Egypt

Eni Makes New Gas Discovery in Egypt

Rigzone, by Valerie Jones (Link: Eni makes new gas discovery in Egypt)

Eni has announced a discovery well on the Faramid South exploration prospect in East Obayed Concession.

Italian oil and gas company Eni S.p.A. has made a new gas discovery in the Egyptian Western Desert, the company announced Aug. 30.

The well was drilled on the Faramid South exploration prospect in East Obayed Concession, 18.6 miles (30 kilometers) northwest of the Melehia Concession and reached a target depth of 17,000 feet.

The discovery well has been open to production delivering 25 million standard cubic feet per day, confirming the East Obayed Concession’s potential, the company said.

Eni has begun studies to develop gas reserves that can contribute to increasing Egypt’s gas production from the Western Desert Basin. Through its operating company AGIBA, Eni currently produces 55,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day from the Egyptian Western Desert. AGIBA owns 100 percent of the East Obayed Concession.

And this is the press release by which Eni announced the discover.

Eni announces a gas discovery in the Egyptian Western Desert (Link: Eni announces a gas discovery in the Egyptian western Desert) 

San Donato Milanese (Milan), 30 August 2018 – Eni announces a gas discovery in the Egyptian Western Desert. The discovery well has been drilled on the Faramid South exploration prospect located in East Obayed concession, 30 km North-West of the Melehia Concession. The well reached the target depth of 17,000 ft and encountered several gas bearing layers in the Kathabta sandstones of Jurassic age.

The well has been opened to production delivering 25 mmscfd, confirming the potential of the East Obayed Concession.
Eni has started the studies to develop these relevant gas reserves that, together with the gas potential of the Melehia Concession, can contribute to increase the country gas production from the Western Desert Basin.

Eni, through its Operating Company AGIBA, which is equally held by Eni subsidiary IEOC and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), currently produces 55,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day from the Egyptian Western Desert. AGIBA owns 100% of the East Obayed Concession.

Eni has been present in Egypt since 1954, where is the main producer with approximately 320,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day equity. Such production is expected to further grow within the year, thanks to the ramp up of the Zohr field.

Company Contacts:

1

Press Office: Tel. +39.0252031875 – +39.0659822030
Free phone for shareholders (from Italy): 800940924
Free phone for shareholders (from abroad): + 80011223456 Switchboard: +39-0659821

ufficio.stampa@eni.com segreteriasocietaria.azionisti@eni.com investor.relations@eni.com

Web site: www.eni.com

 

foster + partners wins competition to rejuvenate cairo's maspero triangle district

Foster and Partners won this competition a couple of years back, but the topic, info, etc. was worth posting, and the Maspero Triangle District is being mentioned in the Lugano Democratic Design Day 2018).
Designboom (Democratic Design Day 2018 Lugano) Link: Foster and Partners wins competition to rejuvenate Cairo's Maspero Triangle District

it has been announced that international practice foster and partners has won a competition to rejuvenate downtown cairo with their maspero triangle district masterplan. the scheme is based on the banks of the river nile that is currently characterized by its informal settlements all within a dense urban fabric.

the vast masterplan sees commercial and residential spaces occupying the river edge and main street frontages, while mixed-use buildings and open community spaces to be based in the more private, central core of the scheme.this strategy allows the existing population of the district to maintain its overlapping spatial live-work relationships while new office and retail opportunities on the edges of the site create employment opportunities for the entire city of cairo.

the vast scheme will be a combination of public initiative and private investment all images courtesy of foster + partners

The public realm will be a main focus in the project, and in addition to the green areas throughout the settlement, a central open space has been created at the heart of the neighborhood for community events and celebrations. this part links directly to the food market, serving visitors and locals alike, which in turn leads to the retail spine and the hospital at the northern corner of the site. in terms of accessibility, the settlement prioritizes pedestrian traffic with its narrow, shaded streets, while establishing a footbridge across the river to the exclusive neighbourhood of Zamalek.

grant brooker, senior executive partner at foster + partners comments: ‘we are delighted to have won the masterplan design competition for the maspero triangle district. we believe this is an exciting opportunity to transform the lives of the people that live in this neighborhood – supporting the vibrant public realm by giving them greener community spaces, and a better place to live and work, while creating new spaces for offices, retail and residences. on the banks of the river nile, the future of maspero burns bright, and we are sure our sustainable model of development will set the benchmark for urban regeneration throughout the country.’

