tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70186132024-03-23T11:15:34.809-07:00yomnakamelA collection of stories covering Egyptians' concerns and problems in the past ten years
Sources:
Middle East Times
www.metimes.com
Cairo Times
www.cairotimes.comYomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-80710195553981960532016-03-30T03:57:00.001-07:002016-03-30T03:57:23.126-07:00Egyptian heartthrob not forgotten (republished)<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
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Yomna Kamel Middle East Times staff
<br /><br />
March isn't special for Egyptians only because of Mother's Day and the
beginning of spring, but because they remember their singer Abdel Halim
Hafez who died (39) years ago.<br />
<br />Millions of Egyptians and Arabs mourned the death of Hafez on March
30, 1977 in London just as they did when Umm Kulthoum died a few years
earlier. His impact on his fans was so great that young women committed
suicide after learning of his death and his funeral was the most widely
attended in Egyptian history after President Gamal Abdel Nasser and Umm
Kulthoum.
<br />
<br />For the generations of the 1960s and 1970s, he was not only a
romantic singer, but the voice of a revolution that changed Egypt's
political and social life.
<br />
<br />"Although Hafez's talent and beautiful voice were the reasons of his
popularity, social and political circumstances accompanied his time and
this helped him to succeed," said Hisham Kamal, assistant manager of
Voice of Art, the company Hafez co-founded.
<br />
<br />While leader of the 1952 Revolution President Gamal Abdel Nasser was
making decisions that were changing the social and political fabric of
the nation, Hafez was expressing this spirit in his songs.
<br />
<br />"His songs were also written and composed by a generation of artists who believed in the revolution's principles," Kamal said.
<br />
<br />He sang Al Hahd Al Gadid (The new era) marking the first anniversary
of the revolution and in 1958 sang Ya Gamal Ya Habib Al Malayeen (Gamal
loved by millions) when Nasser became president of the United Arab
Republic between Egypt and Syria.
<br />
<br />Since his death in 1977, Voice of Art has been producing compilation
albums that feature some of his rarer songs. This year, an album
comprising songs from two of his movies was produced.
<br />
<br />"It is from his fans' demands that we make new collections and his
albums are higher in sales even over Umm Kulthoum," Kamal said.
<br />
<br />Although Kamal thinks that the days of great singers like Kulthoum
and Hafez are over, he supports what Egyptian intellectuals like Salah
Montasser say about his staying power even though today's music scene is
totally different.
<br />
<br />"The fast rhythm of today's songs with no focus on lyrics make them
easily forgotten," Montasser said in an Al Ahram newspaper article
marking the 20th anniversary of his death. One of the reasons of Hafez's
success was his feeling through the words and his sensitivity. Along
with a team of excellent poets and composers, he presented songs that
will never die."
<br />
<br />For the new generation, Hafez is still considered a popular singer
to the extent that some have even designed Web sites dedicated to him.
Collections of his works, pictures, press reports and his fans' comments
about why they love him so much are found here.
<br />
<br />"Abdel Halim Hafez was one of the best vocalists that appeared in
Egypt in the beginning of the 1950s. He had a beautiful voice and every
word came from the heart and this is what makes his music dear to us,"
Muhammad Mustapha, a student at Cairo University's Faculty of
Engineering, said in a Web site he developed for Hafez's fans.
<br />
<br />Hafez was born in Al Helwat, a small village just outside the Delta
city of Zagazig and graduated from the Higher Music Institute. He joined
the Opera House as an oboe player but soon became a singer after his
beautiful voice was discovered by composer Kamal Al Tawil.
<br />
<br />He starred in 16 movies, the first of which was Lahn Al Wafaa (The
music of faithfulness), and the last being Aby Fawka Al Shagara (My
father's in the tree top).
<br />
<br />Hafez did not marry, but according to Mufid Fawzy, a columnist with
the weekly Sabah Al Kheir, he was married to actress Soad Hosny, but
their marriage did not last long. However, all his close friends and
associates deny that this marriage ever took place.
yomna kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11328349651620160492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-28909680440287146832012-11-07T16:23:00.000-08:002012-11-07T16:23:04.069-08:00The Culture of Bango (republished)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
By Yomna Kamel<br />
Special to Middle East Times<br />
<br />
From
a gang of unemployed young men spending their night in a dark street
corner in Imbaba to a group of sophisticated writers, intellectuals, and
actors gathering in one of their well-furnished fancy villas in Maadi,
there is one common thing that creates superstitious world for them. It
is the key to happiness and imaginative running away from life’s
problems. They are ecstatically transported, though they are still stuck
down to earth. <br />
It is ‘Bango’, a locally produced marijuana that
seems to be the most commonly used drug in Egypt these days. Bango is
produced by drying the leaves and flowers of the cannabis. Then, it is
smoked in the form of rolled cigarettes called ‘joints’.<br />
Although
figures are not available, sociologists, psychologists and policemen
agree it tops the list of illicit drugs taken by two classes in Egypt:
the low paid laborers and unemployed young men and the ‘elite’ that
comprises writers, actors, and musicians. <br />
“It is less common
among Middle class families since they tend to be more committed to
values and traditions”, says Dr. Madiha El-Safty, Professor of Sociology
at the American University in Cairo.<br />
For laborers, Dr. El-Safty explains, they think Bango makes them more active and capable of working long hours. <br />
According
to a factory owner,Wagdy Aziz, Bango is notably common among laborers.
He says some of his laborers admit they take it. They have no problems
with work or productivity; rather, they seem more active and enjoying
work. Yet, they never stop asking for money to borrow from their coming
salaries. “I think they spend most of their wages on Bango and their
families are usually the ones who financially suffer”, Aziz adds.<br />
For
the cultural and economic elite, it is taken because they believe its
gives inspiration, talent, and artistry. For instance, Dr. El-Safty
says, writers who are into Bango think it puts them in the mood of
creativity. A well-known novelist used to take all sorts of drugs out of
his belief that they helped him write more and be more creative. While
he was lucky enough to escape police, others like Said Saleh, the
well-known comic actor was caught taking Bango. Saleh is one of tens of
cases of artists caught taking drugs. Some were revealed by police and
others were not. <br />
For Dr. Aza Kuraim, professor of sociology at
the Center of Sociological and Criminal Research, Bango is a ‘social
infection’ as it is usually taken in groups of people who are
frustrated. It is commonly used among intellectuals, young people, or
laborers. All believe that Bango transports them to a funny mood they
need to be relieved from their frustrations and problems. Although,
laborers and creative people are notably into Bango, Dr. Kuraim thinks
Egypt’s young men are the highest group at risk. They are sensitive and
socio-economic problems frustrate, and push them to take drugs to
imaginatively feel happy and felicitous. <br />
Dr. Kuraim affirms that
intellectuals are not away from frustrations and suffering. Creative
people have their own frustrations just like any other human being.
Although they are well educated and aware of the effects of drugs, they
still go for it. In case of Bango, they think it is just a natural herb
like Hashish that has no serious effect on health. Moreover, Bango might
enhance creativity, but there no scientific research done in this
field. “Despite it is commonly used, I still cannot say Bango has become
part of Egypt’s culture. I think it appears under certain social and
economic pressures”, she says.<br />
While Dr. El-Safty and Kuraim think
Bango might have a positive effect on creativity, Dr. Mohamed Said
Khalil, professor of psychology at Ain Shams University, says it is a
fact. Bango contains a ‘Hallucinatory agent’ that makes one’s ideas
flow in an unusual and untraditional way. Therefore, it has a special
effect over creativity. Bango makes people who smoke it feel happier.
The funniest jokes in Egypt are made by Bango-smokers, explains Dr.
Khalil who runs a hospital for rehabilitation of drug addicts.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="212" id="il_fi" src="http://www.zizonline.com/graphics/resources/no-drugs-sm.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: www.zizonline.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Dr.
Khalil is not against Bango smoking, but against addiction. He says
there is a difference between taking Bango to get out of moods of
depression and frustration and addicting the drug in a way that you
cannot lead a normal life without it. It is a soft drug that can be
medically prescribed to relieve depression. However, Bango smokers
should take it according to medical advice in order not to be dragged to
addiction. The hospital Dr. Khalil runs receives cases of Bango smokers
who were involuntarily dragged to addiction because they did not
consult a specialist. <br />
Dr.
Khalil thinks Bango smoking should not be considered a crime. It is
similar to the Qat, which is commonly used in Yemen and never was a
crime. Some countries have legalized the use of certain soft drugs. “I
believe alcohol is worst than some kinds of soft drugs”, he points out.<br />
As
for those who are addicted to the drug. They should receive a therapy
and stay under medical and psychological care. They are patients who
must not be seen as criminals, Dr. Khalil stresses.</div>
Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-33865984009116995942008-08-23T22:34:00.000-07:002008-08-23T22:35:32.896-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gJOqDiuNid0/SLDzDST2YaI/AAAAAAAAAG4/OvxKBiBZ2Us/s1600-h/egypt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gJOqDiuNid0/SLDzDST2YaI/AAAAAAAAAG4/OvxKBiBZ2Us/s320/egypt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237953604412137890" /></a>Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-44532139961052019252008-06-25T12:22:00.000-07:002008-06-25T12:24:09.178-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gJOqDiuNid0/SGKbPXpwToI/AAAAAAAAAGo/-cFtcIsj8To/s1600-h/43826.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gJOqDiuNid0/SGKbPXpwToI/AAAAAAAAAGo/-cFtcIsj8To/s400/43826.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215902006797946498" /></a><br /><br />Source: http://www.anwarelsadat.comYomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-48387366962228992522008-06-16T04:07:00.000-07:002008-06-16T04:20:34.629-07:00Sadat: Remembering a Wise ManYomna Kamel
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">October 6, 1981- While reviewing a military parade marking the eighth anniversary of the 1973 war, Khalid Islambuli, a young army officer who belonged to an Islamic group, assassinated Sadat in a tragic scene that was being televised to thousands of Egyptians. <b></span>
<br />
<br />When the world was mesmerized by the appearance of Yasser Arafat and Yizhak Rabin shaking hands in early 1990s, it recalled some 30-year old memory when the Egyptian president Anwar Al Sadat (1918-1981) signed the first peace treaty with Israel and started a new era in the history of the Arab-Israeli relations. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />Sadat’s initiative for peace with Israel was a turning point in the history of Egypt and the Arab region. Such a decision would not have to come from a president who was not as clever and courageous as Sadat . <b>
<br /><b>
<br />Born in 1918 in a Mit Abu Al Kom, a small Egyptian village and brought up in a poor family of 13 children, Sadat cleverly found his way to one of Egypt’s top colleges at this time, the Military Academy, in 1938. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />Immediately after graduation, Sadat felt the need for a real change in Egypt. He engaged in an underground movement against the British occupation and Farouk’s regime. He was involved in assassinations of some pro-British politicians, which led to his detention twice. <b>
<br /><b>
<br /> “During World War II Sadat collaborated with the Germans to further his goal of ousting the British from Egypt. He was arrested in 1942 for spying, escaped, and was arrested a second time in 1945 for his participation in an assassination attempt. Sadat was released in 1949,” according to<a href =http://www.comptons.com/encyclopedia"> Compton’s Encyclopedia</a><b>
<br /><b>
<br />In early 1950s, Sadat heard about the Free Officers and immediately joined them where he worked closely with Gamal Abdel El Nasser. In 1952, Nasser led a coup overthrowing King Farouk and changing Egypt’s political system from a monarchy to a republic. The public knew Sadat when Nasser assigned him to deliver a speech through the Egyptian radio on behalf of the Free Officers informing the public about the revolution. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />“Sadat held various high positions in the new (Nasser) government, including chairman of the National Assembly from 1960 to 1968 and vice-president (1964-66, 1969-70). When Nasser died in 1970, Sadat was elected a president with more than 90 percent of the vote in a national referendum,” the encyclopedia stated. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />Despite his strong position in Nasser’s government and his notable intelligence, Sadat like many other Egyptian politicians of his time, lived in the shadow of Nasser, the most charismatic leader Egyptians knew in their modern history. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />When he started his term in 1971 succeeding Nasser, the leader of Arab nationalism who gained much of his popularity across the Arab world due to his flammable enthusiasm to fight Israel, Sadat promised to follow Nasser’s footsteps. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />Realizing that he would not be another Nasser, Sadat, gradually, adopted new internal and external policies. Internally, Sadat had to come up with solutions to a heritage of economy and political problems Nasser left behind. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />“At this time Egypt's economy was in shambles as a result of the 1967 war with Israel. Oil reserves from the Israeli occupied Sinai peninsula were lost, the Suez Canal remained closed due to Nasser's scuttling blockade, the United States refused communication with Egypt and the Soviet Union failed to produce any aid to the country,” said Edward Graham in his article: Islamic Extremism and Modern Egypt, published by the <a href = http://www.www.mideastinfo.com"> Middle East Information Network </a><b>
