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(showing articles 1 to 30 of 30)
- 07/22/18--12:46: _Seen in Cairo : The...
- 07/23/18--17:50: _The Big Black sarco...
- 07/27/18--16:40: _Blood Lunar Eclipse...
- 07/30/18--17:26: _The Road to Egypt W...
- 08/03/18--14:12: _Time to support Pal...
- 08/05/18--15:04: _Al-Assad’s death li...
- 08/06/18--16:18: _Catching Mars from ...
- 08/08/18--17:18: _International Cat D...
- 08/10/18--15:34: _Why does the Evange...
- 08/13/18--14:16: _Filmed in Cairo : T...
- 08/15/18--15:34: _Corbyn and Rabaa Sa...
- 08/19/18--17:39: _Media Empires of Eg...
- 08/20/18--17:12: _Happy Eid al-Adha e...
- 08/23/18--14:21: _Concerning The On T...
- 08/25/18--17:28: _Alexandria’s big bl...
- 08/28/18--16:21: _As Sexual harassmen...
- 08/30/18--16:58: _A rant about Egypt’...
- 09/01/18--18:43: _Seen in Egypt's Nor...
- 09/04/18--16:27: _Once again : Sectar...
- 09/05/18--18:03: _September 06, 2018 ...
- 09/08/18--16:15: _Rabaa Sit-in disper...
- 09/11/18--16:52: _Happy New Hijri Yea...
- 09/12/18--14:59: _World Suicide Preve...
- 09/15/18--13:57: _Remains of statues ...
- 09/15/18--13:57: _A shrine at Egypt' ...
- 09/15/18--13:57: _Luxor temple's aven...
- 09/15/18--13:57: _Egypt's Luxor Templ...
- 09/15/18--13:57: _Tourists at Egypt's...
- 09/17/18--18:32: _Egypt’s latest arch...
- 09/19/18--19:00: _They are eating tre...
(showing articles 1 to 30 of 30)
Channel Description:
7000 years and counting ...
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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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| The liquid inside the sarcophagus "The ministry of antiquities" |
Officially, a quantity of that substance was taken to be analyzed.
 |
| Sucking the red liquid and skeletons appear after 2000 years |
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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" |
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
There is currently a complete reshuffle that is taking place in the Media City West of Cairo where once-successful TV channels have been shut down and once-famous TV hosts are forced to stay in their homes.
It is a reshuffle that nobody has cared to speak about or discuss or even follow. It started to happen in July during Ramadan and the World Cup.
Then as soon as the holy month ended and the World Cup was over, that media reshuffle began to began to be louder.
On 27 July, Egyptian Media announced that it was restructuring ONTV Network and that it would close down ON Live, the Network News channel while launching a second sports TV channel.
In its statement about the decision, Egyptian Media said that it launched ON Sports 2 to serve the State’s policies to support youth and sports.
The Company also claimed that it saw it was best to close down ON Live giving no real or understandable reason behind that decision. “Its main audience from 25 January revolution supporters no longer watch it because their favorite stars like Liliane Daoud or even Amr Khafagy are not there and are not welcomed anymore”
That decision was accompanied with many layoffs among the network’s staff.
Unfortunately, the closure of ON Live meant for the Egyptian Media removing the channel’s archives on its YouTube channel.
I feel sad that ON Live archives documenting the 25th January revolution have been removed from YouTube.
Thankfully some friends at ONTV have got backup archives and hopefully, they will upload them once again when they are needed.
ON E, the network’s main TV channel also lost several top TV hosts above them Amr Adib who signed a new contract with Saudi-owned MBC.
Adib is going to present a new show on MBC Misr, it is unclear when but his contract allegedly made him the most expensive TV host in the Middle East.
Newly acquired Hayat Network has got its share of the reshuffle too.
Already suffering from huge financial troubles, there have been many layoffs in the network’s staff “105 employees were dismissed”in parallel with many management reshuffles as big names in TV industry like Osama El-Sheikh and Hala Serhan came in then left in no time.
Big TV hosts names like Emad Adeeb came for short time and then left.
Then in Mid July, Egyptian Media terminated the contract of famous TV host Amr El-Llissy canceling his show “One person from the people”.
El-Llissy’s show became ridiculous hosting actors as well charlatans following his controversial interview with Tuk-tuk driver.
Currently, Al-Hayat TV network is being restructured according to the statements of Egyptian Media.
Moving to Al-Assema TV channel which Egyptian Media acquired too from Falcon’s Home Media, there is big drama happening there.
I do not know when Egyptian Media acquired Al-Assema but in May 2018 I found this news saying that current businessman and former intelligence officer Yasser Selim, the CEO of Al-Hayat TV and Al-Assema Networks denied that Egyptian Media acquired them.
During then, the general supervisor of both networks was Amr El-Llissy.
The channel made headlines when it signed a contract with former MP and controversial Tawfik Okasha to present a talk show on its screen in June.
In early July, Egyptian Media Company bought Al-Hayat TV Network and hired Selim as its vice-president.
The statement did not mention Al-Assema Network but it seems that it came along the package Egyptian Media acquired from Home Media.
Al-Assema TV is a Pro-regime channel with a populist propaganda agenda and Fox channel-alike TV hosts who support the state and hate 25 January revolution spreading polarization, bigotry and ignorance.
That agenda would continue under the new management which brought back the one and only king of populist media former MP Tawfik Okasha who is already banned by a court order from appearing on TV.
Just like Al-Hayat Network, Al-Assema has been witnessing many layoffs including layoffs of their own TV host stars like Azmy Meghad, the hero of the infamous NYTimes leak.“I do not know if the word star is suitable to describe them”
Among those TV hosts, anti-25 January revolution figure and long-time Mubarak supporter TV host Tamer Abdel Moneim who did not accept how he and his crew were dismissed from the channel in “a humiliating way” according to him.
The actor-turned-into a TV host released last week on his official Facebook page a video attacking Egyptian Media vice chairman as well current Al-Assema manager or director “I do not know or understand his position” Yasser Selim.
In that video, Abdel Moneim recounted how he had been with “the state” and “the army” since 25 January 2011 begging the state officials to stop “Selim”.
“ We {As the channel} were cheap while we were helping you;” Abdel Moneim said trying to remind the so-called State apparatuses how his channel was working on a low budget. I translate it literally from Arabic because that phrase went viral.
I think that we are in front of “Freudian slip”, Tamer Abdel Moneim knows he is cheap.
The angry TV host shared very interesting details about Yasser Selim with the public like that he was graduated from the Navy Academy and that he worked in the intelligence service for a very short time before leaving it and becoming a media tycoon.
The Mubarak’s supporter also claimed that Selim did not know anything about media in the same way he “Abdel Moneim” did not anything about navy.
The video was removed and Abdel Moneim’s page itself disappeared but it was shared through social media.
Last week, Tamer Abdel Moneim reported to the authorities that his social media accounts whether on Facebook or Twitter as well his Yahoo mail. He says that his accounts were hacked following his video attacking Selim.
Later Abdel Moneim uploaded the video again on YouTube channel.
He also recorded another video on Tuesday attacking Selim once again accusing him of financial corruption asserting that his problem is not with the state but rather with Selim. “It seems that he had no problem with him being financially corrupted as long as he is on air !!”
Then he managed to restore Twitter and sent a threat to Selim indirectly in a tweet that if his Facebook account and Yahoo accounts were not back then he would open “Samah’s file”. I do not know who is Samah.
The whole affair is ridiculous but when you listen Abdel Moneim speaking about how for instance the orders come above from general x or y insisting that his problem is not with the “State” but rather with “Selim”, You will know how some TV channels are being controlled.
The absence of those TV hosts like Tamer Abdel Moneim and other pro-state hosts means that whoever runs the show knows very well that TV hosts are longer can reach to the public.
It is not worth to keep them on TV screen especially with the huge financial losses for the time being.
Those faces caused huge damage to the Egyptian society with lies, ignorance and polarization.
There is another interesting thing I noticed the public in Egypt do not really care about what is happening to those channels seriously. They lost their interest to the level that makes me wonder about the true viewership of those channels.
I know that they will return back when they are needed but it is good not to see their ugly faces again on TV.
It is a reshuffle that nobody has cared to speak about or discuss or even follow. It started to happen in July during Ramadan and the World Cup.
Then as soon as the holy month ended and the World Cup was over, that media reshuffle began to began to be louder.
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| From Left to Right: Azmy Meghad, Amr El-Llissy and Tamer Abdel Moneim |
In its statement about the decision, Egyptian Media said that it launched ON Sports 2 to serve the State’s policies to support youth and sports.
The Company also claimed that it saw it was best to close down ON Live giving no real or understandable reason behind that decision. “Its main audience from 25 January revolution supporters no longer watch it because their favorite stars like Liliane Daoud or even Amr Khafagy are not there and are not welcomed anymore”
That decision was accompanied with many layoffs among the network’s staff.
Unfortunately, the closure of ON Live meant for the Egyptian Media removing the channel’s archives on its YouTube channel.
I feel sad that ON Live archives documenting the 25th January revolution have been removed from YouTube.
Thankfully some friends at ONTV have got backup archives and hopefully, they will upload them once again when they are needed.
