D B Shobrawy
Stories
December 6th, 2007
Protest From Egypts Civil Servants
· 23:09 · Middle East & North AfricaMembers of the Real Estate Tax Authority and thousands of Egypts tax collectors are gathered in Cairo this week to protest their wages and to demand a transfer of their positions to the Finance Ministry.
Baheyya has more
As with the second Mahalla strike in Ramadan, hundreds of women civil servants are out in full force, braving the cold winter air and shattering tired stereotypes; they're camping out day and night alongside their male co-workers. What do state feminists, “women's empowerment” do-gooders, and assorted ladies who lunch have to say about that? Oh that's right, nobody cares what they think.
Also out in full force is the indefatigable Kamal Abu Eita, citizen-activist extraordinaire. Like Kamal Khalil, Abu Eita is a fixture at nearly every street protest in Egypt in the past 10 years. But he does have a day job, and it is in fact as a tax collector for the Real Estate Tax Authority, so this protest hits very close to home. Abu Eita is a walking treasure trove of information and insight about this most unusual and most significant of public protests.
Protests have become extremely popular in Egypt as frustrations grow and multiply over any number of issues. The international media has taken notice and reports on these civil servant protests.
M&C Business News
The workers had similarly protested last October. According to the workers, who are all members of the property tax department, their counterparts in departments run by the Ministry of Finance receive better benefits, a notion which they deem ‘unfair.'
The protestors picketed the cabinet, organizing a march that started from its headquarters, demanding that discrepancies in wages be eliminated and asking for bonuses ‘in compensation for the years of hard work' where their rights were abused, according to local newspapers which ran a preview of the picket.
In Arish, 380 kilometres north-east of Cairo, tax workers told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that state security personnel have given them orders not to strike or join their fellow workers in Cairo.
However, a source from the tax department who requested anonymity, said that a group of employees had already traveled to the Egyptian capital to join the larger protests there despite of the ban.
In the past Government officials have attempted to diffuse protests by claiming they were organized by the Muslim Brotherhood but organizers have preemptively responded to those claims.
Ironically I saw some representatives speaking on Dream TV 2 from couple of days , one of them said that it was not a strike organized by Muslim Brotherhood before anyone would say so because most of the employees are Christians !! “You see in the previous strikes the government and its official media blamed and accused the MB of being behind them in order destabilize the country !!”
To the protests , the protests are in the Cairo university , now it is the professors themselves ,who do not like the security and governmental intervention to the fact that several university professor are arrested whether from the MB or from the activists like Dr. Laila Swaif.
In addition to low pay the collectors face penalties for missed quotas which lower pay even further even though they face understandable difficulties in collecting.
Earth Times
“Sometimes, they deduct 50 per cent of our efforts benefits because we do not meet the desired tax collection quota,” Rashed told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
The tax collectors usually face difficulties during money collection.
“Some people refuse to pay, and we follow them around. But sometimes, we fail to collect. What do we do then? Shoot the citizen (who refuses to pay)?” Rashed shouted at the top of his voice.
“I work in the countryside collecting taxes from farmers, and we face a lot of dangers there too. We are beaten up sometimes, and others are even shot when they pursue the farmers for payment,” a tax collector from Monofiyah province agreed.
In the end it will get resolved one way or another, possibly not how the protesters expect but something has to budge. Till next time.
0 comments · »»November 29th, 2007
Egypt: The Annapolis Peace Conference
· 02:07 · Middle East & North AfricaWhen the onset of the Annapolis Peace Conference first arose hopes were high and all were looking forward to meeting at the peace table. Since then complications and controversies have muddied the waters and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been in the middle trying to bring all parties back to order. Many if not most Arab leaders had originally refused to attend following the release of contextual details. Egypt's bloggers can help us to understand why.
The Arab Observer
When those leaders meet, I can't help but wonder how much can they really do? The question that keeps on hitting my head without a real answer is: Is it really a matter of a leader decision to achieve peace or not? and if it is, and everyone is talking about it, then what is holding them?
