Egypt

الحقوق في مهب الريح

الاهرام اليومي ٢٨ ديسمبر 

بقلم عزة رضوان صدقي

في قمة لجنة الشئون الامريكية الاسرائيلية العامة (الايباك) اخبر الرئيس ترامب الحاضرين ان اسرائيل لم يكن لها صديق افضل منه في البيت الابيض لانه, علي عكس سابقيه, حقق وعوده. بطريقته الصريحة والمباشرة ربما يكون الرئيس ترامب قد صاغ الحقيقة بوضوح صارخ

وعد الرئيس ترامب أثناء حملته الانتخابية بالاعتراف بالقدس كعاصمة لإسرائيل، ودُعِّم على الفور من قبل اللوبي الإسرائيلي. على سبيل المثال، تبرع شلدون أدلسون، الذي تبلغ ثروته حوالي 37,9 مليار دولار أمريكي، بـ 30 مليون دولار لحملة ترامب الرئاسية، ثم تبرع لاحقًا بمبلغ 100 مليون دولار للحزب الجمهوري. خلال قمة الأيباك هذه، ظهر كلٌ من شيلدون أدلسون وزوجته، ميريام أدلسون، على المسرح للترحيب بالرئيس الأمريكي. في ترحيبها بالرئيس ترامب، قالت أدلسون إن التاريخ اليهودي سيسجل الدور الذي يلعبه ترامب من أجل إسرائيل، وذلك حتى قبل اكتمال ولايته الأولى كرئيس للولايات المتحدة

 منذ توليه رئاسة الولايات المتحدة والرئيس ترامب يشد أزر دولة إسرائيل ويشجِّع سياستها المتمثلة في تجاهل الشرعية وحقوق الإنسان وسيادة القانون. قرارت الرئيس ترامب تجاه إسرائيل أكسبتها نفوذا وحقوقا أكبر بكثير مما كانت إسرائيل تحلم به، كما أنها أضفت الشرعية على المخالفات الإسرائيلية. من الواضح أن الإدارة الأمريكية الحالية مصممة على تأمين أكبر قدر ممكن لإسرائيل في أقصر فترة زمنية، حتى أن الثلاثه مليارات دولار التي تتلقاها إسرائيل في شكل مساعدات عسكرية تعدُّ ثانوية إذا ما قورنت بموجة القرارات المؤيدة لإسرائيل التي أعلنتها إدارة ترامب  

في عام 2017 حافظ ترامب على وعده واعترف بالقدس عاصمة لإسرائيل، ثم نقل السفارة الأمريكية من تل أبيب إلى القدس في عام 2018.  في نفس الوقت أغلقت الولايات المتحدة مكتب منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية في واشنطن للضغط عليها لقبول خطة السلام التي ترعاها الولايات المتحدة. افترضت الولايات المتحدة وإسرائيل أن الدول الأخرى سوف تحذو نفس الحذو وتصبح القدس هي مركز جميع السفارات، ولكن الدولة الوحيدة التي تبعت الولايات المتحدة كانت جواتيمالا، بل أدانت معظم الدول نقل السفارة إلى القدس واعتبرته سببا آخر لتفاقم الأوضاع في المنطقة

في محاولة أخرى لتعزيز حقوق إسرائيل في اغتصاب الأرض، في مارس 2019 على نفس غرار القدس، اعترف الرئيس ترامب بسيادة إسرائيل على مرتفعات الجولان المحتلة. حتى وإن لم يعترف العالم بهذا القرار ولم يسانده، فقد شرّع الرئيس ترامب بهذا القرار الاحتلال متجاهلا مجلس الأمن وقراراته عن مرتفعات الجولان

