Egypt

Give Egypt a break!

I must thank the author for her clarity and downright truthfulness. Well done!

Arab News, by Linda S. Heard

You just have to Google ‘Egypt news’ to know that the country’s interim government is coming under international flak for its imposition of emergency law, its ‘failure’ to include the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in the political process and for so-called human rights abuses. Such criticisms are myopic and many unfounded because they fail to take into account that the very fabric of the most populated Arab country is under attack from within, requiring temporary extraordinary measures.

Those measures may offend the democratic sensibilities of the US, Europe and human rights groups but the majority of Egyptians understand their future is at stake and, thus, back the authorities to the hilt. If they didn’t approve of emergency law, they would be out in the street in the millions. Some of the most virulent critics are fellows of the Brookings Institution based in Washington, individuals who portray themselves as Middle East experts when from their writings it’s clear that most have no idea of the facts on the ground. Take Dr. H.A. Hellyer for example. Writing on the Al Arabiya website, he says: “The authorities ought to ask themselves this question — If Mursi had called for early presidential elections, responding to the will of the majority of Egyptians how would Egypt look like right now?” He goes on to suggest that by including the Muslim Brotherhood the authorities “would have everything to gain, both in reducing polarization domestically, and gaining support internationally.” Sounds good, doesn’t it?

There’s just one small flaw in Dr. Hellyer’s argument. Mursi refused absolutely to call for early elections and when he was asked to resign he answered it’s either me or blood. Is this the answer of a patriot who loves his country? Moreover, the Muslim Brotherhood lost its legitimacy as a political force when its leaders called for jihad against their fellow Egyptians and glorified martyrdom. It bled supporters when its AK-47, Molotov-wielding following went on the rampage in Cairo and elsewhere burning homes, shops, churches and indiscriminately firing at passers-by. Since July 3, when Mursi was ousted, the interim government repeatedly reached out to Brotherhood leaders asking them to accept the status quo as the people’s will and move forward. They were invited to join the transitional government and the 50-member constitutional committee; offers that were turned down point blank. By turning to violence against the state and against its compatriots to make its point, the MB burnt its boats. The MB is no longer trusted and, indeed, it is widely viewed as owing its prime allegiance to the international Brotherhood organization that has offices in more than 60 countries. President Obama, Senator John McCain, the EU’s Catherine Ashton, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and old uncle Tom Cobbley ‘n’ all never cease to call for the immediate release of Mursi and his Brotherhood head honchos, who insist those arrests were purely politically motivated. The reality is that most are being investigated for inciting violence, conspiracy to murder, disseminating anti-government propaganda/lies abroad or conspiring with foreign governments against the state. CNN’s Christiane Amanpour who’s been interviewing various Egyptian officials, including the presidential spokesman and the Egyptian ambassador to the United Nations, with a disapproving curled lip, has sneered at the idea that Egypt’s judiciary is independent; likewise John McCain who uses the ‘coup’ word like confetti. Their underhand digs and insults make my blood boil – and I’m not even Egyptian — simply because judges have fought tooth and nail for their independence since the Jan. 25, 2011 revolution and refuted attempts by Mursi to place the judiciary under his thumb. Egypt is no banana republic or rogue state and it’s no wonder that the country is turning-in on itself while its people feel they’re under siege.

Amanpour, who pours her personal bile on Egyptian interviewees — other than her Muslim Brotherhood buddies like the arch propagandist Gehad El-Haddad — haughtily condemned emergency law during an interview with the president’s spokesman Mustafa Hegazy and fairly sniffed when he told her that the situation warrants a curfew in order to keep Egyptians safe and pointed out that in 1992 Los Angeles drew upon emergency laws to quell street riots. Are you comparing Egypt to Los Angeles? came her answer, as though such a comparison was unthinkable if not offensive?