Away from political and power plays, those leaders carry a burden of long history of cultural, religious and race conflict, while at the same time, carry a burden of a long future that would define the lives of two races who even if they achieved peace on papers, their history wouldn't let them to keep it at their hearts for a long time to come.
We have been there, done that, and while I would like to think that this summit can be different. With a clearer messages from all parties that they are more willing than ever to achieve peace, I can give myself the luxury of raising my hopes and pray for Al Quds (Jerusalem) to raise up again and kick off war from the hearts of this world.
Often times in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict a strong contrast between foreign media and leading newspapers appears. Sometimes that contrast is so drastic that it causes some of the Middle East's intellectuals to scratch their head as the Arabist does in his most recent post.
Reading the New York Times’ editorials on Annapolis, full of praise for “moderates” and worrying about who shook whose hand, I am reminded of why I barely read that newspaper anymore. The reporting is occasionally good, such as the very nice long feature on radicalism in northern Morocco a few days ago, but when it comes to Israel just forget about it. This piece for instance quotes, aside (current) US officials, Martin Indyk, Dennis Ross and John Bolton. Never mind the jovial hamster and his bosses.
It's fair to say the Arabs have little if no faith at all in Annapolis. That lack of hope derives from the exclusion of main issues, namely right of return, Jerusalem and the settlements. Zenobia explains her frustration.
Zenobia
Seriously I do not know why 16 Arab countries are going to attend the meeting , first the main countries in the meeting that will have direct talks are : Israel and the Palestinian authority representing only half of the Palestinian territories ,as the other half is under Hamas' rule, these Arab countries agreed to stick to the Arab initiative Saudi Arabia proposed in the Beirut Arab Summit 2002, the same initiative Israel refused totally so I do not know what the rest of the Arab countries other than Syria are going to do , they have no business what so ever there , as long as the Saudis swore that they won't shake hands with Israelis at least in front of the cameras.
Understanding Annapolis is difficult enough. There are so many conflicting perspectives and few details available in conventional media. Augustus has a convenient breakdown.
Augustus
DIFFICULT ISSUES
—————-
–Much has been said over a long period of time about critical issues like border, refugees and Jerusalem.–One of the truly crucial components underscoring these issues is how these states will relate to each other in practical terms concerning security and economic issues.
–We are going to do everything we can to help the parties as they try to arrive at an understanding on a wide variety of outstanding issues that must be resolved if there is to be peace and a Palestinian state.
There's no definite outcome for the peace conference but the guesses are out there and admittedly, some are much more likely than others. Until next time.
3 comments · »»November 9th, 2007
Egypt: Nothing Moves People As Much As Religion
· 14:17 · Middle East & North AfricaThe late Naguib Mahfouz once said: “If you want to move people, you look for a point of sensitivity, and in Egypt nothing moves people as much as religion.” It continues to move the social and political mechanics of the people, the future of Egyptian politics and the consciousness of our nation's bloggers alike. These are the current issues of Egypt illustrated through their words.
I remember when I spoke about the Burmese Buddhist Monks protests and I wonder why we do not have religious men like them,the photo I posted about the Sheikh of Al-Azhar drew some criticism , well I am sorry I will have to post this photo again in this post because it is too relevant
First of all as man of religious knowledge I respect Sheikh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, the current Sheikh of Al-Azhar ,even before he was appointed in the position “Sheikh of Al-Azhar ” -”the head of Al-Azhar University” which is considered the highest religious position inscan0002 the Sunni world yet since being appointed in that position , the man seemed to be following the regime's orders in a way that sometimes contradict his role as a Shekih and his responsibility towards the Islam and Muslims from fighting injustice in land ,seeking equity ,freedom and fighting corruption with all its kinds .