ON E, the network’s main TV channel also lost several top TV hosts above them Amr Adib who signed a new contract with Saudi-owned MBC.
Adib is going to present a new show on MBC Misr, it is unclear when but his contract allegedly made him the most expensive TV host in the Middle East.
Newly acquired Hayat Network has got its share of the reshuffle too.
Already suffering from huge financial troubles, there have been many layoffs in the network’s staff “105 employees were dismissed”in parallel with many management reshuffles as big names in TV industry like Osama El-Sheikh and Hala Serhan came in then left in no time.
Big TV hosts names like Emad Adeeb came for short time and then left.
Then in Mid July, Egyptian Media terminated the contract of famous TV host Amr El-Llissy canceling his show “One person from the people”.
El-Llissy’s show became ridiculous hosting actors as well charlatans following his controversial interview with Tuk-tuk driver.
Currently, Al-Hayat TV network is being restructured according to the statements of Egyptian Media.
Moving to Al-Assema TV channel which Egyptian Media acquired too from Falcon’s Home Media, there is big drama happening there.
I do not know when Egyptian Media acquired Al-Assema but in May 2018 I found this news saying that current businessman and former intelligence officer Yasser Selim, the CEO of Al-Hayat TV and Al-Assema Networks denied that Egyptian Media acquired them.
During then, the general supervisor of both networks was Amr El-Llissy.
The channel made headlines when it signed a contract with former MP and controversial Tawfik Okasha to present a talk show on its screen in June.
In early July, Egyptian Media Company bought Al-Hayat TV Network and hired Selim as its vice-president.
The statement did not mention Al-Assema Network but it seems that it came along the package Egyptian Media acquired from Home Media.
Al-Assema TV is a Pro-regime channel with a populist propaganda agenda and Fox channel-alike TV hosts who support the state and hate 25 January revolution spreading polarization, bigotry and ignorance.
That agenda would continue under the new management which brought back the one and only king of populist media former MP Tawfik Okasha who is already banned by a court order from appearing on TV.
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| Tawfik Okasha with Yasser Selim "Photo: Selim's FB account" |
Among those TV hosts, anti-25 January revolution figure and long-time Mubarak supporter TV host Tamer Abdel Moneim who did not accept how he and his crew were dismissed from the channel in “a humiliating way” according to him.
The actor-turned-into a TV host released last week on his official Facebook page a video attacking Egyptian Media vice chairman as well current Al-Assema manager or director “I do not know or understand his position” Yasser Selim.
In that video, Abdel Moneim recounted how he had been with “the state” and “the army” since 25 January 2011 begging the state officials to stop “Selim”.
“ We {As the channel} were cheap while we were helping you;” Abdel Moneim said trying to remind the so-called State apparatuses how his channel was working on a low budget. I translate it literally from Arabic because that phrase went viral.
I think that we are in front of “Freudian slip”, Tamer Abdel Moneim knows he is cheap.
The angry TV host shared very interesting details about Yasser Selim with the public like that he was graduated from the Navy Academy and that he worked in the intelligence service for a very short time before leaving it and becoming a media tycoon.
The Mubarak’s supporter also claimed that Selim did not know anything about media in the same way he “Abdel Moneim” did not anything about navy.
The video was removed and Abdel Moneim’s page itself disappeared but it was shared through social media.
Last week, Tamer Abdel Moneim reported to the authorities that his social media accounts whether on Facebook or Twitter as well his Yahoo mail. He says that his accounts were hacked following his video attacking Selim.
Later Abdel Moneim uploaded the video again on YouTube channel.
He also recorded another video on Tuesday attacking Selim once again accusing him of financial corruption asserting that his problem is not with the state but rather with Selim. “It seems that he had no problem with him being financially corrupted as long as he is on air !!”
Then he managed to restore Twitter and sent a threat to Selim indirectly in a tweet that if his Facebook account and Yahoo accounts were not back then he would open “Samah’s file”. I do not know who is Samah.
The whole affair is ridiculous but when you listen Abdel Moneim speaking about how for instance the orders come above from general x or y insisting that his problem is not with the “State” but rather with “Selim”, You will know how some TV channels are being controlled.
The absence of those TV hosts like Tamer Abdel Moneim and other pro-state hosts means that whoever runs the show knows very well that TV hosts are longer can reach to the public.
It is not worth to keep them on TV screen especially with the huge financial losses for the time being.
Those faces caused huge damage to the Egyptian society with lies, ignorance and polarization.
There is another interesting thing I noticed the public in Egypt do not really care about what is happening to those channels seriously. They lost their interest to the level that makes me wonder about the true viewership of those channels.
I know that they will return back when they are needed but it is good not to see their ugly faces again on TV.
Happy Eid al-Adha to all Muslims around the globe as well Happy Eid to all the World too from Egyptian Chronicles.
On Monday, over 2 Million Muslim Pilgrim descended from Mount Arafat in the climax of Muslim Pilgrimage “Hajj” while Million of Muslims fasted from dawn to sunset the day praying for whatever they wanted. Thankfully the Weather was stable in the Holy Land after two days of strong wind and rains.
Here are beautiful photos from the Holy Land.
Watch this small Reuters Report show Muslim pilgrims descending from Mount Arafat on Monday in what is considered the climax of Muslim Pilgrimage.
On Monday, over 2 Million Muslim Pilgrim descended from Mount Arafat in the climax of Muslim Pilgrimage “Hajj” while Million of Muslims fasted from dawn to sunset the day praying for whatever they wanted. Thankfully the Weather was stable in the Holy Land after two days of strong wind and rains.
Here are beautiful photos from the Holy Land.
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| Muslim pilgrims in the Holy Land on Arafat Day "Reuters" |
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| Muslim pilgrims in the Holy Land on Arafat Day "Reuters" |
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| Indonesian Pilgrims at the Holy Land (Reuters) |
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| An old pilgrim I suppose from India descending from Mount Arafat "Reuters" |
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| An African pilgrim at Mount Arafat asking God whatever she wants "Reuters" |
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| A lady pilgrim at Mount Arafat praying and asking God whatever she wants. I feel she is Egyptian "Reuters" |
Muslim pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat for haj climax https://t.co/yfmKdIhvJS via @ReutersTVpic.twitter.com/C17rdCK60q— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) August 20, 2018
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Sorry for the shocking the headline but honestly I can’t think about anything better than this headline.
On the first day of Eid Al-Adha, the hashtag “#I_support_Menna_Gobran” led the top Twitter trends with over one thousand tweets in no time in Egypt. Many Egyptian tweeps expressed their support to a young lady called Menna Gobran as well their anger and disgust for what happened to her in those two weeks because of sexual harassment.
The story of Menna Gobran started on 15 August when she uploaded a video that she recorded earlier while waiting for her work’s bus in a busy street in New Cairo.
That video titled “Does this happen in the Fifth Settlement too ??” showed a part of a conversation with a man who was reportedly sexually harassing her from his car.
The video showed him coming off his Dodge pick up track “it is expensive in Egypt” asking Gobran if she wanted to drink coffee at “On the Run”Convenience store in Exxon Mobile fuel station where she was standing.
Filming him, she said no and he said “I am so sorry” in a very bad tacky artificial accent and as he went back to his car, she filmed its license plate.
Recently Egyptian girls film or photograph the license plates of sexual harassers in the streets to mark them and also to expose them socially on social media to fight back the sexual harassment epidemic in the country.
Another video filmed by Menna Gobran resurfaced dated a year earlier from the same place showing another man but older who sexually harassing her explicitly telling her that he lived nearby at “Mohamed El-Habob” street or “Mohamed, the lovable or adorable”.
The two videos were so provoking to me but what has been really causing controversy was the debate among social media users about the first video.
Many people especially men see that there was nothing wrong in what that man had done. He asked the girl “who is a total stranger” for a coffee politely and she said no.
They believe that that man was the victim of a girl that seeking fame.
It did not stop there.
Many believed that the man was not sexually harassing and that he was only asking a girl “whom he does not know” for a coffee politely. That comment went far to the level “ hey Egyptian girls, you want to live freely like the girls in the US and EU then you must accept Western Compliments and flirtations !!”
I do not know how those people mostly from men believe that people in the West are acting like that.
Other comments wondered about how she deserved to be harassed because of the way how she deserved to be harassed judging from her Facebook profile’s photos. “Photos of her wearing a little strapless revealing black dress as well another of her doing a split in a gym went viral as proof on that sick theory”.
The whole affair was just getting started as we were introduced to the infamous hero of the incident, the man’s name is Mahmoud Soliman and his friends say that he is a good guy and not a harasser. He became known online and offline as "The On The Run" guy.
He even released a video while riding another fancy expensive car “I think BMW” defending himself saying that he did not intend to harass and he acted like that freely in his community. “Using English phrases in a tacky way.”
He removed the video later.
To defend herself, Menna Gobran recorded a video saying what happened on that day and how she was waiting for her ride to work at the meeting point in front On The Run store when that man appeared in his car and harassed her rudely.
At the same time, friends of the second harasser aka Mohamed El-Habob reported the video he appeared to Facebook administration and it was removed !!