Joyous ‘Back to Roots’ for Coptic Diaspora young

A splendid  story. Excerpt: read on here for more photos and information.  

Watani, by Mariam Farouq Nevine Gadallah

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4), was the joyful motto of the forum “Back to Roots”, the World Youth Week (WYW) of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The forum runs from 25 August to 2 September 2018 at the Logos Centre in the monastery of Anba Bishoi in Wadi al-Natrun in Egypt’s Western Desert. The WYW comes under the sponsorship of Pope Tawadros II.

Some 200 second- and third-generation young men and women of the Coptic Diaspora from more than 50 countries across the world were invited to spend one week at the desert monastery in Egypt. The participants, aged 22 to 28, are active members of their churches. Side by side with spiritual activity, they are treated to a cultural and tourist programme that includes visits to Egypt’s renowned landmarks and monasteries.

The opening ceremony at Logos Centre started with a word from Fr Raphael Tharwat, Coordinator-General of the WYW. “This is a unique event,” Fr Rapahael said. “For the first time in the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church, young Egyptians from all over the world have converged on Egypt for a forum. We currently have 33 Coptic dioceses outside Egypt, in more than 50 countries over the world.”

Fr Raphael explained that the forum is being held in 2018, seeing that that year is one that features a number of major anniversaries. For one, it marks fifty years on the establishment of Coptic churches abroad in response to the need of migrant Copts. It also marks the golden jubilee of the Manifestation of the Holy Virgin Mary at her church in Zaitoun, Cairo; and 50 years on the opening of St Mark’s Cathedral in Abbassiya, Cairo, at the hands of Pope Kyrillos VI. There the relics of St Mark the Evangelist, who had preached Christianity in Egypt in the first AD century and whose relics had been carried to Venice in 828, were placed upon bringing them home from the Vatican.

The year is also the centenary of the establishment of Sunday School in the Coptic orthodox Church at the hands of St Archdeacon Habib Girgis; Sunday School remains a mainstay of education in Church.

The forum is held with three main purposes, Fr Raphael noted. First, it strengthens relation between young Copts in the Diaspora and their roots in Egypt and the Coptic Church. Second, he said addressing the participants, “it brings to you the joy of our spirituality, Church, and Egyptian roots. And third, our goal is to listen to you and all you have to say; because you are the future.”

During the week, participants from America, Canada, Australia, England, Europe, Asia and Africa experience first hand the profound spiritual life of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt; even as they meet and exchange views, forming a worldwide network of Coptic youth. Members of each diocese will plant at Logos a tree to immortalise their visit.

The opening ceremony included a televised speech by Nabila Makram, Minister of Immigration and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs, who said that the World Youth Week is an important step towards connecting second and third generations of Egyptians outside Egypt with their roots through lectures, seminars, visits, and meetings with prominent Egyptian and Coptic figures in various fields.

When it was time for Pope Tawadros II to speak, he expressed how happy he was with holding such a gathering of young men and women from all over the world. “This was a dream I have been attempting to realise since I became patriarch in 2012 … Now, thanks to continuous prayer and diligent efforts, it has come true.

“I would like to welcome our beloved young sons and daughters from US, Europe, the Gulf, Jerusalem, Australia, Africa, Sudan and from Egypt,” the Pope said. “Because the place can accommodate just a limited number, we were able to send out only 200 invitations to our dioceses inside and outside Egypt,” implying that he wished it could have been more.

via en.wataninet.com

Canada’s Feud with the Saudis Will Inevitably End in Happy Hypocrisy

Geopolitical Monitor, by By Alessandro Bruno

Excerpt Canada's feud with the Saudis will inevitably end in happy hypocrisy

Canada has been forced to deal with a difficult diplomatic situation, perhaps having to rely on the help of Donald Trump, no less, because its European friends, the UK, Germany, France have refused to intercede. Who is this mighty and narcissistic foe that needs so much attention? Why it’s Saudi Arabia. Its human rights and social norms may not be to everyone’s taste. But, everyone likes its oil and especially the dollars it provides to invest in all kinds of goods in countries like the US, Germany, France and of course Canada.

Canadian expats in Saudi Arabia are now at risk – I would advise them to hold back any cravings for alcohol. More significantly, companies like SNC Lavalin stand to lose considerable business in ongoing projects in the Kingdom. While human rights are important, it’s also important to recognize the totality of a country’s interests when picking a spat – one you can’t win. And Canada is proving that because of the obvious problem that it’s causing in Ottawa, despite appearances.

