Quake felt in Matrouh

There was a quake originating in the area around the Greek Island of Crete that was felt in Matrouh, Cairo and Helwan this morning. It measured 5.5 on the Richter scale and no casualties were reported.

On October 12th 1992 Cairo experienced a quake that took the life of at least 500, particularly in Manshiat Nasr on the Muqattam and in Old Cairo, causing damage to a cultural heritage, later restored. . A smaller quake meassuring 4.7 on the Richter scale hit Cairo in August 2002, which caused only minor damage.

Ibrahim Eissa recieves a six months prison sentence

UPDATE: BREAKING NEWS

Ibrahim Eissa recieved a prison sentence of six months for having spread false information about President Mubarak´s health in August 2007. The sentence was given by Judge Sherif Kamel Mustapha at Bulaq Court of misdeamenours this morning. He was found guilty of having harmed Egypt´s economy.

He paid 200 E.P and was freed on bail. Eissa is expected to appeal to a higher Court according to his lawyers.

This was Ibrahim Eissa reaction to the verdict:

"This verdict is against all international human rights conventions," Eissa told AFP after judge Sherif Kamel Mustapha handed down the sentence in a Cairo court.


He said the verdict showed the regime's hostility to the press and "affirms the holiness of President Mubarak and the rejection of any criticism of him or his policies. I don't know if this is a judicial decision or a political one.

"The regime is trying to defend itself because it knows it has plunged the country into successive crises and, if my imprisonment will make bread reach the people who are queuing for it, then I am ready to go to prison," he said.

Here is a CPJ statement on Eissa from March 24th were CPJ executive Director had this to say:

“Eissa’s prosecution shows how Egypt’s authorities shamelessly use the courts to punish outspoken journalists,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon.” The court should dismiss this politically motivated case once and for all.”

For the nitty-gritty details of the case one should check HR-Info´s excellent new website, Qadaya.net launched only yesterday. Here are the specifics on Ibrahim Eissa´s case(Arabic)

Eissa verdict expected tomorrow

The verdict in Ibrahim Eissa´s case concerning false information about President Mubarak´s health is supposed to be handed out tomorrow. This is the first in a marathon of cases against Eissa. The first of nine cases, all filled by lawyers close to the National Democratic Party. This case started in September.

In another case of press freedom , the International Federation of Journalists based in Bruxelles issued a statement in support of the editor of the website Ikhwanonline, Abdul-Jalil Al-Sharnouby, whose house was raided on March 12th by security forces as part of the current crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood prior to the local elections, due to take place on April 8th. Al Sharnouby was not present in the house at that time.

Al Sharnouby´s fellow journalist and Muslim Brother , Khaled Hamza, editor of the Muslim Brotherhood english website ikhwanweb.com was arrested on February 20th.

UPDATE: BREAKING NEWS

Ibrahim Eissa recieved a prison sentence of six months for having spread false information about President Mubarak´s health in August 2007. The sentence was given by Judge Sherif Kamel Mustapha at Bulaq Court of misdeamenours this morning. He was found guilty of having harmed Egypt´s economy.

He paid 200 E.P and was freed on bail. Eissa is expected to appeal to a higher Court.



This was Ibrahim Eissa reaction to the verdict:

"This verdict is against all international human rights conventions," Eissa told AFP after judge Sherif Kamel Mustapha handed down the sentence in a Cairo court.


He said the verdict showed the regime's hostility to the press and "affirms the holiness of President Mubarak and the rejection of any criticism of him or his policies. I don't know if this is a judicial decision or a political one.

"The regime is trying to defend itself because it knows it has plunged the country into successive crises and, if my imprisonment will make bread reach the people who are queuing for it, then I am ready to go to prison," he said.

Here is a CPJ statement on Eissa from March 24th were CPJ executive Director had this to say:

“Eissa’s prosecution shows how Egypt’s authorities shamelessly use the courts to punish outspoken journalists,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon.” The court should dismiss this politically motivated case once and for all.”

Egyptian Culture theme in Qantara

The new edition of the German online magazine Qantara is out. Qantara is a magazine that mainly focuses on the cultural aspects of the meeting between the Muslim World and the West. Not the clash, but rather the synergy between the two.

This time they have a bit of an Egyptian cultural theme with an article on Baha Taher, whom recently was awarded the newly established Arabic booker prize for his novel Sunset Oasis. More on the Arab booker can be found here. There is also an article on Alaá al Aswany, who recently went to Germany and the city of Cologne to participate in lit COLOGNE, one of the most prestigious book festivals in Europe, presenting his latest novel Chicago, translated to German recently. On top of that there is a review of the latest film by the doyen of Egyptian film, Yousef Chahine. Ariana Mirza takes a look at Chaos or heya fawda as it´s called in it´s original language.