That video did not stop or even made people rethink their position and support that girl who turned out to be working in two jobs to support herself.
We found 30-years-old Mahmoud Soliman speaking in TV and Radio shows defending himself then he traveled to Gouna and became a celebrity where people “Supposedly crème del crème of the Egyptian society” were rushing to take a photograph with him !!
He even appeared with alleged influencer/self-claimed feminist and cinemaphotographer Salma El-Kashaf in a video repeating his invitation to drink coffee but she said that she drank espresso laughing hysterically for no reason.
Due to online criticism, El-Kashaf closed down her social media accounts after apologizing.
Sadly, Salma El-Kashaf herself was in hot waters last month when leaked photos she took from two years in a trip for her friend aspiring actor Rahma Hassan while semi-naked in a bikini surfaced online without their consent.
The same people who are standing with Menna Gobran stood with El-Kashaf and Hassan because it is the right thing to do.
The video of Soliman with Salma El-Kashaf was just the tip of an iceberg in Gouna.
It reached the level that a travel blogger shared and sponsored her photo on Instagram with him in Gouna at some nightclub before she removed it.
His photos with the people at Bartender El-Gouna also went viral but soon enough the owner of the famous nightclub and bar had to remove them.
The Snack Shack El Gouna restaurant was too happy that this guy is its customer too !!
Mahmoud Soliman even posted a photograph with famous actor Nelly Karim who is spending the Eid vacation there.
It made many people angry including me as Karim was the leading actor in award-winning 678 film, the first Egyptian film to deal with sexual harassment.
For own her own defense, Nelly Karim told her friends that she did not know who that guy was and he was the one to ask her for a photo.
6IX degrees Night Club in North Coast made a special remix for his silly pick up line. I can’t find the video anymore.
To make things worse, the Comics and Sarcasm Facebook pages wagon jumped into making fun of the whole situation and the man as well the girl normalizing the whole thing.
Now I am reading that Soliman was offered to appear in some famous coffee ad and some film producer talked to him to appear in some film !!
On the other hand, Menna Gobran lost one of her two jobs after the incident.
Some saying that she lost her jobs as a sales rep in some company because of the incident while others “including colleagues” say that she was not offered a contract because she did not achieve the required sales quota.
Boldly, Mahmoud Soliman’s brother is also speaking to the media now saying that his family can help her to get her job back if she apologized to Mahmoud and his family for the exposure she caused !!!!
They get a nerve for real. It turned out that Mahmoud Soliman is a son of a former top NDP official in Suez governorate who got too many question marks about his wealth.
Unfortunately, “The On Run” guy got more exposure than that white-haired old man who changed his looks according to friends but still allegedly harassing girls and women at the same spot in New Cairo.
Back to Menna Gobran, She posted one last video before closing down her Facebook account for now where she makes it clear that she is not a whore slamming how the people dealt with her issue
Menna's incident opened back the sexual harassment discussion in Egypt and this time I find myself in front of hateful and disgusting misogynist in an online discussion that scares me.
I am not speaking about the usual justification blaming the victim for what she is wearing but rather real violent misogynist.
What is even scarier, this misogynism is notable among men from younger generations who are still in high schools and universities.
In 2013, a UN study stated that 99.3% of women in Egypt experienced sexual harassment in a way or other.
The newly imposed sexual harassment law with tougher penalties helped somehow to reduce that intensity epidemic but it is still a bigger social problem that should be tackled carefully in our culture.
The incident of Menna Gobran shows how the society can turn the whole matter into a joke because the sexual harasser is a rich guy with a league of fancy cars.
Menna is no longer the victim but rather the victimizer, the whore and the fame seeker while the On The Run guy is a society celebrity now and influencer !!!
I am very angry and sad because any girl including myself can be in Gobran’s place and find also the society against her.
Many girls can be in Menna's position and even worse and will not report it to the authorities for fear of social backlash especially if we are speaking about wealthy sexual perverts.
This incident makes me believe that it is too early to speak about women empowerment in this country.
On the first day of Eid Al-Adha, the hashtag “#I_support_Menna_Gobran” led the top Twitter trends with over one thousand tweets in no time in Egypt. Many Egyptian tweeps expressed their support to a young lady called Menna Gobran as well their anger and disgust for what happened to her in those two weeks because of sexual harassment.
The story of Menna Gobran started on 15 August when she uploaded a video that she recorded earlier while waiting for her work’s bus in a busy street in New Cairo.
That video titled “Does this happen in the Fifth Settlement too ??” showed a part of a conversation with a man who was reportedly sexually harassing her from his car.
The video showed him coming off his Dodge pick up track “it is expensive in Egypt” asking Gobran if she wanted to drink coffee at “On the Run”Convenience store in Exxon Mobile fuel station where she was standing.
Recently Egyptian girls film or photograph the license plates of sexual harassers in the streets to mark them and also to expose them socially on social media to fight back the sexual harassment epidemic in the country.
Another video filmed by Menna Gobran resurfaced dated a year earlier from the same place showing another man but older who sexually harassing her explicitly telling her that he lived nearby at “Mohamed El-Habob” street or “Mohamed, the lovable or adorable”.
The two videos were so provoking to me but what has been really causing controversy was the debate among social media users about the first video.
Many people especially men see that there was nothing wrong in what that man had done. He asked the girl “who is a total stranger” for a coffee politely and she said no.
They believe that that man was the victim of a girl that seeking fame.
It did not stop there.
Many believed that the man was not sexually harassing and that he was only asking a girl “whom he does not know” for a coffee politely. That comment went far to the level “ hey Egyptian girls, you want to live freely like the girls in the US and EU then you must accept Western Compliments and flirtations !!”
I do not know how those people mostly from men believe that people in the West are acting like that.
Other comments wondered about how she deserved to be harassed because of the way how she deserved to be harassed judging from her Facebook profile’s photos. “Photos of her wearing a little strapless revealing black dress as well another of her doing a split in a gym went viral as proof on that sick theory”.
The whole affair was just getting started as we were introduced to the infamous hero of the incident, the man’s name is Mahmoud Soliman and his friends say that he is a good guy and not a harasser. He became known online and offline as "The On The Run" guy.
He even released a video while riding another fancy expensive car “I think BMW” defending himself saying that he did not intend to harass and he acted like that freely in his community. “Using English phrases in a tacky way.”
He removed the video later.
To defend herself, Menna Gobran recorded a video saying what happened on that day and how she was waiting for her ride to work at the meeting point in front On The Run store when that man appeared in his car and harassed her rudely.
At the same time, friends of the second harasser aka Mohamed El-Habob reported the video he appeared to Facebook administration and it was removed !!
That video did not stop or even made people rethink their position and support that girl who turned out to be working in two jobs to support herself.
We found 30-years-old Mahmoud Soliman speaking in TV and Radio shows defending himself then he traveled to Gouna and became a celebrity where people “Supposedly crème del crème of the Egyptian society” were rushing to take a photograph with him !!
He even appeared with alleged influencer/self-claimed feminist and cinemaphotographer Salma El-Kashaf in a video repeating his invitation to drink coffee but she said that she drank espresso laughing hysterically for no reason.
Due to online criticism, El-Kashaf closed down her social media accounts after apologizing.
Sadly, Salma El-Kashaf herself was in hot waters last month when leaked photos she took from two years in a trip for her friend aspiring actor Rahma Hassan while semi-naked in a bikini surfaced online without their consent.
The same people who are standing with Menna Gobran stood with El-Kashaf and Hassan because it is the right thing to do.
The video of Soliman with Salma El-Kashaf was just the tip of an iceberg in Gouna.
It reached the level that a travel blogger shared and sponsored her photo on Instagram with him in Gouna at some nightclub before she removed it.
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| With the "baddest" adventurers blogger |
 |
| The bartender in Gouna looking silly for real |
Mahmoud Soliman even posted a photograph with famous actor Nelly Karim who is spending the Eid vacation there.
It made many people angry including me as Karim was the leading actor in award-winning 678 film, the first Egyptian film to deal with sexual harassment.
For own her own defense, Nelly Karim told her friends that she did not know who that guy was and he was the one to ask her for a photo.
6IX degrees Night Club in North Coast made a special remix for his silly pick up line. I can’t find the video anymore.
To make things worse, the Comics and Sarcasm Facebook pages wagon jumped into making fun of the whole situation and the man as well the girl normalizing the whole thing.
Now I am reading that Soliman was offered to appear in some famous coffee ad and some film producer talked to him to appear in some film !!
On the other hand, Menna Gobran lost one of her two jobs after the incident.
Some saying that she lost her jobs as a sales rep in some company because of the incident while others “including colleagues” say that she was not offered a contract because she did not achieve the required sales quota.
Boldly, Mahmoud Soliman’s brother is also speaking to the media now saying that his family can help her to get her job back if she apologized to Mahmoud and his family for the exposure she caused !!!!
They get a nerve for real. It turned out that Mahmoud Soliman is a son of a former top NDP official in Suez governorate who got too many question marks about his wealth.
Unfortunately, “The On Run” guy got more exposure than that white-haired old man who changed his looks according to friends but still allegedly harassing girls and women at the same spot in New Cairo.
