Egypt

الاسلاموفوبيا في كندا

الاهرام ٢٦ يونيو ٢٠٢١

بقلم عزة رضوان صدقي

على الرغم من المؤشرات التي تعنى الليبرالية وقبول تعدد الثقافات والأجناس التي تجعل من كندا بلدًا عظيمًا، فإن الإسلاموفوبيا وجرائم الكراهية تظهر من حين لآخر لتُدمر عقيدة المساواة التي ينص عليها الدستور الكندي: دون تمييز على أساس الأصل القومي أو العرقي أو اللون أو الدين أو الجنس أو السن أو الإعاقة العقلية أو الجسدية

في لندن بمقاطعة أونتاريو بكندا أدى هجوم عنصري شرس على أسرة مسلمة إلى وفاة ٤ أفراد من عائلة واحده: الجدة والأم والأب والابنة البالغة ١٥ عامًا ثم إصابة الابن البالغ من العمر ٩ سنوات ودخوله المستشفى.  في عملية دهس متعمد صعد السائق على الرصيف ليصيب أسرة بأكملها خطؤها الوحيد أنها خرجت في نزهة على الأقدام في المساء. استُهدفوا الضحايا الخمسة لكونهم مسلمين

لقد كان يومًا حزينًا ومشحونا بالغضب، حيث تدفقت التعازي، ليس فقط من المجتمع الكندي المسلم، ولكن من كندا بأكملها. قال رئيس الوزراء الكندي ترودو: "الإسلاموفوبيا حقيقة. لم يكن هذا القتل مصادفة. كان هذا هجومًا إرهابيًا بدافع الكراهية". في هذه الكلمات يوجد بعض العزاء لأن اعتراف رئيس الوزراء بأن الفاعل إرهابي، مع كونه أبيض اللون، هى سابقة مهمة

توافدت الشخصيات البارزة إلى المسجد للعزاء، من بينهم رئيس الوزراء ورؤساء البلديات ورؤساء وزراء المقاطعات وقادة الأحزاب، وخارج المسجد تجمع آلاف الكنديين المسلمين وغير المسلمين تضامناً ووقفوا في صمت وخشوع. لقد كان مشهدًا استثنائيًا ومؤثرًا بثته هيئة الإذاعة الكندية (سي بي سي) بكامله بما في ذلك المقابلات وخطابات المسئولين، والأهم أذيعت الصلاة والأذان، وهي حادثه لا تتكرر كثيرا

على الرغم من كل الجهود والنوايا الحسنة لتقبل جميع الأجناس هناك انقسام عميق بين أولئك الذين يرغبون في قبول الآخرين وبين المتطرفين اليمينيين. تخبرنا الإحصائيات أنه منذ إطلاق النار على مسجد في مدينة كيبيك، عندما قتل مسلح ستة مسلمين في عام ٢٠١٧ ارتفعت جرائم الكراهية ضد المسلمين بشكل ملحوظ بزيادة قدرها ٢٠٧ في المائة عن العام الأسبق. حتى هذا الرقم ليس دقيقًا لأن ما يقرب من ثلثي جرائم الكراهية لا يتم الإبلاغ عنها. تتعرض المسلمات للهجوم والتهديد ونزع حجابهن، ويتعرض المسلمون إناثا وذكورا للإهانات العرقية والتعليقات العدوانية والمضايقات والتهديدات. كما قال ترودو: هذا للأسف ليس حدثًا منعزلاً. يتعرض الكثير من الأشخاص للإهانات والتهديدات والعنف وهم مستهدفون بسبب دينهم الإسلامي. هذا يحدث هنا في كندا ويجب أن يتوقف

في حين أن الغالبية الكندية متسامحة ومعززة للتنوع ومتقبلة للغير يظل البعض رافضا ونافرا للآخرين، والأمثلة على هذا وذاك متواجده بكثرة. مثلا نظمت الكنيسة الإنجليكية بعد الحادثه في لندن أونتاريو مسيرة جمعت مجموعة متنوعة من القادة الدينيين الذين ساروا من موقع الهجوم إلى مسجد لندن الإسلامي وشارك الآلاف في المسيرة. وفي تناقض صارخ ظهرت عدة مقاطع فيديو تدعو إلى المزيد من العمليات المماثلة للدهس الذي أودى بالعائلة المسلمة. أحد مقاطع الفيديو سخر من مجموعة من النساء المسلمات، وآخر قاطع إرسال افتراضى برسائل عنصرية مستفزة