Another article takes a look at the current Arab blogging scene under the promising headline of Blogging in the Arab World: Lessons in Democracy, written by Alfred Hackensberger

Muslim Brotherhood Military trial verdict postponed once again

The verdict of the 40 Muslim Brotherhood members facing military trial has been postponed yet again. The next session is set for April 15th.

The 40 members of the MB who stand trial, among them the businessman Khairat al Shater , third in rank in the organization was originally tried for terrorism and money laundry, charges that is said to have been withdrawn, and which could have given up to 15 years imprisonment. The two charges that the prosecution are still pursuing is the normal charge these days, belonging to a banned group,meaning they could face up to a five years prison sentence. The Muslim Brotherhood is banned as an organization since 1954. The other charge was specifically aimed at Khairat al Shater and fellow businessman Hassan Malak for leading companies on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Today´s postponement is not the first, on the 26th of February the verdict was supposed to be handled down, but the military judge chose to wait instead. The trial itself is fast approaching it´s first anniversary, it began in late April last year.

Khairat al Shater´s ordeal started in mid-December when he and 16 others were taken from their homes in a pre-dawnn arrest in what has become the familiar routine to so many Ikhwan members and their families lately. Although having been ordered released on January 29th by a Cairo Criminal Court in lack of evidence, the 17 were rearrested on the spot. A week later President Mubarak ordered the the 17 plus an additional 23 alleged members to be tried by the Huckstep Military trial. Of the 40 seven were to be tried In what was a unprecedented court verdict, a Cairo administrative court called the President´s order invalid, but the Government appealed and the verdict was overruled yet again by the Cairo Supreme Court.

This is the first time a Muslim Brotherhood case has been tried in a military court since 2001. Human Rights organizations, local and international alike has voiced critique against trying civilians in military courts, as well as not providing enough guarantees for a fair trial. Observers has been locked out from court proceedings from day one.

A very late happy Moulid al Nabi

As always the religious and cultural celebrations comes in one big cluster these days, and i would like to wish a late happy Moulid al Nabi , Purim, Nourous, and Easter to all my Muslim, Jewish, Iranian, Kurdish and Christian readers(Catholics and Protestants, Orthodox including Copts will have to wait a while longer). I would especially like to extend my wishes to Pope Benedict, ever since Regensburg, you´ve seemed a bit grumpy about inter religious dialouge, your Grace and this easter is apparently no exception to that rule.

Social taboos

I have very limited time to blog right now, but would like to point my readers to two blogposts covering issues that has for long been viewed as taboo issues in society.

Isis writes on Amr Khaled´s latest campaign, to help drug addicts take the huge step towards recovery. The Hamaya Campaign is important, most of all in my view because it will raise awareness levels in society concerning the issue big time, and if the number of users is as high as four million in Egypt out of 10 million in the Middle East, then this is long long overdue. As the writer, i´m mildly skeptical as to the impact on the ones using drugs, but the project is highly commendable.

The other blogpost i want to recommend is by a blogger i just discovered recently. Arima uses the classic Salt N´Pepa song from 1990 to introduce us to another topic of social taboo. Let´s talk!

Khalil al Anani on the bread Crisis

As President Mubarak has ordered the Army and the Police to help out in producing bread, giving headline makers a field day, in using make bread not war, fellow blogger and well-known scholar Khalil al Anani has this to say on the current bread crisis:

I don’t believe that the solution lies in dismissing the government, as some have suggested, but in the management method adopted by ministries such as the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and the Ministry of Planning, which have displayed complete failure in simply providing an adequate loaf of bread.

There are 23,664 bakeries in Egypt, meeting the needs of nearly 80 million people, that is one bakery for every 3,380 citizens. If anything, this simple calculation reflects dire mismanagement.

Obviously the solution is not to have a bakery per citizen, but rather the number of bakeries should at least be proportionate with the population.

Otherwise, I advise people to stop eating bread and to go for cakes and gateaux — if they find any.

Here is a clip from al Jazeera English from the 12th of March (via Arabist), who has more here.

One appeal rejected as another begins

The appeal case of Ayman Nour, was turned down by the Supreme Administrative Court earlier today. Ayman Nour had stated health reasons (He suffers from diabetes and cardiac problems) for the appeal that had been refused before. He was originally sentenced to five years on forgery charges on Christmas eve 2005.

Ayman Nour the liberal Ghad Party opponent to President Mubarak in the first Presidential elections ever held in Egypt back in September 2005, was once the rising star of the Wafd, before leaving it due to infighting.