Ms. high-and-mighty Amanpour who sets herself up as the human rights police vis-à-vis Egypt has a short memory. I don’t recall her condemning the Bush administration when thousands of American-Muslims were rounded up post 9-11 and held for months without access to lawyers or family members when not a single one was charged with any offence. And how dare she turn up her nose at Egypt’s human rights record, when she has nothing to say about America’s gulag on the coast of Cuba, Guantanamo, where hundreds of “detainees” are still being incarcerated without trial. Accusations that the country is moving back to the Mubarak era flying around the media are nothing short of hysteria. Ordinary Egyptians lost their fear on Jan. 25, 2011 and will no longer accept authoritarianism. If anything, the shape of this new Egypt is staunchly nationalist — more Nasser than Mubarak — which is probably why the US administration that lost a US-compliant leader in Mohammed Mursi is not amused. Obama has made a huge mistake by not supporting this transitional phase and withholding aid as well as the delivery of F-16s. Egyptians increasingly see the United States as a foe and are calling for a military/economic partnership with Moscow.
Give Egypt a break! It might not be abiding strictly by the democratic rule book when working towards a secure environment is paramount to bring back investment and tourism and permit citizens to go about their business in safety, but this is just one necessary stage until the new constitution goes to referendum, parliamentary elections are held later this year, followed by a presidential ballot next spring.

God bless Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait for standing solidly with the Egyptian government and people during one of the most troubled times in the country’s recent history. Egyptians will not forget the outpouring of goodwill, diplomatic backing and the financial lifelines that those states have so generously given. Egypt will stand strong soon and will forever appreciate its friends that stood by its side when the chips were down.

via www.arabnews.com

Egypt's revolution through the eyes of Russian women

Read on. RBTH, by Viktoriya Semioshina

RBTH asked Russian wives of Egyptians about their thoughts on the current situation in Egypt and how their life has changed because of this. 

The coming to power of the Muslim Brotherhood did not shock anyone, including the Russian women living in Egypt. Source: AP

Over the last two years, Egypt has survived two revolutions, held its first free elections, and has had two different presidents. All this time, Russia has been following everything that has taken place in Egypt. This is mainly because there are approximately 30,000 Russians living in Egypt, most of them wives of Egyptians.

The beginning of serious changes

Anastasia Petrova has been living in Hurghada for more than 10 years. Her husband Muhammad works in a tourist company. They have two children together. At first, Anastasia was against the Egyptian revolution, because she was sure that it would take a long time for the country to recover after the change of power.

“I was against the revolution. I understood that it would take a really long time to get out of that recessionary hole. Mostly the economic situation worried me, because my kids are growing up and I can't postpone giving them a proper education for 10 years,” Anastasia
say.

The coming to power of the Muslim Brotherhood did not shock anyone, including the Russian women living in Egypt.

“It was predictable, especially during the time when there was nothing to eat. In Egypt, nobody really likes to work, but, during the last few years, people completely got out of the habit of doing that. Nobody wanted to solve problems in an adequate manner; but even if they did want to, they wouldn't be able to. That's why Allah should be asked for help,” says Lilia, another Russian national. She is married to an Egyptian, but she is living in the United Arab Emirates and is writing her dissertation at the moment.

“My husband graduated from the American University in Cairo: He has a bank account, a proper education, but he still voted for Morsi,” Lilia says.

According to Anastasia, this is because the Muslim Brotherhood was the most organized political force, and there was hope that they could change the country and give its development a boost. But it did not take long to understand that this party would not have power for long. “The fact that Morsi wouldn't be president for long became evident when he started changing the law in the interest of his party, not his country,” Anastasia says.

The overthrow of Morsi

During the year that Muhammad Morsi was in power, the situation in Egypt became much worse. People encountered problems that they had never known under Mubarak. Besides electricity shortages, there were lines of 100 cars at gas stations. As a result, people started supporting protest rallies even more.

“Even my 75-year-old in-laws walked through the whole city to protest on the central square. Women and children who couldn't go far just left their houses and stood outside protesting,” Anastasia says.

Another Russian living in Cairo and mother of two, Renata Askerova, shares her memories about everything that was happening in Cairo at the time.

