle 400 refugees residing in Egypt in 2018 and 2019 in its territories.
Despite economic hardships Egypt is facing, I think Syrian refugees who decided to settle down in the country are doing well. From time to time I hear and read about those wonderful projects made to help the Syrian refugees whether through the help of the Syrian community in Egypt or with the help of NGOs and international organizations.
In February, I have read about that beautiful small sports academy to train Syrian kids in Alexandria. I have read also about similar sports academy dedicated to Syrian children in Cairo.
In May, I have known that the UNHCR decided with local authorities to develop and upgrade the famous Syrian street in October city.
I wanted to talk about the situation of Myanmar’s Rohingya refugees but I guess it will be too much for this post.
The UN’s Refugees watchdog “UNHCR” says the number of refugees worldwide has reached at the end of 2017 in total to 68.5 million people displaced from their homes in its annual report.
This is the highest number of refugees the world has ever seen. Forget about the World Wars of the 20th century, the number of refugees has been increasing for the past 6 years and it does not want to stop.
According to the UNHCR’s numbers, 2.9 million people have become refugeesin 2017 only worldwide.
The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide is 44,000 people every day. That’s an unfortunate record rate as well scary one.
The UNHCR is reporting that31 people were newly displaced every minute in 2017
Unfortunately, that increase comes at the same time the World is witnessing an awful scary return of right-wing fascism that rejects refugees worldwide.
I do not think that the world has seen such hateful attitude against foreign refugees we are currently witnessing since the World War II.
Now out of those 68.5 refugees who are forced to their home because of conflicts, wars and human rights violations; only 25.4 million refugees are registered with the United Nations’ refugees agencies.
Arabs as in Palestinians and Syrians are still making the biggest group of refugees technically speaking.
 |
| Palestinian refugees in a refugee camp in Jorda in 1955 |
There are 5.4 million Palestinians registered UNRWA.
Palestinian refugees are the biggest group of refugees displaced from their homes even before 1948. For more than 60 years, the world has ignored them.
They are the only people in the world that the United Nations created a special refugees agency for other than the UNHCR.
The Palestinian refugees are also the first people in the world without a truly independent country to return to.
In case you ask why, well simply because their land where they lived there all their history was taken away and was occupied by Zionist settlers thanks to Europeans who decided to get to rid of all Jews in Europe and send them to Palestine so they “Jews” and Arabs go on with an endless fight.
I won’t go into details and explain what has been said thousand times. This is the only way to put it.
The future of Palestinian refugees and their right to return to their homeland are one of the unresolved issues in the Middle East’s peace process.
As US President Donald Trump and his administration think that they resolved the unresolved Jerusalem issue with his stupid decision by recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The Trump administration decided to cut its funding to the UNRWA in order to force the Palestinian people to accept their terms.
Rich Arab Gulf countries can bail out the UNRWA if they stop to fight each other simply.
Now his son-in-law , the Miracle child of US politics Jared Kushner is touring the Middle East just like a salesman to offer that deal that resolve both the Gaza siege and the refugees in Gaza as well : USD 1 billion investments in Gaza’s economy aka constructing bunch of economic and development projects that will benefit Gaza in North Sinai.
You read it right: in North Sinai. Once again the talk about resettling part of the Palestinian refugees in North Sinai is back at least online in Egypt.
The fact that thousands of Egyptians have been evacuated from their homes in the border city of Rafah in the past three years as part of Egypt’s war on terrorism scares many people. Some Egyptians believe that it could be an introduction to the resettlement project and that the not-so-good economic conditions of Egypt will be used as a negotiation card.
One important fact people also tend to ignore is that neither the Egyptians people nor the Palestinian people will accept this deal.
 |
| Little Syrian refugees in Jordan's Zaatari camp, the biggest UNHCR camp since the WW II "Reuters" |
Out of 19.9 million refugees under the UNHCR Mandate, there are 6.3 million Syrian refugees in the World so far. The Al-Assad regime in Syria says that its population has reached 18 million in 2018.
I do not think that Syrians refugees will return back to their homeland any time soon as long as Al-Assad regime is there protected by Russia and Iranian-backed sectarian militias. I do not think that rich Arab countries that helped in turning the Syrian revolution into a civil war by proxy
There are currently 129,507 Syrian refugees out of 228,941 refugees registered with the UNHCR in Egypt according to its official numbers in June.
The Syrian refugees make up 57% of the refugees registered with the UN refugees body.
Most of those Syrian refugees are concreted in Cairo as well Nile Delta yet there are other undocumented Syrian refugees communities in Upper Egypt.
Unofficially, some are estimating that there are half million Syrian refugees in Egypt.
It is worth to say that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi always says that Egypt is currently hosting 5 million refugees.
Now interestingly, Egypt and EU reached in December some agreement or understanding accordingly EU countries like Britain and Netherlands are going to take some of the refugees staying in Egypt and resettle them in their territories.
That had been done already in the past few months according to the Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs.
Updated: Portugal offered to resettle 400 refugees residing in Egypt in 2018 and 2019 in its territories.
Despite economic hardships Egypt is facing, I think Syrian refugees who decided to settle down in the country are doing well. From time to time I hear and read about those wonderful projects made to help the Syrian refugees whether through the help of the Syrian community in Egypt or with the help of NGOs and international organizations.
In February, I have read about that beautiful small sports academy to train Syrian kids in Alexandria. I have read also about similar sports academy dedicated to Syrian children in Cairo.
In May, I have known that the UNHCR decided with local authorities to develop and upgrade the famous Syrian street in October city.
I wanted to talk about the situation of Myanmar’s Rohingya refugees but I guess it will be too much for this post.
Watching the game between Egypt and KSA in the World Cup despite both teams are out of the 16th round.
Cafes in Cairo are full of customers watching the match.
The Egyptian House of Representatives has been very active in early June approving and passing several laws that technically kill any freedom of speech margin left in the country especially in the social media realm.
On 5 June “Special cursed date indeed”, Egypt’s parliament passed after many months the Cybercrime law which regulates social media and web content as well ISP surveillance.
If the law of Supreme Council of Media “SCM” puts popular social media network accounts, the newly approved Cybercrime law puts all Egyptians online under the law whether they are popular and have more than 5,000 followers or subscribers or not.“5000 followers out of 100 million Egyptians technically are a threat to the Egyptian national security.”
bloggers with 5,000 followers or subscribers under that law, the
There are many articles in that law that technically can be described as loose and vague anti-freedom of speech articles directly based on what I have read in the past few days online.
Article No.7 stipulates that the authorities have the right to shut down or block any Egypt-based or foreign website that incites against the Egyptian state or threatens its national security through the use of digital content.
This article can be used to block radical terrorist websites as well as opposition, human rights and independent news websites as we have seen already without that law.
Egypt has currently blocked over 400 websites mostly news websites and human rights websites.
On Sunday, “The writer” website was blocked in Egypt after its launch by 10 hours only !! That website was dedicated to freedom of press and expression in Egypt.
Article No.15stipulates that anyone accesses any website banned in Egypt whether intentionally or unintentionally by mistake, should be sentenced to jail for not less than a year and to be fined LE 50,000.
So anyone may find himself or herself in jail or fined because he or she wants to check the news of the Turkish presidential elections on the official Turkish TV website which is banned and blocked in Egypt !!!!
Article No.25 stipulates that anyone writes online what can be considered as incitement against the family values of the Egyptian society can be sentenced to jail for not less than 6 months and to be fined not less than LE 50,000.
What are these “family values of the Egyptian society”? What can be considered an incitement?
Another article speaks on how the ISPs should keep their clients' info from browsing history for 180 days or they will be fined.
Cairo-based News website Mada Masr, which is already blocked in Egypt published a very nice report on how that new Cybercrime law could send you to jail.
You must read it.
It is another blow to Egyptian bloggers and citizen journalists. In fact, it is a blow to anyone thinks to use social media in order to share his opposing views.
The Cybercrime law has not been ratified by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
I do not have doubt that some are waiting for it to be in effect to end the spread of that anti-Sisi hashtag “#Sisi_degage” on Twitter and Facebook dominating their top hashtags for days now.
The thing is that social media is actually a vent for the public now, it is better to leave them express their anger virtually than to make them blow up suddenly in an explosion of anger in the real world.
Some people do not learn from history, they do not even want to learn.
On 5 June “Special cursed date indeed”, Egypt’s parliament passed after many months the Cybercrime law which regulates social media and web content as well ISP surveillance.
If the law of Supreme Council of Media “SCM” puts popular social media network accounts, the newly approved Cybercrime law puts all Egyptians online under the law whether they are popular and have more than 5,000 followers or subscribers or not.“5000 followers out of 100 million Egyptians technically are a threat to the Egyptian national security.”
bloggers with 5,000 followers or subscribers under that law, the
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| Thanks Facebook banner in those days of January 2011 "Reuters" |
Article No.7 stipulates that the authorities have the right to shut down or block any Egypt-based or foreign website that incites against the Egyptian state or threatens its national security through the use of digital content.
This article can be used to block radical terrorist websites as well as opposition, human rights and independent news websites as we have seen already without that law.
Egypt has currently blocked over 400 websites mostly news websites and human rights websites.
On Sunday, “The writer” website was blocked in Egypt after its launch by 10 hours only !! That website was dedicated to freedom of press and expression in Egypt.
Article No.15stipulates that anyone accesses any website banned in Egypt whether intentionally or unintentionally by mistake, should be sentenced to jail for not less than a year and to be fined LE 50,000.
So anyone may find himself or herself in jail or fined because he or she wants to check the news of the Turkish presidential elections on the official Turkish TV website which is banned and blocked in Egypt !!!!
Article No.25 stipulates that anyone writes online what can be considered as incitement against the family values of the Egyptian society can be sentenced to jail for not less than 6 months and to be fined not less than LE 50,000.
What are these “family values of the Egyptian society”? What can be considered an incitement?
Another article speaks on how the ISPs should keep their clients' info from browsing history for 180 days or they will be fined.
Cairo-based News website Mada Masr, which is already blocked in Egypt published a very nice report on how that new Cybercrime law could send you to jail.
You must read it.
It is another blow to Egyptian bloggers and citizen journalists. In fact, it is a blow to anyone thinks to use social media in order to share his opposing views.
The Cybercrime law has not been ratified by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
I do not have doubt that some are waiting for it to be in effect to end the spread of that anti-Sisi hashtag “#Sisi_degage” on Twitter and Facebook dominating their top hashtags for days now.
The thing is that social media is actually a vent for the public now, it is better to leave them express their anger virtually than to make them blow up suddenly in an explosion of anger in the real world.
Some people do not learn from history, they do not even want to learn.
Egypt’s Royal Jewelry Museum got too many beautiful items and things that will make anyone blogger or journalist or photojournalist wonder which item or thing to post from it first.
Located in Alexandria, the museum got beautiful things to share whether its beautiful architecture or its history or its content from items that used to be owned by members of the Mohamed Ali Royal Family.
According to official statements, the Museum hosts 11,500 pieces or items previously owned by the members of the Mohamed Ali Royal Family that ruled Egypt from 1805 till 1952.
In May, Egyptian Chronicles presented a small post featuring the royal orders in the Museum.
Now, this post will feature a beautiful small collection of watches at that Museum.
Like for example, this beautiful watch owned once by King Farouk’s first wife Queen Farida.
Despite its black strap, that watch is encrusted with diamonds and emeralds.
That watch overshadowed the other watch on the left made off the leather strap and big golden body.
If you remember one of King Farouk’s watches, a-Patek Philippe watch was sold in a Christie’s auction in Dubai in March for US$ 912,500 ( LE 16.3 Million) to a phone buyer.
Most of the watches owned by members of the Egyptian Royal family had a similar fate. The few survived and made it to that small museum in Alexandria.
There are not too many wrist watches in the museum but there is a nice collection of gold pocket watches.
Some of those golden watches were made in the 19th century for a number of Egypt’s rulers and their wives.
All of those watches were custom-made for the Egyptian Royal family in Europe.
I am trying to make out what is written on that watch but I have failed so miserably.
That beautiful painted golden watch was owned by Ellhamy Hussein Pasha.
