Tag: egypt

Heggy on Copts and security

I really don’t want to promote Tarek Heggy‘s delusions of grandeur (see his bio, which describes him as “being amongst the members of the first echelon of the contemporary Arab liberal thinkers”), but I find his constant references to “security services mentality” in this piece on Copts interesting.

This security-service mentality is one of the factors that contributed to the collapse of objectivity and rationality in our thinking, and which [cause this kind of thinking] to be so far removed from objective and civilized modes of analysis which are one of the achievements of human civilization.

The basic issue is: ‘Do the Copts in Egypt suffer from serious problems in their own country?’ The only possible answer is: ‘Yes’.

Perhaps he’ll be sharing those views with his friend and next-door neighbor, Omar Suleiman.

Jehan Sadat, fundraising for Israel

Why is Jehan Sadat attending a Zionist fundraising conference?

Her best line:

She noted that he gave his Nobel Peace Prize money to the poor of Egypt, despite her telling him that the family could use it. “He said, ‘Money comes and goes, but friends are forever.’ He was right, of course.”

This from the widow of the man who began the institutionalization of corruption in Egypt. And now she participated in a dinner that raised $7 million in bond sales for Israel.

US Copt activist teams up with Fox News

Does anyone else find the prospect of Coptic activist Michael Meunier and Fox News teaming up potentially extremely dangerous? Watch this closely. Maybe it’ll be legitimate — there is plenty to complain about if you’re a Copt. But Meunier has a history of manipulating media to advance his own political profile in Washington, and we all know about Fox News’ reputation.

U.S. Copts and Fox News Partner on Egypt Project

Washington DC Nov.15, 2006

Dear Copts and Friends,

I’m pleased to share with you news of Fox News Channel’s upcoming special report on religious freedom in Egypt, in which I had the pleasure of co-operating with Fox News producers and journalists during this past summer.

U.S. Copts has joined with international cable television giant the Fox News Channel to create a televised special report on human rights abuses against Copts in Egypt. The report, part of a new Fox News series on religious freedom in countries around the world, features exclusive interviews with Coptic victims, priests, and others inside Egypt.

In the summer of 2006, I traveled to Egypt with Fox News journalists where we went on locations all over Egypt to shoot hours of documentary footage highlighting victims and sites of anti-Coptic human rights abuses.

The footage include those of destroyed churches, victims and their families. If the serious is to come out in the way I hope too, it will provide a great exposure for our cause. My understanding is that the initial report which will air starting today will be a short program. However, I am promised by Fox that the hours of tapes they recorded will be used in another full hour special on Egypt and the Copts.

The entire series, including the Egypt report, airs this coming Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, November 15- 17, 2006 on the Fox News Channel at 7.00 PM Eastern Standard Time (2:00 AM Egypt time).

Best Wishes,

Michael Meunier

If someone can digitally record this on Fox News and somehow send it my way, I’d be very grateful.

Protest Beit Hanoun Massacre Thursday

In response to the Beit Hanoun massacre of Palestinian women and children, The Muslim Brotherhood, the Revolutionary Socialists and Kefaya have called for a women’s demonstration in front of the Arab League in Tahrir Square, Thrusday November 16 at 2:00 p.m.

The demonstration will be the first street event organized jointly by women activists from the secular and religious opposition.

Protest Beit Hanoun Massacre

احتجاجا على مقتل النساء والأط�ال �ي بيت حانون على أيدي قوات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي، تدعو جماعة الاخوان المسلمين وتيار الاشتراكيين الثوريين وحركة ك�اية لمظاهرة نسائية أمام مقر جامعة الدول العربية بميدان التحرير الخميس 16 نو�مبر، الساعة 2 ظهراً

تعد المظاهرة الأولى من نوعها لجمعها نساء المعارضة العلمانية والدينية معاً

The Street Is Ours Demo tomorrow

تعلن حركة الشارع لنا أننا سو� نبدأ حملة د�اعا عن تواجدنا.. عن حقنا �ي الحياة العامة.. وعن حقنا �ي حياة خالية من العن� والتحرش الجنسي..
وندعو الجميع، نساء ورجال، إلى التجمع أمام سينما مترو (أحد مواقع تحرشات وسط البلد)
يوم الثلاثاء، 14 نو�مبر �ي الثالثة بعد الظهر،
تضامنا مع النساء ضحايا أيام العيد وإعلانا بأن الشارع لنا وأن أحدا لن يعزلنا أو يخي�نا بعيدا عنه.
كي لا تخا� أي أم على ابنتها أو أخت على أختها وأي زوج على زوجته أو أب على ابنته.. كي لا يسرقوا منا الشعور بالأمن �ي بلادنا..
الآن: مسئوليتنا جميعا أن ننزل الشارع
مزيد من المعلومات مراسلتنا على البريد الالكترونى
info [at] streetisours [dot] org

The Street is Ours
We shall start a campaign defending our presence, our right to public space, our right to a life free of violence and sexual harassment;
We call upon everybody, women and men, to gather in front of the Metro Theater (one of the locations where the harassments took place)
Tuesday 14 November, at 3 p.m.,
to express our solidarity with the victims of harassment
to make a statement that the street is ours.
Nobody will terrify us away. Nobody will isolate us in our country.

Kefaya Giza coordinator detained

Authorities continued their hassels against Mohamed Al-Ashqar, Kefaya activist and the head of the Popular Committee for the Protection of the Consumer from Corruption in Giza. He was detained yesterday, and his whereabouts are unknown.

Ashqar was to lead the “garbage march” today in Giza, to protest the unfair garbage collection fees decreed by the Governor.

Related link: State Security “detains” Kefaya activist’s car

Garbage march

The Popular Committee for the Protection of the Consumer from Corruption has called for a march on Monday, 13 November in Giza, to protest the Governor’s decree to add unfair garbage collection fees to electricity bills. The silent march is to start in front of the Telephone Centrale in Giza Square, 12 noon, and will proceed to the Giza Governorate building. Participants are encouraged to bring garbage bags which will be dumped in front of the Governorate’s building at the end of the march.

اللجنة الشعبية لحماية المستهلك من الجباية والÙ�ساد والتى استطاعت من قبل وبمأزرة جماهير الجيزة من الحصول على الحكم النهائى بالغاء رسوم النظاÙ�Ø© المضاÙ�Ø© الى Ù�اتورة الكهرباء ØŒ تدعوكم اللجنة الى المظاهرة الصامتة التى ستبدأ Ù�Ù‰:الثانية عشر ظهرا يوم الاثنين المواÙ�Ù‚ 13 نوÙ�مبروبمشاركة كاÙ�Ø© مؤسسات المجتمع الأهلى والقوى الوطنية من امام سنترال ميدان الجيزة يحمل كل منا Ù�Ù‰ يده كيس زبالة حيث تبدأ المسيرة من الميدان لتنتهى امام مبنى محاÙ�ظة الجيزة لالقاء هذه المخلÙ�ات امام مبنى المحاÙ�ظة تحت شعار”الزبالة يا مسئولين زبالة …لن نسدد Ù�واتير اللصوص”

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