He started the Ghad Party, which obtained it´s party license in October 2004, and like no other party since the new Wafd first came about in 1978, it was full of promise and freshness, and above all a liberal party to cater for the ¨silent majority¨. But it did not take long before the trouble began. Yet again the endemic infighting that is one strong characteristic in almost every opposition party, showed it´s ugly face and in turn made it vulnerable to outside forces.

In January he was stripped of his parliamentary immunity and arrested on the charges of having forged signatures for the registration procedure when applying for a party license,that was the beginning of this ordeal. After pressure from The U.S he was released and able to contend the Presidential elections in September, he also participated in the November-December parliamentary elections, and one of the enigmas of that election is how Ayman Nour could loose his seat in the Bab al Shaáriya constituency after being returned to parliament twice.

UPDATE:

It´s perhaps significant to point toward the finality of the situation, here summed up by Nour´s lawyer, Amir Salem:

"For the first time, I asked today for a presidential pardon for Ayman Nur," lawyer Amir Salem told AFP. "Frankly, that's the last card I can play. Now, everything is in the hands of the state."

JUDGE MOURAD AND THE 50 WEBSITES - PART II

In another sad, long and nightmarish story there is a continuation, just when one hoped for a full stop.

The story about the blogging judge who wrote a scientific study on laws governing internet and blogging, called ¨ " Scientific and Legal Assets for Blogs on the Internet¨ in a not so scientific way, should have been a footnote in the early history of Egyptian blogging and an open internet by now and the case put in the dustbin once and for all, but unfortunately that´s not the case.

The appeal case of Judge Abd al Fattah Mourad concerning the closing down of 50 websites, including newspapers,human rights organizations and blogs began yesterday.

During the Cairo Book fair in February 2007 it became known that Judge Mourad had written a book “The Scientific and Legal Fundamentals of Internet Blogs." that later proved to contain about 50 pages, directly copied from ¨Implacable Adversaries: Arab Governments and the Internet ” according to HR-Info, the organization that issued the annual report just two months prior to that.

The original trial began in March when the Alexandrian Judge Mourad filed a lawsuit against the Council of Cabinet and some ministries, asking them to shut down 21 websites, later on the 21 would expand to 50 websites. The reason for the Honourable Judge to demand this being that he saw these papers, human rights organizations and blogs as ¨terrorist¨ and as ¨tarnishing Egypt´s reputation and the Arab governments¨ This was finally dismissed by the administrative court on December 29th 2007, and that should have been the of this. But as one appeal is rejected, another one begins.

Kokowawa

This song makes me walk back memory Lane and brings back beautiful memories from my childhood years. Thanks for reminding me ya Hossam!

One of the finest blogposts i ever read about growing up in Egypt is a Baheyya classsic, A Few of My Favourite Things.

Archbishop Rahho found dead

The Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Mosul, Paulos Faraj Rahho was found dead in Mosul on Thursday. He was abducted on the 29 of February 2008, when his car was attacked and two body guards and his driver was killed.

Approximately 550 000 of Iraq´s 700 000 Christians belong to the Chaldean Church, read more about it here.

May Archbishop Rahho rest in peace.

I seldom comment on events not directly connected to Egypt on this blog,that´s not because i don´t care about what happens to the rest of the world, quite the opposite.

This story is just one of many that comes out of Iraq everyday. next week will mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the American adventure in Iraq and ousting of Saddam. Since that day five years, the only thing that i can truly say was a positive accomplishment was getting rid of Saddam. That the oppressed Shia community finally gained a say in the power sharing of the country was also a good step. A relatively free press and babysteps in democracy is also some positive achievements , but what else is good in Iraq? One might argue the pro and cons of the surge, is it working or not? the numbers of dead are lower than a year ago, but they are starting to rise again. Lack of electricity makes living conditions harsher. Oil production has not been at a satisfactory level. The fact that there is less of sectarian killings right now , is largely due to the fact that the sectarian divide is completed, neighbourhood´s that used to be mixed are almost entirely sunni or shia today. More than four million Iraqis are displaced , either inside the country or in Syria or Jordan. The reconciliation and power sharing works poorly. On the whole it will be a sombre anniversary.

Buy a kidney for 20 000 E.P

Did you know that the price for a kidney is about 20 000 Egyptian pounds and that part of your liver could be worth the double amount?

Fleishman/el Hennawy has yet another interesting piece in today´s LA Times about the black market business of human organs in Egypt. Donors and patients alike have one thing in common, their desperation.