جينيلا أسان سيدة مسلمة جميلة وذكية تقدم برنامجا إخباريا يوميا في أكثر أوقات المتابعة. أسان هي أول مقدمة برامج تليفزيونية ترتدي الحجاب ويتقبلها المشاهدون الكنديون بدون أي تمييز. جاجميت سينج، زعيم الحزب الديمقراطي الجديد في مجلس العموم هو "سيخ" ممارس ويرتدي العمامة ويمارس مهامه بجديه واحتراف. مع ذلك ففي مقاطعة كيبيك تم تمرير قانون ٢١ في عام ٢٠١٩ الذي يحظر على الموظفين العموميين مثل المعلمين وضباط الشرطة والمحامين ارتداء الرموز الدينية: الحجاب، والعمة السيخية، والكيبا اليهودية، أثناء أدائهم واجبهم، والقانون يوصم النساء المسلمات بشكل متعمد. على الرغم من أن القانون واجه انتقادات واسعة باعتباره انتهاكًا للحرية الدينية، إلا أن ٦٤ بالمائة من سكان مقاطعة كيبيك وافقوا عليه

بينما تشعر اللاجئة السورية بالأمان وهي ترتدي الحجاب في وسط مدينة فانكوفر وتعامل المحجبات معاملة مماثلة لغيرهن في الجامعات، ويعيش الطلاب الإيرانيون المسلمون حياة عادية في الجامعات الكندية، إلا أنه في عام ٢٠١٥ رفضت قاضية من كيبيك النظر في قضية امرأة مسلمة ما لم تخلع حجابها. وشبّهت القاضية الحجاب بالقبعة والنظارات الشمسية وهما غير مسموح بهما في المحكمة

هل سينتهي التمييز العنصري بين البشر يوما ما؟ أشك في ذلك. أن يُفضِّل الفرد ثقافته ونمط حياته هو أمر طبيعي، لكن أن يصبح هذا الشأن سببا للكراهية وحقن الدماء هو شيء آخر يؤدي إلى التمييز العنصري والعبودية والاضطهاد والصراعات العنيفة في جميع أنحاء العالم

 

I had to change my Arabic name to make it as an actor. Now, I'm reclaiming it

CBC, by Fuad Ahmed (Link: I had to change my Arabic name to make it as an actor.Now I'm reclaiming it)

Fuad Ahmed couldn't book gigs until he changed his name to Gabe Grey. But after 15 years, he's taking it back

 

 

Fuad Ahmed/Gabe Grey attends the Beeba Boys premiere during the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

August, 2006.

My name is Fuad Ahmed. I work in the laboratory supply sales industry while trying to act on the side. I take a long lunch at my office job in Mississauga and trek into downtown Toronto for an audition. The AC in my 1996 Ford Taurus station wagon has decided to quit. I fight traffic the whole way. It's hot. I'm sweaty. I arrive at the audition, sign in and collect myself in the waiting room.

The casting assistant walks in. "Fod Akhmed?" she asks.

I smile, cringing internally. "Uh, it's Fu-Ad ... F, U — "

"Right this way. Just down the hall."

 

Fuad Ahmed's headshot, 2006. (Anne de Haas)

I walk into the casting room. The director and producer are sitting at a table across from a black backdrop. The assistant introduces me to the director and producer and hands them my headshot. "This is Few-ad."

Close enough.

"Hello! Thanks for seeing me." I smile at them.

They stare at me. They look at my headshot. They look at my name on my headshot. Silence. Awkward silence. They look at each other, toss my headshot to the side and start a conversation with each other. The assistant watches this happen. She smiles at me and tries to run the session. The director and producer talk over me. Their backs are turned the whole time. The assistant notices. How could anyone not notice? I want to throw up. I smile. She smiles back at me.

