Tarek Atia's web log
Find
out how
the world media sees Egypt...
MARCH
2004
"Everybody is
waiting"
Mubarak pushes call for summit to be held in Egypt; AP posits
that Arab states are backing the plan. Reuters says summit may be held
in two
or three weeks time.
Meanwhile, Powell denies
the US had anything to do with Tunisia's cancellation
Islam online says Israel is happy
about the summit delay.
Air woes
AP reports that "France has banned
Egyptian airline Luxor Air from flying in the country after one of its
planes took "a completely abnormal" flight path at low
altitude over a French city, the head of civil aviation said."
Egyptomania
US funding of Bab
Zewaila restoration project highlighted by AP
King Tut liked red
wine, says this article on a specialized wine site.
Popular Rosicrucian religion based
on Ancient Egyptian themes.
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Tuesday, March 30, 2004 12:00 CAIRO
Confused
Tunisia Arab summit delayed....Arab
League chief Moussa warns of "dangerous"
fallout as a result...
THEN,
ALL OF A SUDDEN:
Egypt offers to host
the summit sometime in the near future.
"As our nation, at this
critical stage, faces challenges that we cannot ignore or postpone, the
Arab Republic of Egypt thinks it is necessary to convene this summit as
early as possible to discuss the issues,'' a statement released by
President Mubarak's office said...
"If the foreign ministers'
meetings resulted in some different points of view, this is considered
natural and logical,'' the statement said.
April meeting
A White House news release about Mubarak's
Texas visit.
Poor reporting
Inaccurate Egyptian Gazette article on Egypt
hosting African parliament causes ruckus in Ethiopia.
In theaters soon
Passion of the Christ coming
to Cairo March 31.
Strange influences
Ancient Egyptian rabbit
myths inspire Canadian singer.
Major soccer
Big salary for Egypt's new national soccer coach Marco
Tardelli, who the BBC says "has acknowledged the difficulty of
leading the Pharaohs to the 2006 World Cup."
Meanwhile, a Telegraph
article gives Egypt a good chance to win the 2010 bid to host the World
Cup, but posits the lack of alcohol
as a potential show stopper.
Another article in the Sunday
Herald seems to dismiss
Egypt's chances entirely.
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Sunday, March 28, 2004 16:00 CAIRO
Slamming Israel
Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher says, "The Israeli government is
not content with resorting to the method of assassination, but it
announces clearly its determination to continue these
assassinations and even that it has a list prepared. It's
something that defies description... When an organization carries
out such acts, it's called a 'terrorist
organization'. So what's the situation when it's a government
that carries out these acts?"
Passion forecast
Egyptians Sneaking Peeks at 'Passion',
says the Hollywood
Reporter.
River tension
More Nile pressure
comes from Ethiopia, CNN says.
Court news
Islamist Britons gets five
year jail terms.
Meanwhile, Egypt takes custody of sons
of suspected militants, Reuters reports
Big money
Forbes provides details of a huge
Orascom contract in Iraq.
Healing time
Cultural bridge-building
music festival to take place in Canada and Egypt
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Friday, March 26, 2004 13:00 CAIRO
"Violence will
double"
More reactions
to Yassin's assassination from Egypt...
It all started here, part X,
the sequel
Asylum
seeking began in ancient Egypt, reports the BBC.
See...
US Sudanese collegiate basketball star got his dribbling
start courtesy of Manute Bol in Egypt.
Studying the effects of
tourism
Volunteer divers wanted for Dahab
coral reef research project, according to this press release.
Hi-tech
Egyptian science
satellite being launched, reports africast.com
Technology
for the blind emerges in Egypt...
Another road crash
19
dead this time.
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Wednesday, March 24, 2004 13:00 CAIRO
BREAKING...
"What peace process?''
Mubarak angry
about Israeli assassination of Sheikh Yassin, cancels parliamentary
delegation's visit to Israel.