“There was a curfew—from 6 p.m. till 7 a.m. And this is in a city with a very active night life! Our men walked around the neighborhood protecting it from marauders,” says Renata. “Even now, when Morsi has been overturned, we are afraid that the Muslim Brothers will come to take revenge and organize terrorist attacks. It's dangerous and rather scary to live here, especially with children.”

via rbth.ru

Egypt’s transition period to end next spring

Daily News Egypt, by Joel Gulhane

Fahmy discusses roadmap, domestic affairs and foreign policy in UN address 

Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy delivered Egypt’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday (Photo from United Nations/Sarah Fretwell)

In his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Nabil Fahmy announced that Egypt’s transitional phase will end by Spring 2014.The interim Minister of Foreign Affairs, who addressed the UNGA on Saturday, stressed that the mass protests against former President Mohamed Morsi on 30 June “showed the world that the will of the people cannot be broken… that it can grant authority, just as it can remove it from the hands of those who can abuse it.”

In his 15 minute speech to the 68^th session of the UNGA, Fahmy said: “The Egyptians have an ambitious vision for the future that can be achieved through systematic work in a reasonable time frame.” He stressed that this vision is for an all inclusive society, “where the equal rights and duties of all citizens are ensured by the rule of law and equality before justice.”

Fahmy pointed out that the roadmap put forward by the Armed Forces following Morsi’s ouster in July is “underway” and “has so far succeeded in establishing the principles of justice, freedom and democracy, as a basis for governance.” He pointed out that the roadmap includes parliamentary elections and then presidential elections, which will complete the transitional phase by spring of next year.

The minister said that the determination to implement the roadmap “requires us to give utmost priority to the preservation of security and the enforcement of the law, and to counter any intimidation attempts at hindering our efforts.” He informed the assembly that Egypt has suffered from terrorist attacks, pointing out that such “hideous acts… aim at undermining the democratic process, and destroying our economy.” Fahmy said he expects the international community to “firmly stand by the Egyptian people in the fight against violence and its advocates.”

Fahmy also discussed Egypt’s foreign policy, which he now believes to be “a reflection of the will of our people, and is formulated in line with our interests and national security, with no regard to any other consideration.” The minister then outlined Egypt’s positions on key foreign policy issues, including the Syrian conflict, the Palestinian question, African issues, the structure of the UN and freeing the Middle East of weapons of mass destruction, for which he presented a three point plan.

The plan put forward by Fahmy calls on Middle Eastern countries and the five permanent-members of the Security Council to submit letters to the Secretary General of the UN expressing their support to rid the region of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. The second step is to ensure that those countries in the region that have not yet signed or ratified international conventions on such weapons  do so by the end of the year. He called on Israel to sign the non-proliferation treaty and to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and to sign and ratify the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). He also called on Syria to ratify the BWC and to continue to take the steps it has agreed to under the CWC. Fahmy said that Egypt would also ratify the BWC as well as signing and ratifying the CWC, “provided that all countries of the Middle East complete accession measures to the international conventions.”

Fahmy also held a number of meetings in the margins of the UNGA, including with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, President of the General Assembly John Ashe and his Bahraini and Lebanese counterparts.

via www.dailynewsegypt.com

Egypt's army privileges to be reviewed by a mini-committee: Salmawy

Ahram Online, by Gamal Essam El-Din

Mini-committee formed Sunday to review constitutional articles regulating the performance of Egypt's armed forces, says 50-member committee spokesperson 

 

Constituent Assembly spokesman Mohamed Salmawy. (Photo: Reuters)

Mohamed Salmawy, media spokesman for the 50-member committee mandated with writing the final draft of Egypt's new constitution, disclosed Sunday that a special mini-committee, including military and civilian figures, has been formed to review articles related to the regulation of the armed forces in Egypt's new post-30 June constitution.

 

According to Salmawy, the move comes after leading officials of the 50-member committee and a military delegation representing the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) held a four-hour meeting on Saturday.