"Thank you for coming in," she says.

I smile. I try to thank the producer and director. They ignore me. I leave.

I sit in my car. I'm shaking. I look at the time. I have to fight rush hour traffic heading back to Mississauga. I'll be late getting back to the office. HR will ask why I was away for so long.

What am I doing with my life? I've been at this for two years and risking my job at the same time. I want to act. I don't want my name to be an issue. I just want to walk into an audition room and act.

I change my name.

Fuad Ahmed/Gabe Grey (left) in Bomb Girls. (Global)

August, 2014.

My name is Gabe Grey. I am a successful, full-time actor, working regularly in film and TV.

When I walk into an audition room, no one asks me where I am from. No one asks me how to pronounce my name. I am allowed to audition without explaining my existence first. In interviews, I'm asked why I changed my name. I'm very cavalier about the whole thing. "This is show business. I'm a product and I need to sell myself." I have zero regrets.

Then, the work dwindles and eventually stops. I get close on big projects, but I don't book. My LA manager tells me to be clean-shaven for auditions because I look "terroristy" with facial hair. He tells me to not play things so leading, so dominant, so alpha. When I see breakdowns for romantic leads, I ask if I can audition for them, but he tells me those roles are "going white" and casting wants to see me for the supporting best friend instead.

"Do it with an accent," he says. "It'll be funny." I do it. I hate myself. I don't book. He drops me.

Something doesn't feel right in my gut. I ignore it. My Canadian agent, Shari Quallenberg at AMI, supports me through this dry spell. "I'm with you for the long haul," she says. I'm frustrated. I start doing theatre.

My first major theatre gig is in the Pulitzer-winning play Disgraced by Pakistani-American playwright Ayad Akhtar. I play the role of Hussein Malik, an immigrant of Pakistani heritage who changes his name to Abe Jensen to hide his Muslim heritage and fit into American culture.

June, 2021.

My name is Gabe Grey. My acting career has rebooted and I have been working consistently since the fall of 2019. I am playing leading men, romantic leads, and characters outside of "charming doctor." Something still doesn't feel right in my gut.

Earlier this month, a Muslim family was killed in London, Ontario, because of their faith. In May, defending the idea that Palestinians are deserving of equal human rights was equated with support for Hamas. Since 9/11, I have been subject to different rules, written and unwritten, in how I am allowed to go about my daily life. I have spent my life being told I am less than, not equal to, and different.

"You're ugly. Look at your skin. What are you?" - a middle school classmate in Atlanta.

"You're Muslim? But you're so ... normal." - a coworker.

"I thought you might be Pakistani, but you're not like one of them." - a woman at a bar, after relentlessly asking me where I was originally from.

"That's not a name, that's a noise." - a friend's mother, upon meeting me for the first time.

My skin, my faith, my nationality, my name — a sin.

 

Fuad Ahmed/Gabe Grey in the upcoming feature film Stealing Vows. (Bobby Singh Brown)

On June 10, 2021, I wake up and upload several audition tapes. The files keep crashing and seeing the name — Gabe Grey, Gabe Grey, GabeGreyGabeGreyGabeGrey — feels empty. I feel empty.

Mahershala Ali won Oscars for Best Supporting Actor in 2016 and 2018.

Riz Ahmed was nominated for Best Actor in 2020.

Ramy Youssef won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy in 2020.

Hamza Haq won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actor in 2021.

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been thinking about going back to my real name for a while now. But I always stopped myself. I built a career around this name. 15 years is a long time. Everyone knows me this way.

But today, I don't care anymore. It's not a big emotional moment. I am taking my name back. I'm walking back into my own home.

My name is Fuad Ahmed. My name is Fuad Ahmed. It's pronounced Fu-'Ad. It is an Arabic name meaning "heart," or more specifically, "The place in your heart where God resides." My name is Fuad Ahmed.

Sorrow, grief, and outrage in Canada

Note: this article was written before the discovery of 751 unmarked graves in Saskatchewan near a  former residential school. This is absolute horror. (Link: Saskatchewan First Nation announces discovery of 751 unmarked graves near former residential school)

Despite the multicultural, integrative, and liberal indicators that render Canada a great country, racism, Islamophobia, and hate crime rear their head every so often, and in the process destroy the egalitarian doctrine enshrined in the Canadian constitution: “Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.”