As in most of the Arab world, faith and politics are very much intertwined in Egypt and the impact of the two stretch far outside the countries own borders encompassing those in the diaspora. The political concerns of Copts outside of Egypt are equally relevant and arguably significantly harder hitting than those of Copts inside of Egypt. Understanding that dynamism is paramount to understanding Egyptian religious relations.
Many things were written about Copts that live outside of Egypt and many accusations were leveled against them from treason, collaborating with Zionists, calling for Aid to Egypt to be cut and generally being fanatic Christians that exaggerate about the situation in Egypt.
When I was invited to attend the Coptic Conference being organized by the Coptic Assembly of America in Chicago, I had mixed feelings about it and felt hesitant to accept. My own experience in meeting some of the Coptic Political leaders abroad had not been very encouraging and I knew that if I attended I was going to be automatically labeled with all sorts of terms.
I thought a lot about it and decided to attend. Part of that decision was based on my interest in meeting those people that are so much hated by the Egyptian media and forming my own opinion about them
It was religious sensitivities in a country often described as a powder keg waiting to explode, that sent Kareem Amer to jail for his controversial statements about Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Several rallies are being held today, November 9th, all around the world in protest of his imprisonment. Check FreeKareem.org for details of protests held in 15 cities around the world.
Kareem is not alone in being oppressed, in many ways he is lucky to be alive and presumably free from the constraints of torture due to his very public case. Many others have not been as fortunate as more police officers are arrested for torture and more of their victims die as a result of their heartless actions…
Just one day after two Egyptian policemen were convicted of torturing a man, another 22 year old man gets beaten to death by policemen in Giza.
If this happened in any slightly civilized country, governments would fall, ministers and top officials would be sacked and people would be demonstrating in the streets.
The issue of religion is not always a mixture of politics, more often than not its an obsession of people handed down to others in a sometimes unfriendly manner most apparent in the work place.
New Office-girl started at the office today. She's not veiled. She seems really sweet. Especially with her tight jeans and belly&cleavage-revealing top. I asked her if she can make some tea and she said sure. Then I asked her what her name is and she told me it was Rana. She then asked me what my name is and I told her… Then came the very first question of my relationship with the office-girl:
“MUSLIM OR CHRISTIAN?”
My eyes went as wide as physically possible while I was trying to understand why the very first question in my relationship with the office-girl has to be concerning which God I believe in. Apparently my name made her believe I could be non-muslim. I jokingly answered:
“Haahaha… I'm still making up my mind”
Then she said with a lovely smile:
“It's okay honey we're all sisters and brothers.”
Then I told her:
“I'm Muslim”
Her response was:
“THANK GOD!!”
These issues are hardly new to the country and show no signs of change, they will continue to shape the minds of the people and the relationships of individuals. Naguib Mahfouz was a tolerant and reasonable man who put it best because he saw the country from an unblurred perspective. Till we meet again.
6 comments · »»October 11th, 2007
Egypt: 80 Lashes = An Upside Down Country
· 23:51 · Middle East & North AfricaWhat happens when you mix a desperate dictator, a corrupt religious leader, opposition voices and a vulnerable nation? A dysfunctional union between Hosni Mubarak, Al Azhar University and their anti-freedom condemnations, say Egyptian bloggers.
Here's part of my analysis from earlier today…
The most recent mess is this insane so called “Fatwa” (Islamic religious edict) by the Egyptian Sheikh of Al Azhar, Mohammed Tantawy. He gave a speech Monday in front of an audience that included Hosni Mubarak, stating that “those who spread rumors” should receive 80 lashes, in reference to the recent indictment of journalists.
Eighty lashes?! Maybe there's something about Sharia law that might interest Mubarak after all.