"The mini-committee will be headed by Cairo University professor Abdel-Gelil Mostafa and include two figures representing SCAF (major-generals Mohamed Magd El-din Barakat and Maher Manaa Gad Al-Haq) along with three senior members of the committee of fifty," said Salmawy.

The objective of the mini-committee is to scrutinise the articles regulating the performance of the armed forces and find common ground between army officials and the constitution-drafting committee regarding the formulation of such articles."

Salmawy indicated that Amr Moussa, chairman of the committee of fifty, has given the mini-committee one week to reach agreement so that the matter can be discussed in a plenary session next week.

The spokesman refuted some charges that "the objective of the mini-committee is to strip members of the committee of fifty of the ability to exert pressure regarding the powers and privileges granted to the army by previous constitutions."

"Let me emphasise again that the objective is not to waste a lot of time in discussing articles related to the army, but to reach a common ground as soon as possible so that we can have an initial draft of the new constitution before the Eid Al-Adha (the Bairam feast) holiday -  scheduled on 13 October," said Salmawy.

Salmawy explained that the four-hour meeting on Saturday focused on listening to army officials, who delivered a review of the regional, international and local challenges facing Egypt.

"The army officials argued that the new constitution should respond accordingly and provide the armed forces with all the necessary powers to stand up to such challenges."

Salmawy also indicated that senior officials of the committee of fifty agreed that the Egyptian people highly appreciate the role of the armed forces in deposing Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. "The army supported Egyptians who turned out in their millions on 30 June to ask for change, and as a result the new constitution should reflect the close relationship and joint objectives of the people and the army," argued Salmawy.

Salmawy also confirmed that a special committee, entrusted with reviewing the language of the articles drafted by the sub-committees, has finished re-writing 50 articles of the new constitution. "The special committee, also headed by Abdel-Gelil Mostafa, has received a total of 100 articles that have been drafted by different subcommittees in recent days, and by the end of Saturday had finished re-writing 50 of them."

Salmawy disclosed that Hussein Abdel-Razeq, the representative of the leftist Tagammu party, proposed that article 54 be amended to state that political parties cannot be based on religious foundations or backgrounds. "This is different from the current text, which states that political parties cannot be based on religious foundations – without adding "backgrounds."

According to Salmawy, Abdel-Razeq's proposal garnered a lot of support and is aimed at preventing activists from exploiting religion in any way to set up political parties.

Salmawy refused to disclose how controversial article 3, which spells out rights for religious minorities, was drafted. However, he indicated the new draft has gained the support of Egyptian churches, the Sunni Islamic institute of Al-Azhar and most members of the committee. It is proposed that article 3, which "guarantees that Egyptian Christians and Jews have the right to exercise their religious rites," be extended to include all non-Muslims.

Finally, Salmawy said it is expected that Egypt's new constitution will not be as long as Brazilian or Indian versions, or as short as the American document. "It will be somewhere in the middle, with less than 300 articles," he said.

Salmawy indicated that the first draft of Egypt's new constitution will be completed next week or before the holiday of Eid Al-Adha. "After the holiday, the initial draft will be discussed in televised plenary sessions," said Salmawy, adding that "after members vote on articles, the final draft will be sent to the President so that it can be put to a national referendum within two weeks."

 

via english.ahram.org.eg

To Soha and other avid MB followers

Through a mutual friend, Soha—not her real name— became my Facebook friend. I don’t usually befriend strangers; however, I had thought she was a school friend by the same name, so I accepted her invitation. Anyway, Soha has been part of my Facebook page for almost three years.

Soha never directs any criticism or anger at me personally. Soha reads my rants against the Muslim Brotherhood but doesn’t comment. Though she can’t be a Muslim Brotherhood member—women just aren’t—she is an avid promoter of the MB cause.