His first name was encrusted by diamonds on the watch.
Ellhamy Hussein Pasha was Princess Shivakiar’s fifth husband.
Princess Shivakiar was King Fouad I or to be accurate Prince Fouad’s first wife.
Princess Shivakiar had a marvelous collection of jewelry at the Museum that deserves a standalone post.
Here is another beautiful pocket painted golden watch.
The kind of precession in drawing and the fact that it is keeping its beauty after maybe a hundred years is amazing.
Here is Khedive Tawfik’s Golden pocket watch with his face painted on it.
Needless to say, we considered Khedive Tawfik as the worst ruler of Egypt in the modern history as he welcomed and supported the British occupation to the country ousting his father Khedive Ismail.
Here is Ibrahim Pasha’s Golden watch. I think the effect of time is shown in the painting depicting the Egyptian army’s greatest commander in the modern age.
Those two golden pocket watches are also beautiful.
On the left, the painting on the golden watch depicts a scene from Napoleon Bonaparte’s wars.
While on the right, there is a beautiful gold watch that once was owned by Khedive Saeed of Egypt with his face painted on it.
I do not know the exact history of that golden pocket watch but it got both Turkey or Ottoman Empire flag and Egypt’s flag on it.
I do not remember who owned that big red pocket watch but it is so big to the level I can’t imagine how to attached it the clothes easily.
and last in our collection, that snuffbox encrusted with diamonds and a clock.
I think that was from Sultana Melek’s collection.
In May 2002, Christie’s sold in Geneva a group of an Art Deco Jewelry in Switzerland for CHF 8,365 “LE 150,737” including a-Movada Ermento-watch owned by King Farouk.
In November of the same year, Christie’s sold another pocket watch in London mostly probably was owned by King Farouk. It was made by Swiss Gübelin circa 1940.
A golden open faced pocket watch, it has the Egyptian crown and letter “F” on its back.
It was sold for GBP 4,780 “LE 112,862”
Three years later in May 2005, Christie’s sold in Geneva also a pocket watch or rather a dress watch previously owned by King Fouad I for CHF 40,800 “LE 734,872”.
Made specifically for King Fouad I by Paris-based Breguet luxury watches house, the watch was made of 18k gold and silver carrying the emblem of either King Fouad I or King Farouk. Christie’s says that it is an emblem of Farouk but I believe it is his father’s.
It is unclear how that watch ended to be under the hammer in an auction house in Geneva in 2006.
Those are few examples of watches owned by the former ruling family of Egypt.
Three things for sure one must remember when he or she reads this post, the members of the Mohamed Ali Royal Family loved their watches to be fancy and the Post-1952 coup presidents and their government could not keep the Egyptian National history’s heritage as they should.
There are more Egyptian Royal family’s watches out there in the world when they should be exhibited in that small palace turned in to a museum in Alexandria.
Located in Alexandria, the museum got beautiful things to share whether its beautiful architecture or its history or its content from items that used to be owned by members of the Mohamed Ali Royal Family.
According to official statements, the Museum hosts 11,500 pieces or items previously owned by the members of the Mohamed Ali Royal Family that ruled Egypt from 1805 till 1952.
In May, Egyptian Chronicles presented a small post featuring the royal orders in the Museum.
Now, this post will feature a beautiful small collection of watches at that Museum.
Like for example, this beautiful watch owned once by King Farouk’s first wife Queen Farida.
 |
| Queen Farida's watch |
That watch overshadowed the other watch on the left made off the leather strap and big golden body.
If you remember one of King Farouk’s watches, a-Patek Philippe watch was sold in a Christie’s auction in Dubai in March for US$ 912,500 ( LE 16.3 Million) to a phone buyer.
Most of the watches owned by members of the Egyptian Royal family had a similar fate. The few survived and made it to that small museum in Alexandria.
There are not too many wrist watches in the museum but there is a nice collection of gold pocket watches.
 |
| Golden pocket watches |
Some of those golden watches were made in the 19th century for a number of Egypt’s rulers and their wives.
 |
| I think the one in the middle got the name of King Farouk encrusted with diamonds on it |
All of those watches were custom-made for the Egyptian Royal family in Europe.
 |
| I tried to understand what was written on that watch but I failed |
I am trying to make out what is written on that watch but I have failed so miserably.
 |
| Ellhamy Hussein Pasha's name encrusted with diamonds in Arabic |
That beautiful painted golden watch was owned by Ellhamy Hussein Pasha.
His first name was encrusted by diamonds on the watch.
Ellhamy Hussein Pasha was Princess Shivakiar’s fifth husband.
Princess Shivakiar was King Fouad I or to be accurate Prince Fouad’s first wife.
Princess Shivakiar had a marvelous collection of jewelry at the Museum that deserves a standalone post.
Here is another beautiful pocket painted golden watch.
 |
| I like this pocket watch so much |
The kind of precession in drawing and the fact that it is keeping its beauty after maybe a hundred years is amazing.
 |
| Khedive Tawfik on a pocket watch |
Here is Khedive Tawfik’s Golden pocket watch with his face painted on it.
Needless to say, we considered Khedive Tawfik as the worst ruler of Egypt in the modern history as he welcomed and supported the British occupation to the country ousting his father Khedive Ismail.
 |
| Ibrahim Pasha's golden watch |
Here is Ibrahim Pasha’s Golden watch. I think the effect of time is shown in the painting depicting the Egyptian army’s greatest commander in the modern age.
 |
| I think the painted scene on the watch on the left depicts a war from Bonaparte's wars |
Those two golden pocket watches are also beautiful.
On the left, the painting on the golden watch depicts a scene from Napoleon Bonaparte’s wars.
While on the right, there is a beautiful gold watch that once was owned by Khedive Saeed of Egypt with his face painted on it.
 |
| Egypt and Turkey or rather Ottoman Empire golden watch |
I do not know the exact history of that golden pocket watch but it got both Turkey or Ottoman Empire flag and Egypt’s flag on it.
 |
| A very big pocket watch |
I do not remember who owned that big red pocket watch but it is so big to the level I can’t imagine how to attached it the clothes easily.
and last in our collection, that snuffbox encrusted with diamonds and a clock.
 |
| A snuff box and a clock at the same time |
In May 2002, Christie’s sold in Geneva a group of an Art Deco Jewelry in Switzerland for CHF 8,365 “LE 150,737” including a-Movada Ermento-watch owned by King Farouk.
 |
| The watch above was owned by King Farouk |
 |
| The golden watch with the Egyptian crown and "F" on its back |
It was sold for GBP 4,780 “LE 112,862”
Three years later in May 2005, Christie’s sold in Geneva also a pocket watch or rather a dress watch previously owned by King Fouad I for CHF 40,800 “LE 734,872”.
 |
| The watch with the emblem Is it Farouk or Fouad? |
It is unclear how that watch ended to be under the hammer in an auction house in Geneva in 2006.
Those are few examples of watches owned by the former ruling family of Egypt.
Three things for sure one must remember when he or she reads this post, the members of the Mohamed Ali Royal Family loved their watches to be fancy and the Post-1952 coup presidents and their government could not keep the Egyptian National history’s heritage as they should.
There are more Egyptian Royal family’s watches out there in the world when they should be exhibited in that small palace turned in to a museum in Alexandria.
I am currently on a vacation so I will try to keep things light in Egyptian Chronicles as much as possible.
“Disney in Egyptian” Facebook page announced recently about competition for amateur artists and illustrators to depict Disney’s Princesses in Egypt and as Egyptians in Egyptian Facebook group “Draw” and the results are amazing.
The popular fan Facebook selected the best 202 illustrations showing Disney’s princesses as Egyptian women living in old and modern-day Egypt. “There is an extra post with over 200 illustrations as well”
Here are my favorite illustrations.
The illustrations of Egyptian Moana are more than amazing especially since it depicts her as “Bent Al-Balad” or the girl from the popular working class of the old days.
I love Moana and her movie.
“Disney in Egyptian” Facebook page announced recently about competition for amateur artists and illustrators to depict Disney’s Princesses in Egypt and as Egyptians in Egyptian Facebook group “Draw” and the results are amazing.
The popular fan Facebook selected the best 202 illustrations showing Disney’s princesses as Egyptian women living in old and modern-day Egypt. “There is an extra post with over 200 illustrations as well”
Here are my favorite illustrations.
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| Disney princesses in Modern-day Egypt "From left: Veiled Jasmine, a shabbier Ariel, cool Snowhite Preganent Cinderella, bookworm Belle and a poor but casual Aurora" by unknown artists |
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| Ancient Egyptian Pocahontas, Snowwhite dancing while Jasmine is playing the harp by Bassel El-Kadi |
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| Ariel in Egypt getting fat because she is always eating stuffed vegetables by Mohamed Nagy |
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| Ariel, the Nile Mermaid by Noha El-Sherif "I guess" |
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| Mulan and Li Chang as Fatima Koshary and Abdel Ghafoor as a famous couple of the famous TV show "The Egyptians will relate" by Mariam |
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| In another realm, Jasmine was Aida Riyadh in her famous scene with Adel Emam "again Egyptians will relate" |
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| Ancient Egyptian Vanellope by Leen Khubieh |
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| Princess Jasmine escaped the palace and disguised as Bent El-Balad by JSU |
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| Moana by Amal Samir and this illustration is best of the best indeed |
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| Another version of Bent El-Balad Moana |
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| Nubian Moana by Dalia El-Khayat |
She looks more Egyptian indeed than Princess Jasmine of Agrabah.
From a couple of days ago, Moana fans compared her to Egyptian rising-star Asama Abu El-Yazid after her latest photo shoot.
Talented Abu Zeid can fit to be a living version of Moana “She can sing too but she does not have Polynesian roots” but she is thinner than her I believe.
If you remember “Disney in Egyptian” led a very loud campaign to make Disney’s cartoons dubbed in Egyptian Arabic dialect in 2016.
The campaign was successful and Disney’s animations are going once again to speak Egyptian Arabic
From a couple of days ago, Moana fans compared her to Egyptian rising-star Asama Abu El-Yazid after her latest photo shoot.
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| Asama Abu El-Yazid, an Egyptian actor and singer |
If you remember “Disney in Egyptian” led a very loud campaign to make Disney’s cartoons dubbed in Egyptian Arabic dialect in 2016.
The campaign was successful and Disney’s animations are going once again to speak Egyptian Arabic
On Wednesday, Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulation “SCM” issued a media gag order against all what is published or broadcasted about the 57357 Children Cancer Hospital and its current controversy saga about the public donations that ended at wrong pockets till the end of the current investigations into its matters.
The state-of-art biggest children cancer hospital in Egypt is facing accusations of corruption and embezzlement of donations.
Al-Masry Al-Youm “AMAY” Daily published in June a series of investigative op-eds or reports to be accurate by famous screenplay writer Wahid Hamed about the hospital and its general manager Dr.Sherif Abou El-Naga questioning the way he runs the medical facility. (1,2,3,4,5) {They were pulled from the official website of AMAY but they exist online}.
Basically, Hamed accuses Abou El-Naga and his family of monopolizing the board of directors and of having high salaries when the hospital depends only on donations.
As the accusations began to increase, many people began to fear that their donations did not help in curing sick children for free but rather in the pockets of famous doctors.
In late June, Egyptian Social Solidarity ministry which monitors NGOs and charity hospitals announced that it formed a committee to investigate those accusations.
The committee is made up of judges and auditors.
The hospital and its general manager deny that accusations accusing Hamed of being part of a systematic campaign against them. They say the campaign actually started at Veto before moving to more popular and readable AMAY.
Wahid Hamed and Veto are not the first one to raise questions about the NGO hospital that has got the biggest ad campaigns I believe among the NGOs. “Tarek Nour communications, its advertising agency says that it is doing it for free”
Dousky Ahmed at less known Ida2at.com website also published a similar investigative reported in June 2017.
Many people are stunned that the SCM would issue a media gag order like that when it is actually one of Prosecutor General’s power in Egypt.
Well, it is also one of the SCM’s powers according to article No.26 of its law issued in 2017.
