121 Articles
Farid Zahran is a publisher and writer. He is the co-founder of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party
Through the last five articles we noted what we call the characteristics of slums and determined that there are four main attributes of these neighbourhoods. The most important of these characteristics are that the residents of slums are poor and marginalised, the area lacks prior planning and services and is newly constructed. We clarified how …
Slums, according to our definition as outlined in the four previous articles, are characterised by a largely poor and marginalised population, a lack of services and the absence of prior planning. The neighbourhoods are often newly built and also have a newer social composition. This has resulted in an inundation of the slums on one …
Over the three previous articles we have tried to identify the social and cultural dimensions of the harassment phenomenon, and we considered this phenomenon to be mainly associated with the spread, growth, and rebellion of the slums in recent years. In the interpretation of the emergence of middle-class dwellers practicing harassment, we used the expression …
We stress for the third time, the four attributes of slums that were described in the previous two articles: the first, that most slum residents are marginalised; second, that these residents are poor; third, that these neighbourhoods lack utilities, services, and urban and humanitarian planning in advance; and fourth and last is that these neighbourhoods …
To start, we affirm our rejection of the perspective that sexual harassment is a result of our failing to teach religion in schools, or that a solid moral compass is now absent thanks to the disintegration of the family, or any other interpretations that attempt to evade the socio-cultural reasons behind this phenomenon. In the …
Many observers, analysts, and those working in the realm of politics argue that we are unable to address the current economic crisis, to which they may also add that we are incapable of achieving social justice as well. The country will witness what is called “the hunger revolution” which they describe as leading to unprecedented …
In our previous article, we attempted an overview the Copts’ role in the public and political spheres before the 25 January Revolution. Many friends reminded me that I did not touch upon what happened before 1952. For this article, I had decided on discussing the role of the Copts from 1952 through January 2011, but …
Coptic Christians have, since 1952, lived according to what might be considered a tacit agreement between the church and the state, one whereby the state committed itself to the protection of Copts, the principles and rules of equality before the law, and equal opportunity, and the church reciprocated by absorbing the activities of Coptic Christians …
I have no problem with replacing the 30 June alliance term with the national partnership. Recently, I have used the term 30 June alliance to refer to the alliance formed between the old state supporters, the democratic entities and the army. This alliance went through many stages and attacks leading me to believe that it …
In the previous article, I highlighted the importance of belonging to a political party or movement when it comes to presidential candidates. The presidential candidate that emerges from a party has a certain framework within which he works along with thousands of other members and volunteers. However, a presidential candidate who does not belong to …
There are many questions concerning running for presidency and whether it is possible to do such a thing without political backing or support. For instance, can a real campaign be created and run without political support? The same question applies concerning running the country. These questions stem from some statements made by supporters of Field …
Some friends and relatives are surprised at those who question the integrity of the coming elections and wonder why they keep raising doubts concerning their democracy. And if so, what is the available evidence that the elections will be conducted in an undemocratic atmosphere? The truth is, there is serious doubt-raising evidence concerning the coming …
In the previous articles, we highlighted three groups that are supporting Al-Sisi’s nomination. The first one is the popular movement, which expresses the general mood in the Egyptian streets. The second one if the old state movement, which encompass several groups with different goals and directions that believe in the old regime’s way and completely …
According to my analysis, highlighted in previous articles, the state includes three major groups, specifically, the police state supporters, the benevolent dictator supporter and those who support administrative reform. What bring the three groups together are their great faith in oppression and their unlimited confidence in the power and ability of the state. In addition, …
There are three movements rooting for Field Marshal Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s nomination in the upcoming presidential elections. One of those movements is what we can call the popular current, which expresses the general mood of the people in the streets. The second movement is supporters of the former regime, including some of the state’s apparatus. …
A few hours before starting to write this article, Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi’s cabinet resigned. This was expected even if the government was pushed into the resignation. However, El-Beblawi’s — even if it was delayed — was a much better option than being dismissed from his position. It is believed that the cabinet’s resignation and …
During recent weeks, different democratic entities have insisted that a presidential candidate must have clear programmes and political directions so that voters have sufficient information regarding their experience in office or public administration or civil societies. This is especially important if the candidate is not a known political figure with a known public history. We …
The democratic entities are currently being bombarded with many questions concerning Al-Sisi’s nomination. The questions’ purposes are not answers, but rather denunciation. They are asking: “Will you dare object to Al-Sisi’s nomination?” The weird irony is that Al-Sisi hasn’t even announced his nomination yet. In addition, the available statements for him do not confirm that …
This article’s title was supposed to be “What happens after electing Al-Sisi?” but I changed my mind, and hence the current title. That is because I still have hope that Al-Sisi will choose the third scenario, which includes cooperating with democratic entities to support a certain candidate for presidency. This candidate will also be accepted …
I write this on the evening of Monday, 27 January and I still believe that Al-Sisi has not made up his mind on nominating himself for presidency. I wondered if this thought was due to what I read from the current political scene or is it what I am hoping for based on an accurate …
Egypt is going through many conflicts due to more than just one division. These divisions stem from a need to identify the different social components so as to predict their political and social variables. These divisions seem to clash and intersect sometimes, since they usually champion different interests, yet people usually focus on one while …
In the previous article, I explored some of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party’s attempts at working on the ground. In this article, I will discuss some of the party’s promotional activities for the constitution. The party discussed voting in the constitutional referendum for about a month, and after both groups (pro and against the new …
At the beginning one has to explain the difference between working on the ground and connecting with the people. The first is quite broad and includes any human activity that depends on communicating with the people be it political or social. In that case, the people are always the object and the target for the …
During the seventies, our generation fought some glorious battles under the slogan “Absolute democracy for all, absolute dedication for the nation”. Those battles occurred when we were in college. They started with a wave of student and worker protests against what was known at the time as “aviation verdicts” which resulted in the innocence of …
First we will discuss the consequences of General Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi running for president. What first comes to mind is that Al-Sisi will win, of course, which would confirm the doubt that 30 June was a military coup. This would seriously hurt Egypt’s connections with the international political scene. On the other hand, this win …
I do not want to spread panic amongst people especially those who are enemies of the Brotherhood, but I am beginning to think that there is a possibility that the Brotherhood will return to the forefront of the political scene. The main reason for the resurgence of the Brotherhood is the aggressive methods employed by …
In the Middle East and Egypt, people have gotten used to utilising the words “shoe” and “slipper” in verbal insults. Of course, the physical usage of the items exists, as demonstrated by the Iraqi journalist with the former President George Bush junior. We have also witnessed women living in low-class neighbourhoods use slippers to beat …
Since 30 June and until now, there has been a struggle between those who have united over the fall of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. They are comprised of the hegemonic state movement and the democratic movement. This conflict manifests inside the cabinet, as well as different state apparatus, leading to a noticeable state of …
In previous articles, I went over the economic-social map and explained how there is a case of fluidity between socio-economic classes, leading to an overlap of interests. Therefore, what is needed is a political initiative that bypasses socio-economic classes or one that unites them. One of the reasons behind the strength of the Islamist project …
In previous articles, I explored the different political parties and movements, along with the conflicts between them. The reason for the confusion among political parties and their inability to define their social standing is not only due to their members’ inexperience, but also due to the social variation of the Egyptian society. Often, one person …