VOA story adds Muslim
Brotherhood condemnation...
Guardian story adds quotes
from political
analysts and news of demonstrations in Cairo...
Big visit
FIFA
President in Cairo to look at Egypt 2010 bid.
Meanwhile... controversial
Hossam
Hassan may soon be allowed back on national team.
A year later
2000
protestors surrounded by 5000 security forces in Tahrir Square on anniversary
of war protest.
Compare that to last
year's Tahrir protest.
Good news?
Optimistic GDP
predictions by Prime Minister Atef Ebeid picked up by AFP.
Pre-empting the Nile
issue?
$2 million water
grant given to Kenya...
Antiquity showdown
Now that Ramses VI's sarcophagus
has been restored,
Egypt wants the face
back from the British museum.
"We were able to bring
a cast from the original face to put here but I hope that the
British Museum, one day, will be able to return to us the
original, and take the cast back," said Zahi Hawass, chief of
Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.
PLUS -- a photo
of the sarcophagus
Bad news
Egyptian students being spied
on by UK?
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Monday, March 22, 2004 10:00 CAIRO
Water,
water everywhere
Water
experts sit down and talk... "We are not the bad guys. Egypt
is the good guy - as are all the Nile Basin countries, and we can
all win," says one Egyptian official in this report.
More conciliatory
words from Egypt's irrigation minister... a Kenyan paper's take
Meanwhile, Reuters says "Bankers,
not tanks, will settle Nile row."
Sympathy call
AP reports on "a harrowing
scene at the Detroit airport" which ended with federal
immigration officials allowing an 80-year-old Egyptian mother to remain
in the US with her son.
Hand-over woes
Christian Science Monitor says Sinai environmental project goes
downhill after EU support ends...
Lending a foot
Egypt helps African soccer by training
players in Cairo.
Great quote
A parliamentarian named "Mamdouh Abdel Razek, a reformist member
of Egypt's People's Assembly," is quoted in an otherwise bland USA
Today article about the ramifications of the war on Iraq -- He says,
"If
you fail in Iraq, we're all dead meat."
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Saturday, March 20, 2004 15:00 CAIRO
Gaza role debate thickens role debate thickens
Daily Star opinion piece says, "The question today is not whether
the Egyptians will play a role in Gaza’s future, but rather how
significant a role it will be."
Reuters reports presidential adviser Osama
el-Baz as saying "there was no need to change the Camp David treaty
which only allows Egypt to deploy civilian police armed with light
weapons near the border with Israel and the Gaza Strip," while
Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told reporters: "On the subject of
adding a new
appendix to the agreement, this is not rejected in principle if it
is needed."
Meanwhile...
Egypt and Israel may be embarking on QIZ
projects -- meant to increase trade with the US by forcing Arab
countries to make goods with Israeli input. Jordan has already
benefited from the idea with US trade volume up from $20 to $600
million in just a few years.
"Still," says the New York Times,
"the prospect of working with Israel is a tough sell."
One clear example of this is the current
brouhaha over the 25th anniversary of Camp David... "An Egyptian
parliamentary delegation, visiting Israel next week to mark 25 years of
peace, has drawn
fire from opposition," reports the Gulf News.
Strange cases
"Stickers
do not undermine Egypt's image and Egyptian law gives citizens the
right to criticise," a Cairo court says.
Meanwhile... Will Ottoman heirs in Turkey
get payback from Egypt to the tune of a quadrillion
lira?
Global play
The New York Times steps in with another
rollicking review of Khaled El-Sawy's anti-American play
"Messing with the Mind".
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Thursday, March 18, 2004 13:00 CAIRO
Pressure
time
US jumps into the Gaza
fray -- AP reports that America is urging Egypt to play a greater
role in Gaza if Israel withdraws.
An embarrassing
discovery?
Aha's tomb reveals that servants and court members may have been
sacrificed when
the Pharaoh died.
