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- 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...
- 09/17/18--18:32: _Egypt’s latest arch...
- 09/19/18--19:00: _They are eating tre...
- 09/23/18--17:13: _The entrance of Egy...
- 09/23/18--17:13: _Ramses II Plyon at ...
- 09/23/18--17:13: _Ramses II Pylon at ...
- 09/23/18--17:13: _Baboons of the obel...
- 09/23/18--17:13: _Taking a photo at E...
- 10/05/18--07:36: _Media Empires of Eg...
- 10/06/18--18:55: _Melania Trump in Eg...
- 10/08/18--04:39: _And the boy became ...
- 10/08/18--19:34: _Hisham Al-Ashmawy i...
- 10/10/18--18:32: _Seen in Cairo : The...
- 10/14/18--15:37: _Seen in Cairo : Ano...
- 10/18/18--17:11: _What the hell happe...
(showing articles 1 to 30 of 30)
Channel Description:
7000 years and counting ...
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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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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 |
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| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
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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.
Kodak Agfa posted a photo:
The entrance of Luxor temple featuring a statue of Ramses II and his obelisk
Kodak Agfa posted a photo:
Drawings and inscriptions about King or Pharaoh Ramses II's military victories on the pylon of Luxor temple
Kodak Agfa posted a photo:
Drawings and inscriptions about King or Pharaoh Ramses II's military victories on the pylon of Luxor temple
Kodak Agfa posted a photo:
Baboons representing Babi, the ancient Egyptian deity at the bottom base of Luxor's temple obelisk
Kodak Agfa posted a photo:
A girl take a photo for her siblings with the head of remaining of some pharaoh statue " I think Ramses II"
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From a month ago, the media map in Egypt has had a very interesting reshuffle that was significant.
Egypt’s Media Empire The Egyptian Media Group“EMG” acquired 51% of Future Media and Telecommunications Group, the mother company of CBC Network, thus becoming the company that technically controls the media with the lion share for real in Egypt.
On 5 September 2018, Egypt’s daily financial newspaper “Al Mal” quoted an anonymous TV host in the TV network speaking about the acquisition which to be announced later.
The anonymous TV host also spoke about the suspension of famous TV host Lamis El-Hadidy who up till this moment has not returned back to her Saturday-Wednesday News Night talk show on CBC TV for no apparent reason after her summer vacation.
News reports say that EMG wanted her to present her show on ONTV “which it owns” instead of CBC but she refused. The news was not confirmed or denied but it made many people wonder why EMG had had that power to stop her from appearing on CBC in the first despite her contract.
The upcoming lines will explain why technically from a managerial point of view some executives in EMG thought they have the right to move her like that aside from all the political analysis said off the records then.
According to Al Mal Daily, EMG had already owned 30% of shares in Future Media company so in the new deal it only would acquire 21% of the shares to have the controlling stake in the company that founded in July 2011.
Five days later on 10September,, Egyptian Media Group announced officially that it acquired 51% of Future Media and photos showing EMG CEO Tamer Morsi shaking hands with Future Media CEO Mohamed El-Amin.
The statement released to the media did not include how much EMG paid to acquire those addition 21% nor it mentioned either the rest of the shareholders or their identities or even when the talks started to change the ownership structure.
In May, Al-Amin denied what he considered rumors about “an upcoming change the ownership structure of the group” claiming that those rumors were aiming to the fact the advertising market before the start of the Holy Season Ramadan. “The highest TV season for viewership, it is like Super bowel but 24/7 for 30 days”
In that statement released to the media then, the media tycoon expressed his astonishment about how some were spreading those rumors rejecting at the same time how some claim that the “state” was acquiring the group which “was completely untrue” according to him.
This has been always the case with Future Media Group since its launch in summer 2011.
Future Media and Telecommunications Company owns CBC Network , Cairo Media school , Arab News Agency “ANA”, Al-Watan Newspaper.
In its old good days , this company used to own 14 TV channels which mostly acquired in the year 2012 like Modern Sports.
Now I have been searching a lot to know when EMG acquired 30% of Future Media and I have failed but instead, I found more interesting news starting from the year 2016.
Just as steel tycoon Ahmed Abu Hashima announced in May 2016 that his Egyptian Media group “then” acquired ONTV to start officially that media empire , Future Media declared that it merged with Al-Nahar TV network to expand the reach of their channels beyond Egypt.
According to the statements of Al-Nahar Co-owner and head Amr Al-Kahky , the merger negotiations lasted for nine months earlier.
In October 2016 , Cairo-basedUnited Printing, Publishing and Information Technology CO. aka “UPPITCO” acquired 51% of Future Media and Al-Nahar Network.
Al-Masry Al-Youm Daily “AMAY” quoted an anonymous source in the Media Industry Chamber saying UPPITCO which is owned by one of the State’s institutionsacquired 51% of the shares for LE 1,100,000,000. “You read the number right, it is one billion and one hundred million Egyptian pounds”
The anonymous sources also added that UPPIT CO had already acquired 75% of Abu Hashima’s Egyptian Media Group while he owned only 25%.
I have been searching for any news about how UPPIT Co acquired 75% of Egyptian Media Group in 2016 but I could not find anything about that deal.
Back to CBC Network , its founder Mohamed Al-Amin who graduated from the University of Alexandria said during then that that deal would enable the TV networks to expand regionally.