في تحوُّل عدواني خارق آخر اعترفت الولايات المتحدة بالمستوطنات اليهودية في الضفة الغربية. كان الموقف الأصلي للولايات المتحدة هو أن المستوطنات تتعارض مع القانون الدولي. لكن فجأة وبدون أسباب واضحة أعلن وزير الخارجية الأمريكي، مايك بومبيو، أنه "بعد دراسة جميع الجوانب القانونية بعناية، قررنا أن إنشاء المستوطنات المدنية الإسرائيلية في الضفة الغربية لا يتعارض مع القانون الدولي". بموجب القانون الدولي لا يحق للمحتل البناء على الأراضي المحتلة ولكن بموجب هذا القرار عزّز ترامب احتلال إسرائيل للضفة المحتلة وثبّت أقدام إسرائيل بها وأعطاها الشرعية. آنذاك قال نتنياهو متعجرفا "اليوم تبنّت الولايات المتحدة سياسة مهمة، عدّلت خطأ تاريخيا عندما رفضت إدارة ترامب بوضوح الادعاء الخاطئ بأن المستوطنات الإسرائيلية في يهودا والسامرة غير شرعية بطبيعتها بموجب القانون الدولي

وها هو يقدم حقا آخر على طبق من الفضة لإسرائيل. وقّع الرئيس ترامب أمرا تنفيذيا يُعرِّف اليهودية على أنها عرق أو جنسية وليس فقط ديانة، في محاوله لتعزيز قانون ضد حوادث معاداة السامية في حرم الجامعات، وحجب دفع الأموال الفيدرالية إلى المؤسسات التعليمية التي تفشل في مكافحة العنصرية. لكن الهدف الواقعي من هذا القرار هو تجريم المتحدثين بالحق الفلسطيني باعتباره معاداة للسامية

وقوف الرئيس ترامب المطلق مع إسرائيل يضمن تفوقها وهيمنتها في المنطقة ويعطيها حق الاستيلاء وانتزاع الأرض. في مواجهة الانتخابات الإسرائيلية الصعبة السابقه تعهّد نتنياهو بضم ثلث الضفة الغربية إلى إسرائيل، وبعد اجتماعه مع وزير الخارجية الأمريكي مايك بومبيو، حيث ناقشا ضم الضفة الغربية المحتلة، أعلنها بقوه "إن إسرائيل لها الحق الكامل في ضم غور الأردن إذا اختارت ذلك".  يهيمن الأمر الواقع على جوهر هذا التسلسل من التصرفات: القوي يفوز والضعيف يخسر ولا وجود للشرعية أو العدالة أو الحق، لأن القوي سيشرِّع الخطأ ويحلِّله. تقول ديانا بوتو، محامية حقوقية فلسطينية كندية: "لم يبق شيء للفلسطينيين، وهذا ما تريده إسرائيل - يريدون منا أن نرحل

 بالتأكيد سوف يساند ويموِّل اللوبي الإسرائيلي الرئيس ترامب في الانتخابات القادمة، وبما أن نفوذ اللوبي شديد القوة، فسوف يؤثر تأثيرا جذريا على الانتخابات الأمريكية الرئاسية القادمة.   هل يمكن وقف المسار الذي اتخذته الإدارة الأمريكية؟ هل يمكن التوصل إلى حل سلمي وصحيح بشأن القضية الفلسطينية؟ إني أشك في ذلك

"!!!أتفق مع نتنياهو عندما قال للرئيس ترامب، "لم يكن لإسرائيل صديق أفضل منك

 

Trump speaks with Egypt's president about Libya, bilateral issues

The Hill (Link: Trump speaks with Egypt's president about Libya, bilateral issues)

President Trump spoke with Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday about bilateral issues and the ongoing conflict in Libya, according to the White House.

“The leaders discussed important regional and bilateral issues,” the White House said in a statement. “Regarding Libya, the leaders rejected foreign exploitation and agreed that parties must take urgent steps to resolve the conflict before Libyans lose control to foreign actors.”

U.S. officials have grown concerned about the intensifying conflict in Libya amid reports of Russian mercenaries backing Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army.

The State Department said in a statement Saturday that the U.S. is concerned “by the LNA’s threat to use foreign-supplied air assets and mercenaries to attack Misrata.” 

“External military intervention threatens prospects for resolving the conflict,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement over the weekend. 

“We deplore attacks on innocent civilians and call on all sides to refrain from escalation. The United States is prepared to work with the UN and all the parties to initiate political negotiations," Ortagus said.