Soha’s allegiance is as plain as day. Her views manifest in her posts. She has the R4BAA icon displayed on her page. She tends to hate Nasser for obvious historical reasons, being the first leader to estrange the Muslim Brotherhood, and she hates all those who had a hand in the events that led to Morsi’s fall from grace: the current government, the police force, the army, and in particular General El Sissi. But the hate spreads dubiously to the Americans, understandably to the Gulf States and Saudi, and questionably to the Nour Party, but more importantly to any good that may be directed to Egypt.

This open letter is a bid to Soha and other Muslim Brotherhood followers to ignore the differences that are gnawing at the essence of this country called Egypt.

Dear Soha,

We have come to know much about one another, if not personally then at least digitally, since we both Facebook our thoughts and endorsements.

I’m writing today in the hopes of getting Egypt out of the current impasse. Egypt today is stuck in a vendetta, an ongoing feud that may last through our lifetimes, and maybe our children’s too. Most Egyptians today despise the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Muslim Brotherhood reciprocates the feelings. For how long will this hatred go? Will the animosity become standard? 

What Egypt is facing now is relentless, ongoing madness. The killings, torching, and ongoing unrest will lead to an escalation in retaliatory measures from both sides.

In addition to Egypt’s loss, the MB loses. The conservative Egyptians who elected Morsi because he is a pious Muslim have strayed away; the protestors who chose him because he is not a Mubarak man have regretted their choice, and they, too, have drifted away.

And Egyptians have put two and two together and formed an educated guess: all the organized torching or systematic disasters must be the makings of the Muslim Brotherhood. Talk to Egyptians and they’ll go as far back as the Cairo Fire of 1952, or more recently the torching of many churches in 2011, and setting the Science Academy on fire in 2012 as incidents molded by the same arson imprint: the Muslim Brotherhood’s mark.

This is not a fair assumption though since, unless someone is tried and found guilty for such devious actions, these are mere hypotheses, but it still exhibits the true feelings of Egyptians, something the MB must be wary of.  

As for Morsi, I’m astounded that you fail to see that he was taking Egypt towards an abyss, and that the events of June 30 were morally if not legitimately justified. With rushed speed, Morsi had split the country into two distinct groups: the Muslim Brotherhood and the remaining Egyptians. It didn’t take long for Egyptians to realize that apartheid was in the making leaving most of them out in the cold, a segregated-against majority.

It seemed that a voracious appetite for supremacy blinded Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood into believing that scheming and conniving would yield power. Shamefully, the 85 years of underground mentality had stifled its leaders’ wisdom.

My suggestion to you is to let go. It is time to move on. Yes, MB men and women died, but how many more Egyptians deserve to die before you may say enough already? How many young men, officers and soldiers, should die before you can see the futility and despair in such actions?

Yes, the imprisoned MB members who had no inciting role must be released, but those who instigated chaos should be tried and sentenced.  

Yes, Egyptians are taking the vendetta a bit too far, too. No, MB member Aboutrika, our leading football star, will continue to play for Egypt; and Ragab and Sons whose owners are probably MB affiliated will continue to buy and sell goods, and Resala, the Islamic charitable foundation, will continue to help the poor. But if MB leaders want to torch Egypt, then they have to be penalized.

I am ready to move on. I don’t call for retaliation, and I don’t want more deaths or killings. I hope you are willing to do the same. It’s high time to focus on how we can improve the lives of Egyptians.

Azza Radwan Sedky 

Presidency hopes Tunisia learns from Egypt

Egypt Daily News 

Tunisian president Mohamed Moncef Marzouki addresses the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, on September 26, 2013 (AFP Photo/Mike Segar)

Egypt’s presidency condemned on Friday statements made by Tunisian President Mohamed Moncef Marzouki during a speech delivered to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday.

Marzouki used Egypt in his address as an example to prove that creating democracy and civil institutions was “replete with difficulties”.

The presidency released a statement stressing that “Egyptians aimed at restoring the 25 January revolution to its true path and therefore the 30 June revolution broke out,” reported state-run news agency MENA.

“We regret the Tunisian President’s lack of awareness regarding what’s truly happening in Egypt,” the statement reportedly read. “We hope that Tunisia, which had the honour of launching the Arab Spring, could benefit from the Egyptian experience which proved that people reject the imposition of a certain model which fails to reflect their pious nature.”