“UPPIT Co.” is as its name implies , a Printing , Publishing and IT Company but it is keeping a very low profile despite it seems to be one of the main providers of traffic CCTV systems to different governorates in the country like in Qalyubia or in Damietta.
Its official website does not include any information on who heads it currently or previously or anything.
The official website only says among its clients ministries and governorates.
One could not find news or details about that company online except very few when it hits the Google search for the first time.
According to that source that spoke with AMAY, it is owned by one of the state’s apparatuses and “apparatuses” in our Egyptian societal diction refers to security agencies.
A couple of news reports like in Mada Masr about the recent acquisitions in the media market says that “UPPIT Co.” is actually a company owned by or a front of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate or as commonly known General Intelligence.
There is noting on its website says so but also there is nothing on its website in the first place about when or who founded it.
The only connection I found it between it and the General Intelligence is the fact that its current head Mr. Samy El-Gerf , the former assistant director of the General Intelligence who retired from service in June 2015 according to the official state gazette.
“UPPIT” was also mentioned recently in the media in the same paragraph sometimes with the General Intelligence during the trial of former Mounfia governor who was arrested in January for corruption charges.
Former governor Hesham Abdel Baset is accused of receiving LE 2 million bribe from a businessman “ a second defendant in the case” for illegally allocating construction contracts of governmental buildings to his company.
According to the prosecution , the former governor claimed that the businessman was a subcontractor for UPPIT Co. on papers only while he was not.
On the first day of his trial, Abdel Baset denied those charges saying that UPPIT did not have any business in the Nile Delta governorate adding all the works involved in the investigation were done by the General Intelligence. Needless to say , all parties involved say that the former governor was lying.
Sorry for this short interruption back to the media , UPPIT and its acquisition.
That merger between Al-Nahar and CBC did not last too long, it only worked for one year.
In May 2017 , the two TV networks declared that they terminated the merger deal due to “their managerial different views and visions” .
At the same time, CBC or rather Future Media Group announced it would go on with UPPIT acquisition which had already been forgotten.
In June 2017 , the Egyptian Stock exchange “EGX” announced that it opened an OPR market to sell 25 million shares in Future Media group for LE 10 million in two deals , the first amounting 5 million shares at LE 1 per share while the second involved 20 million shares at LE 0.40 per share.
The news ended there without further details once again including how much those shares actually represent in the stakes of the group or how many of those shares were sold in the first place.
Fast forward to our day, EMG owns now the 51% controlling shares in Future media Group.
It is unclear from news archives if it bought UPPIT shares or not it or that it acquired first the 21% of the shares through that June 2017 EGX deal or not exactly.
Some are amazed that EMG would go and acquire such controlling stake in FMG when its other media networks like ONTV are suffering financially for real.
Interestingly according to Kuwaiti Al-Jarida , Mohamed Al-Amin still owns 49% of the shares in FMG and his daughter Mona Al-Amin is still the deputy CEO of FMG.
This means that EMG did not acquire those 21% from Al-Amin. Personally , I believe that it acquired from UPPIT.
Before mid 2011 , Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Amin was from the shadow businessmen whom you do not hear his name usually at all let alone in the media.
All what is known publicly about Al-Amin that he left Egypt after graduating from the faculty of engineering in the 1980s to start working in Kuwait as a civil engineer along with his brother.
Sooner , he would own a factory for toilets and toilet seats in Cairo and Kuwait.
In the last decade of Mubarak’s rule and the rise of businessmen and tycoons , Mohamed Al-Amin expanded his activity in Cairo and became a partner of businessman Mansour Amer and his Porto-tourism Amer Group Empire.
El-Amin is a non-executive board member of Amer Group along with Amer family and other businessmen.
Then 25 January revolution erupted and suddenly in May 2011 , Mohamed Al-Amin was re-introduced to the society as a newspaper publisher with his new so-called independent “Al-Watan” newspaper that had unprecedented high salaries unseen in Egyptian Journalism market.
But that was not his only newspaper he published.
Al-Amin were among the owners of Youm 7 newspaper and website along with his old partner Mansour Amer till January 2013.
Backward to July 2011, Mohamed Al-Amin launched from Cairo Capital Broadcasting Center or CBC TV network with reportedly USD 15 million first year budget.
For years , the word was in the Media City that Al-Amin had funding from the Gulf , to be particular from Kuwait where he worked most of his life and his family still lives there.
It was said that Pro-Mubarak Kuwaiti supporters were behind that huge funding and the aim was to control the popular opinion in the country but somehow I feel that they failed miserably.
In September from the same year , Al-Amin began to acquire other TV networks and channels to the level that made all people wonder from where he got all that money.
He started with Al-Nahar TV channel “It was still channel” acquiring 85% of its shares from businessman and media industry figure Samir Youssef “TV host Mona El-Shazly’s husband” as well other businessmen for an undisclosed amount of money.
Al-Amin announced on 23 September he acquired 85% of Sports-focused Modern TV network “Founded in 2007”. Its founder famous NDPian figure Nabil Daabas already was saved from bankruptcy because of that deal.
In the same month , he declared his intention to acquire Drama-Film focused Panorama TV network but its owned founder and owner Mahdy Ewis said he wouldn't sell his channels because he did not want a media monopoly in Egypt.
