Stories about Egypt from September, 2009
Egypt: Another journalist to be deported
"Your name [is] on the computer." With those words Cairo-based Swedish journalist and blogger Per Bjorklund is being turned away from the Cairo Airport, where he landed a few hours ago. Egypt's bloggers are angry and speaking up against it.
Middle East: Arabisk, Blog Competition and Debate
Newly launched Arabisk is an annual competition to select the best Arabic blogs. First welcomed by bloggers, Egyptian bloggers are now complaining that they have been sidelined from the contest. Here is round up of their reactions.
Arab World: Artificial Virginity Made in China
Moroccan blogger Mounir writes on Des maux à dire [Fr] about artificial hymens, made in China, apparently much appreciated by a growing base of Arab customers. “In the Arab region, Syrians have seen this revolutionary ‘product’ invade the black market. In Egypt, investors are seriously considering its introduction,” alleges the...
Egypt: Blogging Farouk Hosni's Defeat
Egypt's Culture Minister Farouk Hosni has kept bloggers busy over the previous few days. His failed bid to secure a seat at the helm of UNESCO has polarised the blogosphere, with some even cooking up conspiracy theories to justify his defeat.
The Egyptians Tweet Farouk Hosny's Defeat
Bulgarian candidate, Irina Bokova, 57, was elected the head of the UNESCO, defeating Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosny. Instead of mourning the loss, Egyptians celebrated his defeat on Twitter.
MENA: Thanks “Khawater” from Japan
Television viewers across the Arab world were in for a treat this Ramadan, with the airing of a special programme on Japan. In its fifth season, Khawater (Thoughts) visited Japan, where a young Saudi preacher Ahmed Al Shugairy explained the Japanese success story to Arab and Muslim viewers. Here are some blogger reactions to the one month show.
Egypt: Will Farouk Hosni be Unesco's Next Director General ?
Egypt's culture minister Farouk Hosny is vying for Unesco's top post. Marwa Rakha sums up the reactions of bloggers towards this nomination and the election process.
Egypt: Bloggers call for a fun-filled harassment-free Eid
As Eid Al Fitr approaches, women in Egypt are bracing themselves for even more sexual harassment than what has already become a disturbing norm. Bloggers and online activists are also joining forces to fight the phenomenon, calling for a fun-filled and harassment-free celebration.
Egypt: A Coptic Presidential Candidate?
A Copt has stated his intent to run for elections for Egypt's top post in the 2011 presidential race. Lawyer Mamdouh Ramzy, a member of the Constitutional Party, is venturing where many have failed.
Egypt: A Marginalized Middle Class
Mohamed, from Traveller Within, analyzes the Egyptian Middle class, and acknowledges the presence of a parallel middle class that is being deliberately marginalized. In his post he stressed the importance of inter-class reconciliation in order not to lose such an influential societal category.
Egypt: “Drivers don't enjoy protection”
Egyptian drivers don't enjoy protection, writes Wessam Fuad, whose blog [Ar] deals with problems drivers face in his country. In his most recent post, the blogger says in the case of an accident, both the person who caused the accident and his victim face a similar fine.
Egyptians React to the Sudanese “Sin”
Sudanese UN female employee Lubna Hussein faced threats of imprisonment and flogging for the “sin” of wearing trousers in Khartoum - and her saga is far from over. Marwa Rakha sums up the reactions of Egyptian bloggers in this post.
Arab Women… Minors Until They Die
Though blessed with inner strength that enables them to deal with the shackles of their culture, some Arab women are dealt with as minors who will never reap the fruits of adulthood. Marwa Rakha brings us the voices of two bloggers who dared to speak up.
Egypt: Cairo Airport Security Strikes Again
Bikya Masr reported: “First, an American citizen was barred from entering the country last week and sent back to London. Now, a Palestinian-Norwegian mother of two was stopped by security as she attempted to board her flight to Amsterdam on Monday morning, being told she was a “national security risk”...
Egypt: Bad Boys Who do not Moderate Blog Comments
Journalist and blogger Khaled El Balshy has recently been subpoenaed by State Security and charged of slander because he did not delete a “bad” comment that was left on one of his blog posts dating back to 2007.
Egypt: Prison Awaits Those who don't Fast in Ramadan
For the first time in Egypt, the Ministry of Interior arrests Muslims who eat and drink in public during the fasting month of Ramadan. Marwa Rakha has the story.
Egypt: Two Coptic Orthodox Church Channels
After a series of failed attempts to launch a television channel for the Coptic faith in Egypt over the past 15 years, two channels were authorized and four more are in the pipeline.
Egypt: US “Activist” Travis Randall Deported
American journalist Travis Randall has been denied entry to Egypt and then deported. Bloggers react to his treatment in this round up of posts by Marwa Rakha.
Egypt: Tune in to the Naglaa El Emam Show
An Egyptian lawyer, with her share of controversy, is making the headlines again. This time it is because of her conversion to Christianity. Marwa Rakha has the story in this post.
Egypt: Iraq vs Syria
Egyptian Chronicles discusses the current standoff between Syria and Iraq: “As Arabs we know that for time to time the Syrian-Iraqi relations go from bad to worse.”
Morocco: Four Perspectives on Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is defined by intimidation, bullying, or coercion of a sexual nature and is, by all accounts, something that happens the world over. Of late, bloggers in Morocco have been assessing the situation, where they offer a variety of perspectives on the issue.