I wanna look like a star
Nose
jobs are the most popular form of increasingly popular plastic
surgery in Egypt. They cost between LE3000-3500, this Gulf News piece
says.
Messing with the mind
Khaled El Sawy's anti-American play gets a rousing
review by AP.
Plus, Egyptian TV shows becoming popular
in Iraq
Democracy primer
Will the current reform "overtures
in the Egyptian political scene ... become a reality or just a
gimmick aimed to appease insiders and stall outsiders?" asks
Mona Makram Ebeid in the Daily Star
PLUS A FEW OLDER ARTICLES ON THIS
SAME SUBJECT
Human rights activists skeptical
about new Human Rights Council's ability to fight abuses, says the
Voice of America
One Washington Post story takes a cue
from Bush's democracy speech mention of Egypt, and delves into
recent reform activity, while another examines Egypt's potentials
for democracy...
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Tuesday, March 16, 2004 13:00 CAIRO
Stop
press...
FT says Greater Middle East Initiative has been scrapped.
New Nile treaty?
Nile water talks stop
and start, as controversy still brews, according to this Tanzanian
media report.. New
treaty being considered, among other things, AFP says.
Mars in Egypt again
Egyptian-American scientist Farouk El-Baz speaks up about the latest
Mars findings, relating them to the geology of the Egyptian desert.
Superstar
Reuters reports that "Egypt's hopes of winning
Olympic gold for the first time in half a century rest firmly
on the broad shoulders of a young woman weightlifter who wants to
knock down taboos and encourage more Egyptian girls into sport."
Photo of Nahla Ramadan in
action.
Useful news
Instructions on how to get
into Al-Azhar if you're Malaysian.
Second wind
Rave reviews for two
Omar Sharif movies out at the same time.
Global influence
An interesting analysis of Iran,
Egypt and the Ikhwan.
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Sunday, March 14, 2004 15:00 CAIRO
Talking
to Israel
Details of Israeli foreign
minister's visit
to Cairo
Meanwhile, Reuters reports
that changes
in Camp David treaty might be necessary so Egypt can better
secure its border with Gaza.
Strange politics
Strange Egyptian communists case ends with acquittal.
Strange new political party attempts
to form.
Talking
politics
Osama Ghazali Harb is quoted
heavily by Thomas Friedman.
Passion is not enough
Film about Jesus's early
years in Egypt is planned...
Glass fame
Swarovski crystals feeling the heat from unnamed Egyptian manufacturers, but we all know they probably mean Crystal
Asfour...
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Friday, March 12, 2004 18:00 CAIRO
Photo
Ancient king comes home
A mock
funeral is held for the mummy of Ramses II in Luxor.
Global Egypt
An
interesting dynamic emerges when Egyptian ideas go global...
It looks as though a no
smoking ban in New York restaurants may affect the city's trendy hookah
cafes... even though their owners say they should be exempt
since, like cigar bars, more than ten percent of their
revenue comes from tobacco sales.
Meanwhile,
here's an in-depth look at an Egyptian restaurateur
in New York, and the ancient Egyptian inspiration he uses for his
cooking.
Extremists out
Thousands of school teachers have been fired
for holding extremist religious views.
Trap
Hosni Mubarak has rejected suggestions that Egypt could police parts
of the Gaza Strip in the event of an Israeli withdrawal.
20,000 copies
Presidential son Gamal is most
qualified to run Egypt, a new book says.
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Wednesday, March 10, 2004 16:00 CAIRO
"The
means to benefit from the Nile water which are lost"
Egypt stands firm in the lead
up to the Nile basin talks. "The talks will have to comply
with one permanent feature: not to touch Egypt's historical
rights," Irrigation Minister Mahmud Abu Zeid said on Saturday.
No go
Parliament speaker Ahmed Fathi Surour chooses not
to speak in Israel on 25th anniversary of peace.