Libya has been in conflict since 2014, divided into rivaling political and military coalitions. Haftar’s forces, which are backed by Egypt, launched an offensive in April to take Tripoli. A delegation of senior U.S. officials met with Haftar in November to try to achieve a suspension of fighting and political solution.

Trump spoke with al-Sisi while on a two-week stint at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., during the holidays.

Egypt’s current account deficit narrows, FDI up in July-September 2019

The Business Times

Egypt's current account deficit narrowed to US$1.382 billion in July to September 2019 from US$2.012 billion in the same period a year earlier, central bank data showed on Wednesday. PHOTO: REUTERS

[CAIRO] Egypt's current account deficit narrowed to US$1.382 billion in July to September 2019 from US$2.012 billion in the same period a year earlier, central bank data showed on Wednesday.

Net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows during the period, which is the first quarter of Egypt's 2019/2020 financial year, rose to US$2.353 billion from US$1.415 billion a year earlier.

Barring its oil sector, Egypt had been struggling to attract FDI for years. Its non-oil FDI hit its lowest since 2014 in the third quarter of the 2018/2019 fiscal year.

"FDI is almost double quarter-on-quarter and up 67 per cent year-on-year," said Allen Sandeep, head of research at Naeem Brokerage.

via www.businesstimes.com.sg

Public stimulus in Egypt is a social contract

Middle East Business Intelligence (MEED)

Cairo has successfully spurred economic growth with infrastructure spending, but the proof of its policy will be in the value it delivers

Regardless of your politics, Egypt’s project market, with $96bn-worth of projects under execution and more than $240bn-worth of projects at various stages of pre-execution, has made it a growing country of choice for regional players looking to hedge their bets by expanding overseas.

Egypt’s GDP growth, as benchmarked by the IMF at 5.5 per cent in 2019 and 5.9 per cent in 2020, soars well above the 2-3 per cent growth rates currently exhibited by most of the other countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, and certainly this year with weaker oil prices.

Indeed, since President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi came to office on 8 June 2014, the country has consistently achieved a GDP growth rate of more than 4 per cent, thanks to the government’s concerted economic reform efforts and sweeping spending stimulus by means of investment into both critical infrastructure and megaprojects such as the Suez Canal expansion project, New Cairo and a host of other satellite cities around the capital.

And yet, despite its spending, the government has managed to rein in the country’s public debt relative to its GDP, not least through its depreciation of the Egyptian pound in late 2016, even if there is another side to the story for many Egyptians whose assets, savings and wages were depressed as a result.

Perhaps more critically, Cairo has been able to establish itself as credit-worthy in the eyes of international lenders such as the IMF and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as well as commercial banks, as evidenced particularly clearly in 2019 by the $21.5bn-worth of bids for Egypt’s $4bn dollar-denominated bond issuance in February.

Domestically, the Egyptian government is selling stability and the long-term promise of better things to come using the development of economic momentum through strategic infrastructure investments. And it certainly lacks nothing by way of ambition. Its latest project instalment came in August with the awarding of contracts for the $4bn first and second phases of the Greater Cairo Monorail. The challenge for Cairo is to deliver an appropriate return on investment to the Egyptian people.

Egypt beach resorts fight global scourge of plastic trash

AFP via France24.com (Link: Egypt beach resorts fight global scourge of plastic trash)

Hurghada (Egypt) (AFP)

Combing the Red Sea beach at an Egyptian luxury resort, workers find bagfuls of plastic garbage -- but the news isn't all bad, thanks to a new environmental initiative.

Pointing at five bags filled with plastic bottles, straws, shopping bags and similar refuse, 20-year-old Wael said: "This isn't very much -- six months ago the plastic waste here filled up trucks."

Like a growing number of coastal cities, the Egyptian resort of Hurghada this year decided to fight back against the mountains of plastic trash polluting the world's oceans.

Environmentalists had long campaigned against the blight of polymer refuse floating on waves, washing up on beaches and harming coral reefs and marine wildlife.

Divers recently rescued a shark by removing a plastic ring from around its neck, says local campaign group the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA).

So in June the popular tourist resort and other cities of Egypt's Red Sea province prohibited single-use plastic products, enforcing the ban with stiff fines.