Back to Menna Gobran, She posted one last video before closing down her Facebook account for now where she makes it clear that she is not a whore slamming how the people dealt with her issue
Menna's incident opened back the sexual harassment discussion in Egypt and this time I find myself in front of hateful and disgusting misogynist in an online discussion that scares me.
I am not speaking about the usual justification blaming the victim for what she is wearing but rather real violent misogynist.
What is even scarier, this misogynism is notable among men from younger generations who are still in high schools and universities.
In 2013, a UN study stated that 99.3% of women in Egypt experienced sexual harassment in a way or other.
The newly imposed sexual harassment law with tougher penalties helped somehow to reduce that intensity epidemic but it is still a bigger social problem that should be tackled carefully in our culture.
The incident of Menna Gobran shows how the society can turn the whole matter into a joke because the sexual harasser is a rich guy with a league of fancy cars.
Menna is no longer the victim but rather the victimizer, the whore and the fame seeker while the On The Run guy is a society celebrity now and influencer !!!
I am very angry and sad because any girl including myself can be in Gobran’s place and find also the society against her.
Many girls can be in Menna's position and even worse and will not report it to the authorities for fear of social backlash especially if we are speaking about wealthy sexual perverts.
This incident makes me believe that it is too early to speak about women empowerment in this country.
I am trying to keep things light in the blog as much as I can.
Egypt’s Ministry of antiquities declared last week that the initial analysis of skeletons found in that big black sarcophagus unearthed in Alexandria in July was for two men and a woman from the Ptolemaic era.
Gold panels were also found inside the sarcophagus.
There are no further clues revealed publicly on who those people were and where they were buried like that.
What is known from the initial examination of the sarcophagus that the skull of the woman indicated that she was between 20 to 25 years old and a height of around 160 to 164 cm when she died.
One of the other two skeletons goes back to a man who was 35 to 39 years old and a height of 160 to 165.5 cm while the other skeleton goes back to a man who was 40 to 44 years old and a height of 179 to 184.5 cm when he died.
Interestingly, the team of researchers headed by Zeinab Hashish, director of the Department of Skeleton Remains Studies at the Antiquities Ministry found that there was 17cm-wide round cavity in the skull of the third skeleton, the older man.
Dr. Zeinab Hashish told Ahram Online that that cavity could be the result of “a trepanation” which she explained as “the scraping or drilling of a hole in the skull, and is the oldest surgical intervention in history, found in prehistoric human remains.”
What is even more interesting “at least for me” that form of surgery was rare in Ancient Egypt despite some skulls were found before in the country with that sort of surgery and currently are exhibited in the Kasr Al-Aini hospital museum“another local and less known museum to be on my list”.
She added that some skulls found at the 18th dynasty tomb of Maya and Merit so we are speaking about the Modern kingdom.
I am not an expert but I believe not all people in the old age had the privilege of having a surgery so the third man could not be a poor man !?
More tests are done to know who those people there and their story.
Moving to those gold panels
The 5cmx3cm gold panels were found in the bottom of the sarcophagus.
The secretary general of High Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri believes those panels may refer to military ranks !! The man is insisting that the sarcophagus got a military relation in any way.
I am not an expert like him but those panels reminded me of the gold Ptolemaic jewelry exhibited in Egypt Museum's second floor right before King Tut's section.
By the way, I will seize this post and share with a very short video I filmed in 2015 for that small Greco-Roman section on the first floor of the Egyptian museum.
The Egyptian Museum does not have only interesting and beautiful ancient Egyptian artifacts and antiquities
Egypt’s Ministry of antiquities declared last week that the initial analysis of skeletons found in that big black sarcophagus unearthed in Alexandria in July was for two men and a woman from the Ptolemaic era.
Gold panels were also found inside the sarcophagus.
There are no further clues revealed publicly on who those people were and where they were buried like that.
What is known from the initial examination of the sarcophagus that the skull of the woman indicated that she was between 20 to 25 years old and a height of around 160 to 164 cm when she died.
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| The woman's skeleton or remainings of the skeleton to be accurate "Ahram Online" |
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| The skeleton of the 35-39 years old man "Ahram Online" |
Interestingly, the team of researchers headed by Zeinab Hashish, director of the Department of Skeleton Remains Studies at the Antiquities Ministry found that there was 17cm-wide round cavity in the skull of the third skeleton, the older man.
Dr. Zeinab Hashish told Ahram Online that that cavity could be the result of “a trepanation” which she explained as “the scraping or drilling of a hole in the skull, and is the oldest surgical intervention in history, found in prehistoric human remains.”
What is even more interesting “at least for me” that form of surgery was rare in Ancient Egypt despite some skulls were found before in the country with that sort of surgery and currently are exhibited in the Kasr Al-Aini hospital museum“another local and less known museum to be on my list”.
She added that some skulls found at the 18th dynasty tomb of Maya and Merit so we are speaking about the Modern kingdom.
I am not an expert but I believe not all people in the old age had the privilege of having a surgery so the third man could not be a poor man !?
More tests are done to know who those people there and their story.
Moving to those gold panels
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| The Gold plates "Ahram Online" |
The secretary general of High Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri believes those panels may refer to military ranks !! The man is insisting that the sarcophagus got a military relation in any way.
I am not an expert like him but those panels reminded me of the gold Ptolemaic jewelry exhibited in Egypt Museum's second floor right before King Tut's section.
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| I feel that the gold panels above have the same spirit |
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| One thing for sure, that Ptomalic Jewelry was not as sophisticated as the more ancient Egyptian Jewelry |
The On the Run guy aka Mahmoud Soliman is back with vengeance.
On Sunday, the man who became famous for being filmed while sexually harassing a young lady in New Cairo from two weeks ago is going to sue that girl, Menna Gobran for defame !!!
I can’t even believe that he has got the nerve to do that.
Lawyer Tarek Gamil Saeed who represents Soliman made rounds in the country’s most popular talk shows declaring that he would report Gobran to the Prosecutor general soon.
Tarek Saeed who made headlines last week with his beach wedding to socialite Menna Hussein Fahmy “Nobody spoke about her Wedding Tankini dress” dared and questioned what Menna Goubran in clear double standards.
I am angry and furious.
Anyhow just as I am wondering what Goubran will do, it seems that the girl who avoided publicity as much as she can “unlike Soliman” got to herself the most unexpected strongest ally in her back at the perfect time.
I am not speaking about the National Council for Woman “NCW” which declared its readiness to give Menna all the legal support she needs but I am speaking about the one and only AL-AZHAR
Yes, the World’s biggest Islamic Institution AL-AZHAR declared its support to sexual harassments victims like Menna in the most powerful and unexpected way.
The Conservative Al-Azhar said on Monday that “SEXUAL HARASSMENT WHETHER A SIGN OR VERBAL OR PHYSICAL IS PROHIBITED IN ISLAM” describing it as “perverted action”.
Al-Azhar also slammed those who blame the victims of sexual harassment for what they wear using religion to justify that sort of blame.
It also called on the media to avoid publishing any material supporting or encouraging sexual harassment.
I am proud that Al-Azhar took that stand.
I do not want to hear anyone after that statement saying that sexual harassment because girls and women wearing provoking clothes that are against Islam.
This statement does not help Menna if she stands in the court but it helps and will help other victims.
Al-Azhar published statement after a week full of the Eid sexual harassment horrifying incidents, above them the murder of a man in an Alexandria beach trying to defend his wife against a thug who was armed with a machete.
The statement of the most important religious institution is so important and I hope it will help in countering that ugly sexual harassment craze in Egypt.
On Sunday, the man who became famous for being filmed while sexually harassing a young lady in New Cairo from two weeks ago is going to sue that girl, Menna Gobran for defame !!!
I can’t even believe that he has got the nerve to do that.
Lawyer Tarek Gamil Saeed who represents Soliman made rounds in the country’s most popular talk shows declaring that he would report Gobran to the Prosecutor general soon.
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| Menna Goubran "L" with her friend media figure Sally Abdel Salem last Cairo in her first public appearance |
I am angry and furious.
Anyhow just as I am wondering what Goubran will do, it seems that the girl who avoided publicity as much as she can “unlike Soliman” got to herself the most unexpected strongest ally in her back at the perfect time.
I am not speaking about the National Council for Woman “NCW” which declared its readiness to give Menna all the legal support she needs but I am speaking about the one and only AL-AZHAR
Yes, the World’s biggest Islamic Institution AL-AZHAR declared its support to sexual harassments victims like Menna in the most powerful and unexpected way.
The Conservative Al-Azhar said on Monday that “SEXUAL HARASSMENT WHETHER A SIGN OR VERBAL OR PHYSICAL IS PROHIBITED IN ISLAM” describing it as “perverted action”.
Al-Azhar also slammed those who blame the victims of sexual harassment for what they wear using religion to justify that sort of blame.
Criminalizing sexual harassment should be absolute with no condition that justifies sexual harassment in regards to the actions or clothing choices of girls, which represents a misunderstanding of the nature of harassment as an attack on a woman's privacy, freedom, and dignityAl-Azhar also called the state to enforce the counter-sexual harassment laws in the country. Its statement also spoke about the sexual harassments of children for the first time.