<br /><b>
<br />Under these circumstances, Sadat sought to guarantee a stable internal front. He launched an arrest campaign against those he expected would object to his new policies. On May 14th, 1970, Sadat came up with his own revolution, known as the Rectification Revolution. The revolution targeted centers of power of Nasser’s time and included the arrest of ninety-one ‘Nasserites’. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />In the same year, Sadat approved Egypt Permanent Constitution, which “defined Egypt as a "democratic, socialist state. Also, it called on Islamic Jurisprudence (Sharia) to be the main source of legislation. Some political analysts believed that Sadat was using Islam as a tool to gain popularity, to counteract the Nasserites and the communists and thus keep internal stability. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />“He (Sadat) took on the title of the "Believer President," had television coverage of his attendance at daily prayers, pushed for increased Islamic programming in the media, as well as established religious classes in schools,” said Graham. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />Simultaneously, Sadat went on rebuilding the army until he reached a state when it was ready to enter another war with Israel. By October 6, 1973 the Egyptian army crossed the Suez Canal into the Sinai. Egypt’s victory in this war added to Sadat’s popularity inside Egypt and extended it to the Arab and Muslim countries. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />Sadat cleverly used the 1973 victory to push for a peaceful settlement with Israel. “Sadat not only wants peace but profoundly needs it. Egypt, disastrously impoverished and overpopulated, claustrophobically crowded into the life-sustaining Nile Valley, can no longer afford to spend 28% of its national budget on military hardware to aim at Israel,” the<a href = http://www.time.com"> the Time reported on January 5ht 1978</a> <b>
<br /><b>
<br />In a speech before the Egyptian Parliament, Sadat called for peace with Israel and said he would not hesitate to go to Israel itself for the sake of peace. In 1977, Sadat’s made it real when he surprised the world by his visit to Israel. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />“Before Sadat flew to Israel, the Middle East appeared to be on another of its terrible swings toward war, another violent spasm in the tragic politics of the region. The very memory of Anwar Sadat at Ben Gurion Airport, at Al Aqsa mosque, at the Knesset, will serve as an enduring reminder that a better way for the Middle East is possible,” the Time reported on January 5th, 1978<b>
<br /><b>
<br />Sadat’s visit was followed by a peace agreement with Israel known as the Camp David Accord in 1979. With all support from the West, Egypt had to individually sign the agreement after the rest of Arab parties rejected it. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />Sadat’s decision of peace revamped Egypt’s image in the international community and he became ‘the man of peace and war’. Sadat and Menachem Begin were given the Nobel Prize for Peace and the Time magazine chose Sadat in 1978 ‘the Man of the Year’. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />Although the Western countries praised Sadat’s decision of peace, it was a shock for all Arab and Muslim countries. He cost Egypt friendly relations with all Arab countries. With no exceptions, the Arab countries boycotted Egypt in a summit held in Baghdad in 1977, dismissed it from the Arab League and moved the headquarters from Cairo to Tunisia. Moreover, its membership in the Islamic Conference Organization and the African Unity Organization was suspended. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />“For many Arabs, the Camp David peace process - even if it laid the groundwork for a still-awaited comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East - remains a symbol of treachery and surrender. Sadat, hero of the 1973 war that helped redeem the Arab disaster of 1967, was for many the villain of Camp David, the man who sold out the Arab cause to the enemy,” said Harvey Morris in
<br /><a href = http://www.arabies.com/encyclopedia/"> the International Magazine on Arab Affairs</a> <b>
<br /><b>
<br />Along with all Arabs’ rejection to the peace treaty, Sadat faced internal rejection led by the Nasserites and Muslim brothers who were empowered by Sadat’s pro-Islamist policy. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />Simultaneously, the West was admiring Sadat’s internal policies. He cut off his relation with the Soviet Union, a step that drew the attention to the United States and encouraged it to substitute it in term of financial and military assistance given to Egypt. Moreover, he stared an economic reform plan and what Egyptian economic experts called ‘the Infitah” or the open door policy that depended on enhancing the private sector and encouraging free trade. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />Commenting on the Infitah policy, Sadat said, “Just as the crossing had brought victory on the battlefield, so this second crossing will bring victory on the home front in the shape of prosperity for all." <b>
<br /><b>
<br />“The encouragement of foreign trade resulted in a large trade deficit brought on by "extravagant" importation of consumer and intermediary goods, coupled with a drop in overall exports,” Graham said. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />“The socioeconomic structure was faced with the emergence of a new upper class, mainly merchants and middlemen, aggravated inflation on an unheard of scale, with the majority of economic burden falling on the middle and lower classes,” he explained. <b>
<br /><b>
<br />As Sadat already turned the Nasserites and the Muslim Brothers against him by his foreign policies, his economic policy increased Egyptians’ discontent with his regime. Sadat climaxed internal dissatisfaction when he arrested all opponents and suppressed all opposition voices. Such a boiling situation in late 1970s indicated the end of Saddat’s era. <b>
<br />
<br />October 6, 1981- While reviewing a military parade marking the eighth anniversary of the 1973 war, Khalid Islambuli, a young army officer who belonged to an Islamic group, assassinated Sadat in a tragic scene that was being televised to thousands of Egyptians.
<br />
<br />
<br />Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-60236974785069103692008-06-11T04:34:00.000-07:002008-06-25T12:27:28.852-07:00Who doesn't love Nasser?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gJOqDiuNid0/SGKb8gNIZQI/AAAAAAAAAGw/95YxI0Rv3j4/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gJOqDiuNid0/SGKb8gNIZQI/AAAAAAAAAGw/95YxI0Rv3j4/s400/images.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215902782187922690" /></a><br /><br />Yomna Kamel<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">June 5th, 1967- In an unprecedented event, thousands of Egyptians marched in Cairo's streets to the presidential palace demanding him to return to office. Nasser agreed to return and started rebuilding the army until he passed away three years later. <br /></span><br />When the movie 'Nasser 56' was released in 1996, 26 years after president Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918-1970) passed away, thousands of Egyptians who were too young to catch up with Nasser's time headed to the country's cinema houses to see their hero. The movie as the CNN described, "has struck a special chord among Egypt's disenchanted youth." <br />For the generations of Egyptians who lived Nasser's era, and for the generations that came after him, Nasser was not just a president, but also a prophet of freedom and social Justice. Despite releasing the drawbacks of his time, Nasser is still the man who kept for Egyptians their dignity and pride and who always worked for the dream of the Arab unity to come true.<br />"For all his faults, Nasser helped to give Egypt and the Arabs that sense of dignity which for him was the hallmark of independent nationhood. Egypt and the whole Arab world would have been the poorer, in spirit as well as material progress, without the dynamic inspiration of his leadership," diplomat Anthony Nutting, who knew Nasser and wrote a biography of him told the www.washington-report.org on July 1996.<br />When Nasser died of a heart attack on September 29, 1970, Egyptians and Arabs felt it was another major loss after the 1967 war against Israel. For the African and Asian nations, they lost a great leader who supported revolutionary movements across the world.<br />"It was an unforgettable day. It was a shock for all Egyptians, those who liked him and those who did not agree with him. I remember that day very well. I was accompanying a number of ministers on a visit to the front near the Suez Canal when we heard the news. All the way back to Cairo, we saw millions of Egyptians who left their villages and towns heading to Cairo. They were weeping and crying the loss of Nasser," a former officer at the army's public relations unit said.<br />"When we reached the presidential palace in Cairo, it was very difficult to find a path to the entrance with hundreds of thousands occupying the square and surrounding the place," he added. "Nasser's funeral was the biggest Egypt ever saw. Millions of Egyptians, Arabs, Africans, and even those who didn't agree with him, were there to pay their final respect."<br />Such great love to Nasser, which extends from a generation to another, is the fruits of his courageous decisions that surprised the world. From leading a coup on July 23 1952 overthrowing the monarchy and establishing the first Egyptian republic, nationalizing the Suez Canal, heading the United Arab Republic which united Egypt with Syria, his resignation after 1967 defeat to his sudden death at age of 52, Nasser had always been a very unusual president. <br />Born in January 1918 in Bacos, a small suburb in Alexandria, to a middle class Upper Egyptian parents, Nasser felt the suffering of the majority of Egyptians under a corrupted monarchy and British dominance over the country's resources. His early age experience motivated him to lead a revolution that changed the political history not only of Egypt, but also of the Arab and African countries.<br />Nasser graduated from the military college in 1938 and joined the army where he became more aware of the King Farouk's corruption. As he fought in Palestine in 1948 War, he believed more in the Arab cause. With a group of army officers who shared the same thoughts, Nasser formed the Free Officers movement. They managed to win the army's support and in months they led a bloodless coup overthrowing King Farouk.<br />Although Nasser was the actual leader of the coup, General Mohammed Naguib was appointed a president for two years until the Free Officers disagreed with some of his policies and decided to appoint Nasser a president. <br />When Nasser came to office, he started a social and economic revolution. He made education free for all Egyptians. He put an end to an over hundred year feudal system where Egyptian peasants suffered poverty and discrimination by the landlords. He nationalized the country's major financial institutions. Nasser's internal policies shocked some domestic groups as well as the Western countries, especially after he nationalized the Suez Canal.<br />Internally, Nasser was a controversial leader. His political, social and economic amendments were praised by the mass, but some groups did not appreciate them especially with political repression and censorship were used to control the country.<br />Nasser founded a powerful intelligence service, which helped him keep control over the country and chase his opponents. Political opponents were exposed to all sort of intimidation and many respectable journalists like Mostafa Amin, the founder of the country's leading paper, Akhbar Al Youm, were jailed. The Muslim Brothers group was banned and many of them were also jailed. Such a closed political atmosphere pushed the Muslim Brothers to engage in a failed assassination attempt when Nasser was giving a public speech in Alexandria.<br />Externally, Western countries were not also happy with Nasser's policies. "The coming to power in Egypt of the energetic young warrior sent shock waves through Britain, France and Israel. Leaders in all three countries feared him as a galvanizing ruler who had the potential to unify the shattered Arab world at the expense of the West and Israel," Donald Neff said in his article 'Nasser comes to power in Egypt frightening Britain, France and Israel' published by the on-line Washington Report on Middle East Affairs on July 1996.<br />In a demonstration of their rejection to his policies, the USA and Britain withdrew a promise to finance the project of the Aswan High Dam in Aswan, a matter that encouraged Nasser to nationalize of the Suez Canal Company. <br />In retaliation for Nasser's bold decision, Britain, France and Israel attacked Egypt, but the invading forces were faced by a fierce guerrilla war in the canal area and pressure from the UN. In few months, they retreated.<br />As he was hated by Western countries whose interests in the region were threatened by his policies, for many other countries in Asia and Africa, he was a friend and a hero. <br />Along with Nehru of India and Sukarno of Indonesia, Nasser founded the Non-aligned movement, which played a significant role in the political areas of the world's developing countries.<br />On the Arab level, Nasser, indeed, was the pioneer of Arab nationalism. Although it did not survive for long, Egyptian and Syrian Unity was the first attempt to unify the Arabs in the modern history of the region. <br />"In 1958 Egypt and Syria formed the United Arab Republic, with Nasser as the head. This was considered as the first step towards Arab unity. When it broke up in 1961, after a coup in Syria, Nasser kept on to the name as a symbol for his aspirations of Arab unity (the name was changed the year after his death),'stated Tore Kjeilen in his Encyclopedia of the Orient.<br />Such a powerful position as an Arab and international leader raised fear among the world's superpowers and Israel. It made Nasser a real threat to the Jewish state.<br />"I always feared that a personality might rise such as arose among the Arab rulers in the seventh century or like [Kemal Ataturk] who rose in Turkey after its defeat in the First World War. He raised their spirits, changed their character, and turned them in a fighting nation. There was and still is a danger that Nasser is this man," Israel's David Ben- Gurion said, according to Washington Report on Middle East Affairs in 1996.<br />His threats to throw Israel in the sea were always stressed in his speeches. Backed by the Western superpowers that were not happy with Nasser, Israel strongly attacked Egypt on June 5, in 1967. The fight continued for five days until it succeeded to put its hands over the Gaza strip and the Sinai Peninsula.<br />As Nasser felt the defeat was a shock for Egyptians and Arabs, who believed in him, he stepped down in a speech he delivered shortly after the war. <br />In an unprecedented event, thousands of Egyptians marched in Cairo's streets to the presidential palace demanding him to return to office. Nasser agreed to return and started rebuilding the army until he passed away three years later.Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-83182751562529348412008-04-22T05:50:00.000-07:002012-11-07T16:12:23.078-08:00The Culture of Bango<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
