· April, 2008

Stories about Egypt from April, 2008

Egypt: Facebooking the Struggle

  30 April 2008

After little less than a month following the April 6 strike, during which a number of prominent Egyptian bloggers and internet activists were arrested, preparations for the next round of a planned general strike to mark the 80th birthday of President Mubarak, on May 4, 2008, are currently spreading all over the blogosphere and the Internet. Blogger and activist Nora Younis shares some of her ideas with us about the role of Internet in Egypt as a platform for political activism.

Egyptian activists released

  24 April 2008

Two Egyptian activists, Esraa Abdel Fattah Ahmed, who launched the “6 April” Facebook group and blogger Mohamed Sharkawy, have been released. Both Esraa and Sharkawy were arrested on 5 April while distributing leaflets announcing the 6 April strike.

Egypt: Esraa Update

  23 April 2008

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia updates us about the whereabouts of Esraa Abdelfattah, who was jailed in Egypt for allegedly creating a Facebook group which encouraged people to take part in the April 6 strike.

Egypt: Man Kills Baker

  23 April 2008

From Cairo, Elijah Zarwan writes: “A man killed the owner of a government bakery when the baker refused to sell him bread.”

What's Carter Doing in the Middle East?

  22 April 2008

Former US President Jimmy Carter just concluded talks with Palestinian Hamas leaders in Cairo, Egypt. First, it was the turn of the US Presidential elections to snub the visit. Now, bloggers from the region join them to rebuff it.

Egypt: Blogger Sharqawi Released

  21 April 2008

From Egypt, Hossam El Hamalawy announced the release of blogger Mohammed Al Sharqawi – but is concerned about the welfare of other detainees who have gone ‘missing.’ Sharqawi was arrested during the April 6 strike, which was a protest against inflation and which called for better wages for workers.

Egypt: Disappearing People

  21 April 2008

Michaelitoo compiles a post about Egyptians who have gone missing, for their religious and political beliefs, in this article Tarek Amr translates from Arabic.

Egypt: Handcuffed Patients

  21 April 2008

From Egypt, Mostafa Hussein, who posts pictures of patients arrested in the Al Mahalla protests, tells us why handcuffing patients to beds is not a good practice.

Egypt: Dairy Workers Stage Sit-In

  21 April 2008

Five hundred dairy factory workers staged a sit in and Hossam El Hamalawy from Egypt posts a picture here. The protesters are worried they would lose their jobs – after reporting to work after a month's paid leave – only to be told that they should take another two weeks...

Egypt: Detainees Update

  21 April 2008

From Egypt, blogger Hossam El Hamalawy updates us on the conditions of those arrested in the recent Al Mahalla protests and clashes, over inflation and increasing salaries. They include bloggers, journalists and activists.

AIDS – A Taboo in the Arab World

  18 April 2008

AIDS, the deadly acquired immune deficiency syndrome, is a taboo word in the Arab world. But the scary word has managed to crop up in many blog posts this week - from Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Bahrain and Yemen.

Egypt: Boycott the World

  17 April 2008

People around the world are using economic pressure in protest against political decisions by calling for boycotting products from certain countries. With more countries being constantly added to the boycott list, Egyptian blogger Tarek shares the following novel idea. Boycott the world, pleads the blogger.

Egypt: Anti-Strike Facebook Group Formed

  17 April 2008

To circumnavigate censorship, activists in the Arab world are strongly leaning on online tools to get their messages across and expose what they describe as state brutality against civilians. Word about last week's April 6 strike in Egypt was spread on a Facebook group, which has so far attracted more than 71,200 members. Now Egyptian blogger GEMYHOoOD (Ar) tells us about an anti-strike Facebook group, which has around 1,000 followers.

Egypt: Residential Independence

  15 April 2008

OTV is a private Egyptian satellite TV channel which has attracted the attention of its viewers from the day it was launched, thanks to its liberal approach, the issues it tackles and the way it tackles them, which is different from conservative and traditional TV channels. Tarek Amr writes about how the channel covered the issue of unmarried girls living on their own and how a blogger reacted to it.

Egypt: 631 Detainees in Mahalla

  15 April 2008

Ibn Al Dunya, from Egypt, says that more than 600 people were arrested in Mahalla in connection to the April 6 general strike and the unrest which followed. They include bloggers, journalists and politicians.

Egypt: Wet Bathroom Floors

  13 April 2008

Kim, an Indian living in Egypt, notices a lot of similarities between the Indian and Egyptian ways of life. She writes: “A couple of my friends Americans/Europeans who have married Egyptians have mentioned a couple of times that they cannot fathom how bathroom floors in Egypt are always wet. As...

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