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Then Compensate everyone including the Egyptians
2008-05-25 18:49:00
I read that there are a group of Jews who used to live in Egypt pre-1960 are demanding the Egyptian government to pay a huge sum of money "millions of US$" as a compensation for the nationalisation of their properties in Egypt. It is not the first time I read this , in fact from time to time I find in the media there is a certain Jewish association which is going to sue to the Egypt for a compensation but this time it is making a lot of noise with the expected meeting that is going to take place in Alexandria "I read that it was cancelled and the delegation  from Canada was not coming for compensation !!" Look whether this is true or not I just want to say something ;the Jews of Egypt were not the ONLY people who were nationalized. It was everyone from the A rich class of Pre-1952 era whether Egyptians or Foreigners ; of course Foreigners were nationalized in 1956 including the Jewish Foreigners especially French. When the laws of land ownership limitation ...
More About: Society , Religion , Economy , History , Israel

At last there will be a President for Lebanon
2008-05-24 12:31:00
I can't believe that at last Michel Soliman will be the President of Lebanon at last and I can't believe that Presidential palace will receive him with his family tomorrow. On the other hand  I do not think that that will be the happy ending of the conflict in Lebanon because as long as Hezbollah got its arms ready for Israel , Syria is not under the American control and the political leaders in Lebanon are from the kind of Jumblatt,Geagea and Gemayel; Lebanon will always live in the shadow of the civil war. Already you can see Paris now is criticizing the Doha agreement saying that it did not reach to nothing regarding the arms and telecommunication network of Hezbollah , Washington welcomed the agreement in a very weak way. The 14th of March team had to reach an agreement with opposition because they were in the weaker position , they lost the ground and they could not play more diplomatic games with opposition because Lebanon reached the point with no return from two ...
More About: Politics , Regional , Arab

Ayman Nour and Samir Kuntar
2008-05-24 11:53:00
Samir Kuntar is the most famous Arab political prison in the Israel i  jails, he has a life sentence to serve in Israel that crosses 100 years, already the Lebanese Druze did military operations in which the Israelis considered terrorist acts “To be honest I read his case from the Israeli and Arab perspective and to be honest I do not know whom I shall believe”. Samir is considered the oldest Lebanese prisoner in the Israeli Prisons and he is on the top of the Hezbollah Lebanese prisoners list to be free in exchange with the Israeli captured two Soldiers “Do you remember them??”. The Israelis refuse to let him free in the POWs exchange operations except for information about Aron Arad . Ayman is a liberal politician, who had ambitions to make a change in his country, after a controversial career in Political arena, he decided to have his own liberal party and even to run for Presidency after believing the illusions of free multi party presidential ...
More About: Lebanon , Egypt , Democracy , Samir

You know what they say about Karma
2008-05-23 15:26:00
Back to the America n Race elections, I have been away from it some time now but I can't keep myself away from it.  Do you remember the controversy that happened in American when the statements of Obama former Pastor Wright came to media with all its controversy from God damn America and the white people Vs. black people .. Obama acted wisely and denounced it . Not only was Obama facing Wright statements but also Louis Farrakhan endorsement ,again Farrakhan controversial statements regarding Israel ,Jews were another test for Obama in which I think he passed with huge success as it turned in the end. Well I believed like many people that who ever brought those statements was from the other opposite camps whether from Hilary or from McCain. Hilary and her camp with all the battles they leashed against Obama failed and it is matter of time when she raises the White flag , already now Obama is searching for someone to become his VP for the big race. Now McCain is facing the...
More About: Islam , International , Palestine

Mark your calendar : Strike No.3
2008-05-23 12:15:00
Mark your calendar for the next strike in Egypt : On the 5th of June 208 Oh yes the 5th of June can be the third strike Egypt would see after the 6ht of April Strike and the 4th of May Strike. To tell you the truth I like the date , it is meaningful , our historical big defeat !! I did not receive any invitation yet in Facebook about , but I found talks here and there in the Websites and blogs People in Egypt are extremely angry from the Government's latest economic decisions to escalate prices in oil and taxes . If our people ,the Egyptians want a real change then they should stay at home on the 5th of June , which will be Wednesday ,this will send a big slap to the regime Technorati Tags: Egypt,Strike,Democracy ,Economy ,Prices,cit izen Journalism demcocracy,Life,Society,National ,Politics ,Middle East,Mideast,6th of April strike,4th of May