By Yomna Kamel<br />
Special to Middle East Times<br />
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From a gang of unemployed young men spending their night in a dark street corner in Imbaba to a group of sophisticated writers, intellectuals, and actors gathering in one of their well-furnished fancy villas in Maadi, there is one common thing that creates superstitious world for them. It is the key to happiness and imaginative running away from life’s problems. They are ecstatically transported, though they are still stuck down to earth. <br />
It is ‘Bango’, a locally produced marijuana that seems to be the most commonly used drug in Egypt these days. Bango is produced by drying the leaves and flowers of the cannabis. Then, it is smoked in the form of rolled cigarettes called ‘joints’.<br />
Although figures are not available, sociologists, psychologists and policemen agree it tops the list of illicit drugs taken by two classes in Egypt: the low paid laborers and unemployed young men and the ‘elite’ that comprises writers, actors, and musicians. <br />
“It is less common among Middle class families since they tend to be more committed to values and traditions”, says Dr. Madiha El-Safty, Professor of Sociology at the American University in Cairo.<br />
For laborers, Dr. El-Safty explains, they think Bango makes them more active and capable of working long hours. <br />
According to a factory owner,Wagdy Aziz, Bango is notably common among laborers. He says some of his laborers admit they take it. They have no problems with work or productivity; rather, they seem more active and enjoying work. Yet, they never stop asking for money to borrow from their coming salaries. “I think they spend most of their wages on Bango and their families are usually the ones who financially suffer”, Aziz adds.<br />
For the cultural and economic elite, it is taken because they believe its gives inspiration, talent, and artistry. For instance, Dr. El-Safty says, writers who are into Bango think it puts them in the mood of creativity. A well-known novelist used to take all sorts of drugs out of his belief that they helped him write more and be more creative. While he was lucky enough to escape police, others like Said Saleh, the well-known comic actor was caught taking Bango. Saleh is one of tens of cases of artists caught taking drugs. Some were revealed by police and others were not. <br />
For Dr. Aza Kuraim, professor of sociology at the Center of Sociological and Criminal Research, Bango is a ‘social infection’ as it is usually taken in groups of people who are frustrated. It is commonly used among intellectuals, young people, or laborers. All believe that Bango transports them to a funny mood they need to be relieved from their frustrations and problems. Although, laborers and creative people are notably into Bango, Dr. Kuraim thinks Egypt’s young men are the highest group at risk. They are sensitive and socio-economic problems frustrate, and push them to take drugs to imaginatively feel happy and felicitous. <br />
Dr. Kuraim affirms that intellectuals are not away from frustrations and suffering. Creative people have their own frustrations just like any other human being. Although they are well educated and aware of the effects of drugs, they still go for it. In case of Bango, they think it is just a natural herb like Hashish that has no serious effect on health. Moreover, Bango might enhance creativity, but there no scientific research done in this field. “Despite it is commonly used, I still cannot say Bango has become part of Egypt’s culture. I think it appears under certain social and economic pressures”, she says.<br />
While Dr. El-Safty and Kuraim think Bango might have a positive effect on creativity, Dr. Mohamed Said Khalil, professor of psychology at Ain Shams University, says it is a fact. Bango contains a ‘Hallucinatory agent’ that makes one’s ideas flow in an unusual and untraditional way. Therefore, it has a special effect over creativity. Bango makes people who smoke it feel happier. The funniest jokes in Egypt are made by Bango-smokers, explains Dr. Khalil who runs a hospital for rehabilitation of drug addicts. <br />
Dr. Khalil is not against Bango smoking, but against addiction. He says there is a difference between taking Bango to get out of moods of depression and frustration and addicting the drug in a way that you cannot lead a normal life without it. It is a soft drug that can be medically prescribed to relieve depression. However, Bango smokers should take it according to medical advice in order not to be dragged to addiction. The hospital Dr. Khalil runs receives cases of Bango smokers who were involuntarily dragged to addiction because they did not consult a specialist. There is a phone number for people who want to inquire about Bango or any other drug. It is 3555234, Dr. Khalil says. <br />
Dr. Khalil thinks Bango smoking should not be considered a crime. It is similar to the Qat, which is commonly used in Yemen and never was a crime. Some countries have legalized the use of certain soft drugs. “I believe alcohol is worst than some kinds of soft drugs”, he points out.<br />
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As for those who are addicted to the drug. They should receive a therapy and stay under medical and psychological care. They are patients who must not be seen as criminals, Dr. Khalil stresses.</div>
Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1131017593468358922005-11-03T03:28:00.000-08:002007-02-23T11:56:39.488-08:00A poetic attemptA link to my new blog: www.dark-cities.blogspot.comYomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1120350177733478702005-07-02T17:20:00.000-07:002005-07-02T17:22:57.736-07:00'14 lawsuits'against Israel's Cairo embassyYomna Kamel Special to the Middle East Times<br />(published Sept. 1997)<br />While Egyptian courts allegedly consider lawsuits against the Israeli embassy in Cairo filed by its neighbors, the embassy maintains that talk of legal action is just a rumor created by the Egyptian media.<br />Neighbors of the Israeli Embassy have filed suit against the diplomatic office after they received no response to their complaints and petitions filed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They are demanding the embassy move from its 18-storey building, where it occupies the last two floors, the weekly Al Ahram Al Arabi reported on 16 August.<br />The paper reported that there are 14 lawsuits being reviewed.<br />Neighbors have been complaining about the daily annoyances that, they say, they and their visitors must endure from the embassy's heavy security. With the Israeli Embassy occupying the last two floors of their building, the plaintiffs said in their claims, their human rights are being violated as they cannot properly use the building's facilities, including the elevator.<br />The building is located in a busy area in Giza overlooking the Nile and University Bridge.<br />One man stated in his complaint that, since his son's school bus is not allowed to stop in front of the building to pick his child up, he was not accepted at the school. He said the current location of the embassy denies his children their right to an education, the paper added.<br />Neighbors also said it is not easy to enter or leave the building and that they are exposed to continuous surveillance. According to some of the families, relatives and friends have stopped visiting them because of the heavy security provided by the Israeli guards.<br />A collective complaint, as well as individual complaints, were filed by the embassy's neighbors at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the semi-official magazine Al Ahram Al Arabi, the embassy was offered a new location in Maadi or any other area thought to be safe, but embassy officials refused to move. The embassy, the paper reported, said it could not give up its current location because it can be easily reached by diplomatic missions working in Cairo.<br />The embassy, however, denied receiving any note from the Egyptian court about the lawsuits.<br />"They are rumors created by the Egyptian media, since we do not have any problems with our neighbors. Moreover, we are having regular meetings with them to discuss the building's affairs. We know nothing about these legal cases," said Lior Ben Dor, press attaché at the Israeli Embassy in Cairo. "We live with our neighbors very peacefully and we cooperate and coordinate with them. There are security procedures taken by the Egyptian police authorities to guard any embassy, but because we are the Embassy of Israel, they make them heavy procedures and that is why our neighbors are complaining."<br />"We are sorry to find the Al Ahram Al Arabi publishing such false information. Also, we are sorry that they did not contact us to check the information or to let us comment on it. It was not its first time to publish false information about Israel," said Ben Dor, who cited a time when the magazine ran a story claiming there is a list of 4,000 Israelis who are not allowed to enter Egypt.<br />"The magazine claimed this list was made by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior, but if this was [true], the Israeli Embassy would have been informed," he added.<br />"Al Ahram Al Arabi is taking a negative line against Israel, but it is the time to deny what it runs. Such false information spoils the peaceful atmosphere between the two states who have a complete peace treaty," Ben Dor said.<br />Ben Dor added that the Egyptian media has created a hostile environment and added that if the embassy's neighbors were approached by the magazine, they may have invented a complaint to avoid criticism.<br />"If they said they were peacefully living with us, they would have been heavily criticized by the Egyptian media. We do not know why we are being attacked all the time by Egyptian media, in their editorials, news and cartoons," Ben Dor said.<br />.Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1090073456483544972004-07-17T07:10:00.000-07:002004-07-17T07:10:56.483-07:00 <a href="http://www.Web-Promotion.net">
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<br /> Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1088550104167210442004-06-29T16:00:00.000-07:002004-07-05T06:05:54.433-07:00Visiting Shrines an Everlasting TraditionRasha Mehyar and Yomna Kamel Middle East Times staff
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<br />Early every Friday morning, Nadia, who lives in a poor district of Helwan, goes to visit the shrines of Sayyeda Zeinab and Sayyeda Aisha. There she performs the Friday prayers and asks these two women saints to intercede on her behalf.
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<br />Like Nadia, many lower income women go to visit the shrines of female Muslim figures scattered across the country. Despite the fact that the practice is frowned upon by strict religious orthodoxy, women continue to believe in this long standing tradition.
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<br />"My mother always used to bring me and my sisters to visit the shrines. In addition, visiting the shrine and praying in front of the tombs is very comforting to the soul," Nadia explained.
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<br />Despite the fact that many of these shrines are for women known to have lived during the Prophet's era, the tradition remains controversial among theologians.
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<br />Shrines dedicated to these women have been visited for centuries. However, different schools of thought in Islam have radically divergent attitudes towards the practice. On one hand, the conservative Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia prohibit visits to shrines altogether, while the Ismailis (a Shiite sect found in Egypt, east Africa, and India) encourage pilgrimages and tend to decorate their shrines with gold and marble.
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<br />Cairo's most popular shrines for women are those of Sayyeda Zeinab, Sayyeda Aisha and Sayyeda Nafisa near Coptic Cairo. These women were known to be very close to the Prophet and had a great deal of influence on the development of Islamic thought.
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<br />Sayyeda Aisha, for instance, was the Prophet's most beloved wife. She was well respected and asked for advice from the caliphs long after the Prophet's death.
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<br />Sayyeda Zeinab, on the other hand, was one of the Prophet's daughters and reportedly he took special care of her.
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<br />Because these women were so close to the Prophet and full of faith and purity, it is commonly believed that God would not turn down their requests. As a result, many come to their shrines and ask for these holy women's intercession on their behalf.