Recently, through diplomatic channels, Canada has demanded the release of a jailed woman in Saudi Arabia. Her husband has refugee status in Canada. So far so good and diplomatic. But, Canada’s ideological (just look at her record on relations with Russia) former journalist minister of foreign affairs, Chrystia Freeland, has picked up Trump’s penchant for Twitter. She decided to tweet about the Saudi woman and ruined any chance of her release, while also triggering a diplomatic crisis with the Kingdom.

For all of the human rights paraphernalia of the Trudeau government, diplomacy should be conducted through diplomatic channels – not social media. Moreover, the Saudis have a distaste for Twitter, having arrested many locals who have used the platform to criticize – however legitimately – the House of Saud. Freeland has committed a rookie but cardinal diplomatic error. Instead of admitting this, Ottawa has upped the ante – and played right into the Conservatives’ arms. They, not to be outdone, presumably sent former foreign minister, John Baird, to criticize the Canadian government on Saudi TV no less. There’s an argument that could be made featuring the term ‘treason’ somewhere in what Baird (and his former boss, PM Harper) did.

Oh my God, indeed!

That said, when it comes to human rights, Freeland and Trudeau seem oblivious to the Saudi led war against the Houthis in Yemen. Canada has gladly sold armored cars to the Saudis. Thus, it has shown that moral lessons can take a backseat to trade and business.

Still, the big issue concerns the excessiveness of the Saudi reaction. Why has it been so tough?

Simply put, the Saudis have little to lose by cutting off Canada. But, they can make a big example out of it, should any other Western nation be tempted to criticize its human right records while Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman implements what seem like slow reforms in the West. Yet, the Crown Prince is moving the equivalent of mountains vis-à-vis the Wahhabi religious establishment, the Ulama.

Saudi Arabia knows that the West is the one that has most to lose in any diplomatic showdown of this kind; especially Canada, which has little leverage in the Middle East. Canada, for example, has bad ties with Saudi enemy Iran and even worse perhaps with Russia, the very same which has defeated Saudi backed ‘rebels’ in Syria (while Canada tacitly supported them).

The Saudis have also been moving closer to Israel – thanks also to Trump’s interventions and the common enemy of Iran. Thus, Saudi Arabia, and not without some reason, believes it should enjoy the kind of immunity from criticism that is afforded to Israel. Moreover, Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS – the real architect of the Saudi ‘reforms’), given the apparent senility of King Salman, expects to become King soon. He faces much internal competition and has to appear tough about upholding traditional Saudi virtues in the eyes of the religious establishment.

The Saudis are clear about one thing. And the other Western nations have already absorbed the message. If you want Saudi riyals in your pockets, you must ignore crimes against humanity and the violence against the civilians in Yemen. The Saudis demand and expect to be granted a special status within the “international community.”

Read on here. 

 

FAO hands Egypt sun dried tomato processing unit

Watani, by Mary Fikry

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has officially handed over a solar powered sun-dried tomato processing unit to the Marketing Cooperative for Fruits and Vegetables in Bangar al-Sokar, Nubariya, west of the Nike Delta. This processing unit comes within the context of the project “Food Loss and Waste Reduction and Value Chain Development for Food Security in Egypt”.

Attending the handover event were representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MALR), the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Agriculture Research Centre and the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit for Loss and Waste in Agricultural Products.

Based on recommended solutions from the project baseline studies, market assessments and tomato loss analysis in Egypt, the project identified sun-dried tomatoes (SDT) as one of the simple, easy and effective methods to reduce loss and waste in tomatoes and to create local value addition in the agribusiness sector while exploring different marketing channels for tomato growers. The SDT unit is managed by the Marketing Cooperative for Fruits and Vegetables, in collaboration with local MALR authorities and FAO.

In addition to the advantage of reducing tomato losses in Nubariya, the SDT unit helps control the production of tomatoes, and reduces tomato price fluctuations, since the SDT can be stored for up two years. In addition, the SDT unit helps create job opportunities especially for young people and women; reduces the cost of transport; benefits labour by gaining experience thus expanding the business in similar crops such as pepper and eggplants. Finally, it helps open new export markets for the cooperatives through the private sector that exports SDTs to European markets.