Presidential spokesman Ihab Al-Badawi stressed that Egypt is closely following events in Tunisia. He said that there are attempts to “hijack the Tunisian revolution”, adding that it is of crucial importance that those in charge focus on the revolution to achieve the hopes of the “brotherly nation of Tunisia”.

During his address to the General Assembly, Marzouki called on Egyptian authorities to release ousted President Mohamed Morsi, suggesting that his release will “help end the political tensions and stop the violence.” He also urged all parties to return to dialogue.

“[Tunisia] was the first country to experience the ‘Arab Spring’,” Marzouki told the General Assembly. “Now, in some countries, what is happening suggests that the dream is turning into a nightmare.”

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Thursday night rejecting and condemning Marzouki’s statements. The ministry alleged Marzouki had called on Egyptian authorities to release “what he described as political prisoners.”

It added that all statements made by Marzouki to the General Assembly during his address regarding Egypt are not true. It challenges the will of the Egyptian people who took to the streets in millions on 30 June calling for a true democratic state which excludes no one, the statement read.

The situation in Egypt was also addressed by other speakers in the General Assembly session on Thursday. Donald Ramotar, President of the Southern American country Guyana, described what happened   in Egypt as a “coup”, saying it was “a blow to democracy that led to violations of human rights and more social unrest”. Manuel Nhamajo, transitional President of the African country Guinea-Bissau, hoped that “dialogue and diplomacy would prevail in Egypt and Syria.” Similar hopes were reiterated by the African republic Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Laurent Kavakure, who encouraged parties in Egypt, as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and Syria, to “go to the negotiation table”.

Interim Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy is scheduled to deliver Egypt’s speech to the 68^th UNGA meeting on Saturday. The ministry spokesman said that Fahmy’s speech would “explain the principles and goals of the 30 June Revolution, defend it strongly, and aim to gather political and economic support for [the revolution].”

via www.dailynewsegypt.com

Egypt constitution to 'be ready by Eid'

Al Bawaba 

The head of the drafting committee for the Egyptian constitution said Thursday the final draft will be ready by Eid Al Adha on October 14. (AFP/File)

In a plenary session held on Monday, Amr Moussa, chairman of the 50-member committee mandated with writing the final draft of Egypt's new constitution, said "the first stage of writing Egypt's new national charter will be completed before the holiday of Eid Al-Adha (the Bairam feast) - or before 14 October."

Moussa explained, "at the end of this stage, we will have the first draft of the new constitution, to be followed by the 50-member committee reviewing and holding public debate sessions on it."

Once these stages are complete, Moussa added, we will have a final draft, which will be subject to a vote by members and then put to a national referendum.

Moussa commented, "the previous two weeks of business have included serious progress towards drafting a new constitution for Egypt... This indicates that we will be able to finish our task in the allotted 60-day timeframe, after which the constitution will be put to a referendum within two weeks," said Moussa.

Abdel-Gelil Mostafa, Cairo university professor and chairman of the sub-committee entrusted with reviewing the language of initial drafts of the constitution's articles, said: "We received 91 articles – out of a total 198 – drafted by three sub-committees... We have finished re-writing half of the 91 articles, and by the end of next week we should have finished re-writing the rest of them."

Sameh Ashour, chairman of the National Dialogue sub-committee, said: "As many as 28 hearing sessions have been held and 1,356 public figures have delivered proposed amendments on the existing constitution."

"There is a sweeping majority in favour of issuing a new constitution for Egypt rather than polishing the image of the 2012 constitution, which was drafted by the deposed regime of the Muslim Brotherhood," he added.

Ashour suggested interim-president Adli Mansour will be contacted to urge him to amend the 8 July constitutional declaration to clearly show that "Egyptians will vote on a new constitution rather than an amended version of the 2012 constitution."

Ashour asserted that representatives of all sectors of society insist the constitution should stress that "Egypt is a civilian democratic state."