On the draft of a defeat : The Nakba of wording
2008-05-22 23:25:00
The name is the Nakba and if you are a frequent visitor to Arab blogs or Arab speaking English newspapers and magazine Websites, surely you met it in the past two weeks and you knew it was about Palestine ; it is term commonly used in the Arab world to describe the occasion of the loss of Palestine and founding of Israel . Nakba means in English Calamity. Its full name is Nakba 48, beside war of 48Of course you do not need to know or to guess why in the Arab world we called it Calamity or catastrophe; it is a catastrophe when millions of people are forced to leave their land so it would be occupied by another people and the world was watching and approving. Still I hate this name; in fact I hate the tradition of calling our defeats with names from the vast Arabic vocabulary because it did not change the fact that it was a defeat. If you treat it like a defeat then you can come over it and few years later you will have a victory, if you treat like a defeat it is a confession from your ...
More About: History , War , Draft

After 7 days ...
2008-05-22 20:54:00
After 7 days from today Egypt officially will stop working with the infamous emergency law; it will be expired and unless there will be explosion some where to be called by the government a terrorist act , Egypt for the first time in Mubarak rule will be free from it . Do not be so happy because there will be another law which is the Anti-terrorism law , I do not know if the regime will act so fast in the coming days to pass the law so quickly in the parliament and this is so easy taking in to consideration that the majority in the Parliament is from the NDP and more important that when the NDP wants a law to pass they make it pass whether we like or not even if it is against the constitution . Anyhow if nothing is imposed after 7 days as an alternative ,I will consider it as a trick from the regime to appear as a freedom lover regime in front of the west because I can't believe that this regime will live one second without it, it is like oxygen to  it , through it Mubarak ...
More About: Politics , National , Democracy , Days

His childhood memories
2008-05-22 19:20:00
My dear friend N.American Princess "who is actually a sweet and original Egypt ian Princess" reminded of something I wanted to write about from two weeks ago , again the Lebanese issue made me forget it. Gamal Mubarak made an appearance in the National Egyptian TV on its first channel in the political pro- regime talk show "Honestly" {Of course nothing honest in this show from the beginning till the ending}. As usual he was wearing his lucky blue shirt "may be he wears for fear of envy !!???"  and was speaking with all enthusiasm about our wars with Israel;the TV show was during the celebrations of Sinai Liberation and its title was about Youth and Liberation ..so it was natural thing to find young Gamal Mubarak who crossed the 40 years old and did not serve his military service for some mysterious reasons speaking about the wars !! Anyhow I did not stop at what they were saying except one thing ; the Childhood war memories of Mr.Gamal Mubarak in...
More About: Democracy , Memories , Childhood Memories

A little giggle
2008-05-22 18:04:00
What ever you are suffering from in this dull big world , nothing can cheer you heart and soul except an innocent smile of a Child , nothing can me laugh except a giggle of a baby a nearly 50,000,000 views in YouTube , I downloaded to my computer and I can't stop myself from watching it. another one I love in YouTube Babies laugh on a strange thing but may be because they are not complicated like us , may be because they are still normal and innocent. Technorati Tags: Video ,You Tube,babies,laugh,giggle,media,internatio nal
More About: Media

It is so late for that ; where have you been the past 8 years ??
2008-05-21 22:20:00
The Egypt ian official media has nothing to speak along with the pro-regime media in Egypt except the cold shoulders and showers also Mubarak and Son gave to G.W Bush in Sharm El-Sheikh these days over and over; it seems as if they liberated Iraq , well unfortunately they did not. Mubarak did not attend Bush's word nor his son only his daughter in law was there listening Bush attacking the Middle East rulers above them her father in law saying the following : "Too often in the Middle East, politics has consisted of one leader in power and the opposition in jail" Bush did not mean anyone except Ayman Nour of course , and surely Mubarak did not know the speech of Bush but he was angry from the America n's president early interview and he had a meeting with Bush the day before the speech in Sharm El-Sheikh , it seems that that meeting was not as smiling  as the two men were in front of the cameras . Mubarak speeches are always prepared in advance ,so the attack ...
More About: Politics , Democracy , Past