“Egypt is one of the world’s largest producers of tomatoes; however, more than 50 per cent of these tomatoes are being wasted during the stages of harvesting and production and during the retail and wholesale stages, along with a significant loss in terms of quality. Therefore, the SDT unit is considered a technical solution which aims to reduce losses under the framework of the project “Food Loss and Waste Reduction and Value Chain Development for Food Security in Egypt and Tunisia” implemented by FAO and funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation ,” Said Hussein Gadain, FAO Representative in Egypt, during the ceremonial handover.

“This project in Egypt focuses on studying tomato and grapes value chains, analysing reasons behind food losses along the value chains and developing a food-loss monitoring system. Hundreds of farmers, agriculture extension engineers, traders and value chain operators have been trained on post-harvest handling and marketing. They have also been trained on studying the environmental impacts of food losses and the possible methods of recycling tomatoes waste,” Hussein said.

Watani International

via en.wataninet.com

Ethiopian PM says GERD 'may never see light of day' if delays continue

Ahram Online, by Mahmoud Aziz, Sunday 26 Aug 2018 

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Photo: Reuters)

In his first ever press conference since taking office last May, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed warned his nation on Saturday that the under-construction Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) "may never see the light of day" if delays on the project continue.

During the press conference, Abiy addressed a wide variety of issues including reform measures, internal conflicts within the country, and progress on the nation’s mega projects, including the GERD.

Abiy said that during a visit to the GERD two months ago, he discovered that electromechanical works contracted to the Metals and Engineering Corporation (MetEC) – which is run by the Ethiopian military – have been delaying the project.

“Salini is completing its part of the project on time and now it is demanding huge payment because the project is lagging from the side of MetEC,” Abiy told the media, referring to Salini Impregilo SpA, an Italian industrial group specialised in construction and civil engineering.

“Thinking big is one thing but accomplishing it is another. We have handed over a complicated water dam project to people who have not seen a dam in their life and if we continue in that direction, the project may never see the light of day,” Ahmed warned.

In 2011, Ethiopia started construction on the GERD over the Blue Nile River, the main tributary to Egypt's Nile.

Ethiopia stresses that the dam is being constructed mainly to generate electricity, and that it is necessary for the country's development. Addis Ababa insists that the dam will not harm downstream countries.

Addis Ababa plans to start filling the dam's reservoir sometime this year. When completed, the dam will be the largest in Africa, with a reservoir capacity of 74 billion cubic metres.

Egypt has repeatedly voiced concerns that the rate at which the GERD's reservoirs are being filled could reduce its share of Nile water, which Ethiopia has dismissed.

via english.ahram.org.eg

Egypt’s economic pain is all in a good cause

Arab News, by HAFED AL-GHWELL, excerpt from Egypt's economic pain is all in a good cause. 

Before the 2011 revolution that deposed Hosni Mubarak, Egypt had undergone a few reform periods between 1991 and 2007 in an effort to reduce external debt and expand the role of the private sector.

As a result of those reforms, Egypt was able to relax some price controls, tackle double-digit inflation, reduce subsidies and cut taxes.

The government also liberalized trade and reduced barriers to investment, resulting in a reduced public sector footprint in the heavy industries. This ultimately opened doors to private-sector investments in critical economic sectors such manufacturing and agriculture, with the exception of sugar and cotton.

This meant Egypt was already poised to benefit from sustained annual GDP growth if the government continued to pursue appropriate economic reforms. These reforms, initiated at the behest of the 1991 Paris Club debt settlement negotiations, went a long way to achieving Egypt's economic goals as it entered the 21st century.

Accordingly, in 2013 the World Bank promoted Egypt from a low income to a lower-middle-income country based on its country classification categories that are determined by gross national income per capita.

Egypt faced the same economic headwinds as the rest of the world after the 2008 financial crisis that culminated in a painful global economic downturn. It survived that, only to land in the throes of a “revolution” that toppled the Mubarak regime that had controlled the levers of power for nearly three decades.

The transition from Mubarak to Mohammed Morsi was tumultuous and catastrophic, as precious revenues from tourism and foreign investments dried up because of the precarious security situation.

Unemployment, which was already high, skyrocketed while a transition government kept dipping into public coffers to pay for subsidies that kept fuel and food prices artificially low.

The 2008 financial crisis and the January 2011 revolution combined to put enormous pressure on the Egyptian government to finally allow the Egyptian pound to float in 2016 as part of efforts to stabilize a battered economy.