The story of donor Ayman Abdullah:

Ayman Abdullah was an accountant in Upper Egypt when he and his brother decided to take their parents' savings and move to Cairo to open a cellphone shop. In a nation that's mostly desert, Cairo is a gritty, crowded neon promise of minarets and high-rise banks that attracts those willing to risk what little they have. Others who had left Abdullah's village had made a fortune in the city, or so went the stories that trickled back home.

Abdullah and his brother trusted a man -- he called himself a partner -- more than they should have. The man vanished with the money, and suddenly the brothers were 75,000 pounds, or about $13,700, in debt.

"I have two choices: Pay my debts or go to jail," says Abdullah, a heavyset man in a sweater, who sits in a cafe hoping to negotiate part of his liver for 40,000 pounds. "I can't find any other solution. It's either the operation or I lose my freedom. . . . I started looking for ads where kidney patients look for donors, but I realized that the maximum amount of money I could get for a kidney is 20,000 pounds. Then in the same newspaper, I found an ad by a liver patient."

Let me end with words from MP Muhammed Quetta whom have been trying to legislate on the matter for years, an area without any real legislation.

"It's the worst kind of business in Egypt. It's worse than slavery," says Queita, who has no comprehensive statistics but notes that one Cairo clinic had a waiting list of 1,500 people willing to sell their organs. "I don't want the poor turned into spare parts for the rich. . . . People are coming from all over to buy organs in Egypt. They're mainly gulf Arabs. If you're a rich man from the gulf, you go to a private Egyptian hospital that has contacts with organ brokers. Serious cases of poverty in this country are causing an increase in the theft and sale of organs."

I´m sorry for the rushed blogpost, but i thought it was such an interesting topic, so bare with me , in terms of style and go and read the piece in full!

White House Flip-Flops on Egypt

Yesterday, the White House issued a statement on the current wave of arrests during the registration for the upcoming local elections were 52600 seats on 4500 local councils are up for grabs.

The local council elections has for long been overlooked by the opposition , due to to the lack of influence the councils have, it´s also seen as too costly for most opposition parties. Many parties don´t have a well organized party structure outside of the big cities. For the independent canddates , all this changed in 2005 when law 76 of the constitution regulating Presidential elections made the glory of independent Presidential wannabees dependent on support from 250 members of two chambers of parliament and the local councils combined.This was strengthened further in 2007, making it extremely tough to compete as an independent candidate, using the pretext to help build strong parties.

The last day of registration for candidates wishing to participate in the local elections, postponed since 2006 and now scheduled for April 8th, is today. During the 10 day registration period arrests have been made on a daily basis in practically every Governate in the country of people presumed as potential candidates in the elections , or as key to election organization for the group. This on top of arrests made in February brings the total number of arrests at about 700 according to there own estimates. All of the arrested belongs to one group. The group had thought to contest every local council with up to 7000 members supposed to participate, but so far only 60 people have managed to register.

This is what White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino had to say about it yesterday:

"We are concerned by a continuing campaign of arrests in Egypt of individuals who are opponents of the current governing party and are involved in the upcoming local elections," she said. "The people of Egypt should be permitted to choose freely among competing candidates. We call on the government of Egypt to cease any actions that would compromise the ability of the Egyptian people to fully exercise their internationally recognized human rights and to participate in a free and fair election."

This is all good, if not for the fact that the Secretary of State was in Egypt on the first day of the registration period, a day pretty much the same as every day during the last 10 days. That particular day saw up to 95 arrests, including people being arrested while walking to the registration office.

And how did the Secretary of State react to this? Did she perhaps talk on this matter with his Excellency Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit, or discuss it during their chaired press conference? No.

This is what she did!

She waived the 100 million Dollars in military aid that the U.S Congress withheld, due to lack of progress on among other things keeping the Gaza border secure and human rights.

This is the motive for the decision in her own words:

"I have exercised on behalf of the United States the waiver in terms of Egyptian assistance ... The Bush administration sought to have that flexibility. We believe that this relationship with Egypt is an important one and that the waiver was the right thing to do,"

Of course this was done for the benefit of getting Egypt to ¨work harder¨ on ensuring the safety on the border. Probably in ways that resembles the poetic words of the Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak:

¨And while Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak denied on Israeli public radio that there was "at this stage the least accord on a ceasefire" he spelled out the country's conditions for a formal truce: "The firing of rockets and other terrorist attacks must end and smuggling of arms from Egypt must be reduced in a draconian fashion."¨

And by the way Ms Perino, the group of individuals that you talked about are all part of the Muslim Brotherhood.

As an extra treat with the compliments from State Department, i throw in the chapter on Egypt from their Human Rights Report, fresh off the presses, published just two days ago.