On the draft of a defeat ?Palestine 48"
2008-05-21 20:28:00
Some of you may have asked why I did not write anything about the Nakaba 60th anniversary in the past few weeks , well I did not publish anything in the past two weeks but I did write something , it is another series , just my 1956 series , my 1967 series , my 1973 series and my 1958 UAE series "some of them I did in a way that I do not like , I think that I could better especially in the 1958 UAE series" there will be insh Allah special series for 1948 , the year 1948 , the war year , the Nabka year. I think such occasion deserve a standalone series because that year changed the world not only the middle East. I did not publish anything in the past two weeks for the following reasons : 1- I am ready for the Nakba occasion since last month and I was planning to remember in the proper way not the usual sad crying over the spelling milk way. 2- What happened in Lebanon changed my plans. 3- Again repeating part of No.1, I did not want to remember in the same sad pathet...
More About: History , Israel , Regional , Palestine , Draft

Another Rumour
2008-05-21 18:56:00
I heard some rumour , we can't know for sure if it were true or false but this is the nature of the rumour The Rumour is : There are certain shops in City Star ;whose clothes' price tags cross the L.E 1000 ; which actually are cover for money laundry !!?? The source of this rumour is from those who work in City Stars. Technorati Tags: Egypt,City Stars,malls,Shopping,Society ,Egyptian Life,Citizen Journalism,economy,mideast,middle East,Africa
More About: Economy

Please watch it carefully
2008-05-20 22:00:00
Please watch Gamal Mubarak's interview with France 24 in English and also in Arabic In the English interview Watch him carefully , watch his body language. Watch carefully the facial expression of Andrea Sanke who interviewed him in Paris , I have the feeling that she was not convinced with what he was saying. Already he did not give her a full direct answer on what she asked him and she asked lots of good important questions. In the last part he was so nervous ,so nervous , this man can lose his temper so easily Now to the Arabic interview First of all he is the first Zamalak Club fan to describe himself as Abu Tarika !!?? Second since when he has this humour ? Third the guy asked him a simple question and he started to speak about his policies !!?? Already I think the Arabic interview was after the English because I think the interviewer Tawfik "from the main Arab news anchors in the channel" started his interview with humour to make things smooth after...
More About: Video , Politics , Media , Egypt

And why was he there?
2008-05-20 20:58:00
I was not surprised like many fellow Egypt ians to find Gamal Mubarak in the circus of Sharm El-Sheikh " WEF" , after all it was his circus with Ahmed Nazif. I was not surprised with his hyper active Media activity there , with his interviews with France 24 Arabic and English "For the record , he recorded it in Paris in his unjustified visit " , with Al Arabiya and with the national Egyptian T.V I was some how astonished on how bold he became to speak in international affairs and criticize attack G.W Bush boldly , it seems that Bush gave him a cold shoulder too ,Americans do not like to put their bet on a losing horse , the Shah lesson taught them this. Still it is not a surprise he needs this to increase his popularity in the Egyptian street "As if he has any in the first" But I was surprised to find him in one of the session with Ehud Barack !! I got no problem to find him in a session with Tony Blair , Blair is outside the office , what is he doi...
More About: Politics

What happened to Dija ??
2008-05-20 19:44:00
The first time the Egypt ians had seen Khadija El-Gamal who became afterwards Khadija Mubarak was in our World Economic forum/circus at Sharm El-Sheikh last year officially. Khadija after marrying Gamal did not appear that much in the media, the expected upcoming first lady of Egypt appeared in the media very few times counted on hand ,it is a wise thing because people already can't stand her husband Gamal whose photos are appearing on a daily basis in all publications in Egypt. Yet she appeared again in the World Economic Forum/Circus at Sharm El-Sheikh , I do not know why the WEF from all particular events she always attends , it is boring after all. Egyptian people are wise and let's say all the people who watched Bush's speech and Mubarak's speech did not stop at their war of the words' only but how Dija looked , Dija did not look this young cheerful blonde bombshell she used to be at all ,she looked thinner and sad Strangely some how these side talks found its way to...
More About: Society , Women