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<br />"I see women visiting the shrines, praying there, giving money and food to the poor. People think that by doing so, God will give them his blessing," said Soad Ibrahim, a physiotherapist who has lived in the neighborhood of Sayyeda Zeinab for more than 20 years.
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<br />According to Ibrahim, these people are illiterate and did not learn Islam properly.
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<br />"I see people leaving food, papers with their requests and even gold by the tomb. With this they hope that they have done a good deed, and that God will answer their requests."
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<br />Such a scornful attitude by more educated Egyptians towards this tradition is quite common. In fact, for centuries representatives of orthodox Islam, such as the Azhar sheikhs, have been trying to discourage these visits.
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<br />"Visiting shrines is not an Islamic ritual. There is nothing in the Holy Quran or the Sunna that encourages people to visit shrines to get blessing. The people buried there were human beings and we can be as good as they were," Soad Saleh, professor of Jurisprudence at Al Azhar University said.
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<br />Since the enshrined saints are good examples for Muslims to follow and they were special people, people's visits to their shrines should only be for the purpose of praying for them. However, leaving money (nozoor), jewelry or paper with their wishes is not acceptable at all in Islam, Saleh explained.
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<br />However, those who go to shrines do not think that what they are doing is wrong or against Islam. Saleh thinks it is the role of the religious people to make people aware of the fact that such practices are not Islamic.
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<br />"Since I was brought up on the tradition of going to shrines, I do not think it is wrong. Several times I requested some wishes from Al Sayyeda Aisha and my wishes came true, so I keep on coming back," Nadia said.
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<br />Despite the weight of official disapproval, these visits continue as women go to ask for help in their daily lives. Requests to the saints vary from asking for forgiveness to personal wishes.
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<br />"I know women who cannot have a baby, [so they] visit the shrines, leave gold bracelets and necklaces and ask Sayyeda Aisha to help them," said Madiha Al Safty, a sociologist at the American University in Cairo.
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<br />Safty also explains that the tradition of visiting shrines is not limited to just the poor and needy, but cuts through all economic classes.
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<br />"I have seen very rich people visit these shrines. Some of whom are belly dancers and actresses," she said.
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<br />One of the problematic details of these shrines is that no one is actually positive that these figures are really buried there. The head of Hussein is supposedly buried in the Sayyedna Hussein mosque in Cairo, but some say it is in Damascus or even Iraq.
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<br />While Nadia is visiting the shrines of these holy women in Cairo, elsewhere in the region there are many women performing the same rituals and visiting tombs supposedly of the same women, but in Syria and Iraq.
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<br />Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1088549904308930382004-06-29T15:57:00.000-07:002004-06-29T15:58:24.306-07:00Musical street glory fades away
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<br />Yomna Kamel MIDDLE EAST TIME STAFF
<br />No area in Egypt has been witness to generations of musicians, singers, actors and belly-dancers like Muhammad Ali Street. From Egyptian music pioneers, Said Darwish, Saleh Abdel Hay, Abdel Ghany Al Said, and Al Sonbaty to the Shaabi (popular) music stars, Adawiya and recently Abdel Baset Hamouda, the street has been a home for hundreds of them.
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<br />Constructed by Muhammad Ali over a century ago to be the route from his royal palace near the citadel to downtown where Al Azbekiyya park was, Mohammed Ali Street became one of the most famous spots for music in the Arab world.
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<br />Over the years however the street has been slowly losing its allure for the rich and famous musicians who once frequented its coffee shops, shopped in its musical instrument stores and lived in the buildings overlooking the street.
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<br />"Muhammad Ali street was just few steps from Emad Al Din street's theaters and nightclubs. Belly dancers, singers, and musicians liked residing in a street close to their work places," says George Jamil Georgy, owner of a workshop for oud (lute) manufacturing.
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<br />Georgy says his father left Syria for Egypt in 1906 and established his shop on the street which even back then was well known across the Arab world as a center for musicians, singers and belly dancers.
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<br />Today a variety of other stores, namely nameplate and stamp manufacturers have made their mark on the street while the musical atmosphere of the street recedes in their wake. Georgy's shop was one of dozens of workshops that manufactured the oud and currently only a few remain.
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<br />"It is the oldest shop in Muhammad Ali that manufactures and sells ouds.
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<br />Said Darwish, Saleh Abdel Hay, and Al Hefnawy were among my father's clients," he says. In addition to these musical greats, the street was frequented by Umm Kalthoum and Abdel Wahab.
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<br />"The number of shops has been dwindling since the late 1960s with new Western musical instruments competing with the oud," says Georgy. "The guitar was first used in Umm Kulthoum's song, "Inta Omri" (You Are My Life), composed by Abdel Wahab in 1967, and then it started competing with the oud," explains Georgy.
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<br />It was more than the introduction of Western music which began to alter the street's atmosphere and importance in the music scene. Numerous economic and social changes had a deep impact on the street's character as well.
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<br />The atmosphere of the area, including being known as a place that produces famous belly dancers like Fifi Abdou, began to change dramatically in the 1980s.
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<br />"Everything was going well before the 1980s. Belly dancers were not embarrassed to sit in public waiting for clients because Muhammad Ali's residents knew each other and strangers were afraid to bother anyone for the way they dressed or behaved," says Said Khalil, owner of Kawkab Al Sharq Cafe.
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<br />Known as Sharia Al Fan (The Street of Art), Muhammad Ali had been a destination for most young singers, musicians and belly-dancers. They used to move to the street, sometimes along with their families, from different parts of Egypt.
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<br />According to Khalil, it is the way society looks at Muhammad Ali's artists that pushed most of them to leave the area or simply quit their professions.
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<br />Al haram Street's nightclubs in Giza have also hurt the area as it has drawn much of the talent away. No longer found are the young aspiring actress/dancers like Sabrine and Lucy who were raised in the neighborhood.
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<br />Young belly dancers and musicians have left for the most part to work in Al haram's nightclubs where they earn money and notoriety quickly.
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<br />"Negotiations over the cost of wedding parties where singers and dancers would perform were conducted and deals were made in the cafes. I used to open my cafe for 24 hours, seven days a week," says Khalil.
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<br />Despite the damage done to the street by social and economic transformations, the street is still remembered by some of those who made it big here.
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<br />"Said Darwish, among dozens of other musicians, left Alexandria and stayed in Muhammad Ali Street for some time. After becoming famous they moved to the new areas and changed their lifestyle, but never forgot the place which helped them to be successful," says Georgy.
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<br />Still, there are some stars of today who keep the atmosphere charged with their presence. They may have a different level of fame than those of the past and are considered a bit outside the mainstream, but the fact they chose this area instead of Al haram is testimony to its past greatness.
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<br />"Every day by 6pm, musicians, singers and belly dancers used to sit in Muhammad Ali's cafes waiting for people who wanted them to perform at their wedding parties," says Khalil.
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<br />Currently, there is a mutahed (party agent), who acts as a middle man between people who want to throw parties, and belly-dancers and singers.
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<br />The mutahed usually sits in one of Muhammad Ali's cafes and negotiate with clients. Very few are still using the old system. Among them is the popular singer Abdel Baset Hamouda who sits with his band in Kawkab Al Sharq cafe waiting for clients calling him for wedding parties.
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<br />Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1088549710414670742004-06-29T15:54:00.000-07:002004-06-29T15:55:10.413-07:00Egyptian women living with osteoporosis
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<br />Yomna Kamel Special to the Middle East Times
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<br />Fatma, like a number of Egyptian women, leads a busy life. Her day starts with a cup of coffee or tea. As time flies by rather slowly at work, she often grabs another cup of java. And she doesn't exercise like she used to since she's now too busy with cooking, cleaning the house or helping her children with their studies.
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<br />Today, Fatma is 50 years old. She's had two bone fractures in the last three years. She didn't realize until now that what was slowly eating away at her bones is nothing else than osteoporosis. She had never heard about the disease before.
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<br />At least half of Egyptian women over the age of 45 will likely develop osteoporosis, a bone disease caused by lack of calcium and exercise. "The problem is not only in Egypt but all over the world," say medical specialists.
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<br />"The World Health Organization (WHO) believes health awareness plays a very important role in reducing the percentage of women with the disease," says Dr. Omar Hussein Omar, osteoporosis specialist and assistant professor of radiology diagnosis at Ain Shams University in Cairo.
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<br />He adds post-menopausal women are at higher risk. Family history, smoking, low calcium intake, excessive caffeine as well as chronic and renal disease are other risk factors for osteoporosis.
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<br />Doctors say there has been a noticeable increase in the number of women afflicted with osteoporosis due mainly to lack of health awareness in Egypt and in many Middle East countries. The peak bone mass which osteoporosis slowly destroys is built up between the ages of 15 to 25. But young women are often unaware of the importance of a proper diet and regular exercise, doctors say.
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<br />They add female adolescents don't often drink milk, preferring soft drinks. "A poor diet may cause calcium deficiency and in later years create weak bones," Omar says.
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<br />Surprisingly, the disease is more prevalent in Egyptian urban areas. "It is a health problem generated by bad social habits. Village women, unlike women living in cities and in urban areas, do not suffer as much from the disease since they do not drink coffee, do not smoke and they exercise by working in the fields," says Omar.
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<br />As a result, Omar is thinking of establishing an osteoporosis prevention association that will give information to young women on the prevention and treatment for osteoporosis.
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<br />Unfortunately, a fourth to half of women afflicted with osteoporosis over the age of 45 will die within the first year of diagnosis. Osteoporosis is preventable and treatable if bone loss is detected early. WHO recommendations suggest bone density screening, particularly for post-menopausal woman. This may indicate a need for drug therapy, which will reduce the risk of life-threatening hip and spine fractures, the specialists add.
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<br />Osteoporosis is more common in northern countries, partly because of colder weather.Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1088549441817488052004-06-29T15:49:00.000-07:002004-06-29T15:50:41.816-07:00
<br /> Violent crimes on the rise within the family
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<br />Yomna Kamel Middle East Times Staff
<br />A man murders his brother in a fight over land they inherited from their father. A young college student stabs his mother to death because she refused to give him money to buy drugs. Dozens of cases of crimes like these that take place within the family are reported weekly which raises the question: why are these kinds of crimes on the rise?
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<br />About 65 murders or attempted murders took place in Giza over the past three months. Twelve of them were matricides. Imbaba, a poor area of Giza, has the highest rate of family crime, Rose Al Youssef magazine reported on August 28.
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<br />"The picture is not that dark, but it is alarming. There are many broken families and we should think about the causes," says Sawsan Osman, professor of community organization at the Higher School of Social Work, and board-director of the Egyptian Society for Family Support.
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<br />Osman says that the family is a "God given organization" where both men and women make sacrifices for the sake of their children. Egyptian families are exposed to external and internal factors weakening their structure and causing the staggering increase in family crimes.
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<br />In the 20th century, the family has changed due to concepts of 'absolute freedom' and individualism prevailing in many Western societies.
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<br />"When turning sixteen or seventeen, children leave their families and independently live away from their parents. This has negative implications for family relations. Currently, countries experiencing difficult social problems are working towards strengthening family relations and explaining its importance as the ideal social unit," she says.
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<br />According to Osman, Egyptian society has been exposed to a kind of 'cultural intrusion' where new socio-economic values have been absorbed. A wave of movies and programs, full of sex and violence, have reached Egyptian families at home with the spread of satellite television.
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<br />Sociologists think that the Egyptian family has been adversely affected by this wave. They trace the increase in crime rates to such cultural influences transmitted by the international media.
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<br />"The American television series 'The Bold and the Beautiful' is a clear example of the weird values that are brought into our societies by the media," she says. "Family principles are not there anymore; two brothers are fighting over a girl and a woman gets pregnant by her husband's father?" she asks noting that youth are affected by such values.
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<br />Regarding internal variables that have impacted on Egyptian society, she notes Egypt's experience with a failed socialist economic system and then a subsequent move to a free market economy. This situation helped to generate several economic problems that people suffer from which have a deep impact on familial relations.
