I don’t think I can take much more of the smug, self-congratulatory tone of al-Masri al-Youm anymore.
Every one of their main stories (on worthy subjects such as their risible AUC-Pentagon scandal, the Ayman Nour-Gameela Ismail divorce or their claim to have had the scoop on the recent arrests of alleged) Hizbullah operatives) contains a pat on their own back about how they got the story. Are they trying to make up for the real scoop al-Shorouk got (even if some aspects were wrong) on the Sudan bombing?
I officially declare the al-Masri al-Youm era of Egyptian journalism over. Not sure what the new era is, but they no longer have the same authority they once did.
A Palestinian mother of two is stuck at Cairo airport, having been kept for an unknown reason by security. She may be deported to the UK. She is relating her experience on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gazamom
Gazamom waitng and waiting. this man has no answers and my file has been disappeared or cast aside for teh moment. running out of diapers. about 1 hour ago from web will be shocked if Yousuf and Noor’s immune system survives this 24 jolt – eating and sleeping off roach ridden premises included about 2 hours ago from web @marcynewan WHICH airport? this one of the other? about 2 hours ago from web room full of illegal egypyptia workers about 4 hours ago from web new information: apparently, I am a security and political threat about 4 hours ago from web anyone have an inside connection w/ Egyptian amn il dawla? about 4 hours ago from web i keep getting told “the gaza situation is very special” , as in “you are not human, you have no rights” special about 4 hours ago from web this must be a VERY high order because every call I have made has failed. I told them its not my fault egypt is in the way to my home about 4 hours ago from web
Egypt just changed its rule banning the sale and use of GPS devices, which had caused among other things the iPhone to be crippled when bought inside the country. The rumored reason for the change: Ahmed Ezz, Gamal Mubarak’s right-hand man, imported a luxury vehicle equipped with GPS that customs did not want to release. So he asked his buddy Gamal to change the regulations. I don’t think this has any basis in reality, but it shows the kind of thinking around here when this is how some people think such policies (made essentially for military or commercial reasons) are decided. Think about it: if Ahmed Ezz wanted to, he could have just gotten his car in and used the GPS illegally, as many people already do.
It’s been reported today that a group of Egyptians, Israeli Arabs, Palestinians, and Lebanese have arrested in Egypt for belonging to a smuggling ring to Gaza, while Israel alleges they could be a threat to Israeli vacationers in Sinai. So this story involves Hamas, Hizbullah, Iran vs. Israel and Egypt, as well as attempts to spread Shiism in Egypt.
The 2007 Hamas takeover of Gaza affected Egypt more than any other country. While there is a possibility that Americans or Europeans would tolerate a Palestinian consensus including loosely-worded formulas that allow Hamas to participate, it is the Egyptians who are taking a hard-line approach and pressing Hamas into an unequivocal stance. Egypt wants to minimize the chances of Hamas winning future Palestinian elections. Egypt’s delicate domestic situation cannot withstand the emergence of a successful or partly successful Muslim Brotherhood-inspired experiment anywhere in the Arab world, and certainly not on its very doorstep. The situation is all the more sensitive because Hamas is confronting the Israeli occupation, deeply unpopular with most Egyptians, which provides a tool for Egyptian Islamists to use in mobilizing the street against the government. But Cairo is aware that Hamas’ position is awkward and its choices are limited, especially with escalating resentment against some of Hamas’ policies within Gaza before, during, and after the recent war, which is pushing Hamas to adopt a more flexible attitude.
While the NDP appears serious about increasing the number of women in parliament, it is not clear yet exactly which seats will be designated for women or how they will be selected. Will it be, for example, by means of an individual candidacy system, in which two women from each governorate are nominated (one a professional and another a laborer), a party list system, or some combination of the two? The quota is thus part of a larger discussion of overall reform of the oft-revised Egyptian electoral system. But in any case, it seems likely that a quota for women will be in place in time for the 2010 parliamentary elections. The question is no longer whether more women will enter parliament, but rather how this will be accomplished.
Also:
Intissar Fakir Western Sahara and Regional Security (IMHO overstates the security issues in the Sahel region from a US perspective, ignores political expediency of creating a “jihadist situation” in that sub-region for both local and external powers.)
Josh Landis on The Nexus of Economy, Diplomacy, and Reform (I like Landis but fear he’s rather too sanguine about this: “President Assad has also promised to put political liberalization back on his agenda because he no longer believes Western powers seek to destabilize Syria.” Forget liberalization, Assad will never do it!)
– Nahdet Misr (laconic): A strike without strikers.
The opposition-independent press
– Al-Badil (embarrassed): Weak participation in strike.
– Al-Dostour (oblivious): 6 April: small protests
The real big story of the day, though, are allegations by Masri al-Youm editor Magdi Gallad that Ayman Nour’s wife and stalwart supporter, Gamila Ismail (well-known in Egypt as a former television presenter and later an advocate for her husband) that Gamila sent him a SMS saying she was divorcing Ayman. Ayman Nour then reportedly demanded that Gallad withdraw the edition of the paper where the information was published (with promises of a follow-up), which Gallad refused while lambasting Nour for attacking freedom of the press on public figures when Nour himself wants more transparency on public officials. It’s not clear whether the news regarding the divorce has been confirmed yet, and Gamila has reportedly disappeared.