A vicious racial attack on a Muslim family left a nine-year-old boy in hospital, his 15-year-old sister, both parents, and grandmother dead in London, Ontario, Canada, and left the community in mourning. In a deliberate hit and run, the driver mounted the sidewalk only to strike the family head-on.  The victims were targeted for being Muslims.

The attack shook Canada as a whole. It was a day of grief and outrage as condolences poured in, not only from the Canadian Muslim society but from Canada at large. In this exists some solace; “Islamophobia is real,” Prime Minister Trudeau said, adding that the whole Canadian community mourns with the Muslim community.  “Their lives were taken in a brutal, cowardly and brazen act of violence,” Trudeau said. “This killing was no accident. This was a terrorist attack, motivated by hatred in the heart of one of our communities.”

As London, Ontario, mourned the lost lives, a vigil was held for the family and was attended by many dignitaries including Prime Minister Trudeau, mayors, premiers, and party leaders. Outside the mosque where the vigil was held, thousands of Canadian Muslims and Non-Muslims gathered in solidarity.

It was an extraordinary and poignant scene, which the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) broadcast in its entirety including interviews with grieving Muslims, moving speeches, and more importantly, the prayers and the azan, a first if I may add. That the prime minister considered it an act of terrorism is a valued acknowledgement, too, though Canadian authorities have yet to identify it as such; they considered it “A horrific act of Islamophobia.”

Food for thought: will the hatred ever end? I doubt it. Hatred is part of human nature, and the demonization of those who stand out, don’t follow the ways of the masses, don’t look similar to them, and have a different set of values are often looked upon with disdain. Ethnocentrism is a normal attribute; it’s when a person acts on his own beliefs and attacks the innocent minorities that racism rears its ugly head.

Statistics tell us that since the Quebec City mosque shooting, when a gunman killed six people in 2017, hate crime against Muslims has climbed significantly with a 207 percent increase since the previous year. In all fairness, this hike in attack numbers does not reflect the exact numbers since approximately two-thirds of hate crimes go unreported.

Muslim women, highly visible because of their hijabs, have been attacked and threatened and had their hijabs ripped off them. Other forms of racism such as race slurs, aggressive comments, harassment, intimidation, and threats have been experienced by Muslim men and women.. At the vigil for the slain Muslim family, Trudeau sad, “This is unfortunately not an isolated event,” Trudeau said. “So many other people across the country faced insults, threats and violence. They were all targeted because of their Muslim faith. This is happening here in Canada and it has to stop.”

Canada’s multiculturalism policy was adopted in 1971 by Pierre Trudeau's Liberal government and father of the current prime minister. Still, Canadians despite all efforts and good intentions by Canada to accept all immigrants as one, a deep trenched divide exists between those who are willing to accept others and the far right extremist.

Many examples exist. Ginella Asaan, a beautiful and intelligent Muslim, appears on prime time television every night in the program “Canada Tonight.” She is Canada’s first hijab-wearing television reporter. Jagmeet Singh has been the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) since 2017. It is the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons with 24 seats. Jagmeet Singh is a practicing Sikh and wears a turban. In fact, since the 80s, observant Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Sikhs to wear a turban with their uniform.

And yet, Quebec’s Bill 21 passed in 2019, and it bans public workers in positions of authority such as teachers, police officers, and lawyers from wearing religious symbols, specifically while they are on duty—hijabs, Sikh turbans, and Jewish kippahs—but it disproportionately stigmatized Muslim women. Though the law drew, and still does, wide criticism as a violation of religious freedom, with 59 percent of Canadians against the law, 64 percent of Quebeckers approve it.

A multi-faith march took place in London, Ontario. Thousands took to the streets of London, Ont., on Friday for a show of unity

Canadians from all walks of life and all backgrounds paid their respects to the fallen family, and yet several copycat videos surfaced after the massacre calling on more of the same. Exhibiting diversity, tolerance, and diversity, Canada Post Ahead of Ramadan 2017, commemorated Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha with a special stamp that had an explanation on the ten-stamp booklet:

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are two of the most important festivals celebrated by Muslims worldwide. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Ramadan fast. Eid al-Adha commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God and marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Both celebrations can include special ritual prayers, lavish meals, visits with friends and family, gift-giving and acts of charity.