Since then, disposable plastic shopping bags and throw-away utensils have been largely replaced with alternative products made from paper, other organic materials and biodegradable plastic.

"Single-use plastics are no longer to be seen in the city," said Ahmed al-Gharib, manager of a luxury hotel in central Hurghada.

HEPCA says that while the problem hasn't disappeared, a big difference can be seen at the city's waste sorting plant.

The amount of plastic waste received there fell to 141 tons in November, down from 230 tons during the same month a year earlier.

- 'Cleaner than before' -

The world currently produces more than 300 million tonnes of plastic annually. Scientists estimate there are at least five trillion pieces of the stuff floating in our oceans.

The United Nations says only nine percent of plastic ever produced has been recycled.

It is a global problem that requires many local solutions, including in Egypt where many tourists no longer accept single-use plastic and welcome the change.

Egypt's Red Sea province depends heavily on income from tourists, many of whom come to snorkel and scuba dive among its spectacular reefs -- delicate ecosystems particularly threatened by both global warming and plastic pollution.

Authorities are taking the new ban seriously, fining a Hurghada shopping centre 20,000 Egyptian pounds (more than $1,200) after seizing plastic bags there, local media reported in August.

HEPCA executive director Heba Shawky said such fines had helped bring more than 70 percent of Hurghada's shops in line.

Since the ban, the group and authorities have distributed tens of thousands of reusable bags to residents and businesses, to deter the use of single-use plastic bags.

Fast-food chains and grocery stores have switched to wood-based or paper packaging.

And most hotels in and around Hurghada have given up disposable plastic cups and utensils.

"We now use either acrylic or wooden cups and utensils" designed to be reused or to break down naturally, Gharib told AFP.

Mohamed Musa, director of another resort's food and beverage department, said that plastic waste resulting from a single hotel meal-time had been cut from up to two tonnes to about 750 kilogrammes.

"The entire city has become cleaner than before," he said.

© 2019 AFP

Egypt Rejects Turkey-Libya Deal on Sea Rights, Security

The Associated Press via the New York times (Link: Egypt rejects Turkey-Libya Deal on Sea Right, Security)

UNITED NATIONS — Egypt has told the U.N. Security Council it rejects two agreements between Turkey and Libya’s U.N.-supported government on maritime rights in the Mediterranean and military cooperation.

The maritime deal would give Turkey access to an economic zone across the Mediterranean, over the objections of Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, which lie between Turkey and Libya geographically.

Egypt’s U.N. ambassador, Mohammed Edrees, said in the letter obtained Thursday by The Associated Press that by signing the deal last month Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj violated the 2015 agreement that established the country's interim government, which the Security Council endorsed.

Edrees said the agreement requires the Presidency Council as a whole — not just the president of the council acting alone — to conclude international agreements. And they have to be endorsed by the House of Representatives, he said.

The ambassador said the House of Representatives has not endorsed the two memorandums of understanding with Turkey.

The Tripoli-based government issued a statement Thursday saying its Cabinet had agreed to “activate" the memorandum of understanding on security cooperation between itself and Turkey. It did not specify what the deal would entail.

Edrees' letter, however, said the military cooperation agreement allows “the transfer of weapons and ammunition to Mr. Serraj and the western militias.” He said that “clearly violates” Security Council resolutions on Libya, particularly the arms embargo on the country, which is adjacent to Egypt's western border.

Turkish President Recep Tayyeb Erdogan has said the maritime agreement gives his country the right to send troops to Libya to fend off forces opposing the Libyan-government based in Tripoli, which doesn't control the whole country.

The Egyptian government “rejects and does not recognize any measures, conduct or legal effects that may arise from the memorandums of understanding,” Erdees said.

Egypt called on the United Nations to reject any efforts to give legal validity to the two memorandums, Edrees said.

Libya has been in turmoil since a civil war in 2011 toppled Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. In the chaos that followed, the country was divided, with a weak U.N.-supported administration in Tripoli overseeing the country's west and a rival government in the east aligned with the Libyan National Army led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter. Each side is supported by an array of militias and foreign governments.