From Nora Younis…
sheikh of Azhar mosque preached a crowd of state officials including President Mubarak, finding religious grounds for whipping rumors spreaders 80 times
This comes as editors and journalists of independent media are sentenced to jail for publishing a wide spread talk-of-the-town on President Mubarak’s death
Mubaraks persecution of free press isnt exactly new as Baheyya points out but it has certainly sped up.
the two incidents do not herald an impending crackdown on the press, for the simple reason that Mubarak’s regime has been continuously cracking down on and intimidating independent journalists, from at least the early 1990s to the present. So I would caution against spinning these cases as unprecedented curbs on the freedom of the press. What’s more interesting to me about these recent events is what they reveal about the development of an adversarial press in Egypt.
Supression of opposition voices has been mounting quickly in the last year, its general desperation felt by the regime. Kareem Amer was the most notable victim and a couple days ago he released his most recent letter from prison…
Apparently, a quite long time has passed since the day of unjustly sentencing me to four years in prison. Until recently, I was not able to comment on the event because I had no access to media and I was deprived from exchanging mails or talking. I spent more than two months in the cells dedicated to those sentenced to death and serving punitive penalties. The prison officials claimed that there was no other proper place for me. They prevented me from having pens. Whenever I wanted to write a letter, I had no choice but to dictate it!
Now, things have changed greatly. At least, I can write and exchange mails, not with complete freedom though.
Not all is lost, the people have a voice thanks to the World Wide Web. The Arabist presents some videos by the people and for the people. Prepare yourself to laugh, here's a sample…
September 28th, 2007
Egypt: Ramadan Musings
· 20:28 · Middle East & North AfricaIt's fair to say the month of Ramadan provides a unique experience for all parties involved, the fasting followed by excessive eating, the excessive eating followed by excessive partying and the scathing eye of everyone around you.
It's amazing that while all this keeps everyone busy, the Egyptian government still finds time to suppress free speech. Zeinobia reports on the most recent developments on imprisonment of journalists.
I do not know if that is going to be on a daily basis , I mean every time I open an Egyptian website I find the news that an Egyptian court somewhere ordered to jail Journalists and chief editor of some newspaper with fine to be paid !!
This is in less than a week , oh man
There was another court order today to jail another group of journalists ,the order came afternoon ,I do not know when ,but it turned out that the Agouza court decided to jail the publisher of “Sawt El-Oma” , the Chief in editor of the same newspaper and three journalists in it for two months and a fine equals to 100 E.P each
Not eating all day can put people on edge, add some people's stupid behavior to the formula and you'll have a very dangerous combination. Mo'men is fuming with road rage after dealing with some inconsiderate drivers.
Driving in Egypt is like surviving in a vicious jungle, Dominant species (lions) get to do what they want without ethical restrains while submissive species (sheep) choose to play it safe, be victimized and endure the frustration. There is no such thing as dual-species that can go both ways; inevitably, one attitude will conquer the other and you are labeled; Predator or prey.
Labor protests are snowballing into a nation wide fervor this month as iron and textile workers join forces to protest work conditions, I'll let Hossam Al Hamalawy take it from here.
…a number of textile labor activists in Bolivara, El-Soyouf, and Alexandria Spinning and Weaving have met and are mobilizing for solidarity protests in their factories. Kafr el-Dawwar workers are also mobilizing for a new protest, while the Helwan Iron and Steel Mills workers are fund raising for the Mahalla strikers.
The Socialist Alliance is also calling on Egyptians to join the protest against the General Federation of Trade Unions…
Carmen is certainly one of the better voices of the Egyptian diaspora. I think Ramadan stress is taking its toll on her, she presents a story like only she can, laid out in simple but eloquent terms. As usual her students provide more laughs through their innocence than any grown adult could ever hope for. Here's her side of the story…
So I didn't fast. I woke up in the morning with the headache and couldn't go through that pain again. It's still lingering right now as I write this, but I managed to hold it at bay throughout the day.
Lunchtime felt like an inquisition. I had all my colleagues' eyes on me as I was heating up my food. “What's going on? Is Ramadan over?”
“No, I'm sick today.”