Feeling safe, a Syrian refugee wears a headscarf in Downtown Vancouver despite the odd first glance by onlookers. Veiled students are treated similarly to others at universities. Muslim Iranian students, veiled and not, lead ordinary lives on Canadian campuses. In March, 2015, a Quebec judge refused to hear the case of a Muslim woman unless she removed her hijab. The judge compared the hijab to a hat and sunglasses, which are not allowed in court.

Canada in mourning

While the majority of Canadians exhibit tolerance and promote diversity, others remain dead set on rejection and repulsion. Examples of both attitudes are juxtaposed regularly.

Despite multicultural, integrative, and liberal indicators that render Canada a great country, Islamophobia and hate crimes rear their heads every so often, and, in the process, destroy the impartial doctrine enshrined in the Canadian constitution: “Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.”

On June 6, a vicious racial attack on a Muslim family left a nine-year-old boy in hospital, his 15-year-old sister, both parents, and grandmother dead in London, Ontario, Canada, and left the community in total devastation. In a deliberate hit and run, the driver mounted the sidewalk only to strike the family head-on.  The five victims, targeted for being Muslims, were simply having an evening walk.

The attack shook Canada. It was a day of grief and outrage as condolences poured in, not only from the Canadian Muslim society but from Canada at large. “Islamophobia is real”; “Their lives were taken in a brutal, cowardly and brazen act of violence,” The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said. “This killing was no accident. This was a terrorist attack, motivated by hatred.” In this thought exists some solace. That the prime minister considered it an act of terrorism is a valued acknowledgement though Canadian authorities have yet to identify it as such; they considered it “A horrific act of Islamophobia.”

As London, Ontario, mourned the lost lives, a vigil was held for the family and was attended by many dignitaries including the prime minister, mayors, premiers, and party leaders. Outside the mosque where the vigil was held, thousands of Canadian Muslims and Non-Muslims gathered in solidarity.

It was an extraordinary and poignant scene, which the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) broadcast in its entirety including interviews with grieving Muslims, moving speeches from officials and Muslim elders, and more importantly, the prayers and the azan, a first if I may add.

Canada’s multiculturalism policy was adopted in 1971 by Pierre Trudeau's Liberal government and father of the current prime minister. It accepts all immigrants on equal basis; yet, despite all efforts and good intentions, a deep trenched divide exists between those who are willing to accept others and the far right extremists.

Statistics tell us that since the Quebec City mosque shooting, when a gunman killed six Muslims in 2017, hate crimes against Muslims have climbed significantly with a 207 percent increase since the previous year. Even that alarming hike in attacks on Muslims is not accurate since approximately two-thirds of hate crimes go unreported. Muslim women, highly visible because of their hijabs, have been threatened and have had their hijabs ripped off them. Muslim women and men experience other forms of racism, too, such as race slurs, aggressive comments, harassment, intimidation, and assaults. At the vigil for the slain Muslim family, Trudeau said, “This is unfortunately not an isolated event,” Trudeau said. “So many other people across the country faced insults, threats and violence.”

While the majority of Canadians exhibit tolerance and promote diversity, others remain dead set on rejection and repulsion. Examples of both attitudes are juxtaposed regularly. Ginella Asaan, a beautiful, intelligent Muslim, appears on prime time television every night in the program “Canada Tonight.” She is the first hijab-wearing television reporter and is genuinely accepted by peers and viewers. Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) since 2017 is a practicing Sikh and wears a turban. In fact, since the 80s, observant Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Sikhs wear a turban with their uniform.

And yet, Quebec’s Bill 21 passed in 2019, and it bans public workers in positions of authority such as teachers, police officers, and lawyers from wearing religious symbols—hijabs, Sikh turbans, and Jewish kippahs—specifically while they are on duty. Undoubtedly, the law disproportionately stigmatizes Muslim women. Though the law drew, and still does, wide criticism as a violation of religious freedom, only 59 percent of Canadians were against it, while 64 percent of Quebeckers approved it.