The tale of Omar Effendi
2008-05-19 20:39:00
Omar Effendi is not just a department Store in Egypt , in fact I think it is just like anything old and great from the 19th century holds too much inside . Omar Effendi if you do not know is from the oldest department stores in Egypt , in fact it may be the oldest , it was founded in 1856 by Adolf Orosodi, a Hungarian army officer who was a refugee in the Ottoman Empire , he opened in Galata a clothing store in 1855. Then he and his son began to open  similar stores and branches in Baghdad, Istanbul and Beirut before coming to Cairo and achieving that huge success. For decades many Egyptians knew it as Orosdi Back , when the 20th century came already Orosadi Back had opened up over 60 branches in Egypt . In 1920 the chain was sold to new owners who changed the name to become the iconic Omar Effendi , I think the new owners were French. Already the first 6 story branch and its main branch downtown at the corner of Abdel Aziz and Rushdie Streets  is considered a histori...
More About: History , Tale , Omar

Omar Effendi ad 1946 [Flickr]
2008-05-19 19:39:00
Kodak Agfa posted a photo: An old for Omar Effendi department store in 1946 , praising King Farouk and the Bare feet project, where the rich launced a compagin to gather donation to the low classes in Egypt , it took that name , because some of these classes then did not afford buy something to wear in their feet and thus the name I think it was a stupid provoking name
More About: Flickr

No for this reason
2008-05-17 22:16:00
News reports are saying that Egypt ,the official Egypt did not receive or welcome Bush as it expected , Mubarak who is staying did not receive Bush warmly even he did not appear , well he made his press attack Bush and strangely outside they take our official press so serious , may be because it is the official spokesperson of the regime. On Friday the Al Ahram newspaper in its weekly edition opened its fire on Bush for its silly speech in Knesset , strangely this speech brought to him too much criticism , whether from inside America "the democrats" or from outside mainly from America's allies in the region from the Arabs. To be honest I do not give a damn for Bush Knesset's speech , because I know he would kiss Israel's ass sincerely and he would use this biblical language as a faithful Christian Zionist , no doubt in it. For your information Cairo is not angry from Bush for this reason because its President already congratulated Shimon Perez for 60th anniversary of Israel found...
More About: Politics , Media , Reason

Leave the messenger
2008-05-17 10:07:00
Do you remember James Buck,the America n photographer  and journalist who was detained by the Egypt ian Police for covering the Mahalla clashes last month ?? Whom the whole world spoke about when he used the bless of Web 2.0 aka twitter to send a SMS message to inform the whole world that he was arrested !! James was one of the few voices from outside that stood beside us sincerely , you all know that what happened in Mahalla was not covered outside as it should be. Anyhow James was freed immediately after the interference of the American Embassy and he had departed the country and despite that the Media secretary in our consulate in San Francesco tried to   let's say explain the misunderstanding that happened in Mahalla ,still James did not abandon the case as we say in Egypt . In fact James involved more and more especially when his Egyptian translator Mohammed Maree is detained up till this moment for no good reason at except that he was with James and was doing ...
More About: National , Leave , Democracy

Follow Up : Farewell Hadeel
2008-05-16 22:28:00
I wanted and wished that the next time when I write about Hadeel was the time she would recover from her severe illness and return back to her family, to her friends and to her blog. To be honest I have knew the news from minutes ago and I feel so sad ,despite I do not know her personally nor I was a regular reader to her blog , I visited her blog when I read about her story of illness and I was so sad to find that this talent go away like this . I do not know why I feel sad is it because Hadeel was young like me , she had just celebrated her 25th Birthday ?? !! Or because she is a blogger like ?? Or because she was talented ?? May be Blogging did not save her life but for sure it made so many people feel sad for her and consider her as another friend . It is strange because she is not the first blogger to die young , in Egypt we got Shimaa or Shiko who is not longer online , Shimaa wrote a farewell post in her blog because she was sick but Hadeel did not have the time to...
More About: Personal , Women , Health , Geek , Farewell