Moving to press, he acquired too Arab News Agency “ANA” from its Kuwaiti owners than he declared that he acquired tabloid Al-Fagr weekly newspaper and its publishing house. “No wonder the newspaper does not speak about him at all”
To maintain that media empire is not easy especially in political risky times when you do not have real media background.
In July 2012, Amr El-Khaky of Media Line Group acquired the 85% shares of Al-Amin in the channel that was struggling financially.
In January 2013, Both Al-Amin and his old partner Mansour Amar sold their shares in Youm 7 Newspaper and website to Amr El-Khaky of Media Line group “Al-Nahar Group” and Ahmed Abu Hashima became the owners of most shares in that newspaper.
Again we do not know who owned the rest few shares.
Since its launch in 2008 , Youm 7 is said to be owned allegedly by corrupted hardcore National Democratic Party member tycoons Mamdouh Ismail and Ashraf Safwat Al Sherif “both runaways in the UK up till now” despite the constant denials of the Pro-regime news website.
Despite their popularity , Modern TV network channels were closed by CBC in July 2013 due to the financial crisis that hit the channels then.
Channels were launched then closed down and it seems that there are huge financial losses as people are no longer watching TV thanks to the internet.
In August 2018 , Al-Amin sold 658,000 shares “ total of LE 158,000” from his stakes in Amer Group reducing his stake to %5.991 in the company.
The timing is interesting indeed.
Now if you reach this line in the post then I must say that you are a truly great reader.
One thing to notice here: the same names here from media tycoons and businessmen were like shifting places from 2011 to 2013. We had businessmen and Gulf-sponsored channels with God knows what kind of agenda in that short period.
After 2013, the state began to enter the arena of the privately-owned network after giving up in fixing the Egyptian state TV and radio.
Now as EMG acquires Future Media Group and its strong arm CBC TV network , it is safely to say the Kuwaiti-Sponsorship is no longer there.
Egypt’s Media Empire The Egyptian Media Group“EMG” acquired 51% of Future Media and Telecommunications Group, the mother company of CBC Network, thus becoming the company that technically controls the media with the lion share for real in Egypt.
On 5 September 2018, Egypt’s daily financial newspaper “Al Mal” quoted an anonymous TV host in the TV network speaking about the acquisition which to be announced later.
The anonymous TV host also spoke about the suspension of famous TV host Lamis El-Hadidy who up till this moment has not returned back to her Saturday-Wednesday News Night talk show on CBC TV for no apparent reason after her summer vacation.
News reports say that EMG wanted her to present her show on ONTV “which it owns” instead of CBC but she refused. The news was not confirmed or denied but it made many people wonder why EMG had had that power to stop her from appearing on CBC in the first despite her contract.
The upcoming lines will explain why technically from a managerial point of view some executives in EMG thought they have the right to move her like that aside from all the political analysis said off the records then.
According to Al Mal Daily, EMG had already owned 30% of shares in Future Media company so in the new deal it only would acquire 21% of the shares to have the controlling stake in the company that founded in July 2011.
Five days later on 10September,, Egyptian Media Group announced officially that it acquired 51% of Future Media and photos showing EMG CEO Tamer Morsi shaking hands with Future Media CEO Mohamed El-Amin.
The statement released to the media did not include how much EMG paid to acquire those addition 21% nor it mentioned either the rest of the shareholders or their identities or even when the talks started to change the ownership structure.
 |
| Mohamed El-Amin and Tamer Morsi "Egyptian Media Group" |
In that statement released to the media then, the media tycoon expressed his astonishment about how some were spreading those rumors rejecting at the same time how some claim that the “state” was acquiring the group which “was completely untrue” according to him.
That’s what he said earlier this month concerning that *rumor*Those rumors target the Egyptian State claiming that it wants to control the media turning it to one - voice media and stopping reporters and media figures from transferring the truth and facing rumors; those rumors are untrue
This has been always the case with Future Media Group since its launch in summer 2011.
Future Media and Telecommunications Company owns CBC Network , Cairo Media school , Arab News Agency “ANA”, Al-Watan Newspaper.
In its old good days , this company used to own 14 TV channels which mostly acquired in the year 2012 like Modern Sports.
Now I have been searching a lot to know when EMG acquired 30% of Future Media and I have failed but instead, I found more interesting news starting from the year 2016.
Just as steel tycoon Ahmed Abu Hashima announced in May 2016 that his Egyptian Media group “then” acquired ONTV to start officially that media empire , Future Media declared that it merged with Al-Nahar TV network to expand the reach of their channels beyond Egypt.
 |
| The merger press on 25 May 2016 |
In October 2016 , Cairo-basedUnited Printing, Publishing and Information Technology CO. aka “UPPITCO” acquired 51% of Future Media and Al-Nahar Network.
Al-Masry Al-Youm Daily “AMAY” quoted an anonymous source in the Media Industry Chamber saying UPPITCO which is owned by one of the State’s institutionsacquired 51% of the shares for LE 1,100,000,000. “You read the number right, it is one billion and one hundred million Egyptian pounds”
The anonymous sources also added that UPPIT CO had already acquired 75% of Abu Hashima’s Egyptian Media Group while he owned only 25%.
I have been searching for any news about how UPPIT Co acquired 75% of Egyptian Media Group in 2016 but I could not find anything about that deal.