Ten minutes later. “What happened? Is Ramadan over?”
“No, I'm sick.”
Five minutes after that I was asked the same question once again so I decided to go into the schoolyard to eat in peace.
No such thing.
I sat on the bench for about a minute and a half before one of my Pakistani students came running up to me.
I strongly recommend you read the whole post for its full entertainment value.
Till next week everyone.
0 comments · »»September 5th, 2007
Egypt: The Cairo Social Circus
· 21:55 · Middle East & North AfricaAfter last week's “is Mubarak Dead Scare/Celebration” that swept the Egyptian blogosphere things have gone back to normal with the usual mélange of social issues, some of them a result of the scare/controversy itself.
It's often too easy to convince Egyptians of some conspiracy or gossip but equally impossible to convince them it's not true. Zeinobia recounts Egyptians skepticism on the Mubarak issue.
The Egyptian people are still disbelieving that Mubarak is fine , ok they know that he is alive and in Egypt but they do not believe that he is fine easily
On Saturday , Dream TV II popular TV Show “10 PM” discussed these rumors concerning the president's health and life , how the people received it with great worry and the reason behind the spread of these rumors and the ultimate question who spread them - they were speaking as they are rumors not a reality
As the rumors of his death have been swirling, Mubarak's wife Suzan has been pandering for peace, much to the dismay of Egyptians. To preach peace in a country where your husband persecutes religious minorities and opposing voices is hypocrisy in motion, they said. The crew at Free Kareem.org have the rest of the story.
Suzan Mubarak, Egypt’s first lady and core member/sponsor of the Women’s International Peace Movement, shares her insight with the young and diverse delegates:
“Peace is not a far-fetched idea. Youth is the most solid resource base,” Mubarak said in her opening speech. “Listening is a great start, but acting upon what you hear is more important.”
Unfortunately, acting upon what he heard is precisely what Kareem did, and he is facing prison time for it. We believe that with Kareem still in prison many youth writers, human rights activists, and even just mere students interested in free speech will take this message as a threat. Kareem is an example of a grand error which we hope to see corrected by the Egyptian government.
Societal issues facing Egyptians who live in the belly of the beast itself have out reaching hands that touch Egyptians all over the diaspora. Arima at Ha Ana Za is questioning the issue of class.
“If you work hard enough, you can get anywhere” I was told. To some extent that is true, I doubt that my forefathers would ever have believed it possible that their offspring would one day be living in the UK and studying at Oxford but then circumstances change with time and I have always said that I owe my mere existence to Nasser's revolution.
However, looking at a friend's engagement photos I was distinctly reminded that there is still such a thing as class. While I inspected her dress, and the lavish party and many guests, it dawned on me that as a ‘westerner' one is allowed to transcend some divisions in the Arab social system. Living here means that one mixes freely with anyone who happens to call themselves ‘Arab' and the massive differences in currency mean that places that would ordinarily be inaccessible to anyone other than the privileged classes, hold their doors open.
Most people raised outside of the Middle Eastern culture may be surprised to know that stereotypes and national rivalries are common place in the so called “Arab World”. Everyone dislikes everyone else and the only thing they have in common is that they share 20 something common enemies. It's a big barrel of hateful fun! These rivalries are cultivated in the home and broadcasted in national newspapers, the most recent being a Kuwaiti article. Ahmad Ghareeb has the rest…
Kuwaiti journalist Fouad Al-Hashim wrote an article published on Al-Watan newspaper attacking the Egyptian nation using sever derogatory terms!
“The Kuwaiti journalist described the Egyptians as “priced equally to a Korean washing machine”!
Ramadan is around the corner. For some preparation is a little more than gathering groceries for the month. Moon Light Shadow gives his personal opinion…
Ramadan is knocking on the doors, and all are getting ready.. each in his own way..