The article says that without compromising the power of the general prosecution, the council has the right to act on its own in banning any material whether published or broadcasted whether definitely or indefinitely if it receives a complaint or it finds a violation to journalistic and media standards.
The SCM says in its statement about the decision that it took because “ It is keen to let that noble internationally recognized medical establishment to continue its work” regardless of the accusations while waiting from the judicial committee’s final say.
This is the first time the SCM uses that power to issue a media gag order in a public opinion issue like that.
Yet, it is not the first time it uses its power to stop or pull certain material from a broadcast.
It has been active since it came to life in 2017 in banning improper ads and TV programs.
I do not think that this media gag order will actually help that hospital and its public image in the Egyptian society.
On social media, people believe that there is something rotten there and that gag order was taken in order not to expose it.
According to what I have seen on the social media especially on Facebook, people are mistrusting the hospital.
The order comes after the announcement that the hospital GM Dr. Sherif Abou El-Naga has hired controversial attorney Mortada Mansour to defend him as well the hospital.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but unfortunately, the hospital will lose more donations and donors because of that controversy and how its administration dealt with it.
The state-of-art biggest children cancer hospital in Egypt is facing accusations of corruption and embezzlement of donations.
Al-Masry Al-Youm “AMAY” Daily published in June a series of investigative op-eds or reports to be accurate by famous screenplay writer Wahid Hamed about the hospital and its general manager Dr.Sherif Abou El-Naga questioning the way he runs the medical facility. (1,2,3,4,5) {They were pulled from the official website of AMAY but they exist online}.
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| 57357 Children Cancer hospital's building n Cairo |
Basically, Hamed accuses Abou El-Naga and his family of monopolizing the board of directors and of having high salaries when the hospital depends only on donations.
As the accusations began to increase, many people began to fear that their donations did not help in curing sick children for free but rather in the pockets of famous doctors.
In late June, Egyptian Social Solidarity ministry which monitors NGOs and charity hospitals announced that it formed a committee to investigate those accusations.
The committee is made up of judges and auditors.
The hospital and its general manager deny that accusations accusing Hamed of being part of a systematic campaign against them. They say the campaign actually started at Veto before moving to more popular and readable AMAY.
Wahid Hamed and Veto are not the first one to raise questions about the NGO hospital that has got the biggest ad campaigns I believe among the NGOs. “Tarek Nour communications, its advertising agency says that it is doing it for free”
Dousky Ahmed at less known Ida2at.com website also published a similar investigative reported in June 2017.
Many people are stunned that the SCM would issue a media gag order like that when it is actually one of Prosecutor General’s power in Egypt.
Well, it is also one of the SCM’s powers according to article No.26 of its law issued in 2017.
The article says that without compromising the power of the general prosecution, the council has the right to act on its own in banning any material whether published or broadcasted whether definitely or indefinitely if it receives a complaint or it finds a violation to journalistic and media standards.
The SCM says in its statement about the decision that it took because “ It is keen to let that noble internationally recognized medical establishment to continue its work” regardless of the accusations while waiting from the judicial committee’s final say.
This is the first time the SCM uses that power to issue a media gag order in a public opinion issue like that.
Yet, it is not the first time it uses its power to stop or pull certain material from a broadcast.
It has been active since it came to life in 2017 in banning improper ads and TV programs.
I do not think that this media gag order will actually help that hospital and its public image in the Egyptian society.
On social media, people believe that there is something rotten there and that gag order was taken in order not to expose it.
According to what I have seen on the social media especially on Facebook, people are mistrusting the hospital.
The order comes after the announcement that the hospital GM Dr. Sherif Abou El-Naga has hired controversial attorney Mortada Mansour to defend him as well the hospital.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but unfortunately, the hospital will lose more donations and donors because of that controversy and how its administration dealt with it.
This news came quietly last week and nobody paid attention despite it is quite interesting.
On 5 July Thursday, Egyptian Media Company announced that it acquired Al-Hayat TV Network and according to its CEO Tamer Morsi, the Egyptian Media would reboot the network with new material that would make the TV channels return to the lead of Egyptian TV channels.
Very short news but behind there is a lot to say.
In September 2017, Tawasul which is a subsidiary of Falcon International Group announced that it acquired the once-successful-but-currently-troubled-AL-Hayat TV network from its founder, businessman and former New Wafd Party leader El-Siyad El-Badawy for allegedly LE 1.4 billion or USD 79 Million pounds.
Since the acquisitions, we have been reading a lot about restructuring TV channels and the network attempting to attract big names of TV hosts and TV executives but in vain.
I do not know honestly why Falcon International group which is said to have connections with Egyptian General intelligence service; decided to put it on sale.
Now it is acquired by none other than Egyptian Media which was acquired too in December 2017 by Eagle Capital For Investment.
Eagle Capital is also said to allegedly have connections with Egyptian General Intelligence Service as well !!!
It is not clear how much Egyptian Media paid for Al-Hayat TV Network, it was not mentioned in its price release about the acquisition.
Egyptian Media also issued another interesting statement on Thursday. It declared that former intelligence officer and current media executive Yasser Selim was appointed as the vice-chairman of Egyptian Media.
Yasser Selim was appointed as the chairman of Al-Hayat TV Network in April 2018 by its previous owner, Tawasul.
Egyptian Media which already owns 16 media companies or subsidiaries in Egypt is headed by businessman and producer Tamer Morsi, who used to be Yasser Selim’s business partner in the past few years.
Unlike what I expected that Dalia Khorshid, the CEO of Eagle Capital is not the queen of the media in Egypt; it was actually Tamer Morsi who is the new king of the media in the country.
Before I forget and as I speak about the Egyptian Media group, I remember something interesting.
In the black-comedy press conference held by the Egyptian Football Association “EFA” about the reasons on why the Egyptian football team failed so miserably, the EFA President spoke about Presentation Sports Media revealing a very interesting info.
The FIFA council member Hany Abou Rida said when asked about Presentation “that it is owned by the state” denying any relation between it and him. “Not true actually as far as I know.”
“I respect the contribution of the company which sponsors EFA and supported the National team with all its force” He added.
“Presentation Sports” controls local sports media in Egypt and 51% of its shares are owned by Egyptian Media as its previous CEO Ahmed Abu Hashima acquired 51% of the shares in June 2016.
I believe that Abu Rida said that to scare and to warn the journalists not to go too far with their attack and criticism of “Presentations”
Hany Abu Rida is the first Egyptian official to say that Presentation was actually “a state-owned company.”
So far no official has issued any comment about what Abou Rida said and he meant by “ a company owned by the state”.
Did not I tell you that it is interesting info?
On 5 July Thursday, Egyptian Media Company announced that it acquired Al-Hayat TV Network and according to its CEO Tamer Morsi, the Egyptian Media would reboot the network with new material that would make the TV channels return to the lead of Egyptian TV channels.
Very short news but behind there is a lot to say.
In September 2017, Tawasul which is a subsidiary of Falcon International Group announced that it acquired the once-successful-but-currently-troubled-AL-Hayat TV network from its founder, businessman and former New Wafd Party leader El-Siyad El-Badawy for allegedly LE 1.4 billion or USD 79 Million pounds.
Since the acquisitions, we have been reading a lot about restructuring TV channels and the network attempting to attract big names of TV hosts and TV executives but in vain.
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| Tamer Morsi and Yasser Selim "Youm 7" |
Now it is acquired by none other than Egyptian Media which was acquired too in December 2017 by Eagle Capital For Investment.
Eagle Capital is also said to allegedly have connections with Egyptian General Intelligence Service as well !!!
It is not clear how much Egyptian Media paid for Al-Hayat TV Network, it was not mentioned in its price release about the acquisition.
Egyptian Media also issued another interesting statement on Thursday. It declared that former intelligence officer and current media executive Yasser Selim was appointed as the vice-chairman of Egyptian Media.
Yasser Selim was appointed as the chairman of Al-Hayat TV Network in April 2018 by its previous owner, Tawasul.
Egyptian Media which already owns 16 media companies or subsidiaries in Egypt is headed by businessman and producer Tamer Morsi, who used to be Yasser Selim’s business partner in the past few years.
Unlike what I expected that Dalia Khorshid, the CEO of Eagle Capital is not the queen of the media in Egypt; it was actually Tamer Morsi who is the new king of the media in the country.
Before I forget and as I speak about the Egyptian Media group, I remember something interesting.
In the black-comedy press conference held by the Egyptian Football Association “EFA” about the reasons on why the Egyptian football team failed so miserably, the EFA President spoke about Presentation Sports Media revealing a very interesting info.
The FIFA council member Hany Abou Rida said when asked about Presentation “that it is owned by the state” denying any relation between it and him. “Not true actually as far as I know.”
“I respect the contribution of the company which sponsors EFA and supported the National team with all its force” He added.
“Presentation Sports” controls local sports media in Egypt and 51% of its shares are owned by Egyptian Media as its previous CEO Ahmed Abu Hashima acquired 51% of the shares in June 2016.
I believe that Abu Rida said that to scare and to warn the journalists not to go too far with their attack and criticism of “Presentations”
Hany Abu Rida is the first Egyptian official to say that Presentation was actually “a state-owned company.”
So far no official has issued any comment about what Abou Rida said and he meant by “ a company owned by the state”.
Did not I tell you that it is interesting info?
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The vacation is on a verge to an end so I gather a couple of interesting news to share it with because they are to be ignored.
I can not ignore something like this below especially it has been creating buzz as well as endless memes in Egypt’s social media universe.
As soon as the news hit the social media, it turned into a meme but seriously speaking it drew huge criticism as there are bigger and more serious problems in state-run hospitals and its staff from doctors than bolstering their patriotism.
Despite the criticism, Minister Zayed insisted in a meeting with editors in chiefs on Wednesday that she would not pull her decision back because it will bolster the patriotism and professionalism among the listeners.
On Wednesday the decision came into effect and Al-Warraq Central Hospital was the first in the Arab Republic of Egypt to play the national anthem like that.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi held a meeting with PM Mostafa Madoubly and health minister Hala Zayed on Thursday where he urged them to work on developing the health sector in Egypt aka the new health insurance system.
I do not think that he meant by developing the health sector in Egypt that the national anthem should be played loud in the public hospitals’ sound system !!
Anyhow that national anthem decision put more media pressure on the 50-years old academic doctor who is already in hot water thanks to the 57357 hospital controversy.
Before becoming a minister, Hala Zayed was the CEO of the Health Science Academy following 57357 Hospital. She is trying to distance her “to show there is no conflict of interest” by ordering an investigation into the famous charity hospital.
Minister Hala Zayed was appointed in the new cabinet as the minister of health and population in Mostafa Madoubly’s cabinet which swore in June.
Zayed is the first woman to hold the position of health minister in Egypt.
Madoubly’s cabinet got 8 women ministers; which is the highest number of women ministers in any cabinet in Egypt since the 19th century.
I think that decision of hers proves my point about women empowerment in countries like Egypt.
According to the plan, nearly 850 thousand cubic meters of Nile River water will be transferred to the new administrative capital on daily basis.
Since 2015, Egyptian officials spoke openly about how we entered the “water poverty era” and the official numbers supported that.
After being a country that has exported rice for too long, Egypt became an importer to save Nile river water so I do not know how officials do not see a problem in taking all that amount of water to the Administrative Capital city !!
Newly appointed youth and sports minister Ashraf Sobhy said on Tuesday that Egypt aims to host World Cup in 2030 and the Summer Olympics games in 2032 because Egypt owns the financial and tangible abilities to host such events.
Egypt indeed managed to host a number of international and regional tournaments but not the level of hosting the World Cup or the Olympics !!
For the love of God, the Egyptian football fans have not returned yet to watch the matches in the stadium !!
Already Egypt wanted in 2004 to host the World Cup in 2010 but failed miserably to the level that no one voted for us.
Up till this moment, we do not know what happened in the infamous World Cup Zero scandal’s investigation.
What I know for sure about it is that the man who was responsible for Egypt’s file in front of FIFA were Gamal Mubarak’s friends.
This is just a very bad Deja vu.
I have always wanted to continue presenting news like that from time to time and I had done it before.
Hopefully, I will continue doing it more often.
I can not ignore something like this below especially it has been creating buzz as well as endless memes in Egypt’s social media universe.