It also called on the media to avoid publishing any material supporting or encouraging sexual harassment.
I am proud that Al-Azhar took that stand.
I do not want to hear anyone after that statement saying that sexual harassment because girls and women wearing provoking clothes that are against Islam.
This statement does not help Menna if she stands in the court but it helps and will help other victims.
Al-Azhar published statement after a week full of the Eid sexual harassment horrifying incidents, above them the murder of a man in an Alexandria beach trying to defend his wife against a thug who was armed with a machete.
The statement of the most important religious institution is so important and I hope it will help in countering that ugly sexual harassment craze in Egypt.
Updated on Tuesday
Here is the new issue of Al-Azhar weekly newspaper with a front page of a woman's silhouette speaking about Al-Azhar's unprecedented statement.
FYI, this statement is creating anger among the Ultra-conservative brach in Al-Azhar.
It is worth to mention according to a UN’s study about sexual harassment in 2013 in Egypt, 99.3% of the women interviewed in the study said that they were sexually harassed whereas 59.9% said that they were physically harassed by touch.
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| Al Azhar Newspaper's front page |
FYI, this statement is creating anger among the Ultra-conservative brach in Al-Azhar.
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Egyptians have been witnessing a strange wave of crimes in the past two weeks that made us wonder if there was added to the Nile River that would the society even more violent and madder than it is.
Just in the two weeks, We found a man killed on Alexandria’s public beach by a machete as he defended his wife against sexual harassment and the officials are saying that they can’t stop “knives” from entering the beach because people use it to eat watermelon !!
Then we found a father who killed his two toddlers sons in North Delta giving the authorities at least three different insane motives for his inexplicable crime whereas his town people protest for his release saying he is innocent.
We also got that girl who dragged her boyfriend-to-be-fiancé to his own death on the hands of her fugitive father after discovering her old man’s criminal past. The young man’s body was found under the bathroom of the father’s villa in Upscale “Rehab” compound.
That’s the second violent crime committed in the gated community, from several months we found a businessman allegedly killed his family and then himself according to authorities“He shot himself three times in the head !!” in another mysterious murder-suicide that we are not used to for in Egypt.
People are amazed and do not know if the press is enlarging that wave of crime or what but it is scary.
I feel sociologists and criminologists are repeating the old talk of how the society is sick because we do not have family values anymore bringing up that Galal Amin’s classical question “Whatever happened to the Egyptians ?”
You know by checking the history of our true top serial killers like Raya and Sakina as well as the serial killer of Karmooz, they were living in that golden era of social and family values !!
Anyhow I escaped from all that and found solace in the beautiful late August’s full moon.
Late Egyptian Sci-Fi author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik always spoke about the superstition myths of the full moon in Europe, I wonder what he would say if he saw crime page in our newspapers those two weeks !!
He spoke about how full moon always associated with werewolves and vampires in his novels.
I believe if that crime wave continues in Egypt like that we may see werewolves and vampires in the next full moon.
Just in the two weeks, We found a man killed on Alexandria’s public beach by a machete as he defended his wife against sexual harassment and the officials are saying that they can’t stop “knives” from entering the beach because people use it to eat watermelon !!
Then we found a father who killed his two toddlers sons in North Delta giving the authorities at least three different insane motives for his inexplicable crime whereas his town people protest for his release saying he is innocent.
We also got that girl who dragged her boyfriend-to-be-fiancé to his own death on the hands of her fugitive father after discovering her old man’s criminal past. The young man’s body was found under the bathroom of the father’s villa in Upscale “Rehab” compound.
That’s the second violent crime committed in the gated community, from several months we found a businessman allegedly killed his family and then himself according to authorities“He shot himself three times in the head !!” in another mysterious murder-suicide that we are not used to for in Egypt.
People are amazed and do not know if the press is enlarging that wave of crime or what but it is scary.
I feel sociologists and criminologists are repeating the old talk of how the society is sick because we do not have family values anymore bringing up that Galal Amin’s classical question “Whatever happened to the Egyptians ?”
You know by checking the history of our true top serial killers like Raya and Sakina as well as the serial killer of Karmooz, they were living in that golden era of social and family values !!
Anyhow I escaped from all that and found solace in the beautiful late August’s full moon.
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| The August full moon |
Late Egyptian Sci-Fi author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik always spoke about the superstition myths of the full moon in Europe, I wonder what he would say if he saw crime page in our newspapers those two weeks !!
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| The August full moon |
He spoke about how full moon always associated with werewolves and vampires in his novels.
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| The August full moon |
I believe if that crime wave continues in Egypt like that we may see werewolves and vampires in the next full moon.
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| New Alamein presidential palace under construction |
Seen in Egypt's North Coast: The new Alamein presidential palace being constructed at the new city by the Egyptian government through private construction companies.
Overlooking the Mediterranean sea, the new city is being proposed as the new summer capital of Egypt replacing Alexandria which played that role whether officially before 1952 or unofficially afterward.
Construction started in New Alamein in 2017 but officially pre-inaugurated "if that description is right" in May 2018 by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Overlooking the Mediterranean sea, the new city is being proposed as the new summer capital of Egypt replacing Alexandria which played that role whether officially before 1952 or unofficially afterward.
Construction started in New Alamein in 2017 but officially pre-inaugurated "if that description is right" in May 2018 by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
According to the official statements, the 48-Thousand-Feddans citywill cost LE 2 billion and it is planned to host more than 3-million people in its early stages.
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| A new building constructed in New Alamein. Sounds official building to me |
The city is right after Marina gate No.7. I took that photo on July 13, 2018, on my way back to Cairo after a short vacation in Sidi Abdel Rahman.
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| A close-up look to the new presidential palace under construction as published on New Alamain Facebook page. It is an old image I believe because I had seen the palace's dome covered. |
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| The final look of the new presidential palace by 3D according to New Alamein City Facebook page |
Alexandria, Marsa Matrouh as well the North Coast between them got at least 2 rest houses I know of.
I know that there was a presidential rest house or villa built for Mubarak in Borg Al-Arab area and there is also the Presidential rest house at the magnificent Ras Hikama which was originally built for King Farouk.
In Alexandria, there is the 17,000 square meter palace of Ras Al-Tin which was originally built in the 19th century for Mohamed Ali Pasha him and was renovated several times since then.
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| The magnificent gallery hall of Ras Al-Tin palace in the year 1932 |
Needless to say, the news of building another Presidential palace in the country drew expected criticism especially Egyptian people are facing difficult times economically and austerity measures should be adopted by the government and administrative authority before the public.
Once again sectarian mob attacks erupt in Al-Minya and once again we will find the same old headlines on how the authorities save the day using the old techniques used before despite those techniques prove that they never put an end to sectarian attacks and clashes.
On Thursday, an angry mob of Muslim men attacked, looted and torched fours houses of Christian citizens in “Dimshaw Hashim” village in Al-Minya governorate of Upper Egypt after the spread of a news about how the Christians were going to construct a church there several days prior to the attack.
Luckily only two Christian men were injured in the attack along with a firefighter according to the statement issued by Al-Minya Coptic Orthodox Diocese on the same day.
On Friday, State-owned Akhbar Al-Youm news website published news that the “security forces dispersed a fight between two groups in Dimshaw Hashim village arresting a number of people from both sides” without giving any further details.
On Saturday, security forces went and arrested 38 men from the rural village we have heard about for the first time in Cairo in that sad incident.
On Sunday, the Prosecution General ordered the detention of 19 suspect 4 days pending investigation for inciting riots and attacking others.
This is not the first attack of its kind in Al-Minya governorate against the Christians in its rural villages over the construction of churches this year after ratifying the Church Constructions law in 2017.
It is not the first attack and it won’t be the last as long as the State and the government insist on the same old official and unofficial solutions and reactions.
Now some Christian activists expressed their fear online that the “state” may support unofficially that ugly solution of forcing the Christian families to leave the village.
Hopefully inshallah this won’t happen and the government or the state uses the law for real.
The State must make it clear that Churches will be built according to the 2017- Church Construction law whether the villagers like them or not even in Upper Egypt.
If sectarian calls begin to brew like in case of Dimshaw Hashim for days, the authorities which arrest three people for the intention of protesting must act quickly and not in a reactionary way.
There is something wrong in Al-Minya governorate and those decorative priest-and-sheikh-hand-in- hand-photos are going to make it right.
According to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights “EIPR”, Al-Minya’s towns and villages had witnessed 77 sectarian clashes and attack from 2011 to 2016, this is too much.
The EIPR study prepared by Ishak Ibrahim, in 2016 the population of Al-Minya was 5 million whereas the number of the Christians in it according to estimations could be 30%.“The number of Christians in Egypt is still a taboo we can not know”.
Poverty, disease and ignorance play along together and the weak go for the weaker in Al-Minya.
Just like other governorates in Upper Egypt, Al-Minya is hunted by an ugly past of terrorist organizations in the 1980s and 1990s.
The true solution for such problem like sectarianism demands a bold state that believes in citizenship, education, transparency and accountability.
Man, I feel that I have written this over and over.