The short story: what had been talked about nonstop for the past month as a “day of anger” with national outbreaks of protests all over the place completely fizzled out with a pathetic whimper. About 40 people were arrested, mostly in Kafr al-Sheikh, and security presence was slightly more massive than usual. Clearly Gaza is a vastly more important issue than this ill-defined “day of anger”, and the very real, very serious anti-Mubarak movement in Egypt should dissociate itself from the “Shabab 6 April” if it wants to get anywhere. If they keep doing this, I predict a surge in the number of new applicants to join the NDP. Egypt’s activists and opposition politicians are discrediting themselves if they make a big deal about a day of protests that most don’t even participate in – and no, joining a Facebook group does not count.
The same with more curse words at Sandmonkey. Hossam will have more later but has already posted along the same lines. Those two agreeing on anything political is a small miracle, and it happened today.
A quick round-up of info about Egypt’s April 6 strike:
– You can follow updates on Twitter by using the #6April tag
– A couple of days ago the Karama party (leftist-Nasserist, unrecognized) held a conference in which it announced the latest opposition coalition initiative, the “Coalition of Egyptians for Change”. It includes some of the usual figures from the Muslim Brothers (M. Abul Quddous) and a bunch of intellectuals like Sonallah Ibrahim and Alaa al-Aswaani. Here’s a MET story on it that might exaggerate its import – remember it’s not the first time such a coalition is formed, it should not have to be re-formed.
– The socialist Tagammu party is joining the strike, and Ayman Nour (I’m not sure you can say there remains much of a Ghad party, even if he is rebuilding) has backed it, as has the fledging Democratic Front. The liberal Wafd is against the strike, although some of the writers in its paper back it. Presumably the Nasserists back it.
– There have been a number of arrests of students and activists ahead of today’s strike, most notably in Kafr al-Sheikh and Cairo. A Muslim Brother blogger, Abdel Rahman Fares has been arrested in Fayoum. Massive security presence expected in Cairo and elsewhere. Watch this al-Jazeera English report for background:
– Protests are being planned at various universities around the country, notably Cairo U. Elsewhere likely to be used in Cairo: the State Council, the Journalists’ Syndicate, the General Federation of Trade Unions, and more.
– The Doctor’s Syndicate will strike on April 9 asking for minimum wage, but there’s some overlap with today. A protest is planned today in front of the Doctors’ Syndicate on Qasr al-Aini St. The Pharmacists’ Syndicate, the Bar Association and the Engineers’ movement have announced they will not participate. Presumably the Judges’ Club is not participating in light of its new pro-regime leadership, although its Alexandria branch still could.
– Hossam Tammam on the Brothers’ participation or non-participation (at this point it remains unclear what they’ll do, even if they’ve announced support for the strike):
In a replay of events last year the MB has declined to take part in the 6 April strike, although it says that it supports strikes as a form of political action guaranteed by the law and the constitution. Justifying its refusal to participate the MB said that as the country’s largest opposition group it should have been consulted. This is more or less what the MB said last year. The excuse is starting to wear thin.
The MB is not known for its ability to maintain alliances outside the circle of Islamic activists or to perform as part of a broad political front. This is a result of the indoctrination that goes on in a closed organisation run through a strict hierarchy and which demands blind obedience to its leaders.
Another reason that prevents the MB from cooperating with other groups is the self-importance it has acquired since it started outperforming other opposition groups in elections. The MB has developed a habit of lecturing others about the great sacrifices it has made over the years.
Even if this were true, harping can only alienate other parties, if not the public as a whole. The fact is the MB’s long history of suffering sometimes makes it act in an isolationist manner, as if it were a closely-knit clan, not a group seeking allies on the local political scene.
– Sandmonkey rants against the whole 6 April phenomenon.
– So does Hossam for very different reasons, namely that it’s not a general strike if large labor unions are not participating. But it will be “a day of protests, a day of rage.” He has some notes on MB youth and rifts on MB policy on this one.
About two weeks have elapsed, a bunch of fanciful reports have come out, but we still don’t know much more about the airstrike in North Sudan that Israel, or possible the United States, allegedly carried out. As I wrote before, this story should be treated with extreme caution as, as it currently stands, it smacks of manipulation and disinformation. Gideon Levy at Haaretz, unlike most Israeli journalists who are happy to report what the Arab press has published or what Mossad is leaking them, comes right out and labels the story as propaganda:
Nobody knows for sure what was bombed, how much and why. Sudan, after all, is far away. But we can rely on our fine young men in the Mossad and air force to know what they’re doing. We were right, it worked again. All our forces returned safely, leaving only dust and ashes from the dangerous convoy. The muttering of Sudan’s government about innocent fishing boats that were bombed is irrelevant. Fishermen or terrorists, a la guerre comme a la guerre.
The military commentators and the entire Israeli nation in their footsteps were beside themselves with admiration. The Israeli James Bond is still here. An army that hasn’t fought against another army for decades finds its glory in such operations. So does the political leadership. What did Olmert say with a wink after the Sudan incident? “There is no place where Israel cannot operate.” Hooray. With a quarter of that imagination and daring we could have achieved peace already, but let’s not go into such trivia.
Also read the Economist’s take, which focuses on the ties between Sudan and Iran but could have been more cautious about the claims surrounding the attack.
If you missed it, do take the time to read Maria Golia’s short story The Earthquake of 2012, in which a future earthquake shakes up Cairo and puts the first family under all kinds of pressure… It’s strangely appropriate reading in the context of the upcoming 6 April Strike: it describes a moment when the city’s denizens stand as one and decide they’re not going to take it any more.