Doesn't start too well the soccer World Cup, which will begin in South Africa by 11 June 2010. Fierce controversy after the qualification of France who beat Ireland thanks to a clear hand foul by Henry, but FIFA has officially ruled that the match could not be repeated. In Algeria 18 deaths in the celebrations after the historic qualification against Egypt, almost a war between rival fans, and a disciplinary procedure against the Egyptian Football Association. http://www.inaltreparole.net/en/sports/calciomondiali201109.htmlDoesn't start too well the soccer World Cup, which will begin in South Africa by 11... more
Plenty of things can cause a diplomatic ruckus. Saying you're preparing for war against a neighboring country, for example (lookin' at you Hugo Chavez). It's fun for everybody: headlines, street protests, recalling ambassadors. And it seems North African nations Egypt and Algeria are well down that road this week.
"One of the Egyptian protesters, holding a sign calling for the expulsion of the Algerian ambassador, told Agence France-Presse: “We should treat Algeria like any country that has declared war on us.”'
Wait, so what happened? An errant Egyptian drone strike in a suburb of Algiers? Why no, Algeria beat Egypt in a World Cup qualifying match 1-0 and there were reports that Egyptian fans were assaulted by Algerians leaving the game. And, bam, the streets of Cairo have exploded with violence! 35 people injured!
And that was at least a clean game! Poor Ireland is protesting it's World Cup loss to France after a French player scored a game-winning goal - using his hands. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has apologized for the incident but has not agreed with the Irish PM's call for a replay. To see the very evident handball, check out this Irish-produced video from YouTube showing it over and over again and set to dance music. (It's entrancing.)
(Big thanks to The Lede Blog for finding that one.)
I know what you're thinking, American reading audience: "Who cares about soccer?" Well, first off they call it "football" and second, worry you not - I've got an American football/international relations story for you too: Even Iraqi prisoners hate Packers fans (FP Passport)
'Iraqi prisoners at a detainment camp run by the Wisconsin National Guard have learned some English, unfortunately for the soldiers, it is mainly about the former pride of Green Bay. "They know Favre by name," said First Lieutenant Tim Boehnen, who is from New Richmond, Wis. "One of the big words they know now is shenanigan. They'll constantly talk about 'Favre shenanigans,' 'He's so good for the Vikings,' and 'The Packers have got to really feel bad about that one.' "'
Tensions between Algeria and Egypt remain high in the wake of Saturday's World Cup match. Gamal Mubarak, Egypt's political heir apparent, is a big soccer fan. The next match: 18 November, WendsdayTensions between Algeria and Egypt remain high in the wake of Saturday's World Cup... more
50,000 soldiers believed buried by a cataclysmic sandstorm in 525 B.C
The remains of a mighty Persian army said to have drowned in the sands of the western Egyptian desert 2,500 years ago might have been finally located, solving one of archaeology's biggest outstanding mysteries, according to Italian researchers.
Bronze weapons, a silver bracelet, an earring and hundreds of human bones found in the vast desolate wilderness of the Sahara desert have raised hopes of finally finding the lost army of Persian King Cambyses II. The 50,000 warriors were said to be buried by a cataclysmic sandstorm in 525 B.C.
"We have found the first archaeological evidence of a story reported by the Greek historian Herodotus," Dario Del Bufalo, a member of the expedition from the University of Lecce, told Discovery News.50,000 soldiers believed buried by a cataclysmic sandstorm in 525 B.C
The remains of... more
In this Egyptian TV anti semitic rant, it is important to note that he tips his hand. It is not about religion at all, but race and the inherent superiority of the Arab over the Jewish person as a racial construct. This should not escape our attention. This puts to bed even the flimsy notion that Islam treats all Muslims equally and non Muslims as equal Kuffar. Clearly, Islam is a motivating force behind Arab supremacy and converting to it merely makes you the last to be killed.In this Egyptian TV anti semitic rant, it is important to note that he tips his hand.... more
A new documentary uncovers the truly disastrous effects of the Swine Flu following the lives of a young Egyptian family living in Cairo’s ultra-poor recycling village.