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| This is Dimshaw Hashim village from Google Earth |
On Thursday, an angry mob of Muslim men attacked, looted and torched fours houses of Christian citizens in “Dimshaw Hashim” village in Al-Minya governorate of Upper Egypt after the spread of a news about how the Christians were going to construct a church there several days prior to the attack.
Luckily only two Christian men were injured in the attack along with a firefighter according to the statement issued by Al-Minya Coptic Orthodox Diocese on the same day.
On Friday, State-owned Akhbar Al-Youm news website published news that the “security forces dispersed a fight between two groups in Dimshaw Hashim village arresting a number of people from both sides” without giving any further details.
On Saturday, security forces went and arrested 38 men from the rural village we have heard about for the first time in Cairo in that sad incident.
On Sunday, the Prosecution General ordered the detention of 19 suspect 4 days pending investigation for inciting riots and attacking others.
This is not the first attack of its kind in Al-Minya governorate against the Christians in its rural villages over the construction of churches this year after ratifying the Church Constructions law in 2017.
It is not the first attack and it won’t be the last as long as the State and the government insist on the same old official and unofficial solutions and reactions.
Now some Christian activists expressed their fear online that the “state” may support unofficially that ugly solution of forcing the Christian families to leave the village.
Hopefully inshallah this won’t happen and the government or the state uses the law for real.
The State must make it clear that Churches will be built according to the 2017- Church Construction law whether the villagers like them or not even in Upper Egypt.
If sectarian calls begin to brew like in case of Dimshaw Hashim for days, the authorities which arrest three people for the intention of protesting must act quickly and not in a reactionary way.
There is something wrong in Al-Minya governorate and those decorative priest-and-sheikh-hand-in- hand-photos are going to make it right.
According to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights “EIPR”, Al-Minya’s towns and villages had witnessed 77 sectarian clashes and attack from 2011 to 2016, this is too much.
The EIPR study prepared by Ishak Ibrahim, in 2016 the population of Al-Minya was 5 million whereas the number of the Christians in it according to estimations could be 30%.“The number of Christians in Egypt is still a taboo we can not know”.
Poverty, disease and ignorance play along together and the weak go for the weaker in Al-Minya.
Just like other governorates in Upper Egypt, Al-Minya is hunted by an ugly past of terrorist organizations in the 1980s and 1990s.
The true solution for such problem like sectarianism demands a bold state that believes in citizenship, education, transparency and accountability.
Man, I feel that I have written this over and over.
via Instagram https://ift.tt/2NPOpRL : Seen in #Alamein : The Alamein Dome as installed by the New Alamein Company to attract travelers on the highway to the new city the #Egyptian #government aspires to be #Dubai of the #Mediterranean #Africa #Mideast
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A Cairo Criminal court put an end on Saturday for the infamous trial known in the media as “Rabaa Sit-in dispersal trial” after nearly 3 years in court and 2 years in pre-trial detention since August 2013
The Criminal Court sentenced 75 defendants to death while 47 defendants toa life sentence in prison “25 years without the possibility of a parole” and 374 defendants to 15 years in prison.
The court also sentenced 22 minor defendants and one defendant “adult” to 10 years in prison and215 defendants including photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid aka Shawkan were sentenced to 5 years while the lawsuit is expired for 5 defendants as they passed away.
The defendants except 22 minors are to be isolated from other prisoners in prison, to be expelled of their government jobs if they have any, to be banned from managing their money and assets and to be put under police surveillance for 5 years when they are released.
The prosecution had referred the 739 defendants to Criminal court in August 2015 for a number of charges above them attempting to change the main system of the state and organizing an assembly of more than 5 people at Rabaa Adawaya square in order to endanger the peace and general security as well to terrorize and scare the public and to endanger their lives.
The defendants were also accused ofcommitting assault crimes against citizens who came near their assembly or their political opponents for penetrating their assembly as well resisting official authorities from policemen who were dispersing their sit-in.
They were accused of murder, destroying and occupying public properties and building by force as well as obstructing and blocking traffic.
Now there is good news in that case that Shawkan and the 214 other defendants are going to be released because they have spent 5 years in total in detention pending investigation at last.
Award-winning Shawkan was arrested along two foreign reporters during Rabaa Sit-in dispersal in August 2013. The foreign reporters left detention on the same day according to news reports.
But there is also bad news, Shawkan and the 214 defendants will spend the next 5 years since their release under police surveillance, which means half of their day “12 hours” will be spent at a police station.
There is also an important fact: They have not been acquitted of the charges above.
Shawkan will be a free technically but he has not been acquitted from those awful charges.
Back to the rest of the defendants, this is a first-degree-sentences which they can be appealed within 60 days.
The leading figures of the Muslim Brotherhood above them the current Supreme Guide of the Brotherhood Mohamed Badie who already was sentenced to death in several other cases to the level that I have lost counting honestly. I think most of his death sentences were reduced to life sentences.
Former minister of supply and MB member Bassem Ouda {who is popular now} and leading Al-Wassat Party member and lawyer Essam Sultan got life sentences.
The adult defendant that was sentenced to ten years in prison is Osama Mohamed Morsi, the son of ousted president Morsi.
Osama Morsi was arrested in December 2016.
The lawyer had been sentenced to 3 years in prison in October 2017 by Zagzig Misdemeanor Court for possessing a penknife without license originally but the sentence was reduced to 3 months in January 2018.
Some of the defendants like Wagdy Ghonim and Tarek El-Zomor have been sentenced in absentia.
Those who stand a trial in absentia in Egypt receive the maximum penalty according to the Panel Code for not showing up in the court usual.
Radical and controversial Wagdy Ghonim got a couple of death sentences waiting for him in Egypt.
I think he is currently staying in Turkey while Tarek El-Zomor is staying in Qatar.
El-Zomor said after the court sentence on his official Twitter account that “Their sentences will not terrorize us and we will continue to defend our people”.
Ghonim who is known for his racist hateful comments against Non-Muslims said on his official FB page that “however you try to kill witnesses or hide truth and to execute those who were absent and present [at Rabaa], the blood of the Egyptians on Rabaa dispersal day continues to be curse hunting down all those who committed it or support it or justify it.”
Journalist Abdullah El-Shamy has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in absentia as well and he commented on Twitter in a threat about the trial.
Currently, it is really good news somehow for Shawkan and his family despite it is not full freedom yet.
The Criminal Court sentenced 75 defendants to death while 47 defendants toa life sentence in prison “25 years without the possibility of a parole” and 374 defendants to 15 years in prison.
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| Mahmoud Abu Zeid aka Shawkan in court "Reuters" |
The court also sentenced 22 minor defendants and one defendant “adult” to 10 years in prison and215 defendants including photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid aka Shawkan were sentenced to 5 years while the lawsuit is expired for 5 defendants as they passed away.
The defendants except 22 minors are to be isolated from other prisoners in prison, to be expelled of their government jobs if they have any, to be banned from managing their money and assets and to be put under police surveillance for 5 years when they are released.
The prosecution had referred the 739 defendants to Criminal court in August 2015 for a number of charges above them attempting to change the main system of the state and organizing an assembly of more than 5 people at Rabaa Adawaya square in order to endanger the peace and general security as well to terrorize and scare the public and to endanger their lives.
The defendants were also accused ofcommitting assault crimes against citizens who came near their assembly or their political opponents for penetrating their assembly as well resisting official authorities from policemen who were dispersing their sit-in.
They were accused of murder, destroying and occupying public properties and building by force as well as obstructing and blocking traffic.
Now there is good news in that case that Shawkan and the 214 other defendants are going to be released because they have spent 5 years in total in detention pending investigation at last.
Award-winning Shawkan was arrested along two foreign reporters during Rabaa Sit-in dispersal in August 2013. The foreign reporters left detention on the same day according to news reports.
But there is also bad news, Shawkan and the 214 defendants will spend the next 5 years since their release under police surveillance, which means half of their day “12 hours” will be spent at a police station.
There is also an important fact: They have not been acquitted of the charges above.
Shawkan will be a free technically but he has not been acquitted from those awful charges.
Back to the rest of the defendants, this is a first-degree-sentences which they can be appealed within 60 days.
The leading figures of the Muslim Brotherhood above them the current Supreme Guide of the Brotherhood Mohamed Badie who already was sentenced to death in several other cases to the level that I have lost counting honestly. I think most of his death sentences were reduced to life sentences.
Former minister of supply and MB member Bassem Ouda {who is popular now} and leading Al-Wassat Party member and lawyer Essam Sultan got life sentences.
The adult defendant that was sentenced to ten years in prison is Osama Mohamed Morsi, the son of ousted president Morsi.
Osama Morsi was arrested in December 2016.
The lawyer had been sentenced to 3 years in prison in October 2017 by Zagzig Misdemeanor Court for possessing a penknife without license originally but the sentence was reduced to 3 months in January 2018.
Some of the defendants like Wagdy Ghonim and Tarek El-Zomor have been sentenced in absentia.
Those who stand a trial in absentia in Egypt receive the maximum penalty according to the Panel Code for not showing up in the court usual.
Radical and controversial Wagdy Ghonim got a couple of death sentences waiting for him in Egypt.