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| From left to right: Minister Hala Zayed, CEO Ahmed Zaki Abdeen and minister Ashraf Sobhi |
Egypt’s health minister decides to make hospitals all over the country play the national anthem daily
On Tuesday, newly appointed minister Hala Zayed issued a decision to make state-run hospitals play the national anthem daily in order to bolster patriotism as well the medical oath to bolster professionalism among the hospital staff.As soon as the news hit the social media, it turned into a meme but seriously speaking it drew huge criticism as there are bigger and more serious problems in state-run hospitals and its staff from doctors than bolstering their patriotism.
Despite the criticism, Minister Zayed insisted in a meeting with editors in chiefs on Wednesday that she would not pull her decision back because it will bolster the patriotism and professionalism among the listeners.
On Wednesday the decision came into effect and Al-Warraq Central Hospital was the first in the Arab Republic of Egypt to play the national anthem like that.
I do not think that he meant by developing the health sector in Egypt that the national anthem should be played loud in the public hospitals’ sound system !!
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| Minister Hala Zayid of health and population |
Anyhow that national anthem decision put more media pressure on the 50-years old academic doctor who is already in hot water thanks to the 57357 hospital controversy.
Before becoming a minister, Hala Zayed was the CEO of the Health Science Academy following 57357 Hospital. She is trying to distance her “to show there is no conflict of interest” by ordering an investigation into the famous charity hospital.
Minister Hala Zayed was appointed in the new cabinet as the minister of health and population in Mostafa Madoubly’s cabinet which swore in June.
Zayed is the first woman to hold the position of health minister in Egypt.
Madoubly’s cabinet got 8 women ministers; which is the highest number of women ministers in any cabinet in Egypt since the 19th century.
I think that decision of hers proves my point about women empowerment in countries like Egypt.
Egyptian government to transfer more than half million cubic meters of Nile River Water daily to New Administrative Capital
Former minister/governor and current CEO of Administrative Capital for urban development CompanyAhmed Zaki Abdeen said on Monday that the currently-being-constructed main water plant in the city will transfer more than half million cubic meters of Nile River river water to the New Administrative Capital mega project. |
| Ahmed Zaki Abdeen |
Since 2015, Egyptian officials spoke openly about how we entered the “water poverty era” and the official numbers supported that.
After being a country that has exported rice for too long, Egypt became an importer to save Nile river water so I do not know how officials do not see a problem in taking all that amount of water to the Administrative Capital city !!
Egypt is seeking to host the World Cup again
It is not only the ugly faces of Mubarak era’s faces that are having a nasty comeback but also his era’s most failed projects and plans.Newly appointed youth and sports minister Ashraf Sobhy said on Tuesday that Egypt aims to host World Cup in 2030 and the Summer Olympics games in 2032 because Egypt owns the financial and tangible abilities to host such events.
Egypt indeed managed to host a number of international and regional tournaments but not the level of hosting the World Cup or the Olympics !!
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| Egypt's minister of youth and sports Ashraf Sobhy |
Already Egypt wanted in 2004 to host the World Cup in 2010 but failed miserably to the level that no one voted for us.
Up till this moment, we do not know what happened in the infamous World Cup Zero scandal’s investigation.
What I know for sure about it is that the man who was responsible for Egypt’s file in front of FIFA were Gamal Mubarak’s friends.
This is just a very bad Deja vu.
I have always wanted to continue presenting news like that from time to time and I had done it before.
Hopefully, I will continue doing it more often.
via Instagram https://ift.tt/2NPp6jr All degrees of #blue here. From a nice #beach at #Egypt’s #NorthCoast. #SidiAbdelRahman beaches are one of the best hidden secrets of Egypt. #Summer #Mediterranean #Nofilter #Egypte #Egipto #Sea #Africa #MENA #EverydayEgypt #ThisIsEgypt #مصر #سيد_عبد_الرحمن
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| Cairo tower from October bridge |
It seems that Egypt’s Cairo tower celebrated France’s victory in World Cup 2018 in Russia too.
I took that photo shortly after France was crowned for the second time in its history as the winner of the World Cup.
It seems that officially Egypt was supporting somehow the Les Bleus boys too as tourism minister Rania Al-Mashat saw the football match along with France's ambassador to Cairo Stephane Romatet at the French Culture Center in Downtown Cairo.
Al-Mashat was supporting France so enthusiastically to the level that I believe she was a graduate of some French high school in Cairo.
FYI currently Egypt and France have got very strong economic as well as political and military relations. France has become among the top sources of arms to the Egyptian armed.
Egypt has become one the biggest arms customers to France to the level that human rights' criticisms do not concern the French Republic anymore.
The French investments in Egypt reached 4 billion Euros according to minister Saher Nasr of investment in June.
France's President Macron is also expected to visit Cairo in the upcoming months
I was supporting France's too. My family cheered for it too. I like the Les Bleus and let's be frank, Les Bleus represent Africa too in the Mondial.😆
They are also the sons of migrants who came to France searching for a better opportunity and despite all hardship and difficulties, they did it.
I am happy that the French team made it because that victory sends a strong message to the right wing across Europe as well the United States and its president who believes that "immigrants changed Europe".
Unofficially, most Egyptians were supporting Croatia because its team was a true underdog and most Egyptian men like Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović.😑😑
I am kidding but truly Croatia was the undisputed underdog team that won hearts and minds in this Mondial.
I took that photo shortly after France was crowned for the second time in its history as the winner of the World Cup.
It seems that officially Egypt was supporting somehow the Les Bleus boys too as tourism minister Rania Al-Mashat saw the football match along with France's ambassador to Cairo Stephane Romatet at the French Culture Center in Downtown Cairo.
Al-Mashat was supporting France so enthusiastically to the level that I believe she was a graduate of some French high school in Cairo.
FYI currently Egypt and France have got very strong economic as well as political and military relations. France has become among the top sources of arms to the Egyptian armed.
Egypt has become one the biggest arms customers to France to the level that human rights' criticisms do not concern the French Republic anymore.
The French investments in Egypt reached 4 billion Euros according to minister Saher Nasr of investment in June.
France's President Macron is also expected to visit Cairo in the upcoming months
I was supporting France's too. My family cheered for it too. I like the Les Bleus and let's be frank, Les Bleus represent Africa too in the Mondial.😆
They are also the sons of migrants who came to France searching for a better opportunity and despite all hardship and difficulties, they did it.
I am happy that the French team made it because that victory sends a strong message to the right wing across Europe as well the United States and its president who believes that "immigrants changed Europe".
Unofficially, most Egyptians were supporting Croatia because its team was a true underdog and most Egyptian men like Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović.😑😑
I am kidding but truly Croatia was the undisputed underdog team that won hearts and minds in this Mondial.
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Sotheby’s in London auctioned items that were once owned Egypt’s last King, King Farouk I in early June and once again there has been a complete silence on how those beautiful things that are part of the Egyptian National heritage found their way to the famous auction house.
The items were sold as part of Fine Jewels auction held earlier June.
Here is a quick look to the items previously owned by King Farouk that were sold in early June 2018
The items were sold as part of Fine Jewels auction held earlier June.
Here is a quick look to the items previously owned by King Farouk that were sold in early June 2018
✽Lot No.199: Tie pin and cufflinks as well Ruby and diamond tie pin✽
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| The coins and the tie pins "Sotheby's" |
The two tie pins and cufflinks were sold in their original green leather pouched stamped with the following in French “AH. Naguib Rey, Fournisseur de Sa Majsete’ Le Roi D’Egypt. Le Cairo-Paris” which is translated in to “A.H Naguib Rey {I think it Bey}, the fournisser of his Majesty King Farouk of Egypt {specialized in buying fancy stuff for the king}, Cairo and Paris.
AH. Naguib is Ahmed Naguib or as known in the Egyptian modern history Ahmed Pasha Naguib, King Farouk’s special Jeweler.
Historically, King Farouk I met his second wife Nariman at the Naguib Pasha’s Jewelry shop at Abdel Khalek Tharwet street in Cairo when she was searching with her family for engagement jewelry for her first engagement.
Interestingly, Ahmed Pasha Naguib used owned one of Presidency villas beside Heliopolis Palace where ousted Mubarak used to stay and there has been a battle between Naguib Pasha heirs and the state about it. That villa should return to them but what you know !!
The family of Naguib Pasha is still working in Jewelry business in Egypt.
Back to the auction.
Originally estimated at GBP 220-350, those two tie pins and cufflinks were sold for GBP 4,000 “ LE 95,825”
Sotheby's did not release online information related to how it acquired those items or when they were made.
Judging from the fact the pouch had the stamp of Ahmed Naguib as Bey, which was an honorary title less than Pasha; I would assume that they were made for King Farouk when he was still a young king.
Either those items were with King Farouk when he left Alexandria to Napoli on that morning of 24 July 1952 or they were sold in those shameful 1954 auctions or they left Egypt illegally and it won’t be surprised for me because Sotheby’s got a long history of selling historical items that left Egypt illegally.
✽ Lot No.200: Diamond Brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels ✽
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| The diamond golden brooch "Sotheby's" |
The body, beak and the feathers of the bird were carefully made from 18-carat gold whereas its eyes are made of diamonds. The bird is also standing on a coral gemstone.
Originally estimated at GBP 700-1,1500, the brooch was sold at GBP 12,500 “LE 299,411”
Again Sotheby’s does not say how it put its hand on that brooch and whether it was sold in the infamous 1954 auctions or left the country illegally or King Farouk himself took it with him into exile and then sold it.
FYI Van Cleef & Aprels sent its representatives to the 1954 auctions and bought some of their old customers’ valuable items.
✽Lot No.201: Diamond purse handle ✽
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| The diamond purse handle "Sotheby's" |
The only thing that is known about it was that was owned by King Farouk and somehow it ended at Sotheby’s.
The diamonds are real as you can see them.
Originally estimated at GBP 2,200-3,500, the diamond purse handle was sold at GBP 9,375 “ LE 221,864”.
Those three beautiful items that are worth a fortune in Egyptian pounds are the latest items owned by Egypt and Sudan’s last king.
Christie’s Dubai sold in March 2018 King Farouk’s beautiful 18k-carat gold Patek Philippe watch for USD 912,500 “LE 16 million”.
That was a record price in the Middle East.
It is unclear who bought it but I won’t be surprised to know if it were MBS or MBZ, I will be angry and sad because they do not deserve that watch or to be compared by King Farouk who did not harm anyone compared to them.
Quick online search in major auction houses like Sotheby’s or Christie’s, one can find many precious items owned by members of the Egyptian Royal Family that found its way to go under the hammer in a mysterious way instead of being in a museum.
To their own credit, Sotheby’s and Christies’ say if the items in their auctions are part of their own collections they had acquired for nearly nothing in the infamous 1954 auctions only to sell for millions of Egyptian pounds 60 years later.
King-in-exile Ahmed Fouad II stated that all his family’s belongings are now part of the Egyptian people’s heritage and that it was the duty of the Egyptian government to restore that lost heritage.
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| The X Mark like a bad omen on the shop |
Seen in Cairo what it could be the last days of 111-years S. Hinhayat shop, Egypt’s oldest surviving watches and clock shop “most probably in the MiddleEast”.
I have been fascinated with that sign and how it says "Established in 1907" and how its Egyptian owner and his heirs have kept the name of that Bulgarian man "Solomon Hinhayat" since he had sold it their grandfather in 1948.
Unfortunately, that shop won’t be here for too long as its building will be demolished for that mega development project of Maspero triangle.
I feel really sad 😞
I have been fascinated with that sign and how it says "Established in 1907" and how its Egyptian owner and his heirs have kept the name of that Bulgarian man "Solomon Hinhayat" since he had sold it their grandfather in 1948.
Unfortunately, that shop won’t be here for too long as its building will be demolished for that mega development project of Maspero triangle.
I feel really sad 😞
Earlier Thursday, the Egyptian authorities surprised the world by its decision to open that big black mysterious sarcophagus found earlier July in Alexandria governorate and the whole matter turned in to another original Egyptian black comedy with crazy statements and red piss water 10,000 people want to drink from all over the world.