Government is making sure that all kinds of food are available.. People are buying Ramadan yameesh (dried fruits and nuts).. children getting their fawanees (lanterns).. T.V. channels are getting ready with their shows and ads.. charity channels are getting ready preparing shonat Ramadan.. people are collecting money for mwa2d el ra7man.. mosques are getting decorated and prepared for tarawee7 prayers.. and this list goes on..
I wonder, where am I from all this?!
I remember myself years ago.. how I used to have plans and a will to carry them out, though I never fulfilled these plans fully, but at least I had the plans.. I had it in mind..Things have been different for couple of years.. the gap is increasing, and I'm doing nothing about it.. I'm just watching.. at times it's really painful.. other times I try to let it go.. but I can't stand myself anymore.. a step should be taken.. however, whenever I just think of trying, I find something increasing the gap.. day by day my will is fading..
Well that just about covers it. As usual catch me here every week.
1 comment · »»August 31st, 2007
Egypt: Complaining for Change
· 16:30 · Middle East & North AfricaSomething I love about Egyptian blogs is our tendency to complain. Firstly because we're Egyptian and its our nature and secondly because we have so much to complain about.
Among our complaints this week: international scandals, intellectual persecution, the Egyptian Legal system (or lack thereof), the question of beauty and as usual, religious persecution rounding out the group.
International Scandals
A couple months ago a former Egyptian double agent named Ashraf Marwan died when he “jumped” off his balcony while in London. (a favorite assassination technique of the Egyptian Secret Police. See Suad Hosny). His mysterious death has raised a lot of questions. Zeinobia points out his not-so-honest former dealings.
Strangely no one in the official newspaper spoke about the profession, the real profession of Ashraf Marwan; they did not speak from where he got these millions which became billions afterwards, not that only, now they are forgetting that he used to be an arm dealer with one hell of a history from profiting from other’s death like in the case of Iran-Iraq war, it is enough that his name was mentioned in the Iran Contra affair along with Adnan Khashoggi whom years later turned out to be also a pimp too for the Saudi Royalties
Intellectual Persecution
When it comes to the Israel-Palestine debate
Norman Finkelstein is one of the most famous intellectuals on the topic. His criticisms of Israel have made him the target of hatred and has recently resulted in the denial of his tenure at DePaul University, the Arabist chimes in…
By Monday, the books for his course had been pulled from the DePaul bookstore’s shelves, while his case was restarting a firestorm of protest. The American Association of University Professors was preparing a letter to the university, protesting Finkelstein’s treatment as a serious violation of academic ethics.
Finkelstein vowed not to take the rebuff lying down—or, perhaps more correctly, to do something just like that. In addition to canceling his course, the university informed him that his office was no longer his.
Egyptian Legal System (and lack of it)
As much as the Egyptian Blogosphere fights for freedom, none of us are about to complain when the Government cracks down on the Muslim Brotherhood, fair or not. When Brotherhood members are held and released they are picked up again within hours. The Skeptic notes:
`Abd al-Monim Mahmud, himself detained earlier this year, reports that while two Brotherhood MPs have been released on bail, five Brothers were immediately detained again after prosecutors ordered their release, and a court threw out a prosecutor’s order to release four others:
The Question of Beauty
Beauty in the West vs. Everywhere else. Ha Ana Za with her usual enlightening analysis…
The Western ideal of beauty is often characterised as petite, blonde, buxom and blue eyed and yet how many people around the world actually fit this stereotype?
Actually a little less than 1.8% of the world's human population fit into such a category so is it perhaps the rarity of such individuals that make them so attractive?
Ideals of beauty are a part of every culture. If we look at images throughout Western history alone, we can see these ideals change according to what is valued and needed by the culture’s world view. Often a culture’s ideals oppress the body. This is true of our era where the oppression of women and the cult of thinness are linked to the objectification of all living bodies. We live in a society that emphasizes the surface, not the substance of the human being. After over 25 years of feminism, women’s’ self-image, as well as social and economic success are still largely determined by their looks.