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<br />Housing shortages and unemployment are among the problems that cause stress within families. Most young men cannot afford marriage expenses and a house to live in and their parents cannot help.
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<br />"Under such social and economic stress, a young person might be driven to kill their parents in order to take possession of their house. Some have kicked their fathers and mothers out of the house when the parents got old," she says.
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<br />She goes on to suggest that notions of individualism and self-interest, which became prevalent in Egypt due to outside cultural influences, are among the causes of these incidents. These values have become more important than traditional family ties, she explains.
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<br />The rate of family crime is higher poor areas like Imbaba. Difficult socio- economic conditions have been cited as factors contributing to the prevalence of crime in this area.
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<br />"Drug addiction, definitely, is the major cause of family crimes. The need for drugs might push a man to murder his father, mother or brother and steal their money," Osman explains.
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<br />In agreement with Osman, Hussein Abdel Qader, editor of the accidents and crime page in the semi-official Akhbar Al Youm, says family values are deteriorating and religious principles are not respected. Moral deviation therefore is the expected outcome.
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<br />"Many young people are into drugs and (obtaining money for drugs) is one of the major motives for committing crimes. Among the crimes reported recently by Akhbar Al Youm was a father murdering his drug addicted son who stole from his father to pay for his fixes. The father said he murdered his son because he was bringing troubles to the family," says Abdel Qader.
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<br />Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1088549156434571562004-06-29T15:45:00.000-07:002005-11-06T15:05:01.376-08:00Damietta residents suffer from Nile pollution<br /><br />Yomna Kamel Middle East Times Staff<br />Muhammad, a 32-year-old father of three children, used to work for a furniture workshop in Damietta. Last year, he suffered kidney problems and was later diagnosed with kidney failure. Since then, he has been unable to work because of his deteriorating health condition.<br /><br />Hospitalized twice a week, his children quit school to work in the furniture shops of Damietta, which are renowned for their craftsmanship.<br /><br />Lately though, Damietta has taken on the more dubious distinction of being known for high rates of disease attributed to water pollution.<br /><br />A victim of such contamination, Muhammad is one of tens of cases Damietta Specialized Hospital receives on a rotating basis.<br /><br />"More than half of patients treated at the hospital's Internal Medicine Unit suffer liver and kidney diseases and infections. It is all because of the polluted water they drink," said Dr. Abdel Rahman Al Refaai, head of Internal Medicine Unit at Damietta Specialized Hospital.<br /><br />Chronic active hepatitis, bilharzial hepatic fibrosis, malignant liver tumors, infectious hepatitis and chronic renal failure are common diseases and infections among Damietta's residents. Water pollution and bilharzia are the main causes of these illnesses, explains Refaai.<br /><br />Research on liver diseases carried out ten years ago by Dr. Shella Sharlouk showed that around 25 percent of Egyptians suffer from liver ailments.<br /><br />According to Sayed Higazy in his article in the semi-official Al Akhbar newspaper, this is mostly due to water pollution. This pollution is worse at the mouths of rivers like in the Damietta and Daqaliya governorates, where it accumulates from various dumping sites.<br /><br />River pollution includes municipal waste water, industrial 'black spots', and household rubbish that find their way directly to the 120 kilometer area (the river's length from Daqaliya to the sea) where the Nile ends its journey and meets the Mediterranean. Damietta's population of over 914,614 depends on the heavily polluted stretch of river as its only source of water.<br /><br />"Not less than 50 percent of these governorates' population have developed kidney and liver problems. I am calling upon all local and international NGOs to intervene and give a helping hand. Blood test campaigns should be launched to accurately know the percentage of liver and kidney infections," Higazy says.<br /><br />Despite the apparent need for help with this problem, it seems NGOs' efforts are focused more on the capital and surrounding areas.<br /><br />"Our activities are carried out in Cairo, Giza and Qalyoubiya. Due to financial shortages we still cannot extend our projects to other governorates like Damietta and Daqaliya. We hope one day we willbe able to cover the whole country and contribute in solving their problems," says Ahmed Samy, an employee at a Cairo-based NGO.<br /><br />Using filters or drinking bottled mineral water may seem like good alternatives but they are not feasible in this situation.<br /><br />"I don't drink water directly from the tap and I advise people either to drink mineral water or use a water purifier. Unfortunately, most people cannot afford to buy water filters and purifiers. They are villagers and laborers working for furniture workshops," Refaai adds.<br /><br />He thinks that fish farms in the Nile are a major source of water pollution in Damietta. They form a good environment for insects and develop a putrid smell. Additionally, Damietta lacks a developed sewage system and sewage water is drained into the Nile.<br /><br />Fishing, considered one of Damietta's staple industries, seems to be badly affected by Nile pollution. Nile fish prices have plummeted and fishermen in turn have suffered financial, as well as health setbacks.<br /><br />"We stopped eating Nile fish like catfish and bolti. Although bolti, locally known as the shabar, is our popular dish, we cannot eat it anymore. A kind of worm lives in shabar's gills and cooking does not kill them," Omayma Ahmed, a housewife, says.<br /><br />The shabar's price went down from 15 pounds to three pounds per kilo.<br /><br />"Only visitors and poor people eat the shabar these days simply because they do not know it is polluted," she adds.<br /><br />While Cairo and major cities are the target of NGOs' activities and projects due to limited financial resources, the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, which covers the entire country with its activities, is undertaking activities that may provide long-term relief.<br /><br />The agency's efforts to decrease Nile pollution that include controlling industrial waste dumped into the river seem be showing some signs of success.<br /><br />According to Amer Osama, New Industrial Cities Coordinator at the Unit of Environmental Surveillance, last year the agency stopped 34 industrial firms located along the Nile from dumping their industrial waste.<br /><br />Such a procedure helped in decreasing pollution rates in the river and it comes within a framework of a series of measures to be taken by the agency directed towards solving the problem, according to Osama.Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1088463753390689882004-06-28T16:02:00.000-07:002004-06-28T16:02:33.390-07:00<a href="http://www.blogsearchengine.com">Blog Search Engine</a> -Search Engine
<br />and Directory of blogs. Looking for blogs? Find them on BlogSearchEngine.comYomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1085095611979611052004-05-20T16:25:00.000-07:002004-05-20T16:26:51.980-07:00More and more Egyptian stars take the veil Yomna Kamel and Sara Mashhour
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<br />Abeer Sabry’s beauty and style of acting captured the hearts of her audience when she co-starred in last year’s Ramadan television series Hawanem Garden City. Then earlier this year, the promising young actress suddenly decided to desert her fame and wealth, take on the veil and devote her life to serving Islam.
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<br />"I have been reading religious books and deeply thinking about my life," said a veiled and conservatively dressed Sabry to Ala Waraq (On Paper) host Mahmoud Saad on the Dream TV program. She made the life-changing decision while co-starring in one of the most successful comic plays of the summer, Do Re Mi Fasouliya (Do Re Me, Beans) with Samir Ghanem and Shaaban Abdel Raheem. "I had this feeling that life is too short. Now I am on the path to either good or bad and I told myself I want the good and I’ll have to work to get it."
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<br />This radical lifestyle change hasn’t been as much a shock to her fans as it could have been since many other young, talented and beautiful actresses have recently done the same. One thing they all have in common: they attended religious lessons given by popular young Egyptian Sheikh Amr Khaled or Yemeni Sheikh Al Habib Bin Ali.
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<br />"Listening to a religious lesson given by Al Habib Bin Ali and then being invited by some friends to attend a religious lesson given by a retired actress was the turning point in my life," said Sabry on the program. "Immediately after the lesson, I decided to wear the Islamic dress and asked my friends to bring me one. I went home wearing the veil and the Islamic dress and I was extremely happy and satisfied," she said.
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<br />For Ghada Adel, a former actress known for her role in the hit 1998 film Saidi Fi Al Gamaa Al Amrikiya (An Upper Egyptian at AUC), attending Amr Khaled’s lessons brought change to her life. Though Adel’s husband, film producer Magdi Al Hawari, is totally against her decision, she says she will never return to acting and she is happy and convinced of what she has done.
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<br />Mona Liza, a young actress who starred in another Heneidi film Hammam Fi Amsterdam (Hammam in Amsterdam) followed in Adel’s steps and quit acting. She explained that she decided to wear the veil after she had a strange incident on the beach when she was listening to some music. Suddenly, the music stopped and seconds later she heard Quranic recitation. A few weeks after the incident, Mona Liza went to Mecca for the omra (off-season pilgrimage) and this, she says, is where she found herself, decided to wear the veil and give up acting.
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<br />Mona Abdel Ghani, another retired singer and actress who preceded Sabry, Adel and Mona Liza in getting veiled, participated in recent concerts and fundraising campaigns to aid the Palestinians. She performed wearing the veil, reminding people of the retired veteran singer, Yasmine Al Khayyam who took the veil in a previous wave.
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<br />"I decided to put on the veil when my brother died in Paris," Abdel Ghani said. Her brother was a bit conservative and always wanted her to quit singing and get veiled. When he died she began thinking it could have been her and fulfilled her brother’s wish. Marital problems ensued because her husband, a musician, did not want her to give up singing and acting.
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<br />Abdel Ghani is still chased by production companies trying to persuade her to change her mind. But the singer is adamant. She recently refused LE750,000 to record a new album and said she would never take back her decision to retire from the music business, but she does not mind singing for the sake of the poor or for any other good cause like building the children’s cancer hospital, or singing for the Palestinians.
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<br />Besides learning and teaching the Quran, she started a television program called Mona wa Ikhwataha (Mona and her Sisters) about the role of the Muslim woman towards her kids, her husband, society and herself. It will be televised on Iqraa, the religious education channel on the ART satellite network, and perhaps on Dream TV.
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<br />"We call it the bandwagon syndrome when one after another of the same group adopts the same behavior or change," said Madiha Al Safty, professor of sociology at the American University in Cairo. "I see this happening at the present time and it happened years before," Al Safty said.
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<br />The phenomenon is reminiscent of a similar religious wave that hit Egyptian actresses in the 1970s when Shams Al Baroudi and her husband Hassan Youssef quit acting. and then in the 1980s when actress Hana Tharwat, popular belly dancers Zizi Moustafa, Hala Al Safi and Sahar Hamdi all took the same path.
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<br />After wearing the veil and covering their faces, Al Baroudi and Tharwat never made any more public appearances and both actresses have stayed out of the public spotlight, dedicating their time to teaching women about Islam.
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<br />What distinguishes the new generation of veiling actresses is their willingness to continue appearing in public acting and singing, though now for a good cause, to serve Islam and to present a moderate Islamic perspective.
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<br />The new generation of young actresses, Al Safty explains, often come under the influence of a young sheikh who is modern and good-looking. They feel he is one of them and hence listen carefully to his lessons.
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<br />While it was aged Sheikh Muhammad Metwalli Shaarawi who influenced actresses in the 1970s and 1980s, this time around it’s the young and photogenic sheikhs like Al Habib Bin Ali and Amr Khaled that are bringing girls to cover their heads, explained Saad of Dream TV, who is also editor-in-chief of entertainment magazine Al Kawakeb.
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<br />"These sheikhs are good communicators and are gifted with glamour and influence over others. They remind me of [famous actor] Ahmad Zaki’s influence and attraction," Saad said.
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<br />Young actresses, however, do not necessarily have deep religious culture or education and are therefore more vulnerable to religious influence especially when topics like death, torture, and hell are brought up, explained Saad. Some sheikhs use these alarming words to frighten the young actresses and push them to abandon acting while other sheikhs like Bin Ali captivate them by narrating moving stories from Islamic heritage, he said.
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<br />In addition, some of the new sheikhs present moderate views of Islam that encourage the young to be more religious. Khaled, for instance, told young actor Ahmad Al Fishawi, the son of famous veteran actor, Farouq Al Fishawi, not to quit acting, but to be more careful in selecting the kind of work he wants to present.