Marina of the Zabbaleen, a new documentary by Torch Films, enters the lives of this largely Coptic Christian tribe seen through the eyes of three children and their mother. Barely eking out survival in this poor community, Marina’s tribe subsists by collecting nearly half of Cairo’s municipal solid waste, separating it into its recyclable components and feeding what’s left to their pigs.
When the H1N1 virus, or Swine Flu, was declared an international pandemic, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak ordered all the country’s 300,000 hogs slaughtered. The result was an all out halt of Egypt’s decentralized, natural and sustainable waste disposal system – the hungry pigs.
Now, the garbage heaps in Cairo are too much for the Zabbaleen to control themselves, effectively burying the unfortunate tribe under the very material that kept them alive.
For a look at Marina of the Zabbaleen, click here.
Screenshots taken from Marina of the Zabbaleen courtesy of Torch Films.A new documentary uncovers the truly disastrous effects of the Swine Flu following the... more
Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Between 15 and 20 people died when two trains collided outside of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday night, and officials expect the death toll to rise, the country's Health Ministry said.
Another 40 to 50 people were injured when one train traveling from Cairo to Asyut crashed into a train en route from Giza to Fayyoum, Deputy to the Health Ministry Mohammed Sarhan told state-run Nile News TV.
The Fayyoum-bound train was stationary when it was struck in Al-Ayyat district, he said.
The collision occurred in Kafr Girza, a village in Al-Ayyat district of October 6th province, Nile News TV reported. Al-Ayyat is about 70 km (40 miles) south of Cairo.
The wreck's location posed a problem for emergency personnel, Sarhan said, because the site is next to a water canal. Security forces used tree trunks and branches to create an ad-hoc bridge to reach the dead and injured.
People were still trapped beneath the wreckage late Saturday, reported Nile News TV. Some of the dead were found buried under the trains, Sarhan said.Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Between 15 and 20 people died when two trains collided outside... more
A United States-based organization’s conference on breast cancer awareness, to be hosted in Egypt, has been touted by international news networks as an example of “unprecedented cooperation” in the region. However, according to Channel 2 news, the celebration of unity may be premature, as Israeli doctors were told at the last minute that their invitations to participate had been rescinded.A United States-based organization’s conference on breast cancer awareness, to be... more
She's been dead thousands of years but she's still causing trouble. The bust of Queen Nefertiti has taken pride of place in Berlin's New Museum, re-opened this weekend after 70 years. Now Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, says Berlin should give it back.
Read more...She's been dead thousands of years but she's still causing trouble. The bust of Queen... more
“The burka is a prison, it’s a straitjacket”
French Urban Affairs minister, Fadela Amara
The burqa, always a sensitive religious symbol, is making headlines once again as governments around the world begin taking carefully constructed steps towards a full or partial ban on the controversial clothing.
As with everything, there are two sides to every story, while the burqa is seen by some as a sign of subservience, a piece of religious repression that is not mandatory in the Koran, instead serving to deface women from the role of human being to shrouded servant. Others argue that religious freedom, whatever that entails is one pivotal law that must remain in place for concern of offending not just Muslims, but people of all religions who consider religious expression through certain clothing a vital part of their religious freedom.
How can a woman be truly free if there is a barrier placed before her that prevents her from interacting with fellow humans, how can you truly relate to a person if you cant see her smile or frown? Our faces are possibly the most important parts of our bodies, excluding the mind, the face allows us to see who we are talking to, the starting point for our connections as humanity, not forgetting the health risks that a person’s skin needs to be exposed to sunlight.
Quotes by Muslim women who are pro burqa simultaneously have the same correlation, that by wearing the burqa they will not get harassed by men in the street, instead of creating a law that mandates women should be fully covered, is it not more logical to create some sort of law that enforces restraint on behalf of the males?