With little investment and government expenditures tied up in subsidies, public sector wages and propping up the Egyptian pound, there was little left over to stimulate much-needed growth and stability.

The transition from Mubarak to Mohammed Morsi was tumultuous and catastrophic, as precious revenues from tourism and foreign investments dried up because of the precarious security situation.

Hafed Al-Ghwell

Political turmoil, social unrest and widespread divisiveness during the short-lived Morsi presidency did little to inspire confidence in Egypt's markets to attract new investors. In fact, credit rating agencies significantly downgraded Egypt on several occasions as a result of the lack of confidence in Egypt's ability to meet its financial obligations.

In 2013, Egypt's current president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, removed Morsi from power, putting an end to a period marred by social, political and economic ills.

Riding on a wave of renewed optimism and an improving security situation, El-Sisi was now tasked with delivering a strong, stable economy which is still facing daunting structural challenges while having to sustain a population of 95 million, and growing at 2.4 percent a year — amounting to approximately two million people a year — with official youth unemployment  rates of almost 25 percent .

Fortunately for El-Sisi's administration, strong backing by the armed forces and an improving world economy allowing for closer economic cooperation meant that precious political capital could now be expended in order to initiate the painful but necessary reforms to improve Egypt's battered economy and hopefully put Egypt on a path to long-term economic growth and relative stability, while undertaking some painful but necessary reforms.

El-Sisi already put in motion a number of key reforms, specifically in reducing energy-related subsidies, but has also indicated that the reforms are "open-ended" and thus it is likely that new policies meant to stimulate private sector growth and more reforms in public administration and reducing the legendary bureaucratic maze in Egypt are still coming.

Long-term stability and improvements in most Egyptians' lives would be impossible to achieve without painful changes in Egypt's economic order. This reality has finally persuaded Egyptians to understand that these structural reforms are necessary and have been delayed for decades for political reasons, making things far more complicated and more painful to change.

Only two questions now remain. First, will El-Sisi be able to persuade the population to put up with more austerity measures for much longer? These removing subsidies altogether, with careful and targeted cash transfers to the poorest families, and using that wasted subsidy money as investment in future growth; directing the savings toward improvements in education to improve literacy and to prepare young people for a sophisticated new world economy; rapidly expanding the private sector to encourage hiring, and even slashing the bloated civil service; and other growth-orientated programs.

Second, can El-Sisi, a military man himself, take on the necessary reforms to reduce the armed forces’ monopolies in some sectors and its large footprint in the economy, as well as some entrenched business circles, in order to push through reforms that would put Egypt in uncharted growth-orientated economic waters?

via www.arabnews.com

"Lived here" initiative spotlights homes of Egypt's most famous residents

Al Monitor, Amr Mostafa (excerpt; read on "Lived here" initiative spotlights homes of Egypt's most famous residents

CAIRO — In an effort to pay homage to Egypt’s cultural icons and to introduce them to future generations, an Egyptian initiative has installed 100 signs throughout Egyptian cities marking the former homes of such legends as Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and singer Umm Kulthum.

The National Organization for Urban Harmony (NOUH) and the Ministry of Culture started working on the initiative, called “Lived Here,” to mark the homes of Egypt's iconic figures in arts, literature, politics and science two years ago. The project got off to a slow start when both NOUH and the ministry went through administrative changes, but in February 2018, NOUH finally designed and installed 70 signs for 70 prominent Egyptian figures outside their one-time residences. The signs include a brief description of the figure's work, achievements and life.

As of this summer, 100 signs can be found around Cairo, Alexandria and several other cities, and Egyptians have taken notice. Social media platforms are full of photos of and selfies with the signs, and newspapers have praised the initiative.

The chairman of NOUH, Mohamed Abou Saeda, told Al-Monitor that the idea started as part of the Street Story Project to protect Egypt's architectural heritage from demolition. The project sought to install signs detailing each street’s history as well as information about prominent past residents.

In the course of its research, NOUH found that dozens of historical figures had lived on such streets. The group decided to create a new initiative that would focus on the individual buildings. The first phase of the project was carried out in Cairo, and then it spread to Alexandria and other cities.

Abou Saeda said each sign contains a QR code that visitors can scan with their smartphones to “access a large database prepared by NOUH and includes accurate and comprehensive details about the famous figure who lived there.”

He added that the first 100 signs are just the beginning and there will eventually be signs for thousands of prominent Egyptian figures. 