Back to CBC Network , its founder Mohamed Al-Amin who graduated from the University of Alexandria said during then that that deal would enable the TV networks to expand regionally.
“UPPIT Co.” is as its name implies , a Printing , Publishing and IT Company but it is keeping a very low profile despite it seems to be one of the main providers of traffic CCTV systems to different governorates in the country like in Qalyubia or in Damietta.
Its official website does not include any information on who heads it currently or previously or anything.
The official website only says among its clients ministries and governorates.
One could not find news or details about that company online except very few when it hits the Google search for the first time.
According to that source that spoke with AMAY, it is owned by one of the state’s apparatuses and “apparatuses” in our Egyptian societal diction refers to security agencies.
A couple of news reports like in Mada Masr about the recent acquisitions in the media market says that “UPPIT Co.” is actually a company owned by or a front of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate or as commonly known General Intelligence.
There is noting on its website says so but also there is nothing on its website in the first place about when or who founded it.
The only connection I found it between it and the General Intelligence is the fact that its current head Mr. Samy El-Gerf , the former assistant director of the General Intelligence who retired from service in June 2015 according to the official state gazette.
“UPPIT” was also mentioned recently in the media in the same paragraph sometimes with the General Intelligence during the trial of former Mounfia governor who was arrested in January for corruption charges.
Former governor Hesham Abdel Baset is accused of receiving LE 2 million bribe from a businessman “ a second defendant in the case” for illegally allocating construction contracts of governmental buildings to his company.
According to the prosecution , the former governor claimed that the businessman was a subcontractor for UPPIT Co. on papers only while he was not.
On the first day of his trial, Abdel Baset denied those charges saying that UPPIT did not have any business in the Nile Delta governorate adding all the works involved in the investigation were done by the General Intelligence. Needless to say , all parties involved say that the former governor was lying.
Sorry for this short interruption back to the media , UPPIT and its acquisition.
That merger between Al-Nahar and CBC did not last too long, it only worked for one year.
In May 2017 , the two TV networks declared that they terminated the merger deal due to “their managerial different views and visions” .
At the same time, CBC or rather Future Media Group announced it would go on with UPPIT acquisition which had already been forgotten.
In June 2017 , the Egyptian Stock exchange “EGX” announced that it opened an OPR market to sell 25 million shares in Future Media group for LE 10 million in two deals , the first amounting 5 million shares at LE 1 per share while the second involved 20 million shares at LE 0.40 per share.
The news ended there without further details once again including how much those shares actually represent in the stakes of the group or how many of those shares were sold in the first place.
Fast forward to our day, EMG owns now the 51% controlling shares in Future media Group.
It is unclear from news archives if it bought UPPIT shares or not it or that it acquired first the 21% of the shares through that June 2017 EGX deal or not exactly.
Some are amazed that EMG would go and acquire such controlling stake in FMG when its other media networks like ONTV are suffering financially for real.
Interestingly according to Kuwaiti Al-Jarida , Mohamed Al-Amin still owns 49% of the shares in FMG and his daughter Mona Al-Amin is still the deputy CEO of FMG.
This means that EMG did not acquire those 21% from Al-Amin. Personally , I believe that it acquired from UPPIT.
Mohamed Al-Amin , the original CBC Face
I can’t speak about CBC Network without mentioning Al-Amin.Before mid 2011 , Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Amin was from the shadow businessmen whom you do not hear his name usually at all let alone in the media.
All what is known publicly about Al-Amin that he left Egypt after graduating from the faculty of engineering in the 1980s to start working in Kuwait as a civil engineer along with his brother.
Sooner , he would own a factory for toilets and toilet seats in Cairo and Kuwait.
 |
| Mohamed Al-Amin of CBC "Youm7" |
El-Amin is a non-executive board member of Amer Group along with Amer family and other businessmen.
Then 25 January revolution erupted and suddenly in May 2011 , Mohamed Al-Amin was re-introduced to the society as a newspaper publisher with his new so-called independent “Al-Watan” newspaper that had unprecedented high salaries unseen in Egyptian Journalism market.
But that was not his only newspaper he published.
Al-Amin were among the owners of Youm 7 newspaper and website along with his old partner Mansour Amer till January 2013.
Backward to July 2011, Mohamed Al-Amin launched from Cairo Capital Broadcasting Center or CBC TV network with reportedly USD 15 million first year budget.
For years , the word was in the Media City that Al-Amin had funding from the Gulf , to be particular from Kuwait where he worked most of his life and his family still lives there.
It was said that Pro-Mubarak Kuwaiti supporters were behind that huge funding and the aim was to control the popular opinion in the country but somehow I feel that they failed miserably.
In September from the same year , Al-Amin began to acquire other TV networks and channels to the level that made all people wonder from where he got all that money.
He started with Al-Nahar TV channel “It was still channel” acquiring 85% of its shares from businessman and media industry figure Samir Youssef “TV host Mona El-Shazly’s husband” as well other businessmen for an undisclosed amount of money.
Al-Amin announced on 23 September he acquired 85% of Sports-focused Modern TV network “Founded in 2007”. Its founder famous NDPian figure Nabil Daabas already was saved from bankruptcy because of that deal.
In the same month , he declared his intention to acquire Drama-Film focused Panorama TV network but its owned founder and owner Mahdy Ewis said he wouldn't sell his channels because he did not want a media monopoly in Egypt.