According to Ashour, citizens also stressed that several articles should be changed to reflect the obligations of the state towards society, especially in terms of instituting a new health insurance system that covers all citizens, and ensures the protection of intellectual property and Egyptian artistic products.

Moussa said, "the 2012 constitution will never be back and there are guarantees that the anticipated 2013 constitution will not by negatively affected by any legal appeals."

In contrast, the representative of the ultra-conservative Salafist Nour party, Mohamed Ibrahim Mansour, said "the 30-June political roadmap stressed that the 50-member committee is entrusted with amending the 2012 constitution rather than writing a new one."

Mansour also rejected using "Western" terminology in writing the new constitution. According to him, phrases such as "civil state" are Western-inspired and will be rejected by the Egyptian people.

Mansour argued that the Nour Party rejects the implementation of a religious state, but is "in favour of a state which promotes religious values in society."

In response, Moussa said, "most of what we call Western expressions derive from Arabic origins and there must not be narrow-mindedness over this."

Mohamed Abdel-Salam, chairman of the Foundational  Principles of the State sub-committee, said: "While six articles have been re-drafted, we are in the process of reading another 36 controversial articles... The controversy over them is not serious and I think we will be able to reach consensus by next week."

Hoda Al-Sadda, chair of the Rights and Liberties sub-committee, said: "Most of the articles regulating the performance of political parties, NGOs and professional syndicates have already been drafted... We proposed setting up a commission to fight discrimination and ensure equal opportunities for all citizens."

Amr Al-Shobaki, chairman of the System of Governance sub-committee, explained that half of the articles under this committee have garnered consensus, especially those regulating the performance of the activities of the president, the police, and wider systems of governance.

Al-Shobaki further explained that the articles regulating the performance of the armed forces, judicial authorities, military trials and the municipal system will be reviewed next week.

via www.albawaba.com

Egypt asks for return of artefacts listed on eBay London

It pays to grapple and shout. Someone has heard my call and has addressed the issue. Ahram Online

scarab on display on eBay scarab on display on eBay

lantern on dsipla on eBay lantern on dsipla on eBay

Egypt's Ministry of State of Antiquities (MSA) has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send an emergency letter to London's foreign ministry to temporarily halt the sale of Egyptian artefacts listed on eBay until said objects are inspected.

MSA minister Mohamed Ibrahim said that the inspection would assess the objects' authenticity as well as their accompanying documents in order to ascertain how they were taken out of Egypt.

Authentic objects that have been illegally smuggled from the country must return to Egypt as they represent Egypt's heritage, Ibrahim asserted.

Head of the MSA's repatriation department Ahmed Ali told Ahram Online that the listed objects on eBay were found by chance, as the MSA inspects worldwide auction hall websites to determine if Egyptian artefacts have been illegally smuggled and to demand their restitution.

Ali noted that eBay lists over 800 ancient Egyptian and Islamic objects for auction, including scarabs, lanterns, amulets and ushabti figurines.

Early this week, Egypt succeeded in halting the sale of a collection of Egyptian artefacts in two Jerusalem auction halls.

via english.ahram.org.eg

Arizona Daily Wildcat :: UA Egypt Exhibition opens doors for archaeologists

Arizona Daily Wildcat, by Mary Rinker

In the 1980s, Indiana Jones changed the public perception of archaeologists everywhere.

Amy Johnson/The Daily Wildcat Geoffrey T. Martin, egyptologist, leads a discussion on his excavation in the Valleys of the Kings on Sept. 24, 2013. Martn ...

But the realities of archaeology — the long hours and exhausting work, the politics and payroll — have more than their fair share of people turning away from the field.

“You know you’re not going to make much money,” said Penny Mazer, vice president for the Arizona Chapter of the American Research Center in Egypt. “You know you’re probably going to end up as an academic, but it’s worth it. If you really love it, then it’s worth it.”