​Talking to Al-Monitor about the initiative and its success, Moataza Abdel Sabour, the daughter of prominent Egyptian poet Salah Abdel Sabour, expressed her happiness about the sign posted at the entrance of their house, beneath the balcony where her father used to sit to write poetry and host notable guests from around Egypt and the Arab world.

The initiative has also shed light on some lesser known figures of the Egyptian intellectual world, such as children's literature author Abdel Tawab Youssef. Writing for al-Ahram newspaper, journalist Othman Fikri said a sign placed near the house of Youssef has brought the neglected writer once more to the attention of the public.

“Those signs, including the associated database, will contribute to the protection of the history of many of these historical figures and will keep them alive in the memory and conscience of the Egyptian people," Fikri told Al-Monitor.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/08/egyptians-put-up-signs-where-celebrities-live.html#ixzz5PCeHAzK9

المسلمون فى كندا

الاهرام اليومي

د. عزة رضوان صدقى

فى هذا الوقت بالتقريب من 2017 أصدرت كندا طابعا بريديا تكريما لعيد الفطر وعيد الأضحي. سمات الطابع عربية وتتوسطه عبارة عيد مبارك، ويصحب الشرح التالى الكتيب الصغير الذى يشتمل على عشرة طوابع بالغة الانجليزية: «يعد العيدان الفطر والأضحى أهم عيدين لدى مسلمى العالم. عيد الفطر يأتى بعد انتهاء صوم رمضان، وعيد الأضحى يحتفل باستعداد سيدنا إبراهيم للتضحية بابنه اسماعيل مطيعا لأوامر الله، وأيضا احتفالا بقدوم موسم الحج الى مكة. كلٌ من العيدين يتضمن صلوات خاصة وأكلات مميزة، ويتبادل المسلمون فيهما الهدايا ويكثرون من اعمال الخير. للبعض يمثل هذا الطابع علامة رمزية فقط لا غير ولكن للمسلمين الكنديين والمجتمع الكندى بكامله هو إثبات للوفاق وتقبل التعددية الثقافية وقبول مختلف الأديان والجنسيات

أكثر من مليون مسلم ومسلمة يعيشون فى كندا يمثلون نحو 3٫2 فى المائة من السكان ويكوِّنون ثانى أكبر جالية دينية بعد المسيحية. يوجد نحو 90 مسجدا فى كندا معظمها يتمركز فى المناطق المكتظة بالسكان. وبما أن الميثاق الكندى يحترم حرية الأديان والاعتناق والتجمعات السلمية فإن المسلمين الكنديين يمارسون دينهم وطقوسه بحرية تامة. بينما يقوم بعض ممن يدعون أنهم يعتنقون الإسلام بسلسلة من الأعمال الإرهابية فى العالم يجب التساؤل عن المعاملة الذى يقابلها المسلم فى كندا، وإذا ما كانت جرائم الكره والغضب التى تحدث كردود فعل بعد الأعمال الإرهابية تعرضهم للخطر والمطاولة. حالة إرهابية وحيدة حدثت فى 2014 عندما اقتحم كندى من أصل ليبى البرلمان الكندى وأطلق النار جزافا وتسبب فى وفاة جندى ومع ذلك لم يتبع هذه الجريمة أى جرائم انتقامية

إن الحجاب يبقى أكثر سمات الإسلام وضوحا لذلك يجب أن نتساءل كيف تعامل المحجبات فى المجتمع الكندي؟ فى العموم تتعامل المحجبة مثلها مثل أى سيدة غير محجبة. الطالبات السعوديات يرتدين الحجاب فى الجامعات الكندية ولا يصادفن أى تمييز أو تحرش. لقد درست بعضهن وكنت سعيدة بأسلوبهن وتعاملهن مع الآخرين وتجاوب الطلبة والطالبات الكنديين معهن كما هو الحال للطالبات الإيرانيات والأفغانيات المحجبات وغير المحجبات. والبائعات فى المتاجر يرتدين الحجاب دون أن يلفتن الأنظار

فى مدينة فانكوفر بغرب كندا اللاجئات السوريات أنشأن جماعة طيبة، وهى قاعدة طعام سوري، تقدم أمسيات يحضرها الكنديون وتشارك فى المنتديات ولديها عربة طعام تقف فى وسط المدينة ليعددن أشهى الأكلات السورية. هؤلاء السيدات جميعهن يرتدين الحجاب ويتقبلهن المجتمع بقلب رحب متمنيا لهن التوفيق