I remember Egypt’s ministry of antiquities announced that it would open that black granite sarcophagus in a big event allowing international media to cover just like what it had done with the colossal statue of King Psmatik I in Matareya in March 2017.
Inviting international media to cover the event especially all the world was technically speaking and wondering about who was in that sarcophagus could have an excellent move. People from all over the world were excited according to comments online especially it is black sarcophagus like the one in the Mummy shitty film franchise.😒😒
It was a good opportunity to promote for Alexandria as a historical place full of historical touristic ancient sites and museums.
The fact that that sarcophagus is made of granite, which is an expensive material only found in Aswan made may speculate that it could be a man of high status.
Some even had a wild imagination that it could be the tomb of Alexander, the great. It is wild imagination because historically and logically that small tomb could not be the tomb of the greatest military commander in ancient World who allegedly died somewhere near India.
Nevertheless, that excitement was not used properly.
Egyptian journalists knew about the opening operation only on Wednesday and those who were lucky enough to go were not allowed to go and film the operation directly.
There was military police guarding the location that was covered by tent cloth similar to Croatia flag.
I understood that the military police was there because the ministry of antiquities needed to use a crane owned by the army to lift up the heavy granite sarcophagus which nobody even dared to ask how it was put down so low.
I know that modern day Alexandria was built over layers of old Alexandrias but still one must wonder especially we are speaking about granite brought from Aswan in the South of Egypt.
The sarcophagus with no inscriptions (as we see in the photos) what so ever is carved out of black granite brought from Aswan, 1.85 meters tall, 2.65 meters long, and 1.65 meters wide.
There were speculations that it weighed about 30 tons.
The Egyptian army’s Engineering authority is currently engaged in several civilian construction and development projects in Alexandria already and so they got that big crane used in the opening of the sarcophagus and transferring it.
According to the news reports, the antiquities ministry had to ask the Engineering authority for help because it was worried that the excavation works would affect other old buildings in the area.
I think they could have asked also the help of the faculty of engineering’s professors at the University of Alexandria too.
I followed the updates of the operation on Twitter and updates from the newspapers on Thursday like many Egyptians as well as foreigners and just like ever related to that sarcophagus, the news was strange.
First, it was announced that horrible smell came out of the sarcophagus when it was opened for a tiny bit that the archeologists had to leave the location because of it.
Second, the sarcophagus was open and there came the red liquid. The world went coco here.
A strange red colored liquid was found inside the sarcophagus covering three skeletons that survived all that time.
Officially, a quantity of that substance was taken to be analyzed.
Unofficially, the rest of the substance which was sucked from the sarcophagus was disposed of in the most irresponsible way ever as photos emerged for a man allegedly working with the archeologists throwing it in the street !!
I do not need to state how this is completely wrong and irresponsible.
Publicly, some people began to spread rumors that the substance was the infamous red mercury.
According to urban legends in the late 1990s and early 2000s, red mercury was found in the ancient Egyptians’ tombs and it did miracles aside from so-called use in nuclear energy whether curing people from illness or used to control Djinn.
Internationally, we got that funny man called Innes Mck who decided a petition asking the Egyptian government to let him drink the red substance so he can die and others joined him. It has been a circus so.
But then the naked sad truth came, the red liquid is actually sewage water according to analysis !!!!!!!!!!
To be honest I do not understand how the sewage water reached inside the granite sarcophagus and did not leave marks outside it or at least the archeologists did not tell the public about it.
The archeologists managed to suck liquid and took the skeletons and skulls for further analysis.
The secretary general of the Supreme Council Mostafa El-Wizary who was the star of the event stated without further analysis that the skeletons were for soldiers because one of them had an arrow in his or her skull !!
He also said that the skulls appeared to show chivalry and manhood as well Sharpness thus they had to be “soldiers” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s the quickest conclusion I have ever seen for a tomb with no information what so ever. No wonder it became the joke of the Egyptian social media then.
The only solid facts about that tomb we have got that the sarcophagus made from granite that came from Aswan, is from the Ptolemaic era and that there was a marble disfigured head for mostly man.
No one cared to reveal more info about that disfigured head.
Other remarkable and interesting facts are that we got three skeletons with no cloth or what so ever for three people whom we ignore their gender seriously speaking.
Those people were not mummified which is strange because till the Roman era, Egyptians used to mummify their dead and Fayoum portraits are a proof.
Also, it is weird to find three skeletons put together like that in a granite sarcophagus brought from Aswan, which I assume that was not cheap either in the ancient times.
The day ended by the archeologists transferring the skulls for further examination.
On Friday, the sarcophagus was sent to the ministry of antiquities’ warehouse in Mostafa Kamel street in Alexandria.
I thought that the circus is over but then the news of Mck’s petition jumped back into my face to remind me how the history of my country turned in to a silly joke thanks to Western urban legends of ancient curses and mummies films crap.
Now, this is the only photo we got that gives the true space where the archeologists and Upper Egyptian workers did their magic and somehow I can understand why the authorities did not want journalists there.
I salute the Reuters photographer who managed to take it.
Many people including myself are asking about how there was going to be a residential building over that tiny piece of land !!
Alexandrians say that this is normal and it happened before.
By the way, I think Egyptians should salute the unsung heroes of last Thursday: The excavation workers of Upper Egypt who came from South to help in opening the sarcophagus as Pros.
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| The original black sarcophagus as found in Alexandria |
Inviting international media to cover the event especially all the world was technically speaking and wondering about who was in that sarcophagus could have an excellent move. People from all over the world were excited according to comments online especially it is black sarcophagus like the one in the Mummy shitty film franchise.😒😒
It was a good opportunity to promote for Alexandria as a historical place full of historical touristic ancient sites and museums.
The fact that that sarcophagus is made of granite, which is an expensive material only found in Aswan made may speculate that it could be a man of high status.
Some even had a wild imagination that it could be the tomb of Alexander, the great. It is wild imagination because historically and logically that small tomb could not be the tomb of the greatest military commander in ancient World who allegedly died somewhere near India.
Nevertheless, that excitement was not used properly.
Egyptian journalists knew about the opening operation only on Wednesday and those who were lucky enough to go were not allowed to go and film the operation directly.
There was military police guarding the location that was covered by tent cloth similar to Croatia flag.
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| The Croatia tent coth in the location at Sidi Gabr in Alexandria "Al Watan newspaper" |
I know that modern day Alexandria was built over layers of old Alexandrias but still one must wonder especially we are speaking about granite brought from Aswan in the South of Egypt.
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| A close up of the black sarcophagus |
There were speculations that it weighed about 30 tons.
The Egyptian army’s Engineering authority is currently engaged in several civilian construction and development projects in Alexandria already and so they got that big crane used in the opening of the sarcophagus and transferring it.
According to the news reports, the antiquities ministry had to ask the Engineering authority for help because it was worried that the excavation works would affect other old buildings in the area.
I think they could have asked also the help of the faculty of engineering’s professors at the University of Alexandria too.
I followed the updates of the operation on Twitter and updates from the newspapers on Thursday like many Egyptians as well as foreigners and just like ever related to that sarcophagus, the news was strange.
First, it was announced that horrible smell came out of the sarcophagus when it was opened for a tiny bit that the archeologists had to leave the location because of it.
Second, the sarcophagus was open and there came the red liquid. The world went coco here.
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| The liquid inside the sarcophagus "The ministry of antiquities" |
Officially, a quantity of that substance was taken to be analyzed.
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| Sucking the red liquid and skeletons appear after 2000 years |
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| In the street "Journalist Wael Thabet" |
Publicly, some people began to spread rumors that the substance was the infamous red mercury.
According to urban legends in the late 1990s and early 2000s, red mercury was found in the ancient Egyptians’ tombs and it did miracles aside from so-called use in nuclear energy whether curing people from illness or used to control Djinn.
Internationally, we got that funny man called Innes Mck who decided a petition asking the Egyptian government to let him drink the red substance so he can die and others joined him. It has been a circus so.
But then the naked sad truth came, the red liquid is actually sewage water according to analysis !!!!!!!!!!
To be honest I do not understand how the sewage water reached inside the granite sarcophagus and did not leave marks outside it or at least the archeologists did not tell the public about it.
The archeologists managed to suck liquid and took the skeletons and skulls for further analysis.
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| The Skulls |
He also said that the skulls appeared to show chivalry and manhood as well Sharpness thus they had to be “soldiers” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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| Mostafa El-Wizary speaking to the media last Thursday "Twitter" |
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| The disfigured head made of marble at the tomb "Antiquities ministry" |
No one cared to reveal more info about that disfigured head.
Other remarkable and interesting facts are that we got three skeletons with no cloth or what so ever for three people whom we ignore their gender seriously speaking.
Those people were not mummified which is strange because till the Roman era, Egyptians used to mummify their dead and Fayoum portraits are a proof.
Also, it is weird to find three skeletons put together like that in a granite sarcophagus brought from Aswan, which I assume that was not cheap either in the ancient times.
The day ended by the archeologists transferring the skulls for further examination.
On Friday, the sarcophagus was sent to the ministry of antiquities’ warehouse in Mostafa Kamel street in Alexandria.
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| The sarcophagus transferred to its new home for now and you can see a man on right wearing an Upper Egyptian galabiya style, I think he is one of the local experts in transferring sarcophagi from Upper Egypt "Ministry of antiquities" |
Now, this is the only photo we got that gives the true space where the archeologists and Upper Egyptian workers did their magic and somehow I can understand why the authorities did not want journalists there.
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| This is the place where the sarcophagus was found, a construction site that defies logic !! "Reuters" |
Many people including myself are asking about how there was going to be a residential building over that tiny piece of land !!
Alexandrians say that this is normal and it happened before.
By the way, I think Egyptians should salute the unsung heroes of last Thursday: The excavation workers of Upper Egypt who came from South to help in opening the sarcophagus as Pros.
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| The workers from Upper Egypt "Twitter" |
It is said to be the longest lunar eclipse our part of the world would see in the 21st century and so I could not ignore it. I had waited for it since I read the news earlier July.
When the eclipse started, I could not see it from our house’s balcony because it was hiding behind a big tree “I am praying that tree is left alone and to be completely ignored by the municipality workers” and so I had to go to the street to see that beautiful transformation of the moon.
Again I made a scene in the street as I stood with tripod paying gazing at the star. I listened to very expected comments especially from teenage boys who were wondering what I was photographing.
Only a nice old couple praised my action for photographing the moon.
“Bravo,” The old man and his wife who kept following the moon eclipse told me when they saw me with my camera and tripod.
It was the beginning of that beautiful sky show and I returned back to my apartment to see the moon from the balcony as the moon once again and I could catch while it transferred into a red bloody moon for real.
An amazing scene you can see with your naked eye despite all the city light and noise.
What is even that we were able to see Mars with the naked eyes as a red shiny dot near the moon in a position that repeats every 25,000 years according to Wikipedia !!!!!
Most people did not look up the sky in the street but few did like that old man and his wife.
God bless them where they are now.
Many Muslims prayed the Lunar eclipse prayer.
Aside from science, we believe lunar and solar eclipses are work of God showing us his mighty power.
According to Islamic beliefs, Muslims should not believe in any superstition revolving about the eclipse but social media and mainstream media say otherwise.
Both social and mainstream media were full of crap and nonsense like we would have earthquakes and our emotions would be on a rollercoaster.
My favorite myth: Do not look to the moon too much in the eclipse because you may get depressed Dearie, e, I live in Egypt in the Middle East during the Era of US president Donald Trump. I lived 30 years under Mubarak then reached the moon in 2011 then returned back to Mubarak era san Mubarak since 2013. I do not need a lunar eclipse to be depressed. I am already depressed.
That eclipse that cheered me up actually after photographing and filming the sad story of Building No.54 in 26th July street and how the oldest working Clock shop may get demolished within hours not within days.
When the eclipse started, I could not see it from our house’s balcony because it was hiding behind a big tree “I am praying that tree is left alone and to be completely ignored by the municipality workers” and so I had to go to the street to see that beautiful transformation of the moon.
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| The partial lunar eclipse |
Only a nice old couple praised my action for photographing the moon.