Moving to press, he acquired too Arab News Agency “ANA” from its Kuwaiti owners than he declared that he acquired tabloid Al-Fagr weekly newspaper and its publishing house. “No wonder the newspaper does not speak about him at all”
To maintain that media empire is not easy especially in political risky times when you do not have real media background.
In July 2012, Amr El-Khaky of Media Line Group acquired the 85% shares of Al-Amin in the channel that was struggling financially.
In January 2013, Both Al-Amin and his old partner Mansour Amar sold their shares in Youm 7 Newspaper and website to Amr El-Khaky of Media Line group “Al-Nahar Group” and Ahmed Abu Hashima became the owners of most shares in that newspaper.
Again we do not know who owned the rest few shares.
Since its launch in 2008 , Youm 7 is said to be owned allegedly by corrupted hardcore National Democratic Party member tycoons Mamdouh Ismail and Ashraf Safwat Al Sherif “both runaways in the UK up till now” despite the constant denials of the Pro-regime news website.
Despite their popularity , Modern TV network channels were closed by CBC in July 2013 due to the financial crisis that hit the channels then.
Channels were launched then closed down and it seems that there are huge financial losses as people are no longer watching TV thanks to the internet.
In August 2018 , Al-Amin sold 658,000 shares “ total of LE 158,000” from his stakes in Amer Group reducing his stake to %5.991 in the company.
The timing is interesting indeed.
Now if you reach this line in the post then I must say that you are a truly great reader.
One thing to notice here: the same names here from media tycoons and businessmen were like shifting places from 2011 to 2013. We had businessmen and Gulf-sponsored channels with God knows what kind of agenda in that short period.
After 2013, the state began to enter the arena of the privately-owned network after giving up in fixing the Egyptian state TV and radio.
Now as EMG acquires Future Media Group and its strong arm CBC TV network , it is safely to say the Kuwaiti-Sponsorship is no longer there.
Probably this is the quietest Six of October war anniversary I have ever seen in my life in Egypt. No fireworks at night or airshows in the morning.
The only main event of the day was the very short visit of Melania Trump to Egypt, its last stop in its very quick fashionable African tour.
The First Lady of the United States “FLOTUS” arrived Cairo earlier Morning where she was received by Egypt’s First Entasser Amer“I like the fact that officially she is using her family surname instead of her husband’s surname” at Cairo International Airport.
They went to the Presidential Palace where they were joined by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi who spoke about the importance of cooperation between the United States and Egypt in their talks.
Entasser Amer held bilateral talks with FLOTUS where they discussed also bilateral relations and cooperation to the end of that talk.
After the talks, she went from Cairo to Giza turning traffic upside down on a National Day with hundreds from security men securing her trip from Heliopolis to Giza pyramids plateau.
Visitors and tourists were not allowed to visit the pyramids Plateau for security reason.
At the pyramids, Melania Trump had one of those photo shots with her White Suit and hat.
Needless to say to the only interesting or rather important things we got from Melania’s visit to Cairo were her statement about her husband’s addiction to Twitter and her support to Brett Kavanaugh while speaking politely about his accuser Dr.Christine Blasey Ford.
It is like that she is trying to clean the shit her hubby said on twitter about Kavanaugh affair.
The media did not care much about her talks with Egyptian officials as much they cared about her outfit or her suit.
Some say it was inspired by Nazi Bolloq of Raiders of the lost arc.
Others say that she reminded them of Michael Jackson’s suit in Smooth Criminal if you remember it.
In Egypt, many compared Melania Trump’s suit to late Egyptian cinema icon Stephan Rosti’s unforgettable appearance in the-1950-Comedy “The Millionaire”.
Of course, it seems for CNN’s correspondent for FLOTUS’ activities, that man-inspired suit had a strong message to Cairo.
I still feel angry at that tweet which is full ugly orientalism.
Now aside from all the jokes and talk about Melania Trump and her man-inspired suit, I have one question in my mind.
Why did not Melania Trump pay her respect at the Unknown Soldier Memorial or even put flowers on the tomb of late President Sadat whose assassination’s anniversary was on 6 October as well?
Paying respect to the Unknown soldier memorial is a good sign that Melania and her team respect the country for real.
Aside mark: This is the most under-the-spotlight for activity-shy Amer. She waited for four years to have more noticeable activity.
Happy 6th October anniversary to everybody before I forget.
The only main event of the day was the very short visit of Melania Trump to Egypt, its last stop in its very quick fashionable African tour.
 |
| Melania Trump at the Sphinx "Masrawy" |
They went to the Presidential Palace where they were joined by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi who spoke about the importance of cooperation between the United States and Egypt in their talks.
Entasser Amer held bilateral talks with FLOTUS where they discussed also bilateral relations and cooperation to the end of that talk.
 |
| Entasser Amer with Melania Trump at the Presidential Palace in Heliopolis "Egyptian Presidency" |
Visitors and tourists were not allowed to visit the pyramids Plateau for security reason.
At the pyramids, Melania Trump had one of those photo shots with her White Suit and hat.
Needless to say to the only interesting or rather important things we got from Melania’s visit to Cairo were her statement about her husband’s addiction to Twitter and her support to Brett Kavanaugh while speaking politely about his accuser Dr.Christine Blasey Ford.
It is like that she is trying to clean the shit her hubby said on twitter about Kavanaugh affair.