One thing Britain prides itself on is the acceptance of other cultures and religions, which has allowed this country to become a very ethnically diverse and equal place, British people, past and present have fought for too long to guarantee rights such as equal pay in the workplace and votes for women, and it would be an insult to the memories of these people, most notably the suffragettes if we allowed other persons to enter our country and abuse our rights under the guise of religious expression, when in reality, the burqa holds no place in the Koran and therefore in Islamic law.“The burka is a prison, it’s a straitjacket”
French Urban Affairs minister,... more
To celebrate harvests all this month in the Sustainable Agriculture Group, this entry regards agriculture and the harvest in ancient Egypt.
Excerpt:
'Greetings, oh Nile, who springs from the earth and gives Egypt nourishment.'
The total amount of grain harvested depended on the surface covered by the flooding Nile, which was between perhaps 20,000 and 34,000 square kilometres. Taking pre-green-revolution wheat yields of about 750 kg/ha [1] as a base, the annual amount of corn [11] produced was approximately between 1.5 and 2.5 million tons, supposing that most of the surface was used to produce corn. About 4 to 5 million people lived in Egypt during the New Kingdom [3]. In a bad year the annual yield was less than 300 kg per head, possibly considerably less.
Occurrences of corn dearth were frequent. Some estimate that there would have been sufficient grain only every third year. This may be a bit pessimistic. At any rate, Egypt seems to have had grain surpluses often enough that they could be stored in state granaries and even be exported. During Roman times it was one of the bread baskets of Rome.
In Egypt, we find barley cut at the end of six months, and wheat at the end of seven, from the time of sowing.
Pliny the Elder, Natural History, Book XVIII, chap. 10
The harvest generally took place shortly before the beginning of the next flooding, about in May or June, at times in April. The whole population took part and on big estates journeying harvesting teams were employed. These itinerant reapers began the season in the southern part of the country and followed the ripening crops downriver.
The Egyptians seemingly knew ergot (THf.tj) which does not proliferate well under the dry Egyptian weather conditions and was probably never the health danger it was to be in the rye eating countries of northern Europe during the late Middle Ages.
The administration was involved in everything the farmer did, from the assignment of the land to the collecting of the taxes:
Made by the overseer of fields, experienced in his office,
The offspring of a scribe of Egypt,
The overseer of grains who controls the measure,
Who sets the harvest-dues for his lord,
Who registers the islands of new land,
In the great name of his majesty,
Who records the markers on the borders of fields,
Who acts for the king in his listing of taxes,
Who makes the land-register of Egypt,
The scribe who determines the offerings for all the gods,
Who gives land-leases to the people,
The overseer of grains, [provider] of food,
Who supplies the granary with grains.....To celebrate harvests all this month in the Sustainable Agriculture Group, this entry... more
Der Spiegel has a great story of a Palestinian couple, he in Gaza and she in the West Bank, who came together despite the blockade and travel restrictions. How? The bride crawled through a smugglers’ tunnel out of Egypt.
"When Mohammed Warda first took his bride in his arms she looked “as if she had just stepped out of a grave that was filled with earth.” He had spent an hour sitting nervously by a big hole in the ground in the Gaza Strip, while May crawled backwards through the tunnel, keeping her eyes closed because of the sand that trickled from the roof. Her groom had to pay $1,500 (€1,021) for her to be smuggled through a tunnel from the Egyptian side of the border to the Gaza Strip. And 23-year-old May knew the whole time that the risky undertaking could cost her her life."
These tunnels serve in many ways as a lifeline for Gazans to the rest of the world, providing them with many valuable supplies that the Israeli blockade won’t let through. They’re also used to smuggle weapons to resistance groups. Zouheir al-Najjar a Gazan and contributor to Collective Journalism made the journey himself (Video in the comments).Der Spiegel has a great story of a Palestinian couple, he in Gaza and she in the West... more
Egypt's antiquities chief says Egypt is suspending ties with the Louvre, saying the French museum has not returned what he says are stolen artifacts.Egypt's antiquities chief says Egypt is suspending ties with the Louvre, saying the... more
Three Las Vegas residents were among 100 people indicted in what the FBI is calling the largest group ever arrested in a cybercrime case.