A Multi-Faith March “to end hatred” took place in London, Ontario, in honour of the attacked victims. The march was organized by the Anglican Church and gathered a variety of faith leaders who walked from the site of the attack to the London Muslim Mosque. Thousands attended in a show of solidarity.

In glaring contrast, several videos surfaced after the attack calling on more of the same. One video ridiculed a group of walking Muslim women; another interrupted a virtual vigil with racist messages.

Canada Post ahead of Ramadan 2017, commemorated Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha with a special stamp that had an explanation on the ten-stamp booklet:

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are two of the most important festivals celebrated by Muslims worldwide. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Ramadan fast. Eid al-Adha commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God and marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Both celebrations can include special ritual prayers, lavish meals, visits with friends and family, gift-giving and acts of charity.

Feeling safe, a Syrian refugee wears a hijab in Downtown Vancouver. Hijabbed Iranian students are treated similarly to others at universities and lead ordinary lives on Canadian campuses.

Still, in 2015, a Quebec judge refused to hear the case of a Muslim woman unless she removed her hijab. The judge compared the hijab to a hat and sunglasses, which are not allowed in court.

Food for thought: will the non-acceptance of others ever end? Will the hate in some humans diminish? I doubt it. Ethnocentrism, believing that one’s own ways and culture are superior, is natural, until it allows the demonization of those who don’t follow the same route and who have a different set of values. Then it leads to discrimination, apartheid, hate crimes, and many violent conflicts across the world.

UPDATED: Flying to Egypt? Here are the newest guidelines you need to know before taking off

Ahram Online

The following is a list of helpful questions and answers that spell out the new rules for entering the country

File photo: An EgyptAir Airbus A320 with the registration SU-GCC taking off from Vienna International Airport, Austria. AP

Egypt has updated the anti-coronavirus safety measures for all arrivals from abroad, including those coming from countries struggling with new COVID-19 variants, according to a statement released by EgyptAir, the national flagship carrier, on Wednesday night.

The measures are based on new directives issued by the country’s Ministry of Health, EgyptAir added.

All passengers traveling to Egypt from anywhere should provide a negative PCR test performed 72 hours before departure, but based on the new measures, vaccination certificates could be provided instead of the nasal swab test.

The following is a list of helpful questions and answers that spell out the new rules for entering the country:

Q: Which countries has Egypt specified as affected by the new variants of the virus?

The health ministry said the new rules are applied to all travellers coming from countries that are affected “directly or indirectly” by the new variants.

The list includes India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Brazil, and Latin America.The list includes India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Brazil, and Latin America.

Q: Can travelers coming from countries affected by the new coronavirus variants travel to Egypt?

Yes, they are allowed. They must provide a negative PCR test performed 72 hours before departure, or they can provide an “accredited” COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing  that they were fully vaccinated 14 days before arrival.

Q: What does an “accredited” vaccination certificate mean?

The certificate must be recognised by the health authorities at their countries of origin and include a QR Code. Certificates must not include deletion, alteration, or addition otherwise they will not be accepted.

Q: Are travelers subject to other measures?

Yes, they will be subject to a 15-minute molecular test, known as ID NOW. If the result comes back positive, a PCR will be performed at the arrival airport.

Q: What if anyone tests positive?

If the passenger is Egyptian, he/she will be transferred to a Fever Hospital or a designated hospital for coronavirus patients where the treatment protocol can be applied. In the event the passenger is not Egyptian and the ID NOW TEST and the PCR test are positive, the passenger will be deported.

Q: What about foreigners coming from other countries?

They must provide a negative PCR test performed 72 hours before departure, or an “accredited” COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated 14 days before arrival

The certificate must be recognised by the health authorities at their countries of origin and include a QR Code, with no deletion, alteration, or addition in it.

Q: Will they be subject to a rapid test or a nasal swab at arrival airports?

No, they won’t.

Q: Do the aforementioned rules apply to all coronavirus vaccines?

The rules apply to vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation and the Egyptian Drug Authority.