Hifter launched a surprise military offensive April 4 aimed at capturing Tripoli despite commitments to attend a national conference weeks later aimed at forming a united government and moving toward elections. Fighting for Tripoli stalled in recent months, and Hifter announced on Dec. 12 that his troops were embarking on a new “decisive” battle to capture the capital.

The Libyan National Army and the eastern government enjoy the support of France, Russia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and other key Arab countries while the Tripoli-based government is backed by Italy, Turkey and Qatar.

Egypt’s letter is part of the fallout from the Turkey-Libya agreements.

Neighbors Greece and Turkey are divided by a series of decades-old issues, including territorial disputes in the Aegean Sea. The NATO allies have come to the brink of war three times since the 1970s, including once over drilling rights in the Aegean, and Greece ordered the expulsion of the Libyan ambassador in a recent escalation of the dispute.

Greece insists Turkey's deal with Libya's U.N.-supported government is unenforceable. Like its European Union partners, Greece recognizes the Tripoli-based administration in Libya's west.

Meanwhile, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades spoke by phone Thursday with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. A statement from Cyprus’ government spokesman said the two leaders agreed that “all necessary measures” must be taken to obstruct the implementation of the agreemenst.

“The Egyptian president considers that the possible military presence of Turkey in Libya creates an immediate danger for the destabilization of the region,” the statement said.

The European Union has also opposed the maritime agreement, saying it “infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with the Law of the Sea and cannot produce any legal consequences for third states.”

“The European Council unequivocally reaffirms its solidarity with Greece and Cyprus regarding these actions by Turkey,” the council said.

Link: Egypt Rejects Turkey-Libya Deal on Sea Rights, Security

US dollar continues to depreciate against Egyptian pound

Ahram Online

FILE PHOTO: A man displays US dollar (Reuters)

The US dollar exchange rate continued to decrease on Monday at Egypt's major banks, recording EGP 16 on average.

At the National Bank of Egypt and Banque Misr, the dollar exchange rate declined four piastres, recording EGP 15.98 for buying and EGP 16.08 for selling.

The dollar exchange rate decreased by nine piastres at the Commercial International Bank and the Arab African International Bank, registering EGP 16.05 for buying and EGP 16.15 for selling. 

At the Suez Bank, the dollar registered EGP 16 for selling and EGP 16.01 for buying, while at the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, it registered EGP 16.07 for selling and EGP 16.16 for buying.

The depreciation of the US dollar against the Egyptian pound by the end of the year was forecast by experts based on the dollar's performance throughout 2019.  
The dollar's value has dropped by more than EGP 1.75 since the beginning of 2019.

via english.ahram.org.eg

Egyptians in Qatar ready for Salah-mania despite boycott

Via Yahoo, AFP by Ibrahim Badawy and Gregory Walton (excerpt from Egyptians in Qatar ready for Salah-mania despite boycott)

Mohamed Salah (C) at a Liverpool training session in Doha ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup (AFP Photo/Giuseppe CACACE)

Doha (AFP) - Qatar's large Egyptian community is clamouring to welcome their country's "icon" Mohamed Salah when he comes to the Gulf this week as Liverpool kick off their Club World Cup campaign.

But a regional diplomatic crisis has frustrated travel plans for fans based in Egypt and complicated the desire of expats in Doha to celebrate their country's best-known player.

The Egyptian diaspora in Qatar number around 300,000, according to official statistics, out of a total population of 2.75 million.

For many years, Qatari authorities sought out skilled Egyptian migrants to staff a range of sectors from oil and gas to teaching and the health system.

But an economic and travel embargo on Qatar by a Saudi-led coalition that includes Cairo has cooled Doha's enthusiasm for mass migration from Egypt.

The two-year-long effort to isolate Qatar stems from accusations that Doha backs radical Islamists and has sought closer ties with Saudi Arabia's arch rival Iran.

Doha vehemently denies the charges.

- 'Obsessed with Salah' -

Egypt and Saudi, along with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, closed their airspace to Qatar Airways and banned travel to the country, putting their citizens in Qatar in a difficult position.