"Together, we are
building a new Iraq"
Iraq
reconstruction fair taking place in Cairo
Starting
over
A completely reformulated Olympic
soccer squad in the works?
Caution in order
Large police continegent dispatched to
contain situation after incident involving 2 Christian villagers being killed
by an unstable villager.
Cornered?
The Telegraph explores the dynamics
of reform, and the Guardian weighs in with its take on the issue
after a low-key
meeting between Mubarak and Tony Blair.
Meanwhile...
Presidential advisor Osama El-Baz
says US threats against Syria won't amount to more
than just that -- threats. He says the situation can't be compared
to Iraq.
For a flashback on this issue,
see Disbelief
and wonder...
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Monday, March 8, 2004 12:00 CAIRO
Solid appointment
Mubarak to meet Bush at his Texas
ranch on 12 April -- the choice locale is reserved for close relations.
Future trial?
El-Zawahiri's brother is in Egyptian
custody.
Latest plane update
"The crash of an airliner in the Red Sea in January was
caused by human
error, the flight crew wrongly believing they had engaged the
automatic pilot, a French newspaper reported on Tuesday."
Lots of soccer
Football association board resigns.
Meanwhile, phony
pros becoming a problem for Egyptian soccer.
Plus,
Franz
Backenbaurer disparages
Africa's ability to host 2010 World Cup.
Rapprochement?
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom is to travel to Egypt next
week for talks with President Hosni Mubarak in the first such
visit in more than three years, his office said.
Pan-Arab politics
Unified
Arab parliament being discussed in Cairo.
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Friday, March 5, 2004 14:00 CAIRO
Good
news
Egyptian doctors filling vacant
medical positions in Malaysia
Meanwhile, Egyptians working in Emirates are upset
about working conditions, this article says...
Times change
"The
Mediterranean Sea was a desert, millions of years ago. In contrast, the
Sahara Desert was once a lush, green landscape dotted with lakes and
ponds. Evidence of this past verdancy lies hidden beneath the sands of
Egypt and Libya, in the form of a huge aquifer of fresh
groundwater."
...
So begins a somewhat technical, but fascinating press release from
Science Daily that details recent research
geological being conducted in Egypt's western desert.
Alleyway computer cafe
The socio-economic politics
of computer
literacy -- an in-depth feature...
The competition
South Africa 2010
World Cup bid head says, "It is clear to us that Egypt is
quite a strong bid. They have been working hard and are coming through
in the closing stages..." He also vows to fight to the end.
Twins update
Twins to live
at home with their parents until head reconstruction surgery
commences -- meanwhile, they will wear special helmets for
protection.
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Wednesday, March 3, 2004 10:00 CAIRO
UPDATE:
BBC reports on the end of the Nekheila
standoff... Plus, a few more details
from AP.
News
Coverage of Egyptian-Saudi proposal for Arab
reform -- a Greater Middle East Initiative pre-empt?
A new Black Cloud
theory?
An
Indian scientist has found similarities in the low
hanging pollution cloud -- commonly known in Egypt as the black
cloud, and alternately blamed on pollution and the "burning of
rice straw" -- in cities as far flung as New Delhi, Los Angeles
and Dubai. His theory is that these, and a few other cities, including
Cairo, produce pollution that travels the world. Intersting, to say the
least, but will it become a scoop?
Watch how the news
travels...
Kuwait
news agency covers hubbly
bubbly in cars, tobacco industry site picks
it up.
Tourism
101
An overall positive
travel piece from the Detroit Free Press with a few outlandish
statements -- "Cairo, an exuberant city of nearly 10 million
without a single crosswalk or traffic light" ... and a not so
subtle jibe.
Courting
controversy?
Omar Sharif's latest media bombshell - he talks frankly
to a US paper about changing his name, his religion, his critics and
current philosophy of life -- "I've decided not to think of
anything in the past -- not even two minutes ago"
Web posted by
Tarek Atia Monday, March 1, 2004 12:00 CAIRO
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