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| The partial lunar eclipse |
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| The partial lunar eclipse |
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| Blood lunar eclipse |
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| Blood lunar eclipse |
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| Blood moon |
God bless them where they are now.
Many Muslims prayed the Lunar eclipse prayer.
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| Blood moon |
According to Islamic beliefs, Muslims should not believe in any superstition revolving about the eclipse but social media and mainstream media say otherwise.
Both social and mainstream media were full of crap and nonsense like we would have earthquakes and our emotions would be on a rollercoaster.
My favorite myth: Do not look to the moon too much in the eclipse because you may get depressed Dearie, e, I live in Egypt in the Middle East during the Era of US president Donald Trump. I lived 30 years under Mubarak then reached the moon in 2011 then returned back to Mubarak era san Mubarak since 2013. I do not need a lunar eclipse to be depressed. I am already depressed.
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| Blood moon |
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Egypt’s Premier League will kick-start within hours in Alexandria with a football match between Ittihad Alexandria and El Mokawloon at Alexandria Stadium.
Both teams are allowed to get 15 football fans only to watch the game in the stadium, which in total of 30 football fans.
This is according to the Egyptian Football Association “EFA”’s orders concerning this season of the Egyptian Premier League.
The EFA said that each club got 15 fans officially and temporary to watch the local tournament this season.
Ironically the football team members will be more in numbers than its fans.
The head of tournaments at EFA Amer Hussein said that if we asked about why the public could watch the matches at the stadium then we should ask the interior ministry.
I respect the honesty of Hussein, this is the truth we all know about in Egypt.
The announcement of the EFA comes just two weeks after the announcement of Egypt’s minister of youth and sports Ashraf Sobhi declared boldly that our country was seeking to host World Cup 2030.
I am afraid that to win the bid for World Cup 2030 Egypt must start from now to allow football fans to watch the Egyptian Premier League in bigger numbers with fewer security measurements aside from building big stadiums and fixing about thousand other things.
The Egyptian authorities had decided that the public would not attend local football matches following the sad incidents of Port Said stadium massacre and the Air Defense stadium massacre.
There was an attempt to make the public return once again but failed when Ahly hardcore fans “Ultras Ahlaway U-7” chanted their famous anti-chants against the police and regime if I remember correctly.
Many members of the famous Ultras Ahlaway group as well Zamalek Ultras White Knights had arrested since then in a restless crackdown.
In May 2018, Ultras Ahlaway of Ahly SC announced that it dissolved itself and some of its members allegedly burned their banner as a symbol of the group.
In late May, Ultras White Knights of Zamalek SC also announced it dissolved itself and the scene of burning their alleged banner repeated again.
In early July, Ultras Green Eagles of Port Said’s Al Masry SC announced too it dissolved its group in a Facebook statement.
Some of the detained Ultras fans and members have been released since the announcements but still there are others who are behind bars like leading figure of Ultras White Knights Siyad El-Moshgab.
Speaking about El-Moshgab, he is currently on a food strike to reject the ill-treatment he receives in prison.
Now the three big major Ultras groups announced that they are dissolving them and still the public cannot watch football matches like normal people in any country !!!
It is sad but I totally understand why the lads in those groups took that decision. Already their existence is in danger to be declared as a terrorist organization thanks to the counter-terrorism law.
“Let the public return to the stadium” has been a slogan for those who want the return of the football fans and no one knows when will happen.
God only knows when the public will return to see local tournaments in Egypt.
Both teams are allowed to get 15 football fans only to watch the game in the stadium, which in total of 30 football fans.
This is according to the Egyptian Football Association “EFA”’s orders concerning this season of the Egyptian Premier League.
The EFA said that each club got 15 fans officially and temporary to watch the local tournament this season.
Ironically the football team members will be more in numbers than its fans.
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| Ahly fans by AFP |
The head of tournaments at EFA Amer Hussein said that if we asked about why the public could watch the matches at the stadium then we should ask the interior ministry.
I respect the honesty of Hussein, this is the truth we all know about in Egypt.
The announcement of the EFA comes just two weeks after the announcement of Egypt’s minister of youth and sports Ashraf Sobhi declared boldly that our country was seeking to host World Cup 2030.
I am afraid that to win the bid for World Cup 2030 Egypt must start from now to allow football fans to watch the Egyptian Premier League in bigger numbers with fewer security measurements aside from building big stadiums and fixing about thousand other things.
The Egyptian authorities had decided that the public would not attend local football matches following the sad incidents of Port Said stadium massacre and the Air Defense stadium massacre.
There was an attempt to make the public return once again but failed when Ahly hardcore fans “Ultras Ahlaway U-7” chanted their famous anti-chants against the police and regime if I remember correctly.
Many members of the famous Ultras Ahlaway group as well Zamalek Ultras White Knights had arrested since then in a restless crackdown.
In May 2018, Ultras Ahlaway of Ahly SC announced that it dissolved itself and some of its members allegedly burned their banner as a symbol of the group.
In late May, Ultras White Knights of Zamalek SC also announced it dissolved itself and the scene of burning their alleged banner repeated again.
In early July, Ultras Green Eagles of Port Said’s Al Masry SC announced too it dissolved its group in a Facebook statement.
Some of the detained Ultras fans and members have been released since the announcements but still there are others who are behind bars like leading figure of Ultras White Knights Siyad El-Moshgab.
Speaking about El-Moshgab, he is currently on a food strike to reject the ill-treatment he receives in prison.
Now the three big major Ultras groups announced that they are dissolving them and still the public cannot watch football matches like normal people in any country !!!
It is sad but I totally understand why the lads in those groups took that decision. Already their existence is in danger to be declared as a terrorist organization thanks to the counter-terrorism law.
“Let the public return to the stadium” has been a slogan for those who want the return of the football fans and no one knows when will happen.
God only knows when the public will return to see local tournaments in Egypt.
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| Ahad Tamimi after her release "Ahmed Arouri" |
She was released after serving 8 months in jail for attacking an Israeli soldier or rather slapping an Israeli soldier as her little cousin was shot down by another Israeli soldier.
Ahad was received by camera flashes and TV interview requests as she became a new iconic face of the Palestinians and their struggle.
Needless to say, her mother Nermeen who was also imprisoned with her spoke about the elephant in the room we know and see about her daughter: She got international support, unlike another Palestinian teenager because of her blonde look.
I am happy she is free "or partially free realistically speaking as she is on the radar of IDF" and I hope she continues staying away from that old Arab nationalism politics of her dad. I hope she succeeds in studying international law so she can help in freeing other Palestinians detainees and also become a political figure in the future.
Ahad is free now but there are more than 6500 Palestinian prisoners or POWs as Palestinians describe them in the Israeli prisons for political reasons.Ahed Tamimi, 17, was held in an Israeli prison for 8 months. We spoke to her after her release. pic.twitter.com/RzV6vR4fj5— AJ+ (@ajplus) August 3, 2018
Among them, there are 350 children prisoners. There are too 800 prisoners who have a health condition and need true and better health treatment.
There are also 700 Palestinian detainees who are still in prison with no charge or trial because of the Israeli administrative detention system.
The girl who ate ice cream as soon as she got out of prison and returned back to her village; has not forgotten about them either.
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| Ola Marshood |
The girl is called Ola Marshood and she is a 21 years old student in the faculty of Mass communication, Nagah University. You can find her YouTube channel here.
On Thursday, Palestinian Poet Dareen Tatour was sentenced 7 months because of she wrote a poem attacking the Israeli occupation and calling for resistance.
Since October 2015, she has been detained sometimes in prison and sometimes under house arrest all that time because of a poem.
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| Dareen Tatour at court |
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| Lama hugging her little boy |
42-years old Lama Khater was arrested from her house on 24 July and currently, she is detained pending investigation because of she wrote online against the occupation.
Lama Khater’s photos showing her hugging her 3-years-old son good bye at night as Israeli IDF thugs were standing behind her went viral. No mother should be separated from her child because she wrote something criticizing an occupation !!
And just before anyone brings up my own country’s record in jailing poets and writers, I am totally against the imprisonment of writers and poets let alone military trials for civilians in front of military courts.
Personally, I wish the Egyptian authors union would act and issue a statement demanding the release of Dareen and Lama but I doubt they would do that.
Galal El-Behairy was found guilty of writing a poem insulting the Egyptian army in front of a military court.
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| Lama Khater |
“The best women of the world” is a direct mockery to the alleged Prophet Mohamed “PBUH” quote that “Egypt has the best soldiers of the world”.
According to El-Behairy’s lawyers, he was found guilty of publishing a collection of poems that have not been published yet despite Raseef22 published its cover.
From what I understand when Pro-regime media began to attack the young poet, his publishing house canceled his contract and did not release the collection of poems in early March.
Some people say “The best women of world” collection of poems is available online as PDF but I have not seen it yet.
Either way, Behairy became famous after it was found that he had written the lyrics of Ramy Essam’s anti-Sisi song “Balha” just before the presidential elections.
International human rights organizations and organizations like Pen International have called the release of Behairy for the past months but in vain.
Back to Palestine, I have one good last news to share with you as I read it earlier this week.
According to the World Bank Gender group, 23% of Palestinian high-tech entrepreneurs are women despite all the hardships they face and it is one of the highest rates in the World.
I do not think that this is shared in mainstream media as it should. You know this fact now and I think it is deserved to be shared.
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In the past two weeks, news came from Syria that the people in the cities Al-Assad regime regained control on recently began to receive official death certificates of their relatives who were forcibly disappeared or arrested by Al-Assad security forces in the past seven years as the Assad regime updates its civil registries.
Syrian News website Zaman Al-Wsl received at the end of July a huge list of nearly 7953 deceased Syrian political prisoners arrested fromSyria’s 14 governorates from 2011 till 2018
Yes, at least 7953 human beings were killed in Syrian regime’s prisons in those seven years.
The list is confirmed by other news websites, local activists and Syrian human rights organizations.
Syria’s Rif Dimashq governorate top the list with 1856 victim followed by the cradle of the Syrian revolution Daraa governorate with 1283 victim and Homs governorate with 1253 victim according to Zaman Al-Wsl database which you can browse if you know Arabic.
The Syrian capital Damascus got alone 870 victim followed by Hama which got 762 victim while Idlib got 585 victim.
Aleppo has got so far 473 victims while Deir ez-Zor has got 450 victim.
The numbers then decline to 154 victim in Latakia and 110 victim in Quneitra to 50 victim in Raqqa and 44 victim in Al-Hasakah governorate.
Tartus governorate got only 28 victim while As-Suwayda which was rocked last week by Daesh attack has got 23 victim in the list.
There are two Syrian victims whose origin could not be identified and there are 10 names from different countries.
There is one Egyptian in the list who was called Youssef Abdel Samad.
I tried to search for more info using his name but I got nothing.
Abdel Samad was executed on 27 September 2016. It is unclear where he was arrested or when or whether he stood a trial at all or not.
According to the list , 307 prisoners died in the prisons in 2011 only whereas the number increased to 1119 prisoners in 2012. In 2013 , the numbers doubled in 2120 prisoners deceased in the Syrian governmental prisons.
In 2014, the numbers reached 2276 prisoners according to the list
It declined to 1413 prisoners in 2015 then to 401 prisoners in 2016 and then to 146 in 2017.
In 2018 , only 170 prisoners have either been executed or have been tortured till death so far.
Some Syrian citizens are leaving the names of their forced disappeared relatives in the comment section at the opposition news websites wondering if their names are in that list Zaman Al-Wsl has got.“Check the page below”
I do not understand how some people “including the officials of my country” speak about Al-Assad and his regime as a part of political talks and reconciliation when we got at least 7000 Syrian killed in that regime’s prison.
Those prisoners are not numbers.
There are so 125 child and underage prisoners who were killed according to that list. There are 63 women prisoners that were killed according to the database. Some of them were from the same families including fathers and sons as well as brothers and sisters.
They had names and dreams and stories to share.
They had faces and stories to be told.“Source: Syrian Network for human rights”
On 23 April 2012, National Syrian basketball team player Sameh Srour was arrested by regime security at Damascus International airport. The 1981-born athlete from Daraa was allegedly tortured till death in February 2018.