The UA Egyptian Expedition gives professionals from the UA the chance to be one of those people. The UAEE has had an ongoing dig in Egypt every year since 1988, said Pearce Creasman, the director of the UAEE and president of the Arizona Chapter for the ARCE.

“When you think of Egypt, you think of the sexy stuff, the gold, the mummies, the sphinxes,” Creasman said, “but it’s so much more than that.”

It’s about hard work, and pursuing something you love with dedication, Creasman added.

For students of the UA, the UAEE is a way to make that passion a reality. Its current project is the excavation of the Theban temple of Tausret, the 19th dynasty queen who went against tradition and ruled as king in 1190 B.C.E.

ARCE-AZ intends to get the word out on projects such as these and important and interesting research in Egyptology.

This includes bringing in speakers such as Geoffrey T. Martin from the University College of London, who spoke Tuesday about the re-excavation of the tomb of King Horemheb, one of the largest of its kind in the Valley of the Kings.

“He’s one of the most prominent Egyptologists around,”Creasman said. “Anybody who’s studied Egyptology has read one of his books.”

Martin spoke on the changes that the re-excavation caused to the timeline of Egyptian rulers. New findings showed that Horemheb ruled for a much shorter period of time than previously thought, creating a gap in which it is unknown who controlled the vast kingdom.

“There was so much left to learn from this dig,” Martin said. “So much was left behind after the first rushed excavation.”

The talk brought in about 50 people, from undergraduate students told to come by their instructors to Egypt enthusiasts and graduate students looking forward to their own fieldwork.

ARCE-AZ has one more event planned for this year: On Nov. 7 at 5:30 p.m., Sarah Parcak will speak about aerial mapping of Egypt through the use of satellite imaging.

The organization’s goal is to bring in speakers that the public is interested in hearing from to generate interest in the community about the science of Egyptology and the work that is being done around the world.

 

 

via www.wildcat.arizona.edu

Verdict banning Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood opens way for crackdown on its large social network

Read on. Washington Post

In this Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013 photo, Egyptians walk in front of Al-Omraniyah… (Hassan Ammar/Associated…)

CAIRO — An Egyptian court on Monday ordered the banning of the Muslim Brotherhood and the confiscation of its assets, opening the door for authorities to dramatically accelerate a crackdown on the extensive network of schools, hospitals, charities and other social institutions that was the foundation of the group’s political power.

Security forces have already been moving against the Brotherhood’s social networks, raiding schools and hospitals run by the group since the military’s July 3 ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

The sweep points to the ambitions of Egypt’s new leaders to go beyond the arrests of top Brotherhood figures to strike a long-term, even mortal, blow to the group by hitting the pillars of its grassroots organization. Doing so could cripple the group’s political prospects far into the future.

“The plan is to drain the sources of funding, break the joints of the group, and the dismantle podiums from which they deliver their message,” said one senior security official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss security agencies’ intentions.

Blurring its political and religious nature, the Brotherhood vaulted to election dominance in large part because of its multiple business interests that provide funding, as well as schools, mosques and powerful social institutions providing cheap medical care and services to millions of impoverished Egyptians. As a result, after the 2011 ouster of autocrat Hosni Mubarak, the Brotherhood swept parliament elections and lifted Morsi into office as the country’s first freely elected leader.

“The hospitals and schools are among the most powerful tools to garner support, which would be translated into votes,” said Ahmed Ban, a researcher and former Brotherhood member. Schools give the group “a large pool to recruit new cadres at a very stage of their lives,” he said. Hospitals send the message that “we are offering good and cheap services, and we are the good Muslims.”

In election seasons, Brotherhood hospitals, joined by candidates, would send medical convoys offering free care to villages where state services are absent. The past two years, the Brotherhood’s political party, the Freedom and Justice Party, held markets selling reduced-price food and clothes.

Outlawed for most of 85-year existence — with successive regimes alternating between repression and tolerance — the Brotherhood built its networks largely underground. That made it difficult for authorities to track, since many institutions were registered under individuals’ names.

via articles.washingtonpost.com