Religious Persecution
Small groups like the Baha'i are easily overlooked in Egypt but their right to freedom correspond to the freedoms of all the countries citizens, therefore Baha'i freedoms equal Egyptian freedoms. Bilo at Baha'i Faith in Egypt challenges the undying ID card hurdle.
This video clip, entitled “Egypt Tourism Ad” was just published by the Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights on YouTube. It depicts the dilemma of certain citizens of Egypt, such as Baha'is, who are denied their ID cards because of their religious affiliation. Egypt will only allow the entry of one of three religions on the mandated computerized ID card forms, namely: Muslim, Christian or Jewish. If anyone belongs to any other Faith than these three, then the person is denied the ID card. The application form also clearly states that the entry of any false statements will lead to imprisonment and heavy fines. A citizen of Egypt without ID card is considered non-existent and cannot have any rights in his or her own country. All essential services in Egypt mandates the use of ID cards. The lack of such documents in Egypt amounts to Civil Death.
As long as we're writing and you're reading things will get better as we gather a collective voice. So on that note I'll see you here next week.
0 comments · »»August 23rd, 2007
Egypt: Blogging for Civil and Religious Freedoms
· 16:03 · Middle East & North AfricaThe struggle for personal freedoms is ongoing in Egypt and the nation's bloggers continue to demand the liberty of citizens. Whether it be religious freedom or freedom from the wrath of a brutal police state, Egypt is speaking out against the inhumane treatment of her citizens this week. Plus a veteran blogger gives us a rare look into the inner workings of Egypt's most historic remaining cities.
The Shaha Boy
Egyptian police torture is certainly not a new headline however each individual case carries its own unique and shocking details. One particular case is catching the attention of numerous bloggers across Egypt. It is that of the “Shaha Boy”. First brought to our attention by Wael Abbas (post in Arabic), it was later translated by IRC President (with graphic pictures of the victim)…
I was shocked to see this news at Wael Abbas. For several days now I wondered who will have the power to translate this atrocity. Especially while viewing the horrible crimes committed on the body of the, now deceased, 12 year old.
This innocent boy entered the police station alive and left it as a dead body with all the signs of torture and pain.
Sadly deaths resulting from police torture have become more common in the last 6 months, police rarely release any official statements and the families are left empty handed to deal with their loss. This time the death of a 12 year old proved too shocking and the police released their version of events in response to the inevitable fallout.
The official report said that Mohamed Mamdouh did not have any signs of torture on his body, and that the cause of his death was due to heart failure.
However, his body suffered from burns, fractures, serious injuries from electric shock to his buttocks and his testicles.
Zeinobia is following up on this case for us - the boy's body has been exhumed and an investigation has been launched by an independent panel…
More updates I knew today , yesterday a panel of forensic doctors and experts came and digged the body of the boy from the cemetery according to the D.A orders, this is an independent panel , already the primary inspection of the body showed various injuries in various parts from the body that do not go along with the official forensic report the interior ministry is insisting on according to the newspapers and the Websites today.
Let's hope that the attention given to cases of police torture in Egypt bring about a drastic change before others lose their lives.
Baha'i Rights
One of the most impending hurdles for religious freedom has been Egypt's ID card system and its requirement of religious affiliation. The Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights leads the charge for equal recognition for Egypt's Baha'i residents.
Thus far, Baha’is remain prevented by the government from being issued the new ID cards, and are only in possession of the old paper documents. The only option given to them, as instructed by the Ministry of Interior, is that they must lie on the application form regarding their religious affiliation in order to obtain ID documents. They are given only three choices (Muslim Christian or Jew). The application form clearly states that any false statements made by the applicant will be punishable by imprisonment and heavy fines.