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<br />"Personally, I do not find actresses wearing the veil wrong or badly affecting their acting career," said Saad. "It is their right to put on the veil, as it is also the right of actress Youssra to wear whatever she wants. But they would be mistaken if they claim that acting is haram [forbidden by Islam]," he said.
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<br />Saad does not believe the rumors that say some countries or extreme groups pay the Egyptian actresses to quit acting. Having some retired actresses returning to acting simply because they do not have any other source of income to support them and their families is clear evidence against these rumors. Sawsan Badr, Farida Seif Al Nasr, Afaf Shoaib, and Zizi Moustafa are examples of actresses who returned to their profession after veiling, he said.
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<br />The phenomenon isn’t limited to the glitz and glamour crowd, regular young girls are also taking the veil. At a press conference at the Rabat International Film Festival, actress Leila Elwi confirmed that taking on the veil has spread from actresses to the rest of Egyptian society.
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<br />Heba Reda, a university student, decided to put on the veil after listening to some religious lessons given by Amr Khaled and Al Habib Bin Ali. "A veiled friend talked to me about the value of wearing the veil and gave me tapes of Amr Khaled and Al Habib Bin Ali. It took me few days to make up my mind and take the decision of wearing the veil," Reda said.
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<br />In Reda’s circle of friends, five out of ten girls put on the veil in the past few months. "I think there is a trend to wear the veil but here at the university we see some girls wearing it some of the time and then change their mind. Other girls who are really faithful and deeply believe in what they are doing, never go back on their decision," Reda said.
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<br />Sarah Nedal, another university student, put on the veil last year after losing some of her close friends. "I see young people losing their life and I believe it can happen to anyone anytime regardless of his or her age," she said. "I was not able to sleep well for a week and I felt there was something missing and I found it when I put on the veil."
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<br />An issue often stressed by charismatic preachers in their arguments behind veiling has been the possibility of sudden death. While it is difficult to guess the numbers, Saad estimates that at Cairo University, for example, 80 percent of young women are veiled. At AUC, the veiling movement is also growing.
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<br />Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1085095453898795312004-05-20T16:23:00.000-07:002004-05-20T16:24:13.896-07:00Life insurance unacceptableYomna Kamel Middle East Times staff
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<br />AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF EGYPTIANS GO TO THE GRAVE WITHOUT LIFE INSURANCE
<br /> Despite the number of societies that encourage life insurance as a wise move, the concept is frowned upon in Egypt, many people seeing it as going against their religious and traditional beliefs.
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<br />Although insurance is not a new business in Egypt, there are only 10 companies operating in the field, a number that reflects the low demand for this industry.
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<br />Some insurance experts think that Egyptians do not like the idea of life insurance simply because they are not aware of its benefits and policies.
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<br />"It was not until the 1980s that Egyptians started to know something about life insurance, but still the prevalence of some social and religious beliefs along with a lack of awareness explain their reluctance to go for it," says Khaled Zaher, a marketing representative at Misr Insurance.
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<br />Company representatives like Zaher are trying hard to explain to people how life insurance can help them and their loved ones.
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<br />"We strive to convince people to go for life insurance. Most customers are not aware of its benefits. First, we have to explain what life insurance is and the different policies we provide and then try to convince them to go for it," he says.
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<br />Institutional Investor on-line magazine reported in 1998 that Egypt's insurance industry has been burdened by widespread public ignorance of the benefits of private insurance.
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<br />Life insurance premiums were an insignificant 0.2 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1995, compared to a world average of 6 percent, according to a World Bank economic memorandum, the magazine stated.
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<br />Unfortunately, Zaher thinks that very few people are convinced by life insurance even after they become fully aware of idea. They are willing to get their cars and property insured, but not their lives, since other religious, social and economic considerations control their thoughts.
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<br />"Clients usually say it is haram [forbidden by religion], but we don't understand what makes it haram. By getting life insurance, we do not intervene in God's will, but provide financial support to the deceased's family. Sometimes I feel they say it is haram just to end the discussion," he says.
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<br />Zaher thinks life insurance does not differ a lot from the Bayt Al Maal, an Islamic Fund (founded in the early years of Islam) where the zakat (a percentage of Muslims' annual income) and sadaqa (donations) were developed to help people in need.
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<br />The lack of a clear Islamic stance supporting or rejecting life insurance confuses people and makes them more reluctant to have their lives insured.
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<br />"Life insurance is still a controversial issue even among members of the Azhar fatwa (religious opinions) Committee. A group of them, headed by the Sheikh of Al Azhar, thinks it is not against Islam, because they build their fatwa on the Islamic principle of takaful (social support) where Muslims should help each other in times of crisis," says a sheikh on the fatwa Committee at Al Azhar, who requested that his name be withheld.
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<br />Other Muslim scholars, like Suaad Saleh, professor of jurisprudence at Al Azhar University, prefer what they call "Cooperative Insurance," where a group of people donates a sum of money and place it in a fund that will be given to people in need in case of death.
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<br />"There are two reasons that make some Muslim scholars consider life insurance against the tenets of Islam," she says. "First, it seems like gambling since it connects the payment with the occurrence of a future accident. Second, the fixed interest it pays to life insurance holders is not accepted in Islam."
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<br />Saleh says that it has to be variable interest to avoid being a form of reba (lending a sum of money and earning money when it is returned) which is clearly prohibited in Islam.
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<br />"For scholars who don't say life insurance is haram, they consider it a legal contract between two parties: the insurance company and the life insurance holder and as long as both parties are satisfied, it is fine," she says.
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<br />Such controversial Islamic views towards life insurance are not the only reason hindering its acceptance in Egypt.
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<br />Zaher says that some families do not like the idea of life insurance because they consider it a bad omen. They relate it to losing someone close to them even if this is not logical because death has nothing to do with life insurance.
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<br />Such ideas about life insurance are common among middle-class families who prefer to give these kinds of excuses to keep insurance salesmen away from their homes. However, the monthly installment that goes with the insurance is seen by insurance experts as the main reason why Egyptians don't buy it.
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<br />"Most life insurance clients are either businessmen who can afford to pay the installment or vendors who pay a smaller installment, and don't expect as large a return as businessmen for example," says Zaher. "For middle-class families whose monthly income does not exceed a few hundred pounds, a E£200 monthly installment is impossible."
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<br />According to Zaher, the only solution to encourage more people to go for life insurance is to make them aware of the benefits and dedicate part of the insurance industry's budget for media campaigns.
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<br />"If the number of life insurance holders increases, insurance companies might be able to reduce installments and make them more affordable to different social classes," Zaher says.
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<br />Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1085095322643389482004-05-20T16:21:00.000-07:002004-05-20T16:22:02.643-07:00A mufti of their own
<br />Yomna Kamel MIDDLE EAST TIME STAFF
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<br />While Egyptian women can be ministers, lawyers, doctors, and hold many other prestigious jobs, they are still shut out of the upper levels of the religious hierarchy. Now one religious scholar wants to become a mufti which is a high level cleric charged with giving out religious opinions on a wide variety of matters.
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<br />Professor Suad Ibrahim Saleh is one of many female experts in religious jurisprudence who considers herself qualified enough to work as a mufti at Dar Al Ifta - the official body responsible for religious rulings.
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<br />She and her female peers have received the same education as the male muftis and studied at the same university.
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<br />"Since Al Azhar University accepts male and female students to study jurisprudence at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, this makes both qualified to give fatwas," said Abla Al Kahlawy, a professor of jurisprudence at Al Azhar University.
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<br />To some extent these women already give out religious opinions, but only informally, and Saleh insists that they must work for the Dar Al Ifta itself, since it is the source people trust.
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<br />"We are professors teaching jurisprudence at Al Azhar University. Many of us are so qualified that we supervise PhD theses. Some of our male students, with the proper qualifications, work in Dar Al Ifta, while we are not allowed to practice this right simply because we are women," she explained.
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<br />"I personally talked to the Grand Mufti Farid Wasel and he promised to consider the matter. He seemed receptive to our demands, but nothing has changed," said Saleh.
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<br />Officials at Dar Al Ifta, however, were less positive about the fitness of women to be appointed to the prestigious body.
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<br />"We are not against having qualified women giving fatwas to the public, but they cannot work from Dar Al Ifta. Muftis of Dar Al Ifta, known as consultants or researchers, are appointed by the Ministry of Justice. It is the system used since the Dar was established in 1895," said Qassim Al Sherif, a mufti there.
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<br />"The minister of justice is the only government figure authorized to appoint muftis to Dar Al Ifta. It is a judicial post as well as a religious one. So, if Saleh wants to work in Dar Al Ifta, she has to be working for the Ministry of Justice," Sherif added.
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<br />The responsibilities of Dar Al Ifta and the kinds of fatwas they issue are different from those that are issued by Al Azhar and other religious bodies because they deal primarily with legal areas. New laws from the People's Assembly or sentences of capital punishment have to be approved by the Dar.
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<br />"They [the Dar] require a person who is qualified to judge according to Islam and to the law. This means he has both the religious and the judiciary experiences," he explained, concluding that the women were just interested in "social prestige."
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<br />Saleh maintains, though, that this is not the issue. Rather, she wants to be based at the Dar in order to be more accessible to women so as to be able to help them.
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<br />"I am not looking for a prestigious position. I just want to be there and meet women at Dar Al Ifta to answer their inquiries," she stressed.
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<br />In fact, something Kahlaway, Saleh and other female scholars emphasize, is that there is a concrete need for well-qualified Muslim women to work as muftis.
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<br />All of the muftis at Dar Al Ifta are men and many women are embarrassed to seek their counsel, especially if they are seeking fatwas about matters related to marital life. Women prefer to have female muftis address their personal questions, Saleh said.
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<br />Sherif, however, said that the Dar welcomes all of the public's inquiries and many women call them asking about very personal matters. "I think women are used to asking male muftis with no embarrassment," he maintains.
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<br />Some female Muslim scholars are actually already giving fatwas, but in an informal way. "We are guest speakers on many religious programs that appear on Arab satellite television channels like ART and Orbit where we give answers to questions," Kahlaway said.
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<br />She added that they also have their gatherings in mosques, and sometimes in their houses where hundreds of women come to seek counsel. "Some of these questions have simple answers while others are new and might a need a fatwa," she said.
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<br />Muslim women, according to Kahlawy, have the right to occupy any position as long as they do not neglect their roles as mothers and as long as they do not have to deal directly or privately with men. For example, Al Kahlawy said, female muftis should give fatwas only to women.
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<br />The controversy surrounding the appointment of female muftis is the second in as many years over women's attempts to enter a field that is the exclusive domain of men. Last year, the issue of appointing female judges was raised when lawyer Fatma Lasheen sought to become the first female judge in Egypt. Her application continues to be denied and the controversy surrounding it involves many of the same elements of clashes between proponents of conservatism and liberalism and religious and secular views.
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<br />Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1085004808755273812004-05-19T15:11:00.000-07:002004-05-19T15:13:28.756-07:00Crocodiles and fishermen in competition for Lake Nasser
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<br />Yomna Kamel Middle East Times staff
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<br />With several laws implemented over the years for their protection, the crocodile population in Lake Nasser south of Aswan has been rapidly increasing much to the pleasure of tourists and to the thriving crocodiles themselves.
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<br />This may be good news for the crocodiles but many of the lake's 5,000 or so fishermen are not to happy about it for several reasons said Salib Fakhry, a tour guide for a cruise line operating on the lake.
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<br />"It is becoming a bit dangerous. A fisherman was killed last year after being attacked by a crocodile and attacks are becoming more
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<br />Adult Nile River crocodiles average between five and seven meters in length, and can weigh up to 600 kilograms. Such large animals eat their share of the 32 species of fish found in the lake.