The media did not care much about her talks with Egyptian officials as much they cared about her outfit or her suit.
Some say it was inspired by Nazi Bolloq of Raiders of the lost arc.
Others say that she reminded them of Michael Jackson’s suit in Smooth Criminal if you remember it.
 |
| The Daily show published this on twitter then they removed it later !! |
 |
| Stephan Rosti as Zaki Bashta on the left and Melania Trumpshta on the right |
Of course, it seems for CNN’s correspondent for FLOTUS’ activities, that man-inspired suit had a strong message to Cairo.
I do not know how I can answer but the only thing I can say, Melania should care for women’s rights in her country then liberating us, the women of Egypt.. @FLOTUS steps off the plane in Egypt wearing a menswear-inspired look, complete with necktie. For me this a fascinating fashion statement for a country with a very poor record on women’s rights. In the politics of fashion realm, she’s sending a message: Women are equal. pic.twitter.com/WA04VwDHV1— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 6, 2018
I still feel angry at that tweet which is full ugly orientalism.
Now aside from all the jokes and talk about Melania Trump and her man-inspired suit, I have one question in my mind.
Why did not Melania Trump pay her respect at the Unknown Soldier Memorial or even put flowers on the tomb of late President Sadat whose assassination’s anniversary was on 6 October as well?
Paying respect to the Unknown soldier memorial is a good sign that Melania and her team respect the country for real.
Aside mark: This is the most under-the-spotlight for activity-shy Amer. She waited for four years to have more noticeable activity.
Happy 6th October anniversary to everybody before I forget.
This is one of the true happy news that made me proud as well optimistic about the future.
In April 2011,
I wrote about this 15-years-old mathematics genius who was doing his master’s degree in the American University in Cairo " AUC" during then and that genius’ name was Omar Othman or as he is known now as Omar Mohsen. "Yes, Masters degree"
Now, the boy has grown and became a young man.
The 22-years old mathematician has got his Ph.D. degree from Universite Paris Diderot or Paris Diderot University on Thursday according to his father.
According to his professor of Mathematics in Cairo University Hany El-Hosseini, Mohsen's thesis was examined before a panel of 7- internationally renowned Mathematicians including Professor Alain Connes, who received Fields Medal "It is like Nobel Price for Mathematicians."
El-Hosseini also explained what Mohsen was doing in Cairo University's Faculty of Sciences.
It turned out that he was studying unofficially mathematics in CU's Faculty of Sciences from 2009 and 2012 in parallel of his study in the AUC as well as studying for the preparatory degree in the Egyptian basic education system.
Among his professors and teachers besides Dr. Hany El-Hosseini is Dr. Laila Soueif "Yes, the famous political activist".
In 2012, a French professor met Omar Mohsen while he was attended one of the summer camps for students like him, something like a camp for brilliant students and was impressed with his talent and thinking.
In the same year, she managed to get him a grant in L'Ecole Normale Superieure and that was a big leap to the other part of the world where Mohsen would achieve his dreams.
I think that Dr. Mohsen is the youngest Egyptian ever to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics. "Big Mashallah"
Officially, Omar Mohsen has got only the Preparatory degree in Egypt in the CV and the rest is an excellent French education system that supports genius students.
I must say that according to what I have read, the teachers of Omar Mohsen noticed that he was a genius in mathematics in the fifth grade and told his family to support him.
Mohsen got his basic education in Egypt in a public school as far as I read.
Honestly, I do not know why we do not have a special system for truly genius children who can advance and leap in education comparing to their other students.
Lately, I have not written cheerful news about Egypt in the blog but here is a good start.
Inshallah, the next time I will write about Omar Mohsen when he receives the Fields award,
In April 2011,
I wrote about this 15-years-old mathematics genius who was doing his master’s degree in the American University in Cairo " AUC" during then and that genius’ name was Omar Othman or as he is known now as Omar Mohsen. "Yes, Masters degree"
 |
| Dr. Omar Mohsen right now in Parsi |
Now, the boy has grown and became a young man.
The 22-years old mathematician has got his Ph.D. degree from Universite Paris Diderot or Paris Diderot University on Thursday according to his father.
According to his professor of Mathematics in Cairo University Hany El-Hosseini, Mohsen's thesis was examined before a panel of 7- internationally renowned Mathematicians including Professor Alain Connes, who received Fields Medal "It is like Nobel Price for Mathematicians."
El-Hosseini also explained what Mohsen was doing in Cairo University's Faculty of Sciences.
It turned out that he was studying unofficially mathematics in CU's Faculty of Sciences from 2009 and 2012 in parallel of his study in the AUC as well as studying for the preparatory degree in the Egyptian basic education system.
Among his professors and teachers besides Dr. Hany El-Hosseini is Dr. Laila Soueif "Yes, the famous political activist".
In 2012, a French professor met Omar Mohsen while he was attended one of the summer camps for students like him, something like a camp for brilliant students and was impressed with his talent and thinking.
In the same year, she managed to get him a grant in L'Ecole Normale Superieure and that was a big leap to the other part of the world where Mohsen would achieve his dreams.
I think that Dr. Mohsen is the youngest Egyptian ever to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics. "Big Mashallah"
Officially, Omar Mohsen has got only the Preparatory degree in Egypt in the CV and the rest is an excellent French education system that supports genius students.