I think he is currently staying in Turkey while Tarek El-Zomor is staying in Qatar.
El-Zomor said after the court sentence on his official Twitter account that “Their sentences will not terrorize us and we will continue to defend our people”.
Ghonim who is known for his racist hateful comments against Non-Muslims said on his official FB page that “however you try to kill witnesses or hide truth and to execute those who were absent and present [at Rabaa], the blood of the Egyptians on Rabaa dispersal day continues to be curse hunting down all those who committed it or support it or justify it.”
Journalist Abdullah El-Shamy has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in absentia as well and he commented on Twitter in a threat about the trial.
The lawyers of MB leading figures said that they would appeal the verdicts which are expected.Today I was sentenced to 15 years in Egypt in absentia, for me this was expected and I don't regret any of my work as a journalist in Egypt in 2013— Abdullah Elshamy (@abdallahelshamy) September 8, 2018
Currently, it is really good news somehow for Shawkan and his family despite it is not full freedom yet.
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Happy New Hijri year 1440 and Happy New Ancient Egyptian/Coptic Year 6260 from Egyptian Chronicles to the Whole World.
On Tuesday Egypt celebrates the start of the Coptic new year or Nayrouz as well the Hijiri new year on the same day.
It is a coincidence that has only occurred 66 times according to historians and experts.
Tuesday is the first day of Muharram 1440 and is also the first day of Thout 6260
Amazingly, Jews around the globe as well as in Egypt celebrated the beginning of the new Jewish year or Rosh Hashanah 5779 on Sunday.
Interesting coincidence, I hope that those new years will be better than the previous ones for all of us.
Now on that occasion especially having the start new Hijiri year and the new ancient Egyptian/Coptic year on the same day, I decided to share with you those very few photos I took in a very short trip to Luxor temple in February 2012.
The famous Luxor temple or Luxor temples complex is not your usual ancient Egyptian temple or temples complex it is very unique ancient Egyptian temple complex or unique Egyptian religious complex.
The Luxor temples complex contain the original ancient Egyptian religious temples dedicated to the coronation of Kings and Queens, a Christian chapel and a mosque dedicated to a Sufi Sheikh.
When I saw Luxor temple, I felt that it represented Egypt religiously in a historic way.
We got that beautiful ancient Egyptian temple complex built during the New Kingdom era where it was dedicated to the Theban Triad of the Cult of Royal Ka, Amun, Mut and Khonsu. The Royal Ka refers to the Royal spirit of the King who is a demigod.
It is sanctuary dedicated to the Kings and their coronation as well their achievements.
Time goes on and Christianity spread in Egypt replacing that the Theban triad with the Holy Trinity and parts of Luxor temples complex began to disappear under rubble, sand, dust and mud.
Other parts of were open and a new Church with its paintings replaced the ancient Egyptian inscriptions according to mainstream Egyptology.
Interestingly I have known that according to news studies and theories that chapel had been dedicated to the Cult of Royal Ka but in its Roman edition.
One of the proofs that support that theory, the fact that there were no halos around the people depicted on those paintings that survived all those years.
Back to our complex, one would think that time was not a friend to that ancient temples complex but actually, it was his best friend forever.
As time went by, sand and rubble had accumulated to the level it had created an artificial hill covering it for centuries.
During the era of the Ayyubid dynasty in the 13th century, an Iraqi-born Sufi Sheikh called Youssef Bin Abdel Raheem aka Abu Hagag arrived at the city of Luxor after receiving knowledge of religion and Sufism by its masters and Sheikhs above them Sheikh Abdel Rahim of Qena “Oh yes, the Sheikh Abdel Rahim El-Qenawy”.
Legend says that Sheikh went to buy a small piece of land over that hill to build a small mosque and a shelter from a wealthy Coptic Christian woman called Theresa who agreed to sell for him that land.
The Sheikh became popular among the people of Luxor to the level that some said that Lady Theresa converted to Islam and was buried in his mosque.
I do not know about that but one thing for sure that this small mosque built on the columns of the ancient Egyptian temple became a shrine for the old man who died in his 90s.
Every year since his death, the Muslims of Luxor hold a festival Moulid to honor Sheikh Abu Hagag.
Fast forward to the 19th century and Gaston Maspero began to excavate Luxor temple complex and to bring back to the World.
This is just a teaser for the rest of the photos from that beautiful temple. Wait for the rest of the photos.
On Tuesday Egypt celebrates the start of the Coptic new year or Nayrouz as well the Hijiri new year on the same day.
It is a coincidence that has only occurred 66 times according to historians and experts.
Tuesday is the first day of Muharram 1440 and is also the first day of Thout 6260
Amazingly, Jews around the globe as well as in Egypt celebrated the beginning of the new Jewish year or Rosh Hashanah 5779 on Sunday.
Interesting coincidence, I hope that those new years will be better than the previous ones for all of us.
Now on that occasion especially having the start new Hijiri year and the new ancient Egyptian/Coptic year on the same day, I decided to share with you those very few photos I took in a very short trip to Luxor temple in February 2012.
The famous Luxor temple or Luxor temples complex is not your usual ancient Egyptian temple or temples complex it is very unique ancient Egyptian temple complex or unique Egyptian religious complex.
The Luxor temples complex contain the original ancient Egyptian religious temples dedicated to the coronation of Kings and Queens, a Christian chapel and a mosque dedicated to a Sufi Sheikh.
When I saw Luxor temple, I felt that it represented Egypt religiously in a historic way.
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| The Luxor Temple |
It is sanctuary dedicated to the Kings and their coronation as well their achievements.
Time goes on and Christianity spread in Egypt replacing that the Theban triad with the Holy Trinity and parts of Luxor temples complex began to disappear under rubble, sand, dust and mud.
Other parts of were open and a new Church with its paintings replaced the ancient Egyptian inscriptions according to mainstream Egyptology.
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| The Church was located at the hypostyle hall in the temples complex |
Interestingly I have known that according to news studies and theories that chapel had been dedicated to the Cult of Royal Ka but in its Roman edition.
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| One of the paintings, some believe they are early Christian paintings while others believe that they are roman paintings. Otherways they failed to cover ancient Egyptian inscriptions |
One of the proofs that support that theory, the fact that there were no halos around the people depicted on those paintings that survived all those years.
Back to our complex, one would think that time was not a friend to that ancient temples complex but actually, it was his best friend forever.
As time went by, sand and rubble had accumulated to the level it had created an artificial hill covering it for centuries.
During the era of the Ayyubid dynasty in the 13th century, an Iraqi-born Sufi Sheikh called Youssef Bin Abdel Raheem aka Abu Hagag arrived at the city of Luxor after receiving knowledge of religion and Sufism by its masters and Sheikhs above them Sheikh Abdel Rahim of Qena “Oh yes, the Sheikh Abdel Rahim El-Qenawy”.
Legend says that Sheikh went to buy a small piece of land over that hill to build a small mosque and a shelter from a wealthy Coptic Christian woman called Theresa who agreed to sell for him that land.
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| The Mosque of Sidi Abu El-Hagag |
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| The ancient Mosque of Abu Hagag overlooking the Luxor temple inside-hall |
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| The Mosque of Abu Hagag is considered ancient as well |
Fast forward to the 19th century and Gaston Maspero began to excavate Luxor temple complex and to bring back to the World.
This is just a teaser for the rest of the photos from that beautiful temple. Wait for the rest of the photos.
The tenth of September has become a World day to raise awareness worldwide against suicide since 2003. It is the World Suicide Prevention Day “WSPD” and I think this year we feel its importance in Egypt, at least in Cairo.
The World Health Organization “WHO” and the International Association For Suicide Prevention “IASP” aim from that day would provide worldwide an action to prevent suicide.
Recently we were hit by a wave of suicide cases in Cairo and Giza. In the past month and a half , Egypt has recorded 7 cases of people’s suicide at Metro station.
Young people throwing themselves in front of Metro trains to end their lives shockingly. Six of the cases was for young men while only one case was for a young girl who was only 20 years old.
There is no official number of people who commit suicide in Egypt.
It is another taboo like the number of Christians in the country I suppose.
I found in WHO data that the suicide mortality rate in Egypt is 4 cases per 100,000 people in 2016.
Yemen and Sudan had got the highest suicide mortality rate in the Eastern Mediterranean region according to the WHO with 8.5 and 8.1 per 100,000 people respectively.
I think you know why Yemen has had a very high suicide rate.
That war does not only kill people but it also forces them to kill themselves !!
According to the Egyptian Coordination for Human Rights NGO that from January to August 2018, 150 cases of suicide for young adults between 20-35 years old have been recorded.
I found that number in a report about recent metro suicide cases in DW.
I can’t find that study on the NGO’s FB as its website is down but it did publish annually about suicide cases in Egypt.
The only official reaction we got from the government we got from the minister of transportation and not the minister of health interestingly.
Minister Hisham Arafat said in an interview with Pro-regime TV host Ahmed Moussa that the social problems were the reason behind those suicide incidents and that the suicide cases in Metro lines.
He added that those incidents were not that unique because “people around the globe commit suicide at the Metro stations”.
He asked the people not to commit suicide regardless of the pressure they face.