Q: When can vaccinated travellers enter Egypt?

At least 14 days after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sinovac, or Sputnik vaccines, or 14 days after receiving a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

Settlement Is Reached Over Stuck Ship That Blocked Suez Canal in Egypt

The New York Times, by Vivian Yee (Link: Settlement is reached over stuck ship that blocked Suez Canal in Egypt)

International trade was jammed for nearly a week when the Ever Given blocked the waterway in March.

The Ever Given cargo ship blocked traffic in the Suez Canal for nearly a week in March.Credit...Sima Diab for The New York Times

CAIRO — The owner and insurers of the enormous container ship that blocked the Suez Canal for six days in March and disrupted global shipping have reached a settlement with the Egyptian authorities, one of the insurers said on Wednesday.

The insurer’s statement did not specify the amount, but said that once the settlement was formalized, the ship — after nearly three months of haggling, finger-pointing and court hearings — would finally complete its journey through the canal.

“Following extensive discussions with the Suez Canal Authority’s negotiating committee over the past few weeks, an agreement in principle between the parties has been reached,” said a statement from the insurer UK P & I Club. “Together with the owner and the ship’s other insurers we are now working with the S.C.A. to finalize a signed settlement agreement as soon as possible.”

A spokesman for the UK Club said it would not be releasing further details. The Suez Canal Authority had not commented on the deal by Wednesday afternoon.

Since the ship was freed in a huge salvage effort in March, about six days after running aground across the Suez, the canal authority had been locked in an often acrimonious standoff with the ship’s owner and operators over what the authority said it was owed for the incident.

The authority had sought up to $1 billion in compensation, a figure that included the cost of tugboats, dredgers and crews hired to salvage the ship as well as the loss of revenue while the canal was blocked. During the delay, some ships U-turned and headed around the tip of Africa rather than wait for Suez traffic to resume, depriving the canal of their fees.

The Ever Given was detained in the Great Bitter Lake area of the Suez Canal until the financial claims are settled.Credit...Maxar Technologies, via Associated Press

Under the standard terms that shipping companies are required to accept before traversing the Suez Canal, ships are liable for all costs or losses they cause in the canal. Still, the authority never provided a detailed breakdown of how it had arrived at such a large amount.

The sum does not cover the disruption to worldwide shipping, including delayed cargo and costs to other shipping lines, which experts have said could ultimately soar into the hundreds of millions.

 

Egypt plans to increase solar and wind power

Reve (Link: Egypt plans to increase solar and wind power)

Under its 2030 vision, Egypt plans to increase the supply of electricity generated from renewable sources to 20 percent by 2022 and up to 42 percent by 2035, with wind power providing 14 percent, hydro power 2 percent, photovoltaic (PV) 22 percent, and concentrated solar power (CSP) 3 percent by 2035.

Egypt has advanced from 26th place, in 2020, to the 20th among the world’s top 40 markets in the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) for 2021, which was released on Monday.

The index issued by the London-based Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY), a multinational professional services network.

The US and China maintained their top rankings, as East Asia emerges as a high potential investment destination for renewable energy businesses, according to the index.

The private sector is set to play a major role in delivering most of this capacity.

Egypt is already in a position which enables the country to lead in the transition to renewable energy, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said on Wednesday following talks with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry at the Foreign Ministry’s headquarter.

He added that the country has chances for becoming a leader in solar and renewable energies worldwide.

And the world listened and then "danced."

 

 

Egypt designates new production lines to produce 3 million doses of coronavirus vaccines daily

Ahram Online (Link: Egypt designates new production lines to produce 3 million doses of coronavirus vaccines daily)

The North African country seeks to locally produce Coronavirus vaccines to be exported to other African countries after fulfilling local needs

Health Minister Hala Zated (C) during inspecting Egypt's drugmaker VACSERA on Sunday 20 June 2021 (Photo: the Ministry of Health)

Egypt has designated new production lines in VACSERA, the country’s leading drugmaker, to locally manufacture coronavirus vaccines, with a total production capacity of 3 million doses daily, a new step in the country’s strategy to become a regional hub for COVID-19 vaccines.