In the multinational investigation in the United States and Egypt, authorities uncovered a sophisticated "phishing" operation that collected personal information that was used to defraud American banks.
Operation "Phish Phry" marks the first joint cyber investigation between Egyptian law enforcement and United States officials, the FBI said.
Phish Phry also marks the largest cybercrime investigation in the United States, with 53 people charged here, the FBI said.Three Las Vegas residents were among 100 people indicted in what the FBI is calling... more
Conservatives condemn the Artificial Virginity Hymen Kit as technology that will promote promiscuity. Others say the furor over the device raises disturbing questions about double standards.
Reporting from Cairo - Whether it's seen as a clever little gadget to help a woman keep a secret or a devilish deception that threatens Islam, the Artificial Virginity Hymen Kit is not welcome in Egypt.
The kit allows a bride who is not a virgin to pretend that she is. A pouch inserted into the vagina on her wedding night ruptures and leaks a blood-like liquid designed to trick a new husband into believing that his wife is chaste. It's a wink of ingenuity to soothe a man's ego and keep the dowry intact.
Egyptian conservatives condemn the device as technology that will promote promiscuity in a culture that forbids premarital sex. Their protests are arising in a nation that over the last 40 years has gone from miniskirts and secularism to hijabs and religious devotion. But seldom have conservatives faced such brazen advertising.
"No more worry about losing your virginity. With this product, you can have your first night back any time," states the website of Gigimo, a Chinese mail-order company that sells the kit and other sexual products, including sex dolls and bondage toys, worldwide. "Add in a few moans and groans, you will pass through undetectable."
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which controls 20% of the seats in Egypt's parliament, have called for banning the kit and arresting anyone selling it on the black market. Cleric Abdul Moeti Bayoumi has issued a fatwa urging that peddlers of the $29.90 device be charged with banditry and punished for spreading immorality and sin.
"Egyptian girls are normally afraid to lose their virginity before marriage," Sayed Askar, a lawmaker and member of the Muslim Brotherhood, recently told parliament. "A product like that can make it easier and tempting for girls who don't have strong wills to commit such a sin. It will be a crying shame and a blot on the government if they allow the selling of this product in our markets."
Lina Samaan, an accountant, said the furor raises disturbing questions about her country and the double standards that often apply to women:
"I think it's a shame that we are discussing a product like this. If most girls don't have sex prior to marriage only because they want to keep virginity, then there is something wrong with the way we think," she said. "Sex is a right for every woman but unfortunately we started turning to products like these because men -- even non-religious ones who have sex before marriage -- wouldn't marry a girl if she's not virgin."
The emotion over the kit speaks to a traditional society that is increasingly pious, whether it's rich professionals seeking moderate Islam on websites of progressive imams or poor and middle-class families adopting strict religion as a buttress to the influence of Western media and a loss of confidence in a state that has failed to provide prosperity.Conservatives condemn the Artificial Virginity Hymen Kit as technology that will... more
I haven't done a travel tips video for a week or so, so I decided it was past time to bring a couple of them to you. This one is full of tips for places to visit in Egypt! Egypt is somewhere I've always wished I could travel to, and these ideas make me hope to get there one day even more. Thanks to Tarek for sending these to me! Where would you visit if you could go anywhere in the world, and cost were not a factor?I haven't done a travel tips video for a week or so, so I decided it was past time to... more
From Remigiusz Sowa a truly remarkable story of Father Lazarus El Anthony, university lecturer, Marxist who abandoned his life in Australia and went in search of God and freedom. His pilgrimage eventually brought him to a life of a Christian Coptic monk and live in solitude on the Al-Qalzam Mountain (Egypt) in the pursuit of what the Desert Fathers called apatheia, holy stillness.From Remigiusz Sowa a truly remarkable story of Father Lazarus El Anthony, university... more