The only news related to the World Suicide Prevention Day that caught the people attention on social media, how belly dancer and attention seeker Sama El-Masry was filmed while presenting to the Metro authority a request to have those “happiness kiosks” in the metro stations in order to stop people from committing suicide.
Those kiosks would provide psychiatric help to the people in trouble.
It seems to me that El-Masry was the only celeb “even as D-List celeb” who remembered that day and despite it is just a media stunt but it is interesting and should be discussed as an attempt to stop this sad suicide race.
Some say that we are 100 millions and we should not be worried but personally I think we should be worried.
Using social media and hashtags, both WHO and IASP hope to drew more attention to suicide and to prevent it but preventing suicide will need more than that.
According to the WHO’s first-ever report released about suicide, more than 800,000 people commit suicide every year around one person every 40 seconds.
Yes, it is extremely alarming.
Most of the suicide cases “75%” occur in the low and middle-income countries aka developing and third countries. In those countries, young adult and elderly women have higher suicide rates than their counterparts in richer countries.
I guess we do not need to discuss why in today’s world a person would his or her own life in these countries.
The WHO said that it wanted the governments around the globe to be committed to fighting suicide according to coordinated plans.
Only only 28 countries are known to have national suicide prevention strategies, I quote the press release of the WHO.
Please if you have any suicide thoughts, seek help for real.
If you fear that your friend or relative is going to commit suicide then help her or him but do not preach to him or her. They do not need preaching, they need someone to give them a hand in order to make them come out of that dark pit.
Depression can kill easily and by the way, people who commit suicide sometimes hide their dark thoughts beneath a smiling mask.
The World Health Organization “WHO” and the International Association For Suicide Prevention “IASP” aim from that day would provide worldwide an action to prevent suicide.
Recently we were hit by a wave of suicide cases in Cairo and Giza. In the past month and a half , Egypt has recorded 7 cases of people’s suicide at Metro station.
Young people throwing themselves in front of Metro trains to end their lives shockingly. Six of the cases was for young men while only one case was for a young girl who was only 20 years old.
There is no official number of people who commit suicide in Egypt.
It is another taboo like the number of Christians in the country I suppose.
I found in WHO data that the suicide mortality rate in Egypt is 4 cases per 100,000 people in 2016.
Yemen and Sudan had got the highest suicide mortality rate in the Eastern Mediterranean region according to the WHO with 8.5 and 8.1 per 100,000 people respectively.
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| Suicide Mortality rate by WHO in 2016 "Zoom in" |
That war does not only kill people but it also forces them to kill themselves !!
According to the Egyptian Coordination for Human Rights NGO that from January to August 2018, 150 cases of suicide for young adults between 20-35 years old have been recorded.
I found that number in a report about recent metro suicide cases in DW.
I can’t find that study on the NGO’s FB as its website is down but it did publish annually about suicide cases in Egypt.
The only official reaction we got from the government we got from the minister of transportation and not the minister of health interestingly.
Minister Hisham Arafat said in an interview with Pro-regime TV host Ahmed Moussa that the social problems were the reason behind those suicide incidents and that the suicide cases in Metro lines.
He added that those incidents were not that unique because “people around the globe commit suicide at the Metro stations”.
He asked the people not to commit suicide regardless of the pressure they face.
The only news related to the World Suicide Prevention Day that caught the people attention on social media, how belly dancer and attention seeker Sama El-Masry was filmed while presenting to the Metro authority a request to have those “happiness kiosks” in the metro stations in order to stop people from committing suicide.
Those kiosks would provide psychiatric help to the people in trouble.
It seems to me that El-Masry was the only celeb “even as D-List celeb” who remembered that day and despite it is just a media stunt but it is interesting and should be discussed as an attempt to stop this sad suicide race.
Some say that we are 100 millions and we should not be worried but personally I think we should be worried.
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| Policemen trying to remove the dead body of a person who committed suicide earlier this month in Egypt "Akhbar Al-Youm" |
Using social media and hashtags, both WHO and IASP hope to drew more attention to suicide and to prevent it but preventing suicide will need more than that.
According to the WHO’s first-ever report released about suicide, more than 800,000 people commit suicide every year around one person every 40 seconds.
Yes, it is extremely alarming.
Most of the suicide cases “75%” occur in the low and middle-income countries aka developing and third countries. In those countries, young adult and elderly women have higher suicide rates than their counterparts in richer countries.
I guess we do not need to discuss why in today’s world a person would his or her own life in these countries.
The WHO said that it wanted the governments around the globe to be committed to fighting suicide according to coordinated plans.
Only only 28 countries are known to have national suicide prevention strategies, I quote the press release of the WHO.
Please if you have any suicide thoughts, seek help for real.
If you fear that your friend or relative is going to commit suicide then help her or him but do not preach to him or her. They do not need preaching, they need someone to give them a hand in order to make them come out of that dark pit.
Depression can kill easily and by the way, people who commit suicide sometimes hide their dark thoughts beneath a smiling mask.
Kodak Agfa posted a photo:
The famous avenue of the Sphinxes which connects between Egypt's Karnak temples complex and Luxor temples complex
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| The sphinx where it was found |
That sandstone sphinx was found while by accident while the archaeological mission was trying to reduce the groundwater at Ptolemaic-era-Kom Ombo Temple in Aswan governorate.
Earlier two months ago, the mission found two sandstone reliefs of King Ptolemy V.
I would like to hint out that Kom Ombo temple was built during the Ptolemaic era.
you can go back in time and check my post about my quick visit to Kom Ombo temple in 2012 here.
Some speculate that this newly-found sphinx is actually for King Ptolemy V “who was said to be a tyranny as Egypt has been always a magnet for tyrannical rulers”
This speculation is supported by the fact that the facial features of that Sphinx do not look like your typical ancient Egyptian
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| The eyes and the eyebrows of that Sphinx |
This is the second interesting discovery from the Ptolemaic era in Ancient Egypt unearthed this summer following the big black Sarcophagus of Alexandria.
Back to the Sphinx, as far as I know the ancient Egyptians used to make two sphinxes instead of one. They come in pairs according to many Egyptologists as far as I have read.
One of the mysteries surrounding the Giza Sphinx is that many believe there should be another sphinx hiding under the sand. “I do not believe in that because it should have been found by now especially all that area around the pyramids plateau has been excavating day and night”
So I wonder if we are going to find its identical sphinx twin soon and we will be able to know the story behind it.
The archeologists are busy now searching for more clues in the Kom Ombo temple area. Here is a couple of photos of that temple.
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| A scene from the Temple of Kom Ombo in Aswan, you can see color is still there |
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| Remains of columns at Egypt's Kom Ombo temple |
Egypt has got tons of small sphinxes and big sphinxes statues.
Here are few examples from the Egyptian Museum of Cairo which got two of them “duality” at its entrance.
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| One of the two sphinxes outside the Egyptian Museum of Cairo |
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| One of the two sphinxes outside the Egyptian Museum of Cairo |
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| A-modern-kingdom sphinx inside Egyptian Museum of Cairo |
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| A-modern-kingdom sphinx inside Egyptian Museum of Cairo |
People are eating tree leaves in Yemen right now to survive hunger because of the ongoing war between the Saudi-led coalition and the Iranian backed-Houthi rebels.
AP made this short shocking video from Yemen as part of its coverage that has had exposed war and torture crimes committed by the coalition countries (Saudi Arabia and UAE) on one side and the Houthi rebels on the other side.
Needless to say, all parties involved are denying that they committing any kind of war or human rights crime in Yemen but reality says otherwise and that video above is a solid evidence.
Numbers by United Nations organizations and humanitarian NGOs speak about this disaster.
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| Meet Nusair, an 11-month baby, suffering from malnutrition. I do not know what to say |
On Wednesday, London-based Save the Children issued a statement saying that at least 5 million Yemeni Children are at a risk of famine.
The NGO says that more than two-thirds (64.5%) of Yemeni population do not know where their meal is coming from as the fight over Hodeidah port on the Red Sea goes on hand in hand with the Saudi-coalition blockade.
In 2017, Save The Children says that it treated 65,000 children for malnutrition across Yemen.
Till September 2018, Save The Children says that it has treated almost 400,000 under the age of five for severe malnutrition.
The London-based NGO also warns that 36,000 children can die before the end of 2018.
The UN’s children agency UNICEF says that 1.8 million children are starving in Yemen including at least 500,000 babies and toddlers who are severely malnourished.
I think we can understand now why Yemen is currently having a very high suicide rate in the past few years.
People are eating tree leaves and more children are going to die especially the winter is close.
I do not think that this ongoing war in war will create a generation that likes its neighbors from Gulf countries especially in Saudi Arabia.
As an Arab, I fear on the people of the Gulf countries from that blood curse or rather blood karma that will follow them.
By the way, those shocking videos and photos from Yemen are not shown in our mainstream media in Egypt.
Already all those voices criticizing the war in Yemen are being hushed.
I feel ashamed of the Arab leaders and the League of Arab states. I feel angry and sad that we are being dragged to this war even if the Egyptian contribution is considered symbolic and our role is only involved in “protecting Red Sea’s Bab el-Mandeb strait only.