The lines, which are located at the state-owned pharmaceutical’s firm in 6 October City in Giza governorate, boasts 8 central laboratories for vaccine administration and a complex of medical refrigerators that can store 150 million shots, a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Health said on Sunday.

The ministry’s statement comes as Health Minister Hala Zayed inspected earlier today the latest progress in the new lines, which cost $17 million, in addition to EGP 80 million ($5.1 million) for construction, according to the ministry.

“VACSERA’s firms at 6 October City will be the largest complex for producing vaccines in the Middle East and Africa and will increase the production capacity of COVID-19 vaccines in cooperation with all producing companies the world over,” the statement quoted Zayed as saying.

The North African country seeks to locally produce coronavirus vaccines to be exported to other African countries after fulfilling local needs.

Egypt has already started manufacturing the first batch of 2 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine through VACSERA’s firm at Al-Agouzah district in Giza governorate, as part of a wider deal with the Chinese company to produce a total of 40 million doses by the end of the current year.

Egypt is also in talks to locally manufacture the British AstraZeneca vaccine.

Egypt has so far received a total of 3.3 million doses of the British-Swedish AstraZeneca vaccine, 2.2 million of which came under the COVAX agreement, a global scheme that aims to ensure that vaccines are provided to all countries.

Cairo has also been supplied with a total of 3 million Chinese Sinopharm jabs over the past six months, along with 500,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine, another China-made vaccine.

Over 2 million citizens of the country’s 100 million-plus population have received the vaccines since the inoculation campaign started earlier this year.

Minister Zayed said the new lines will also produce all kinds of Polio vaccines, and pneumococcal bacteria vaccines in cooperation with European companies, according to the statement.

Egypt’s total infection tally has reached 276,756 since the pandemic started, including 15,829 deaths and 205,157 recoveries.

Inside the African factory that makes London’s famed double-decker bus

Face2FaceAfrica (Link: Inside the African factory that makes London's famed double-decker bus)

London simply wouldn't be London without its crop of double-deckers [Getty]

Egypt is famous for its pyramids, military might, and football. However, not much is known about the country’s automotive industry. On the quiet, Cairo, the capital of Egypt, has been building one of the world’s iconic buses famously found in London.

Any frequent traveler to London may have noticed the city’s iconic (red) double-decker buses. In 2016, it was announced that the buses are now being produced in Africa by Egyptian multinational firm, Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles, (MCV).

Originally built in 1947, the double-decker buses came to replace the World War Two trolleybuses and have since become historic transportation in the city of London.

In 2016, MCV secured a contract to produce 60 of the buses. The move made the Cairo manufactured buses to be the first to be produced outside Europe. What makes Egypt’s double-decker buses unique is the fact that it is hybrid. It uses a combination of fuel and electricity in a bid to meet Europe’s low-carbon and low-nitrogen dioxide emission standards. It also makes the buses to be the first to use such technology outside of Europe.

“This bus is a hybrid system, which means it runs on both diesel and electricity,” the Quality Assurance Manager at MCV, Rafik Nabil, said in an interview. “This bus is a Euro-6 model, it has the highest emission technology in the world right now, which needs a special kind of gas. It runs on either diesel or electricity depending on the journey and road condition. This is the first time for a hybrid bus to be manufactured and assembled outside of Europe.”

Manufacturing double-decker buses for the British capital will not be the first time MCV has worked in UK’s transport space. In 2011, the company signed a deal to manufacture buses with a capacity of 63 seats.

MCV was founded in 1994 as a general agent for German automobile giant Daimler AG. The automobile company produces around 8,000 to 10,000 buses in a year. Of the quantum produced, 5,000 to 8,000 are exported to foreign markets, particularly to the Netherlands and Hong Kong.

MCV has international branches in 24 countries around the world, making it one of the largest commercial vehicle manufacturing companies in the world.

“Our manufacturing process begins from when we first purchase the materials, from the first bolt and screw, until the end when we see the bus moving. We work on all stages of production, from machining, to brackets, inserts, all the way until the bus is assembled at the highest global standards,” said Wael Wanis, General Manager, Production and Maintenance.