On 25 August 2012, Emad al-Din Shoaib was arrested from his house in Darraya.He was tortured allegedly till death in July 2015 in a detention center.
On 30 September 2012, Zuhair Shehada was arrested at a Syrian regime checkpoint in his city Darayya. The 1986-born man was tortured allegedly till death on December 17,2014.
On 21 August 2013, Omar al-Saqqa was also arrested at a Syrian regime checkpoint in his home city Darayya. The 1965-born man was tortured by Al-Assad forces allegedly till death on August 13,2014.
On 8 October 2014, footballer Mahmoud al-Ali was arrested from his house in Damascus. The young footballer originally from Hasaka was reportedly tortured till death at infamous Sednaya prison in Damascus.
On 16 November 2014, 22-years-old Lama Nawaf al-Basha was arrested from home in al-Tal. The University student who aspired to become a project manager was tortured till death in her detention.
Only now her family knew her destiny.
In 2014, Ahmed al-Ahmed al-Wakeel was also arrested from Deir Ez-Zour governorate and that tortured till death by Al-Assad forces in his detention. His family and SNHR” also received information of his death in August 2018.
You can find more names and faces on the official website of SNHR
The true extremists of Al-Qaeda were released by Al-Assad regime in 2011 and 2012 for a reason I think we all have known now.
I have not read so far any statement issued by an Arab government or the League of Arab states “I am naïve and I know it but sometimes I have faith in miracles to happen”.
By the way, Assadist Media figures are angry of Palestinian teenage activist Ahad Tamimi calling her “a fake hero” hinting out that she could be a spy because she wished good luck for the Syrian people only through Syrian Radio station !!
Tamimi was interviewed by a Pro-Assad Privately-owned “Al-Medina FM” station following her release and she was asked what she would say to the Syrian Arab Army and its youth soldiers who had been away from their families for 7 years. “May God protect the Syrian people and Syria” The teenager who has been released from an Israeli prison last week told the radio host through the phone in the West Bank.
It did not make many Assadists happy.
Needless to say , many Arabs especially Syrians had their moment of wonder when they saw Ahad Tamimi and her mother Nermine looking good after spending 7 months in an Israeli prison.
Israel did not waste that moment and its official speakers to the Arab World used it as part of their propaganda.
I like to remind the Israeli media machine also the rest of the Arabs that if Ahad Tamimi and her mother look good, then it is because of the strikes of the Palestinian political prisoners led in the Israeli prisons to receive better treatment.
Anyhow , the world is failing the Syrians just as it has been failing the Palestinians over and over.
Syrian News website Zaman Al-Wsl received at the end of July a huge list of nearly 7953 deceased Syrian political prisoners arrested fromSyria’s 14 governorates from 2011 till 2018
Yes, at least 7953 human beings were killed in Syrian regime’s prisons in those seven years.
The list is confirmed by other news websites, local activists and Syrian human rights organizations.
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| A photo snapped from a Syrian town last by AFP |
The Syrian capital Damascus got alone 870 victim followed by Hama which got 762 victim while Idlib got 585 victim.
Aleppo has got so far 473 victims while Deir ez-Zor has got 450 victim.
The numbers then decline to 154 victim in Latakia and 110 victim in Quneitra to 50 victim in Raqqa and 44 victim in Al-Hasakah governorate.
Tartus governorate got only 28 victim while As-Suwayda which was rocked last week by Daesh attack has got 23 victim in the list.
There are two Syrian victims whose origin could not be identified and there are 10 names from different countries.
There is one Egyptian in the list who was called Youssef Abdel Samad.
I tried to search for more info using his name but I got nothing.
Abdel Samad was executed on 27 September 2016. It is unclear where he was arrested or when or whether he stood a trial at all or not.
According to the list , 307 prisoners died in the prisons in 2011 only whereas the number increased to 1119 prisoners in 2012. In 2013 , the numbers doubled in 2120 prisoners deceased in the Syrian governmental prisons.
In 2014, the numbers reached 2276 prisoners according to the list
It declined to 1413 prisoners in 2015 then to 401 prisoners in 2016 and then to 146 in 2017.
In 2018 , only 170 prisoners have either been executed or have been tortured till death so far.
Some Syrian citizens are leaving the names of their forced disappeared relatives in the comment section at the opposition news websites wondering if their names are in that list Zaman Al-Wsl has got.“Check the page below”
I do not understand how some people “including the officials of my country” speak about Al-Assad and his regime as a part of political talks and reconciliation when we got at least 7000 Syrian killed in that regime’s prison.
Those prisoners are not numbers.
There are so 125 child and underage prisoners who were killed according to that list. There are 63 women prisoners that were killed according to the database. Some of them were from the same families including fathers and sons as well as brothers and sisters.
They had names and dreams and stories to share.
They had faces and stories to be told.“Source: Syrian Network for human rights”
On 23 April 2012, National Syrian basketball team player Sameh Srour was arrested by regime security at Damascus International airport. The 1981-born athlete from Daraa was allegedly tortured till death in February 2018.
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| Late Sameh Srorur |
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| Late Emad al-Din Shoaib |
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| Late Zuhair Shehada |
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| Late Omar al-Saqqa |
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| Late Mohame al-Ali |
Only now her family knew her destiny.
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| Late Lama Nawaf |
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| Late Ahmed Al-Ahmed |
The true extremists of Al-Qaeda were released by Al-Assad regime in 2011 and 2012 for a reason I think we all have known now.
I have not read so far any statement issued by an Arab government or the League of Arab states “I am naïve and I know it but sometimes I have faith in miracles to happen”.
By the way, Assadist Media figures are angry of Palestinian teenage activist Ahad Tamimi calling her “a fake hero” hinting out that she could be a spy because she wished good luck for the Syrian people only through Syrian Radio station !!
Tamimi was interviewed by a Pro-Assad Privately-owned “Al-Medina FM” station following her release and she was asked what she would say to the Syrian Arab Army and its youth soldiers who had been away from their families for 7 years. “May God protect the Syrian people and Syria” The teenager who has been released from an Israeli prison last week told the radio host through the phone in the West Bank.
It did not make many Assadists happy.
Needless to say , many Arabs especially Syrians had their moment of wonder when they saw Ahad Tamimi and her mother Nermine looking good after spending 7 months in an Israeli prison.
Israel did not waste that moment and its official speakers to the Arab World used it as part of their propaganda.
I like to remind the Israeli media machine also the rest of the Arabs that if Ahad Tamimi and her mother look good, then it is because of the strikes of the Palestinian political prisoners led in the Israeli prisons to receive better treatment.
Anyhow , the world is failing the Syrians just as it has been failing the Palestinians over and over.
Last week, Planet Mars was in its closest position to our planet earth for the first time since 2003. If you had looked to the sky at night then, you may have seen a shining red dot appearing amazingly.
That’s our neighbor Mars and I could not resist the opportunity to capture it in a photo.
I do not have a telescope right now “ I am thinking of getting one” and I do not have a telephoto zoom lens “Lenses’ prices reaches Planet Pluto since the Egyptian pound flotation ” so I tried to do it using my zoom lens “55-210” despite I know in advance.
The results are not great but let’s remember that I got a 210mm lens trying to capture a planet that is 225 million kilometers away from me or actually from earth.
A little small red sparkling ball Mars appeared in the skies of Cairo and Giza that night. At first, I thought it was an airplane passing by at night but it did not move and I know that I was looking at that red planet.
The red planet was crystal clear in the city lights that it did not matter if all the lights were buzzing in the street.
Now a little important historical fact that it is not trivial at all.
According to some historians, Cairo was named in Arabic "El-Qahira" in reference to Mars' name in Arabic "El-Qahar", "the conqueror".
Cairo is named after Planet Mars in Arabic, oh yes.
According to some historians, Cairo was named in Arabic "El-Qahira" in reference to Mars' name in Arabic "El-Qahar", "the conqueror".
The story goes that the co-founder of Cairo Fatimid Caliph El-Muiz Li Din Allah brought the astrologers and astronomers as it was the custom in that age to see which star or planet appeared in the sky so they would name of new cities after it. It was Mars appearing in the night as a big red that night.
Mars’ original name in old times in Arabic was “El-Qahar”, the Conqueror and it does not need a historian to know that the name had a relation with the myths surrounding Mars and its color with wars.
For some reason, the astrologers warned El-Muiz not to name the new capital after El-Qahar but he insisted to name it “El-Qahira” and it became one of the biggest and most surviving capitals after all in the world.
By the way , I will seize the moment and share with you that failed attempt of recording a time-lapse video for the lunar eclipse Egypt and the Middle East saw from several days ago.
That’s our neighbor Mars and I could not resist the opportunity to capture it in a photo.
I do not have a telescope right now “ I am thinking of getting one” and I do not have a telephoto zoom lens “Lenses’ prices reaches Planet Pluto since the Egyptian pound flotation ” so I tried to do it using my zoom lens “55-210” despite I know in advance.
The results are not great but let’s remember that I got a 210mm lens trying to capture a planet that is 225 million kilometers away from me or actually from earth.
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| Planet Mars |
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| Small red dot |
The red planet was crystal clear in the city lights that it did not matter if all the lights were buzzing in the street.
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| Mars away |
Now a little important historical fact that it is not trivial at all.
According to some historians, Cairo was named in Arabic "El-Qahira" in reference to Mars' name in Arabic "El-Qahar", "the conqueror".
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| Close up Mars |
According to some historians, Cairo was named in Arabic "El-Qahira" in reference to Mars' name in Arabic "El-Qahar", "the conqueror".
The story goes that the co-founder of Cairo Fatimid Caliph El-Muiz Li Din Allah brought the astrologers and astronomers as it was the custom in that age to see which star or planet appeared in the sky so they would name of new cities after it. It was Mars appearing in the night as a big red that night.
Mars’ original name in old times in Arabic was “El-Qahar”, the Conqueror and it does not need a historian to know that the name had a relation with the myths surrounding Mars and its color with wars.
For some reason, the astrologers warned El-Muiz not to name the new capital after El-Qahar but he insisted to name it “El-Qahira” and it became one of the biggest and most surviving capitals after all in the world.
By the way , I will seize the moment and share with you that failed attempt of recording a time-lapse video for the lunar eclipse Egypt and the Middle East saw from several days ago.
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| That cat is among the famous cats of the Egyptian Museum of Cairo |
This was one of its famous cats wondering freely in its corridors and garden.
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| A mummified cat stands in pride at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo |
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Why does the US Bible belt support the State of Israel ??
Why does the US right-wing support Israel as the Jewish nation when many of its followers believe that Jewish people control the world media and harass Jewish journalists online who do not have their same beliefs ??
Why do the US right wing’s super racists who support Neo-Nazis like Steven Bannon and Sebastian Gorka support Israel and consider themselves as “Christian Zionists” ??
The answer goes simply back to their understanding of their Evangelical Church’s beliefs.
Yes, religion plays a role here just like everything else related to the Middle East and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, unfortunately.
Originated in the 17th century as part of the Puritan movement, Christian Zionism believes that Jews “regardless of their nationality” should return to Palestine as their homeland to restore their kingdom.
Since the 1980s some Evangelical Churches began to adopt that theory based on the Book of the Revelation that when Jews restore their kingdom in Jerusalem, a huge battle aka Armageddon will erupt between them and their Muslim neighbors speeding up the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Now here is a short documentary by Vice presented by Thomas Morton who went on a tour with a group of Christian Zionists to the Holy Land in Palestine explaining all this in a simple way.
It is very important because many people ignore those simple fact whether in the West or the East.
I remember seeing a documentary from a couple of years where a right-wing Evangelical lady was saying that every time she heard about rockets in the Middle East, she prayed it would fall over the Dome of the Rock Mosque so Muslims would be angry enough to declare war and the second coming would happen faster.
When it comes to Islam, we do have our own version of the end of days that share some details with Christianity like the anti-Christ and the second coming of the Christ but we are not so eager for that battle like the right wing Evangelicals.
Interestingly I read that some Shia Muslims believe the too many wars will so speed the coming or the appearance of Al-Mahdi. But yet again I do not see the same appetite for that mother of all wars among Shia just like Christian Zionists.