Large numbers of Egyptians gathered in the Souq Waqif tourist bazaar to watch Liverpool's 5-2 trouncing of Everton in this month's Merseyside derby.

In a market cafe, other Salah fans called the 27-year-old Arab soccer talisman "an icon for many".

On Wednesday they will have a chance to watch Salah in the flesh when the Reds face Mexico's Monterrey in their semi-final at the 40,000-capacity Khalifa International Stadium.

Egyptian Mustafa Abdel Moneim, 42, told AFP he "got four tickets to the semi-finals, because I expect Liverpool to win and I know that there will be a lot of pressure from Arabs and Egyptians on the team's first game".

"My children put so much pressure on me to book the tickets because they are obsessed with Salah. They will be very happy to see him on the field."

British newspapers have reported that Liverpool have received assurances from Qatar, which will host the 2022 World Cup, that Salah's visit to the Gulf monarchy will not be politicised.

Salah was the at the centre of a political storm when he was pictured alongside Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who is accused of rights abuses, during Egypt's 2018 World Cup stay in the Russian region.

"Frankly I only support Liverpool for him, if they scored 10 goals, I do not rejoice -- except when the goal is Salah's," said Mahmoud Mansour, 30.

- 'Too many Egyptians' -

"I would have liked to have seen him on the field, but it is difficult to get a ticket now. There are too many Egyptians and Arab fans. Look at all these people here for Salah."

Salah scored twice at Watford which extended Liverpool's lead at the top of the English Premier League to 10 points.

Ahmed Abdel Hamid, a 33-year-old salesman said he had been "eager to see Salah with Liverpool at the stadium".

"Unfortunately, all online tickets sold out in just 15 minutes."

حرية التعبير المطلقه

الاهرام اليومي بقلم عزة رضوان صدقي

١٤ ديسمبر ٢٠١٩ 

دساتير العالم تؤكد حق حرية التعبير والرأي. التعديل الأول لدستور الولايات المتحدة يحذر من صدور أي قانون "يحد من حرية التعبير"، وتنص المادة الثانية من الميثاق الكندي على أن "لكل فرد الحريات الأساسية التالية: حرية الفكر والمعتقد والرأي والتعبير". هذا بينما تنص المادة 65 من الدستور المصري لعام 2014 على ما يلي: حرية الفكر والرأي مضمونة. لكل الأفراد الحق في التعبير عن آرائهم من خلال الكلام أو الكتابة أو الصور أو أي وسيلة من وسائل التعبير والنشر

لكن رئيس المحكمة العليا بالولايات المتحدة يبالغ في هذا الحق قائلا: "كدولة اخترنا مسارا مختلفا - حماية الخطاب الجارح أو التحريضي لضمان أننا لا نخنق النقاش العام". وهنا يبدأ اختلافي مع الحرية المطلقة في التعبير. هل حرية التعبير تتفوق على أي شيء آخر؟ هل هي مطلقة وغير مشروطة حقا؟ هل يمكن أن تذهب حرية التعبير إلى أي حد يريده المتحدث حتى لو أشارت إلى السلوك الإجرامي أو المواد الإباحية أو الطعن غير المثبت؟ ماذا عن التحريض على الضرر؟ تهديد الآخرين أو إثارة الفتنة؟ 

إنني أؤيد المادة ٦٧ في الدستور المصري التي تنص على أن "الجرائم المتعلقة بالتحريض على العنف أو التمييز بين المواطنين أو الطعن في أعراض الأفراد، فيحدد القانون عقوبتها." هنا يكمن الخط الفاصل بين حرية التعبير المطلقة وما يعتبره كثيرون خطابا تحريضيا أو حتى خطابا هجوميا أو عدائيا. والضبابية بين الاثنين تتواجد بكثرة في كل البلاد. في العالم المتحضر لا يقول المرء ما يشاء، بل يفكر مرات ومرات قبل الخوض فيما قد يعرِّض الآخرين للخطر او يهينهم. كما لابد من التقيد بالحقائق وعدم التطاول على أعراض الناس أو معتقداتهم أو ذويهم أو حياتهم الخاصة، هنا تعتبر حرية الرأي إساءه علنية