I must say that according to what I have read, the teachers of Omar Mohsen noticed that he was a genius in mathematics in the fifth grade and told his family to support him.
Mohsen got his basic education in Egypt in a public school as far as I read.
Honestly, I do not know why we do not have a special system for truly genius children who can advance and leap in education comparing to their other students.
Lately, I have not written cheerful news about Egypt in the blog but here is a good start.
Inshallah, the next time I will write about Omar Mohsen when he receives the Fields award,
Egypt has officially demanded Libya to extradite the country’s most wanted man Hisham Ashmawy after his surprising arrest earlier in Libya.
I think within hours the man who was sentenced to death in Egypt in at least two military trials, will be transferred back home.
According to Libya’s National army aka “Hafter’s forces”, Al-Ashmaway was arrested in the city of Derna that was once a stronghold of Al-Qaeda fighters in the Eastern city earlier Monday. “About 3.30 am Libya local time”.
He was found along a group of his men in El-Maghar district in the city, which was the last part of it that was not liberated yet from Islamist militants’ control.
What I have read so far, the Libyan forces got intel information from Cairo about Ashmawy.
The spokesperson of Libyan national armed forces said on social media that the 1980-born was wearing an explosive belt when he was busted.
The spokesperson added that due to the surprise and shock, he could not use it.
Some say that Al-Ashmawy did not use it and resist the Libyan army because he was accompanied by women and children.
To be specific the widow of Omar Rifai Sorour and her four children.
Egyptian Omar Rifai Sorour was a prominent member of Al-Qaeda in Libya who was killed in June 2018.
Omar Sorour was the militant group’s Islamic jurist.
He is also the son of Rifai Sorour, who was among the first generation of Salafi Jihadist clerics in Egypt and the Arab world.
Mohamed Rifai Sorour, Omar’s brother was killed earlier Monday during the raid.
So far there have been no reports about Hisham Al-Ashmawy’s wife or his children.
The last time I read something about his wife was in 2017 as far as I recall and it was about how she managed to flee Egypt arriving Libya through Sudan.
Back to her husband who planned the worst terrorist attacks Egypt have seen in 2013 and 2014, I think that arresting him alive is a huge achievement for Libyan forces. This is a big deal. Just imagine , the amount of information he has got.
Interestingly Libyan authorities found with him his Egyptian Armed Forces ID Card which identifies him as a retired major.
I wonder why he would carry with him that ID card after all those years.
There are many questions to be asked about Al-Ashmawy.
The most important one I guess now is how many new Hisham Ashmawys are hidden there in Egypt waiting for their moment to come with all that polarization and radicalism surrounding us in the world?
I think within hours the man who was sentenced to death in Egypt in at least two military trials, will be transferred back home.
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| Hisham Al-Ashmawy after his arrest in Derna |
He was found along a group of his men in El-Maghar district in the city, which was the last part of it that was not liberated yet from Islamist militants’ control.
What I have read so far, the Libyan forces got intel information from Cairo about Ashmawy.
The spokesperson of Libyan national armed forces said on social media that the 1980-born was wearing an explosive belt when he was busted.
The spokesperson added that due to the surprise and shock, he could not use it.
Some say that Al-Ashmawy did not use it and resist the Libyan army because he was accompanied by women and children.
To be specific the widow of Omar Rifai Sorour and her four children.
Egyptian Omar Rifai Sorour was a prominent member of Al-Qaeda in Libya who was killed in June 2018.
Omar Sorour was the militant group’s Islamic jurist.
He is also the son of Rifai Sorour, who was among the first generation of Salafi Jihadist clerics in Egypt and the Arab world.
Mohamed Rifai Sorour, Omar’s brother was killed earlier Monday during the raid.
So far there have been no reports about Hisham Al-Ashmawy’s wife or his children.
The last time I read something about his wife was in 2017 as far as I recall and it was about how she managed to flee Egypt arriving Libya through Sudan.
Back to her husband who planned the worst terrorist attacks Egypt have seen in 2013 and 2014, I think that arresting him alive is a huge achievement for Libyan forces. This is a big deal. Just imagine , the amount of information he has got.
Interestingly Libyan authorities found with him his Egyptian Armed Forces ID Card which identifies him as a retired major.
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| Al-Ashmawy's army id !! |
There are many questions to be asked about Al-Ashmawy.
The most important one I guess now is how many new Hisham Ashmawys are hidden there in Egypt waiting for their moment to come with all that polarization and radicalism surrounding us in the world?
 |
| Kasr Al Nil Lion surrounded by spikes |
Seen in Cairo: Kasr Al-Nil bridge's lion is protected by sharp spikes.
To stop vandals and teenagers from climbing and sitting on the statue after its recent renovation, the government installed sharp spikes and it has worked so far.
The 406-meter bridge was renovated in 2016 with the cost of LE 8 million.
To be honest it is the first time I would notice the spikes. Maybe, they were installed later.
They may stop vandals but I think they may not stop angry protesters if they are determinant to occupy the bridge like in 2011.
To stop vandals and teenagers from climbing and sitting on the statue after its recent renovation, the government installed sharp spikes and it has worked so far.
The 406-meter bridge was renovated in 2016 with the cost of LE 8 million.
To be honest it is the first time I would notice the spikes. Maybe, they were installed later.