A man like Steven Bannon who did not like his daughter to be in a school full of too many Jews is self-claimed Christian-Zionist. He and his brothers in the US and Europe do not want Jews in their countries just like other minorities but they want to head to Palestine to fulfill that prophecy.
He got no problem with Neo-Nazis killing Jews in his country because he believes Jews should return to their homeland that once was there in Palestine from 2000 years ago.
The right wing does not mind that that holy war will kill millions of Muslims and Jews as well Christians as long as it will speed up the second coming of Jesus Christ. They do not give a fuck with my due respect to Christian Palestinians or even Evangelical Palestinians !!
I believe those facts will give you a new understanding on that strange alliance between Christian Zionists and Zionists as well why Christian Zionists support the expansion of Israel in West Bank and East Jerusalem in general.
Not-so-shockingly the Israeli government and right wing in Israel does not have any moral problem concerning that kind of support.
Arab Muslim strongmen find in Trump too a close friend when almost all his current administration are Islamophobic racists who have offended Muslims and Islam repeatedly.
The Israeli government is officially a Middle Eastern government and it seems that all the Mideast governments got no problem in dealing with Trump’s racist administration.
But just like Arab strongmen , the current Israeli government is playing fire with their alliance with the right wing and the rising Neo-Nazis whether in US or Europe.
It is an irony when Israel and its lobbies all over the world always use the anti-Semitism charge whenever anyone open his or her mouth about Israel’s shameful record of human rights towards the Palestinians and Arabs but they befriend and form a racist alliance with true anti-Semitic Neo Nazi nationalists who truly deny holocaust.
Anyhow I hope that video cleared the relation between the Christian belt in the United States and Zionism.
Why does the US right-wing support Israel as the Jewish nation when many of its followers believe that Jewish people control the world media and harass Jewish journalists online who do not have their same beliefs ??
Why do the US right wing’s super racists who support Neo-Nazis like Steven Bannon and Sebastian Gorka support Israel and consider themselves as “Christian Zionists” ??
The answer goes simply back to their understanding of their Evangelical Church’s beliefs.
Yes, religion plays a role here just like everything else related to the Middle East and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, unfortunately.
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| A Christian Zionist parade in Jerusalem in March 2012 "Activestills.org" |
Since the 1980s some Evangelical Churches began to adopt that theory based on the Book of the Revelation that when Jews restore their kingdom in Jerusalem, a huge battle aka Armageddon will erupt between them and their Muslim neighbors speeding up the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Now here is a short documentary by Vice presented by Thomas Morton who went on a tour with a group of Christian Zionists to the Holy Land in Palestine explaining all this in a simple way.
It is very important because many people ignore those simple fact whether in the West or the East.
I remember seeing a documentary from a couple of years where a right-wing Evangelical lady was saying that every time she heard about rockets in the Middle East, she prayed it would fall over the Dome of the Rock Mosque so Muslims would be angry enough to declare war and the second coming would happen faster.
When it comes to Islam, we do have our own version of the end of days that share some details with Christianity like the anti-Christ and the second coming of the Christ but we are not so eager for that battle like the right wing Evangelicals.
Interestingly I read that some Shia Muslims believe the too many wars will so speed the coming or the appearance of Al-Mahdi. But yet again I do not see the same appetite for that mother of all wars among Shia just like Christian Zionists.
A man like Steven Bannon who did not like his daughter to be in a school full of too many Jews is self-claimed Christian-Zionist. He and his brothers in the US and Europe do not want Jews in their countries just like other minorities but they want to head to Palestine to fulfill that prophecy.
He got no problem with Neo-Nazis killing Jews in his country because he believes Jews should return to their homeland that once was there in Palestine from 2000 years ago.
The right wing does not mind that that holy war will kill millions of Muslims and Jews as well Christians as long as it will speed up the second coming of Jesus Christ. They do not give a fuck with my due respect to Christian Palestinians or even Evangelical Palestinians !!
I believe those facts will give you a new understanding on that strange alliance between Christian Zionists and Zionists as well why Christian Zionists support the expansion of Israel in West Bank and East Jerusalem in general.
Not-so-shockingly the Israeli government and right wing in Israel does not have any moral problem concerning that kind of support.
Arab Muslim strongmen find in Trump too a close friend when almost all his current administration are Islamophobic racists who have offended Muslims and Islam repeatedly.
The Israeli government is officially a Middle Eastern government and it seems that all the Mideast governments got no problem in dealing with Trump’s racist administration.
But just like Arab strongmen , the current Israeli government is playing fire with their alliance with the right wing and the rising Neo-Nazis whether in US or Europe.
It is an irony when Israel and its lobbies all over the world always use the anti-Semitism charge whenever anyone open his or her mouth about Israel’s shameful record of human rights towards the Palestinians and Arabs but they befriend and form a racist alliance with true anti-Semitic Neo Nazi nationalists who truly deny holocaust.
Anyhow I hope that video cleared the relation between the Christian belt in the United States and Zionism.
Akhbar Al Youm press corporation is celebrating the return of its CEO and Journalist Yasser Rizk from abroad after having some surgery. Rizk is known to be among the very close journalists to the Egyptian Presidency and current President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi himself as well the army.
The state-owned press corporation had banners with his face with the cheesiest slogans ever all over its buildings in Downtown Cairo and even hired a DJ blasting songs since early morning.
When famous Journalist and Akhbar Al Youm founder Mostafa Amin was exonerated of espionage charges and was released from jail in 1974, he was not received like that !!!!!
It is worth to mention that State-owned press corporations are funded from the people's taxes and they have been suffering recently huge losses. According to the head of the National Press authority Karm Gabr in October 2017, the losses of State-owned press corporations reached LE 19 billion.
Last week, the National Press authority had a meeting with the CEO of State-owned and Press
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| Akhbar Al Youm celebrating the return of its CEO with banners and DJ |
The printed newspapers in Egypt are having hard times on many levels as the internet and social media are now alternative as a news source for millions of Egypt who technically lost faith in printed media due to its continuous hypocrisy.
Needless to say, nobody wants to tackle the main reason of state-owned press corporations' failure: CORRUPTION. For three decades, those corporations suffered from the ongoing corruption that has not stopped up till now.
Most of the State-owned Press corporations in Egypt were nationalized in the 1960s to become under the full state control during the Nasser's era. Before nationalization, they were successful corporations that made Egypt a true of journalism in the Middle East.
Now we hear from time to time that the State wants to nationalize its press corporations and some believe it will happen soon as part of the IMF deal.
Only time we will tell but somehow I believe the current administration won't give up one of its arms easily: State-owned Press Corporations.
On Tuesday, London-Telegraph published a news article under the title “Jeremy Corbyn condemned after image emerges of him making Muslim Brotherhood Salute” which claims that the leader of Labor in the UK was photographed with a man in an old photo making the famous four-finger Rabaa sign.
The Telegraph says in the report that Corbyn is under fire because he was doing the Salute of the Muslim Brotherhood, the group linked to terrorism in Egypt and the Middle East.
The news article is currently viral on main news websites and newspapers that can’t stomach the labor leader like The Sun and The Metro.
That photo is making rounds on alt-rights and Islamophobia fanatics on social media.
Now there is a little misinformation here that needs to be corrected.
Jeremy Corbyn was doing Rabaa the sign which has never been a Muslim Brotherhood salute.
The four-finger sign of Rabaa was made in 2014 by a Turkish graphic designer to commemorate the victims of Pro-Islamist president Mohamed Morsi’s sit-in's forcible dispersal in Rabaa and Nahda squares in Egypt on 13 August 2013.
According to the different human rights organizations, whether Egyptian or international, at least 600 human beings were killed on that day.
The numbers of the victims are still disputed but at least 600 victims have been officially confirmed by the semi-official National Council For Human Rights.
The Rabaa sign is associated with the Muslim Brotherhood because its members began to do it in their trials, rallies and protests in Egypt and around the world to commemorate the victims.
That sign created hysteria for the regime in Egypt and some have paid a heavy price because of doing it publicly even accidentally or even wearing its pin.
I would have ignored this matter but unfortunately, it came at the same time as the anniversary of that sad event that we have been suffering from its consequences up until now. I do not need to post a disclaimar that I am not a Muslim Brotherhood supporter or member.
How this sign or this image is being used in a manipulative way to hit Jeremy Corbyn and to spread Islamophobia and xenophobia is making me sick. This is not a Nazi salute and can't be compared to the Nazi salute the Alt-right in Europe and the States are trying to get it back.
It is quite so sad to see Telegraph publishes such short news without any decent background to the true Rabaa events which the Telegraph covered extensively in 2013 with a team of excellent and brave reporters “Ruth Sherlock , Louisa Loveluck and Magdy Samaan.”
You can read a sample of their work in those nightmarish days here and there.
I am sure that a little research using the word Rabaa in Telegraph archives would have yielded many links.
Any decent unbiased journalist could have mentioned the Rabaa sign as well the fact that how the MB was designated as a terrorist organization by the Egyptian government and the 2014 UK government of the MB.
The political reporter of Telegrapher should have mentioned how Corbyn had been vocal since day one concerning the Rabaa massacre criticizing the Egyptian regime's policies and leave the conclusion to the reader whether Corbyn committed another sin or not.
I was not planning to write anything about the Rabaa massacre anniversary this year because as a dear friend has just told yesterday “There is nothing more to say” but this is too much for real.
The Rabaa massacre and the events followed it are the worst in the history of Egypt. We are still living with their curse, the curse of blood and polarization that a divine miracle can only break.
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| Jeremy Corbyn doing the famous Rabaa sign in 2017 "Telegraph" |
The news article is currently viral on main news websites and newspapers that can’t stomach the labor leader like The Sun and The Metro.
That photo is making rounds on alt-rights and Islamophobia fanatics on social media.
Now there is a little misinformation here that needs to be corrected.
Jeremy Corbyn was doing Rabaa the sign which has never been a Muslim Brotherhood salute.
The four-finger sign of Rabaa was made in 2014 by a Turkish graphic designer to commemorate the victims of Pro-Islamist president Mohamed Morsi’s sit-in's forcible dispersal in Rabaa and Nahda squares in Egypt on 13 August 2013.
According to the different human rights organizations, whether Egyptian or international, at least 600 human beings were killed on that day.
The numbers of the victims are still disputed but at least 600 victims have been officially confirmed by the semi-official National Council For Human Rights.
The Rabaa sign is associated with the Muslim Brotherhood because its members began to do it in their trials, rallies and protests in Egypt and around the world to commemorate the victims.
That sign created hysteria for the regime in Egypt and some have paid a heavy price because of doing it publicly even accidentally or even wearing its pin.
I would have ignored this matter but unfortunately, it came at the same time as the anniversary of that sad event that we have been suffering from its consequences up until now. I do not need to post a disclaimar that I am not a Muslim Brotherhood supporter or member.
How this sign or this image is being used in a manipulative way to hit Jeremy Corbyn and to spread Islamophobia and xenophobia is making me sick. This is not a Nazi salute and can't be compared to the Nazi salute the Alt-right in Europe and the States are trying to get it back.
It is quite so sad to see Telegraph publishes such short news without any decent background to the true Rabaa events which the Telegraph covered extensively in 2013 with a team of excellent and brave reporters “Ruth Sherlock , Louisa Loveluck and Magdy Samaan.”
You can read a sample of their work in those nightmarish days here and there.
I am sure that a little research using the word Rabaa in Telegraph archives would have yielded many links.
Any decent unbiased journalist could have mentioned the Rabaa sign as well the fact that how the MB was designated as a terrorist organization by the Egyptian government and the 2014 UK government of the MB.
The political reporter of Telegrapher should have mentioned how Corbyn had been vocal since day one concerning the Rabaa massacre criticizing the Egyptian regime's policies and leave the conclusion to the reader whether Corbyn committed another sin or not.
I was not planning to write anything about the Rabaa massacre anniversary this year because as a dear friend has just told yesterday “There is nothing more to say” but this is too much for real.
The Rabaa massacre and the events followed it are the worst in the history of Egypt. We are still living with their curse, the curse of blood and polarization that a divine miracle can only break.