Review : A Nation in waiting
2008-05-16 21:03:00
I have just watching "A Nation in waiting" from the beginning till the ending and these are my remarks about this important documentary that Al Jazeera international produced to the west . Overall the documentary was unbiased, moderated. I do not know why Al Jazeera international ignored Mohammed Naguib and considered Nasser the first president of Egypt , Naguib was not just the first Egyptian President but he also was forced to leave the position and was sent in to internal exile because of supporting democracy and standing by the real 6 principles of revolution. Mubarak was so young in 1980s , seriously he looked so young and thin !! I could not stand the hypocrites of the NDP they hosted especially Ali El-Din Halal about the bridges his president ordered to be built People do not remember because they are ungrateful !!! #%&*# what ever this insult to him ,yes the Egyptians are like the cats ; they eat and deny "famous Egyptian proverb ab...
More About: Video , Media , National , Films

I want my old Omar Effendi back
2008-05-16 13:07:00
Today I visited Omar Effendi Ahmed Orabi branch and I could not believe myself how empty it became after the privatisation, I could not believe myself how this huge department store which I used to be afraid of losing my mom's hand when I was child during her shopping became so small and narrow. I remember Omar Effendi when it was a public owned , it was like a real department store and here I am not speaking about clothes , but I am saying that you could find all what you could find in it stuff like Home appliances from A to Z , Kitchen stuff , bathroom stuff , some furniture , my computer desk I am setting on currently was from there , carpets , bed sheets , the cotton products section there was always full of Arabs from the Gulf. They even had a pet section , they used to sell pets from tiny turtles , fish and birds there. It was not that bad before the privatisation. Yes it was a public sector department store and yes it was not for Class A ,Yes it was not the most advanced...
More About: Society , Economy , Egypt , Back

To celebrate the occasion
2008-05-16 12:46:00
This is a bit late , pardon me I was following the Lebanese issue and I forgot that important occasion. Please read this post first Please buy this book , it is from the most honest and important books published in the West about Egypt's in Mubarak's era. The book discusses shocking facts Amazon.com: Inside Egypt Also Al Jazeera international aired a documentary about Egypt after Mubarak's 80th birthday , its name is "A Nation in waiting " , the nation of of course is the Egyptian ,I do not know what they think the Egyptian nation is waiting for ?? By the way the Egyptian media ignored this important documentary. Technorati Tags: Egypt,Mubarak,President,Hosni Mubarak,Mideast,Middle East,Books ,Democracy,Egyptians,media,nati onal,politics,video,Al jazeera international,John R.Bardley
More About: Video , Politics , Media , National

About the future of Lebanon
2008-05-16 12:17:00
Please read this small article about the uncertain future of Lebanon from the Time Magazine Andrew Lee Butters from Beirut. This is what the Neo Conservatives want to happen, they wanted Saniora to push Hezbollah more and more till it used its weapons or its allies weapons against its follow Lebanese from another sects and how they want the country to be divided in to a very famous map A Christian State in the North and the mount , A Shiite State in the South with a part in Beirut and little tiny place for the Sunni , the Radical Sunnis from around the globe to fight the Shiite in the South just like Iraq , another Muslim - Muslim Clash ,already we should not forget that Al Hariri funded radical Sunni groups in the Nahr El-Bard refugee Camp and I remember during the Israeli invasion in 2006 , these groups planed to kill Hassan Nasrallah. The story will not finish here because not only the Muslim Sect will have its fight but also the Christians will fight on who will be the lea...
More About: Politics , Regional , Future , The Future

Mona El-Shazely's interview with Bush
2008-05-16 11:17:00
Here is the interview in D.C that caused a lot of stir back in Cairo for Mona El-Shazely Please click Here , it is in Arabic . I wish that Mona would publish the complete English interview so the Westerns especially America ns would know what their President said Update : Here it is from Youtube , thanks to anonymous commenter Mona El-Shazely's interview with G.W Bush Technorati Tags: America,Mona El-Shazely,Dream TV,News,Media ,Video,G.W Bush,Egypt ,Cairo,D.C,Citizen Journalism,mideast,Middle East
More About: Interview