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<br />"Unfortunately, around 30 percent of the types of fish in Lake Nasser are eaten by the many crocodiles residing in the lake and fishermen have begun to complain about their increasing numbers," Fakhry said.
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<br />With their catch of some 80,000 tons of fish a year threatened, it would seem that the law should be on their side but it actually backs their reptilian rivals.
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<br />With the implementation of an Egyptian environmental protection law in 1983 that bans the hunting or killing of the Nile crocodile among other species like the Nile turtle, crocodile numbers have notably increased in the lake.
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<br />Falling under this law, which mandates the protection of 7 percent of Egypt's territory and the wildlife within is the 6,200 square kilometer lake created by the construction of the Aswan High Dam in 1971. This has become a refuge for many types of animals, birds and fish.
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<br />A NICHE PREDATOR
<br />Egyptian Law number 102 for the protection of reservoirs was promulgated to ban practices that might lead to a decline in crocodile populations, like poaching for crocodile skin and water pollution.
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<br />Egypt also joined an international agreement on the protection of rare species, some ten years ago, to protect a number of species including the Nile crocodile.
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<br />Kamal H. Al Batanony, professor of ecology at Cairo University and board member of the Egyptian state's Environmental Affairs Agency, said that the environmental protection law of 1983 and the international agreement are effectively helping to protect Egypt's wildlife.
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<br />"The law has been appropriately implemented in a number of Egypt's natural reservoirs among which is Lake Nasser," Batanony said. "The aim of such agreements is to keep the world's ecological balance. By having good numbers of Nile crocodiles in Lake Nasser we are protecting other species."
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<br />The importance of crocodiles to their ecosystem cannot be stressed enough.
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<br />According to the online Sea World Organization, "Nile crocodiles are ecologically important as predators [having 66 sharp teeth]. They help the environment by eating barbel catfish, which are predators themselves. Barbels eat other fish which are the diet of more than 40 species of birds. If birds leave an area because there are no edible fish, the amount of bird droppings, which provide nutrients for the fish, declines, and the food chain is disrupted."
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<br />Still, a need to protect fishermen's harvests and their livelihoods has also been recognized.
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<br />"There should not be an absolute ban on hunting the Nile crocodile, but then again it should not be done on a large scale," said Batanony. "If a fisherman catches a group of small crocodiles while fishing, there is no problem, but hunting them in big numbers is banned."
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<br />According to the "Wild Egypt" Web site, crocodiles range from dark green or brown to a black tone on the dorsal side and are much lighter and softer on the ventral surface.
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<br />Crocodiles can be distinguished from alligators by their long narrow snout and their fourth mandibular tooth, which protrudes from their lower jaw rather than fitting into their upper jaw. Nile crocodiles have been known to reach speeds of up to 49 kilometers per hour in the water.
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<br />The crocodile's eyes and nostrils are on top of the head so it can see and breathe while the rest of it is underwater. As an added advantage, its ears and nostrils can close when it dives, and a transparent eyelid closes over its eyes to keep water out.
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<br />Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1085004673272838142004-05-19T15:10:00.000-07:002004-05-19T15:11:13.273-07:00Don't blame the khamaseen for asthma problems
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<br />Yomna Kamel Middle East Times staff
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<br />KHAMASEENS ARE POWERFUL STORMS THAT BRING DUST AND DESTRUCTION
<br /> While some Egyptians are enthusiastically waiting for April and May to enjoy the country's temperate weather, it is not a good time of the year for many others, especially children who suffer khamaseen asthma.
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<br />Although Egyptians have become used to these spring storms, it seems that coupled with the rise in pollution over the last couple of years, it is causing an increase in cases of bronchial asthma.
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<br />"Egyptians expect the khamaseen by April and they last until end of May. This is approximately 50 days and hence the name which means 'fifty'," said deputy head of the Egyptian Meteorological Organization Sherif Hammad.
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<br />These storms come from the Western desert carrying sand and dust. For the street observer, it is possible to know a khamaseen is on its way by a sudden rise in temperature. It lasts for about one to three days and is followed by light rain and then a cool period of clearing.
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<br />Hammad advises people who are asthmatic to stay home and minimize their outdoor activities as much as possible. Aside from this, he says there is nothing more they can do to protect themselves from the conditions.
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<br />For respiratory specialists who see an increase in patients suffering from asthma, the khamaseen is not the real culprit. As this phenomenon has been around for thousands of years, they are sure the asthma is being caused by something new in the air.
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<br />"It's not only the khamaseen that helps increase cases of bronchial asthma, but the pollution. The number of people, especially children, who have become allergic to dust is dramatically increasing. Around a 30 percent increase has been noted this year when compared to previous years," said Dr. Tariq Al Sherbiny, a respiratory specialist at the Mamoura Chest Center in Alexandria.
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<br />According to a report in Al Ahram newspaper citing the World Health Organization on March 21, about 50 percent of the world's population suffers various kinds of allergies with 10 to 12 percent of these being asthmatic in nature.
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<br />Sherbiny's center receives some 200-300 patients with bronchial asthma daily. Unfortunately, most of them are children. This number increases dramatically during the khamaseen period but the doctor thinks that the normal numbers are far too high. He does not blame the khamaseen for this increase, but the pollution.
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<br />"Don't think pollution is a problem only faced by Cairo's residents," he said. "Alexandria and many other cities suffer from heavy pollution caused by factories located in the middle of residential areas and automobile exhaust."
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<br />It's not just factories and traffic causing asthma among children, in fact the doctor says that economic factors are playing a role. In the past, doctors believed that asthmatics' children were at risk for developing the affliction but now it appears that children with low living standards get hit the hardest.
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<br />Although asthma can be found among children of upper and middle class families, it is much more prevalent among the lower classes says the doctor.
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<br />"Children of poor families usually have malnutrition, which weakens their immunity system and puts them at greater risk to developing allergies," he said. "A poorly-fed child in a polluted environment can easily develop bronchial asthma."
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<br />Cairo doctors also agree with their Alexandrian colleague.
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<br />"There is a link between our modern 'man made' environment and the increasing number of allergy sufferers. For example, most of the cases of asthmatic children admitted to Abu Al Reesh Hospital live in Helwan, a neighborhood in Cairo surrounded by several large cement of factories," said Dr. Muhammad Khalil, a professor at the pediatric school for Qasr Al Aini Medical College in Cairo told Al Ahram.
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<br />He pointed out that living in a clean environment is the best remedy for asthma sufferers since around 15 % of them were not born asthmatic, but developed it due to heavy exposure to sources of pollution.
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<br />Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1085004567124614482004-05-19T15:08:00.000-07:002004-05-19T15:09:27.123-07:00Protecting their works abroad
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<br />Yomna Kamel Middle East Times staff
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<br />While Egypt has succeeded in controlling exploitation of its intellectual property rights in 115 countries, stealing Egyptian melodies and lyrics and violating copyright law are still common practices in most Middle East countries.
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<br />With the exception of Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel, Middle East countries do not cooperate with Egypt to implement protective measures of property rights.
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<br />Lebanon and Israel have associations for authors, composers, and editors that cooperate with their counterparts in Egypt to keep an eye on violations. In Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, their respective ministries of information ensure the implementation of intellectual property and copyright laws.
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<br />Mahmoud Lotfy, legal consultant for the Egyptian Society for Authors, Composers, and Editors said the Saudi Interior Ministry does not permit presenting or selling any Egyptian artistic work not registered with the society.
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<br />"The Egyptian society, founded in 1959, is a member of the Central Society for Authors, Composers and Editors in Paris. There are 126 organizations of the same kind cooperating to protect original artistic works," Lotfy said.
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<br />When there is a case of copyright infringement, the Egyptian society contacts similar organizations in countries where the infraction is taking place.
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<br />"In cooperation with the society, we collect 'copyright fees.' They are paid by the party who violates the copyright of any production. Exploitation of copyrights can be comprehensive or partial [through] use of an Egyptian melody, lyrics or both," Lotfy said.
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<br />It is the organization's task to ask the copyright violator to pay 8 percent of the profit, half of which goes to the author and half to the
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<br />composer. The Egyptian society's counterparts facilitate measures taken to ensure the violator pays the percentage owed to the original artist.
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<br />This phenomenon is not limited to the Arab world, as infractions take place on an international level as well.
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<br />This happened with Abdel Halim Hafez's song, Qareat Al Fingan (The Fortune Teller) for which the lyrics were written by the Syrian poet Nizar Qabany. A Belgian composer used the song's melody without asking for permission. The society contacted its Belgium counterpart which forced the producer of the recording to compensate the composer.
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<br />In some cases, the Central Society for Authors, Composers and Editors in Paris takes charge of collecting copyright fees from the European parties exploiting Egyptian works.
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<br />According to the Egyptian weekly magazine, Horreyati, the Egyptian society received copyright fees of E£1.750 million in one month from their French counterparts. Tens of thousands of Egyptian pounds were paid because of violations concerning Egypt's late composers Baligh Hamdy and Abdel Wahab in other instances.
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<br />Lotfy said that infringement violations could be collected and given to family members up to 50 years after the author or composer's death.
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<br />The most famous case the Egyptian society dealt with was concerning the present-day composer, Hani Shenouda.
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<br />In 1979 Shenouda composed the hit, Zahma Ya Dunya Zahma (Crowded World) which was sung by Ahmed Adeweyya. In the early 1980s, this melody was taken by the Spanish band, Gypsy Kings, and made into their hit song, Rouna. They performed it at numerous concerts and it made the charts throughout the world.
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<br />The Spanish producer did not ask for Shenouda's permission and as a result, the Egyptian society contacted its Spanish counterpart and finally resolved the situation. Fifty percent of the profits were given to Shenouda and the author.
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<br />Shenouda was more than surprised when he heard his composition performed with Spanish lyrics.
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<br />"I was shocked to find my melody being used by the Spanish band who sold their albums in Egypt. They included the song in their album under the title Egyptian Folklore. I took legal measures against them to protect my rights," said Shenouda.
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<br />Shenouda's song, Zahma Ya Dunya Zahma, continues to be recorded by artists in Israel, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus.
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<br />In Israel, for instance, the song is used in a television advertisement about milk. Shenouda thinks this means it is very successful and has a kind of universal appeal. He still insists that his works should be protected not only for him personally, but because they belong to Egypt.
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<br />Shenouda affirmed that Zahma Ya Dunya Zahma is not the only song exploited by other artists abroad.
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<br />"My song Lunga is also being used by others in foreign countries. While, such exploitation can be controlled in some countries, in others like Turkey, it is very difficult," said Shenouda.
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<br />Agreeing with Shenouda, Lotfy said many countries don't cooperate on the government level and they don't have associations. That is why many Egyptian songs are reproduced by Turkish musicians with no chance of compensation.
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<br />"We hope all countries will cooperate to protect intellectual property. In countries that do not cooperate with us, in turn we do not take any legal action against Egyptians exploiting artistic works produced by their musicians," Lotfy said.
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<br />Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1084966067545628442004-05-19T04:27:00.000-07:002004-05-19T04:27:47.546-07:00United they stand - if they're allowed
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<br />Yomna Kamel Middle East Times staff
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<br />When leading Egyptian feminist Doria Shafiq and a thousand Egyptian women occupied the parliament in 1951 and demanded the deputies' support for women's rights, they did not expect that the Egyptian women would have to fight for another 50 years to establish their first union.
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<br />Shafiq, who founded the Bint Al Nil (Daughter of the Nile) Union boasting two hundred women trained in the military arts and expert in strikes and demonstrations, would also have found it hard to believe that the female-headed Egyptian Ministry of Social Affairs is still reluctant to approve the establishment of such a union.
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<br />Though it has been meeting since September 1999, the new Women's Union, an umbrella organization to bring together the large number of women's NGOs, remains unrecognized and unwanted by the government. Instead, the government has gone ahead and set up its own official umbrella organization for women's groups.