Life in Luxor
Big Pharaoh's recent return documents, among other things, include life in Egypt's southern city of Luxor…
The city is terribly boring. It lacks the major attractions and nightlife found in Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada. After work, smoking shisha in a cafe and walking along the Nile courniche is what I usually do until I fall asleep. I try to submerge myself in work as much as possible just to keep myself busy.
Follow Big Pharaoh's return and the Egyptian Blogosphere's fight for freedom every week with me here on Global Voices.
5 comments · »»August 16th, 2007
From Nasser to Mubarak and On, the State of Modern Egypt.
· 13:28 · Middle East & North Africa
The face of Egypt has changed greatly after the revolution that brought independence from foreign occupiers. From the Egypt created by Gamal Abdel Nasser to the Egypt to be inherited by Gamal Mubarak, the Egyptian Blogosphere is recalling their personal experiences, objections, predictions and experiences with blogger imprisonment.
When Nasser became president, shortly after the Egyptian revolution, life changed for many Egyptians and a massive exodus to all corners of the globe followed for those affected, as recounted by Maryanne Stroud Gabbani…
The period of Nasser's socialisation of Egypt was horrific for many Egyptians of European and Jewish backgrounds and also for many Egyptians who simply had been too successful in their enterprises in Egypt. The young state of Israel had high hopes that some of the Egyptian Jews would head there from Egypt and were happy to stir the pot to encourage emigration. Unfortunately, Tel Aviv simply was no match for Cairo (and probably still isn't), so the emigrants were far more likely to go to Paris, London, Geneva, New York, or Montreal. Canada is full of Egyptians who left Egypt during the 50's and 60's and I often get emails from their offspring who are now intensely curious about the fascinating country their parents left behind.
Since those days the role of government has not changed much, Egyptian laws regarding women certainly haven't with few exceptions as documented by Canadian educated, Egyptian lawyer, Forsoothsayer…
…the Egyptian constitution states: “The State undertakes to provide equality of opportunity for all citizens”. A tough requirement – it’s left over socialist stuff. Luckily the constitution goes by the wayside more often than not. Also, I should state at the outset that Egypt applies shariah quite narrowly and, it is held by mainstream scholars, incorrectly. For example, shariah does not attempt equality between men and women in the area of family law; few legal systems have succeeded in doing so. The man is heavily disadvantaged, if shariah were to be correctly applied, notwithstanding appearances. However, not all of the rights and obligations of both the husband and wife have made their way into Egyptian law..
The most recent years in the presidency of Hosni Mubarak have been some of the most domestically controversial since the Egyptian Revolution, thanks mostly to the clash of Government and opposition voices on Egyptian Blogs. The largest casualty of war in this clash is Egyptian Blogger Kareem Amer who was sentenced to four years in jail for comments written on his blog. FreeKareem.org tells of school children raising money and protesting on Kareem's behalf…
Julia said the campaign was about shutting down repression and rebooting human rights. This year’s theme was internet repression and working to end the restriction of freedom of expression on the internet. She said it was based on Kareem Amer, who was imprisoned for blogging his thoughts on the government…
Many fear for the future of Egypt and what will change, possibly for the worse. As John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” So what changes does the future hold for Egypt? Zeinobia gives us her prediction…
It seems that very soon we are going to have very important political changes in Egypt , these expected political changes are predicted to be the big last moves in the inheritance process from the father to the son , of course here I mean father Hosni Mubarak to the Son Gamal Mubarak , this is what expected by all political analysts .
There are two changes that are going to happen very soon, the first change is the Nazif Cabinet and the second change is the elections of the leadership in the NDP.
The opposition by Egyptian bloggers against the government is progressive and will only grow as we move closer to an imminent transition, whether that be to Gamal Mubarak or a government controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood. In any event the Egyptian Blogosphere only promises to get more interesting, so check in with me for next weeks round up and see what they're saying.
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About D B Shobrawy
I’m a 20 something Egyptian living in Chicago who has grown a reputation for my wiseASSness and satire embedded in my affection for Middle East causes. Other GV sites
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