ولكن هناك حالة أثارت الجدل فى الأوساط الكندية، ففى محافظة كيبيك رفضت قاضية النظر فى قضية سيدة مسلمة إلا ولو خلعت الحجاب. القاضية آنذاك قارنت بين الحجاب والقبعة أو النظارة الشمسية اللتين ترفضهما أيضا. آنذاك أدان الكنديون والمسئولون منهم تعليق وأسلوب القاضية فى التعامل مع قضية هذه السيدة حيث إن ذلك لا يمت للقانون المدنى الكندى بصلة. أما النقاب فهو شيء مختلف تماما. كثير من الكنديين ينظرون إليه على أنه انتهاك لحقوق المرأة ويشعرون بقلق عندما يرون سيدة تغطى وجهها، ولكن نظر القضاء إلى النقاب على أنه حق إذا أرادت المسلمة ارتداءه، فقد حدث أن مُنعت سيدة مسلمة من أصل باكستانى من حلف اليمين عند الحصول على الجنسية الكندية فى أثناء ارتدائها النقاب ولكنها أوصلت قضيتها إلى القضاء وحكم لها بأحقيتها فى حلف اليمين وهى مرتدية النقاب

معظم جامعات كندا توفر مكانا للصلاة داخل أروقتها. فى محافظة أونتاريو مثلا يقيم الطلبة المسلمون صلاة الجمعة بالمدارس إلا أن البعض أبغضوا هذا التجمع مقتنعين بأن صلاة الجمعة غير مناسبة فى المدارس العلمانية الكندية، لكن قررت محافظة أونتاريو أن من حق الطلبة المسلمين الاستمرار فى الصلاة جماعة فى المدارس وأن هذا يتبع الحقوق الدينية فى المجتمع الكندي

جريمة واحدة زلزلت المجتمع الكندى وتركته فى حالة ذعر شديد فى أوائل 2017 عندما أودى هجوم على جامع فى مدينة كيبيك بحياة 6 وإصابة 19 آخرين من المسلمين، وقد أدان رئيس الوزراء الكندى المذبحة قائلا «إن أكثر من مليون كندى مسلم يتألمون ويحاولون استيعاب ما حدث فى مدينة كيبيك وعليهم أن يعلموا أنهم ليسوا بمفردهم وأن 36 مليون كندى يعانون مثلهم ومعهم. الحقيقة أن كندا تفخر بأنها استوعبت وتستوعب القادمين من جميع أنحاء العالم وبتبنيها منظومة الثقافة التعددية، وأنها أقوى ليس بالرغم من اختلاف الجنسيات بل بفضل تعددها. نبض الحياة الكندية منسوج من عشرات الثقافات المختلفة والأديان المتعددة فباستثناء أهالى كندا الأصليين الجميع مهاجرون لذا وجب احترام الآخر وتقبل عقائده

 أستاذة إعلام بكندا

لمزيد من مقالات د. عزة رضوان صدقى

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 via www.ahram.org.eg

Egypt's Trade Minister Courts Private Sector For Cotton Production

Al Bawaba, excerpt Egypt's Trade Minister Courts Private Sector for Cotton Production

(Shutterstock/ File Photo)

Egypt’s Trade and Industry Minister Amr Nassar said that cooperation is underway between the Agriculture Ministry and the business sector to develop Egypt’s cotton industry further, diversify its uses in the industry and thus improving the quality of products manufactured by Egyptian cotton, making it more appealing to global markets.

Nassar stressed the importance of placing Egyptian cotton in its proper position as among the finest type of cotton in the world.

On Saturday Nasser met with the chairman of the Cotton Egypt Association (CEA), Wael Olama. Nasser then expressed how important the CEA’s efforts are in protecting the quality of Egyptian cotton, which includes follow-ups of its DNA through careful sampling, analysis and identification of violations.

The CEA conducts global awareness campaigns in major retail chains in the United Kingdom, as well as the Europe, the United States of America, India, Turkey, China and Pakistan.

Olama said that the CEA is currently implementing a comprehensive plan to increase the rates of production and exports of cotton, ready-made garments and textiles.

He explained that since utilizing careful DNA tests to ensure the cotton is pure Egyptian, the export demand for Egyptian cotton has seen a significant increase.

Olama added that the association contracted with an international company to conduct examination of Egyptian cotton samples globally.