They may stop vandals but I think they may not stop angry protesters if they are determinant to occupy the bridge like in 2011.
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| Down with Mubarak, long live Egypt, Mubarak degage "February 2011" |
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| A7A degage Mubarak , down with Mubarak "February 2011" |
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| Another Downtown Cairo beauty |
Seen in Cairo: Downtown Cairo always amazes you every time you go there with its beautiful buildings and distinguished architectural styles.
That building near Opera square caught my attention with its windows.
I do not know what exact style it is but I feel it is a mix of gothic and Venetian architectural style.
I bet its designer was Italian.
That building near Opera square caught my attention with its windows.
I do not know what exact style it is but I feel it is a mix of gothic and Venetian architectural style.
I bet its designer was Italian.
I know I have not been blogging actively as I am currently torn between work, flu and cold and following the Jamal Khashoggi’s sad saga and its developments. I find extreme angry and depressed.
Nevertheless here I am trying to blog what annoys me and what cheers me nowadays in my country Egypt.
From a couple of days ago, I read a news that bothered me a lot.
Some local Facebook news page in Alexandria spoke about how people spotted the army’s military police inside the perimeter of the historical and famous Aziza Fahmy palace.
The page showed photos for the army’s vehicles outside the palace claiming that its fences were being demolished.
It was said that the Armed Forces Engineering authority was allegedly building a huge hotel complex on the land of the palace.
Some concerned citizens include myself fear that the palace which was built in 1905 for Egyptian socialite Aziza Fahmy of the Fahmy clan is going to be demolished.
Journalist Nabil Abu Shal says that the Palace won’t be demolished and that it will be “embraced” by the armed forces owned-Tolip hotel“yes, this is its correct spelling, there is a hotel chain owned by army called Tolip”
He even posted an alleged design for that hotel.
Now judging from that photo I took in May 2016, I do not know how the army’s engineering corps will build that hotel considering the space around the hotel !?
It is not that big !! Yes, it is the third biggest historical palace in Alexandria if you take into consideration its garden but still, it is not that big to host such hotel as it appears in that alleged design.
Also, what is in the future for that free public beach in front of the palace and its garden?
I do not know why the government does not use its brain and turns that Aziza Fahmy’s Palace into a national museum like her sister’s palace which is a successful museum hosting the Egyptian Royal Family’s jewelry.
We got hundreds of thousands of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the warehouses. We can host a collection of them in that palace and turn it into a cultural venue.
It seems that the Armed Forces Engineering Authority has replaced The Egyptian General Co. for Tourism&Hotel“EGOTH” in the battle with the 40 heirs of the palace who had a 50-years-old fight with the state over the 15 thousand m2 property “The Palace is only 650 m2” in November 2017 according to EGOTH CEO.
The Engineering authority has got several development projects in Alex.
Moving to another disturbing news, current Alexandria governorate officials have demolished part the old Alexandria Corniche in Al-Mansheya to build parking lot !!
According to my humble historical info, that specific part of corniche was built during the rule of Abbas Helmi II“reign from 1892-1921” and the rocks used to build it were imported from Europe.
What the hell is happening in Alexandria for the love of God !!
Nevertheless here I am trying to blog what annoys me and what cheers me nowadays in my country Egypt.
From a couple of days ago, I read a news that bothered me a lot.
Some local Facebook news page in Alexandria spoke about how people spotted the army’s military police inside the perimeter of the historical and famous Aziza Fahmy palace.
The page showed photos for the army’s vehicles outside the palace claiming that its fences were being demolished.
It was said that the Armed Forces Engineering authority was allegedly building a huge hotel complex on the land of the palace.
Some concerned citizens include myself fear that the palace which was built in 1905 for Egyptian socialite Aziza Fahmy of the Fahmy clan is going to be demolished.
Journalist Nabil Abu Shal says that the Palace won’t be demolished and that it will be “embraced” by the armed forces owned-Tolip hotel“yes, this is its correct spelling, there is a hotel chain owned by army called Tolip”
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| The alleged design |
Now judging from that photo I took in May 2016, I do not know how the army’s engineering corps will build that hotel considering the space around the hotel !?
 |
| Aziza Fahmy palace in real life |
It is not that big !! Yes, it is the third biggest historical palace in Alexandria if you take into consideration its garden but still, it is not that big to host such hotel as it appears in that alleged design.
Also, what is in the future for that free public beach in front of the palace and its garden?
I do not know why the government does not use its brain and turns that Aziza Fahmy’s Palace into a national museum like her sister’s palace which is a successful museum hosting the Egyptian Royal Family’s jewelry.
We got hundreds of thousands of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the warehouses. We can host a collection of them in that palace and turn it into a cultural venue.
It seems that the Armed Forces Engineering Authority has replaced The Egyptian General Co. for Tourism&Hotel“EGOTH” in the battle with the 40 heirs of the palace who had a 50-years-old fight with the state over the 15 thousand m2 property “The Palace is only 650 m2” in November 2017 according to EGOTH CEO.
The Engineering authority has got several development projects in Alex.
Moving to another disturbing news, current Alexandria governorate officials have demolished part the old Alexandria Corniche in Al-Mansheya to build parking lot !!
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| The old corniche after it was demolished !! |
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| The old corniche while being built in the 1920s in El-Shatby area "@Just_C4se" |
What the hell is happening in Alexandria for the love of God !!