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<br />This reaction from the government, however, is not so strange for the new union's head Nawal Saadawi – an active feminist jailed by President Anwar Sadat and released only after his assassination. For her, it is a reflection of a general political atmosphere where only a small amount of room is open for democracy.
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<br />"There is fear from any popular initiative to form an umbrella under which a large number of strong NGOs can operate, especially if it has independent leadership that is not obedient to the government," Saadawi says.
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<br />It was these fears that motivated former
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<br />Minister of Social Affairs Mervat Al Tellawy to change her initially positive attitude to one totally opposing the idea of establishing women's union. The ministry even went on to launch a media campaign against the founders of the union since last year.
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<br />The ministry publicly stated in the press after the first meeting that the union was illegal and subsequently there were more articles condemning its formation and members. Saadawi points out, however, that the meeting and the procedures they followed were exactly according to the new law on NGOs, passed in May 1999.
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<br />In fact, the idea of establishing women's union has been in Saadawi's mind for years, but it only became public last year when she applied to register the union with the Ministry of Social Affairs after giving up on her earlier organization.
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<br />"In early 1990s, the government closed down Egypt's office for the Arab Women's Solidarity Association, which I headed, because of our stance against the Gulf War. We sued the government for this, but the case has been going for years with no verdict given. Lately, I was advised to give it up and forget all about it," she says.
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<br />Despite the fact that the government established other women organizations, like the Arab Women Association, Saadawi felt there was still a need for a non-governmental union to gather together all NGOs operating in the field.
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<br />"So, we formed a committee to discuss the establishment of the union and we met with Tellawi last year, who expressed her support for the initiative. Twenty one organizations held a meeting in the summer to declare the union. We were then shocked by a media frenzy against us, particularly attacking me," Saadawi says
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<br />Although the ministry has not yet decided to register the union or reject it, Saadawi has been taking more serious steps towards its formation.
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<br />On January 31, a few days after the People's Assembly passed amendments of the personal status law, Saadawi invited 35 women's organizations from the entire country to attend the union's meeting at the Egyptian Human Rights Organization's headquarters.
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<br />"We declared the establishment of the first Egyptian Women's Union since we do not see a reason for the ministry to reject it. The union has three main committees and comprises 90 members, 35 percent of them are men helping and encouraging us," she says.
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<br />One of the union's committees is concerned with deepening the understanding of women's issues, especially women's emancipation, and relating them to Egypt's political and economic issues. The second committee works on studying laws and suggesting amendments that serve the interests of women. The third committee organizes women's work inside the participant organizations and communicates with them to form links with each other, Saadawi explains.
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<br />Through such committees, the union will act as a legally recognized political umbrella that protects women, she adds.
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<br />Saadawi and the 35 organizations comprising the new union seem set on gaining official recognition for their work and not accepting any alternatives offered by the government.
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<br />It was in reaction to the union, Saadawi thinks, that the government recently formed the National Council for Women headed by First Lady Suzanne Mubarak. The organizations are made up of female figures who originally worked for the government or are members of the ruling National Party.
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<br />"Establishing such bodies should not come through a governmental decision, but by an initiative from the people themselves," Saadawi stresses.
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<br />Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1084966011376804962004-05-19T04:26:00.000-07:002004-05-19T04:26:51.376-07:00Fabric, spare parts and dates only in name
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<br />Just a few steps from the World Trade Center and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' skyscraper, is one of Cairo's most intriguing souqs. Here, at Wekalat Al Balah, people come from all around Cairo to buy some of the cheapest clothing, fabric, make-up and all sorts of new and used automotive spare parts.
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<br />Wekalat Al Balah (Market of Dates) is a more than one-hundred-year-old shopping center which was established late in the last century by merchants trading in a variety of goods. According to area shop owners, there were lots of palm trees at the time from which sprung the market's name.
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<br />In front of the Wekalat there was a small port where sinking ships were towed. People living in the nearby areas used to sell the salvageable cargo from these ships at very cheap prices. Sometimes this included clothing and fabrics, and at other times, boats were stripped of parts which could be refitted to other boats or put to other uses.
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<br />"The business then was expanded as some traders began selling used clothes and second hand spare parts. Some merchants prospered and the area developed such that shops selling additional types of products were established in the Wekalat," says Qadry Attalah, owner of a shop which sells new clothing.
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<br />The Wekalat is divided into areas according to the kind of products they sell. Clothing and fabric stores are found near the area's center and spare parts are found on the periphery near the bank of the Nile.
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<br />"We sell more because of our cheap prices. I have customers coming from other governorates," Attalah explains. "I sell clothing in my shop of the same quality as that sold in downtown shops."
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<br />Some of Al Wekalat's customers, like Nadia and Wafa Khalil, disagree with Attalah concerning the quality of products sold there.
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<br />"Stuff like new clothing is cheaper than any other place in Cairo, but I think they are not of the same quality. We call such product farz thany (second grade)," Nadia says.
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<br />The Wekalat sells second hand clothes as well. It is not unusual to see villagers coming from other governorates making their way through the area.
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<br />"They get very good imported and Egyptian-made clothing. They are so clean and ironed that you can't tell they are used," says Nadia Said who works for Mugama Al Tugaary store in the Wekalat.
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<br />Wholesale items in bulk are also sold in the Wekalat to retailers around
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<br />the country.
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<br />"There are well-known bulk traders in the Wekalat. Because of their reasonable prices, shop owners buy up from these stores," says Magdy Amin, the owner of a fabric shop.
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<br />A new breed of merchants crowd the streets of the Wekalat when the majority of stores are closed on Sundays. These itinerant vendors carry their goods from one market to the other making a circuit around the city.
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<br />"We buy used clothing from Port Said each week and sell it in Wekalat Al Balah, the Thursday Market in Al Mataraya, the Tuesday Market in Al Mounib [near Maadi] and the Friday Market in Imbaba," says Mahbouba Ali, a clothes vendor trying to sell her goods in the open air.
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<br />"We don't pay more than E£2 for any item of clothing and we can sell it for more than E£3 sometimes. Our customers are very poor people who cannot afford to buy new clothes even from the Wekalat's shops," she adds.
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<br />The atmosphere of the area may be completely transformed when the governorate begins carrying out a renovation and renewal project. Wekalat Al Balah may be removed and relocated to another location.
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<br />It is not a problem for traveling vendors since they can go to any other market, but for Wekalat's shop owners, the situation is not so simple.
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<br />"We don't know when or where we are going, we have to wait and see. We have only just heard rumors saying the Wekalat will be moved from this area," says Attalah. Yomna Kamel
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<br />Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7018613.post-1084965965122796412004-05-19T04:25:00.000-07:002007-02-23T12:07:10.205-08:00Egyptian comedian combines art and agriculture<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_gJOqDiuNid0/Rd9JS5AE12I/AAAAAAAAADk/DuyS6XNdbYA/s1600-h/msobhy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_gJOqDiuNid0/Rd9JS5AE12I/AAAAAAAAADk/DuyS6XNdbYA/s320/msobhy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034823497311115106" /></a><br />www.weekly.ahram.org.eg<br /> <br /><br />Rasha El Ibiary and Yomna Kamel Special to the Middle East Times<br />.<br /><br />Motivated by his belief that artists play a significant role in developing their countries, Mohammed Sobhi, one of Egypt's most popular comedians, has launched a landscaped cultural compound on the CairoAlexandria road.<br /><br />The project, Sombol's City for Arts and Flowers, opened by Sobhi a few months ago, took 50 feddans in the desert and turned them green. It comprises a theater, summer cinema, movie studio, hotel, house for the elderly, an orphanage and an art school for homeless children. Although business projects headed by artists, actors or singers are not uncommon in Egypt, Sobhi's charitable project is the first of its kind to be carried out by an Egyptian actor.<br /><br />"I've been dreaming for more than 18 years of establishing such a project through which I can present something unique to people. But due to financial considerations, it was delayed," Sobhi said.<br /><br />"The project was just an idea, an imagination," he added. "Walt Disney started with an idea. One has to have ambitions that should be almost equal to his ability, or else his efforts will be in vain."<br /><br />Sobhi's project may be unique, but so are the 14 plays he presented as an actor and director they are distinguished marks in the history of Egyptian theater. His plays successfully illustrate the feelings, suffering, dreams and fears of Egyptians. He is the first to present two plays at the same time: "Mama Amrika" (America: My Mother) and "Yaowmiat Wanees" (Wanees's Diary). "Mama Amrika" is a political play illustrating the relationship between Arabs, the United States and Israel, while "Yaowmiat Wanees" narrates the story of an Egyptian man and his family.<br /><br />Sobhi graduated from the Academy of Art in 1970, where he taught for 14 years. In 1984, he resigned and began teaching his theater team.<br /><br />When he felt it was the right time, Sobhi said he started looking for a spot of land for his project. The Ministry of Agriculture offered him a spot in Nasr City. "I wanted to establish my project in a new area away from Cairo noise" he said, which is why he chose an area in the desert.<br /><br />"Although people said I was crazy [since it is difficult for Cairo residents to go there], I strongly believe in my idea. And based on that, I went on building my cultural compound," said Sobhi.<br /><br />The project has a philosophy. If it was measured by the material benefit, it would never have been tackled, added Sobhi. "I want [the project] to succeed at the level of the idea. I want to improve the thought and feelings of the Egyptians, to make them more civilized and proud of themselves," he said.<br /><br />Some say they do not expect Sobhi's project to be profitable. Sobhi, however, believes his project will be a success even if it will not make much money.<br /><br />"I'm looking more for the success of the idea," Sobhi stressed.<br /><br />By building in a remote area, he said, he wanted "to draw people's attention to a new beautiful life outside Cairo and Egypt's major crowded cities and encourage them to start a new life away from noise and pollution."<br /><br />Sobhi plans to build a house for himself and his family in the same area. "When I stay here and see the sunset, I hate going back to the city [Cairo]," he added.<br /><br />The art school for street children will house around 20 girls and boys from six to seven years old. The kids will study dance, music, singing and acting.<br /><br />"I want to prove that providing a healthy and proper environment for the child at an early age contributes a lot to making him a useful member in society," Sobhi explained.<br /><br />Another reason for his project is its spacious theater where Egyptian, Arabic and nonArabic plays will be performed. The theater is expected to encourage people to show their love and respect for art "by getting out of their cities purposely to visit Sobhi's compound and attend the plays they like," Sobhi said.<br /><br />Sobhi is also planning to host a number of veteran artists in a house adjoining the compound. "I thought about providing accommodation for veteran artists who cannot afford to live in a proper house after years of dedicating themselves to art," he clarified. Sobhi remembers Fatma Roshdy, an actress who was famous in the 50s but later died in poverty.<br /><br />In addition, Sobhi is planning to construct a 10building hotel representing different countries' architectural styles.<br /><br />"I want to have a summary of the world," he said.<br /><br />According to Sobhi, the hotel will include Arabic, American, Indian, African, British and Italian styles. The reason for setting up that hotel, pointed out Sobhi, is to encourage visitors to stay overnight and see the place.<br /><br />"Visitors have to feel [like they are] in a unique atmosphere," he said.<br /><br />Believing that agriculture is as important as art in feeding people's mind, Sobhi dedicated large areas of his land to planting wheat and grapes. That is in addition to the vast green area of the project.<br /><br />Getting art and agriculture together in one project represents Sobhi's ideology for improving life in Egypt: "We should control our thoughts and produce our wheat." In other words, we should not let anyone dominate our minds and we should not be waiting for others to send us our food, he explained.<br /><br />Sobhi's art city project was named after his popular television series "Sombol," which narrates the story of a simple peasant who had numerous problems with the government because he decided to move to the desert and cultivate it.<br /><br />"Sombol is the symbol of invading the desert. That is why I called my project after his name," said Sobhi.<br /><br />Sobhi's project is expected to be officially inaugurated by a group of ministers in November. The whole project is expected to be completed within two years.<br />.Yomna Kamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12382104621947698993noreply@blogger.com0