النقد هو من حق الجميع، ويحق للمرء أيضا أن يعلن رأيه بكل شفافية، ولكن يجب ألا يخلط بين النقد والإساءه. كذلك يجب تقييم الفرق بين الرأي والحقيقة. فالحقيقة شيء ثابت يمكن إثباته بالبراهين والمنطق أو كونه أحد المسلمات البديهية، فكون الأرض كروية شيء مسلم به، كون أن درجة حرارة اليوم ٢١ درجة مئوية، هي حقيقة، أما أن تعجب أو لا تعجب أو حتى تكره شخصا ما أو تفضِّل أسلوب شخص معين أو تشمئِّز من أسلوب آخر فهذه آراء. لذا لا نختلف مع من قال الحقيقة بعينها، لأن هذا أمر واقع وهذا حقه حتى وإن كنا نحرج من هذه الحقيقة ولا نحبذ نشرها على الملأ، ولكننا سنختلف معه إذا كانت إثباتاته وبراهينه تبنى على آرائه هو فقط  

في عصر وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي تغيّرت ملامح هذه الجزئية بالكامل حيث أصبح الجميع يقولون ما يشاؤون، ومع ذلك يحدد فيسبوك القيود بوضوح "لا للتخويف أو التسلُّط أو المضايقة. لن يُنشر محتوى يحضُّ على الكراهية أو التهديد أو الصور الإباحية، أو يحرِّض على العنف وينطبق على تويتر نفس المنطق: "لا يجوز انتهاك الآخرين أو إساءة معاملتهم." وكثيرا ما يُغلق حساب شخص ما لفترة زمنية معينة لأنه خالف هذا المنطق. كما أعلن تويتر أن التغريدات التي تستهدف مجموعات بعينها سوف تُزال باعتبارها انتهاكات لقواعد تويتر

مثلا، مذيع الجزيرة الإخواني علاء صادق حلّل قتل الضباط في تغريدته: "كل ضابط قتل مواطنا يستحق القتل الفوري. أسماؤهم معروفة ووجوههم معروفة وأماكنهم معروفة. بقي أن يحدد الثوار موعد القصاص من هؤلاء الشرذمة"، حرّض بوضوح على القتل. أمثلة هذا النمط بالآلاف

ربما يكون قد نجح الرئيس ترامب في خفض المعايير الأخلاقية في شعبه بما يغرِّده أو حتى ما يقوله في خطاباته العلنية. لقد دفعته شهيته للتشهير والإهانة لأولئك الذين لا يوافقونه الرأي إلى توبيخ الكثيرين من المرشحين للرئاسة إلى الرؤساء، ومن موظفي البيت الأبيض إلى كبار الاستراتيجيين والمستشارين ومن الممثلين والممثلات إلى الصحفيين والمذيعين. وبالتالي فإن خطابات ترامب مثيرة للانقسام والعنصرية وتستقطب الأمريكيين وتعزِّز الحزبيه وتحيي الكراهية. في البداية، ربما يكون خطاب الرئيس ترامب قد صدم بعض الأمريكيين، لكن الآن أصبح هذا الأسلوب هو المألوف، وعندما ينصت إليه الأمريكيون يتقبلون الطعن في الآخرين، وإذا كان لرئيس دوله حق التعبير المطلق، فهو يمنح شعبه الترخيص لقول ما يشاء أيضا  

أما إذا حدّ رئيس دولة من الطعن في أحد حتى لو كان عدوا أو إرهابيين، وأن الكلمات الجارحة خارج نطاق مفردات لغته ويستمد منطقه من الحقائق، وليس آراءه الشخصية، فهو يبث في شعبه القيم العليا ويكون بمثابة مثل يقتدي به الكثيرون  

عندما يقول المصريون إن حرية التعبير حق، عليهم أن يفهموا أن لهذا الحق حدودًا. لا يوجد حق مطلق. عند نقطة معينة ينسدل الستار على هذه الحرية وسواء أحببنا ذلك أم لا، فإن الرقابة والقيود التي نخلقها لأنفسنا ويفرضها علينا المجتمع وُضعت لتحد من حرية التعبير المطلقة

Chinese tourists revive Egypt's renowned Khan el-Khalili tourist bazaar after recession

China.org.cn

CAIRO, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The narrow alleys of Egypt's famous Khan el-Khalili bazaar market in the capital Cairo bustled with large numbers of Chinese tourists during a sunny warm winter day.