And why would he set him free ??
2008-05-15 20:46:00
I found this photo from Israel , I think it was from the L.A Times Middle East blogBush Free your captive !!! Well this is one hell for a reception !!I am sorry but please remind me again why Bush should free hiscaptive Jonathan Pollard !!??? I can't believe those Israelis considering Bush with allwhat gave and is giving them from aid that he is like their enemiesHamasand Hezbollah because he did not free Pollard !!?? With my all respect I know Pollard is a Jewish Israeli hero but in the UnitedStates he is a traitor , why Bush would release if he betrayed the UnitedStates!! Already I do not understand the Israeli mentality in Spying on their bestallies in the world ,I do not understand it and I do not find any excuse!!?? There is an Egyptian Common saying that says : " If your baby is honey , do not lick it all" Technorati Tags: Israel,Bush,America ,spying,Espionage,Jona than Jay Pollard,Tel Aviv,Mideast,Middle East,photos,regional
More About: International

Amey Mathews' Baby leaders
2008-05-15 19:13:00
Amey Mathews is a wonderful talented artist who gave us the opportunity to look back when the leaders of this world whether presidents of kings , religious leaders or public figures were innocent babies and Children. Please enjoy her paintings         ;   King Abdallah of Jordan       ;       0;       Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma P.S this is for the Nakaba 60th anniversary   I found a painting for Ariel Sharon when he was a child , oh yes this war criminal sleeping beauty was a child once upon time !!?? I think this man had one hell of miserable child , he would go behind cats and suffocate them , seriously this kind of personality that loves destruction and blood surely did not have an ideal childhood Look as a Muslim and Egyptian I should not attack a sick man but unfortunately this man did a lot against the Egyptians and Arabs ,...
More About: Baby , Culture , Arts , Leaders

Links of the day : A Metro Station or a museum ?? Some one at la
2008-05-14 19:36:00
This Spanish Post about a Metro/Underground/Subway Station in Moscow , it is not your average Egypt ian Metro Station by all Means . You do not have to know Spanish to read the post , do like me and enjoy the wonderful interior design of this station I do not recall that I saw this childish smile on the face of Queen Elizabeth , her smiles were always official cold royal ones ,sometimes a smug . Enjoy these photos for Queen Elizabeth II enjoying a steam train trip wearing a head scarf giving her the looks of An Old British simple lady The pharmacy of the Pharaohs is now under the microscope of the university of Manchester , another interesting thing about our ancestor , I wonder why we do not do these researches on our own and we already have the ability to do it Technorati Tags: Queen Elizabeth II,Photos,UK,Russia,Moscow,Subway,undergr ound,interior design,decoration,Pharaohs,ancient Egypt,Egypt,history,Science,pharamcy,geek
More About: Women , History , Links , Arts

Lebanon was always a democracy
2008-05-14 13:08:00
Reuters published an interesting analysis essay regarding what happened to Lebanon from a victory to Hezollah and allies , describing it as another blow to Bush administration,it is very interesting but I want to clear something because I hate this wrong information Here is the link : http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ B599715.htm { Sorry I am trying the Blog it application from Facebook}G.W Bush did not bring democracy to Lebanon , Lebanon was ,is and will be always a democratic country , their elections were always democratic so it is not an achievement for Bush . The achievement which can be considered an achievement or a victory to Bush is when the Syria were out of Lebanon thanks to the people's anger. For the record the Syrians came to Lebanon by the request of the American , this is a historical fact.Already if Bush thinks that his allies are the perfect example of his kind of democracy : Corrupted Personalities :Saniora, ex-war princes: Jomblatt,Gaegae and Gumayel ar...
More About: Democracy

The interview in the White house
2008-05-13 23:18:00
Wow I have just finished watching Mona El-Shazely's very quick, very short ,very powerful and successful interview with G.W Bush. The exclusive interview that lasted for 10 minutes only I believe was the most interesting interview G.W Bush ever made for an Arabic TV , all previous interviews were long, boring and questions were repeated over and over just like the answers  but this time it was different may be because the interviewer was different. Mona had few time and thus she decided along with her excellent editing team to find the best four questions that can cover most important topics currently in Egypt and outside Egypt. I was scared that he would repeat his nonsense regarding Lebanon in which he said in BBC Arabic and Al Arabiya yesterday  but clever Mona had other more important questions. Important questions that made me understand why the public media is attacking her and made me fear that she would face another hate campaign. The first question was ab...
More About: America , Media , House , White House