"The market attracts thousands of Chinese visitors every day. They have breathed life into the place after years of recession," Mohammed Gamal, owner of antique shop at the centuries-old marketplace, told Xinhua.

Gamal revealed that he was seriously thinking of closing the shop a few months ago due the acute recession in tourism business. However, he said that the recent flows of Chinese tourists revived business at the famed bazaar once again.

Tourism sector in Egypt has been suffering recession over the past few years due to political turmoil and relevant security challenges that resulted from the ouster of two heads of state in 2011 and 2013.

It further deteriorated after a plane crash in Sinai killing over 200 people, mostly Russians, in October 2015, and another tragic crash of an Egypt Air flight killing all 66 people on board, including 15 French nationals, in May 2016.

However, tourism started to recover as Cairo improved its security measures at airports and launched campaigns abroad to promote the vital sector.

In November, Egyptian Tourism Minister Dalia al-Mashat announced that Egypt will carry out a tourism promotion campaign to attract more Chinese tourists to the monument-rich Arab country.

Mashat's statements came ahead of her participation at Bloomberg's New Economy Forum which was held on Nov. 20-22 in Beijing.

"I believe the government's efforts to attract Chinese tourists have been working well because the number of the Chinese visitors at the bazaar are notably increasing," Gamal said after she spoke to some tourists in a good Chinese language.

Gamal, whose family has been in the business for decades, noted that Chinese tourists do not only come to the bazaar for historical knowledge, "but also to buy."

"Unlike most of foreign tourists, the Chinese tourists spend well," Gamal said, adding that Chinese tourists have a great taste of Egyptian handmade artifacts and historical monuments.

Khan el-Khalili, which dates back to 1382 A.D., is located in the heart of Cairo's old Islamic district and is considered one of the most important tourist attractions in the most populous Arab country.

The market has everything a tourist may need, from antiques to homemade perfume, and even spices of all varieties.

Walking deeper into the bazaar through its tiny alleyways, the glitter of gold and handmade glass artifacts add beauty to the charming ancient market and catch the eyes of visitors.

Shops of carpets, belly-dancing costumes and handmade artifacts are remarkably dotting the pathways of the historical business neighborhood.

Although it has been modernized, the market still maintains its ancient Islamic character with tens of old structures, ancient mosques and hotels across the commercial district.

In addition to shops, there are coffeehouses, restaurants and street food vendors distributed throughout the market to serve tourists during or after shopping.

"Chinese tourists are frequent visitors of the bazaar's restaurants and coffee shops," Adel Fathy, a worker at a restaurant serving Egyptian food said.

He added that the Chinese people are eager to know more about the Egyptian culture, including food.

"They order several kinds of Egyptian food and they do not negotiate," the middle-aged man said, flashing a smile.

Like Gamal, the antique shop owner, Fathy has also started to learn some Chinese so as to be able to communicate with Chinese tourists.

"A few months ago, none of us spoke Chinese. We only knew like hi or welcome, but now we can communicate and our Chinese is rapidly improving," he said.

To encourage more tourists to visit the country, Egypt exempted Chinese tourists from visa requirements, allowing for visas-upon-arrival if they are sponsored by a tourist agency and are financially comfortable.

Chinese Cultural Counselor to Egypt Shi Yuewen said in a recent interview with Xinhua that more than half a million Chinese tourists visited Egypt in 2018, expecting more Chinese tourists to visit Egypt this year.

Talking about the most popular destinations visited by the Chinese tourists, Shi mentioned the Pyramids in Giza, the cities of Luxor, Aswan and Alexandria, as well as the resort cities of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh.

According to the official statistics agency, Egypt's tourism revenues amounted to 12.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, an increase of 28 percent from 9.8 billion dollars in 2017. 

via www.china.org.cn