Latest in Opinion Highlight
Latest in Opinion
When to visit a psychiatrist—Part 4: What do you expect from your psychiatrist?
In previous parts to this series, we were able to understand the types of the problems that would lead you to seek a psychiatrist, types of psychotherapists, and decisions related to ailments and treatments. Now it is time to talk about what you expect from your doctor, what are the specific rules for psychotherapy, and …
The experience of an Iraqi who lost his homeland
An Iraqi citizen, who wrote about his experience after he settled in Norway, said the following: Two days ago, I felt like I belonged to Norway, and I wanted to stay there and watch my daughter grow on its snow and under its rain. The feeling of belonging is strange to me. I have not …
How unemployment will end up in Egypt
I know I am not be the first, nor will I be the last, to write about unemployment in Egypt, but in the next few paragraphs I will talk about unemployment as a disaster rather than as a problem. It has become like a snowball whose size increases day by day and afflicts young people …
Egypt’s battle isn’t about knowledge, it’s about broad-mindedness
Frequent cabinet reshuffles have aimed at prompting Egyptians to hope that the newly appointed cabinet members will prove to be better qualified than their predecessors were. In fact, the cabinet has been playing only a minor role in driving our country’s progress, which is determined by the overall mindset of the ruling regime. Egypt’s …
Part 1: It was the only world power and today it seeks to regain its regional power
In the first part of a two part series, Sayed Ghoneim explains the development of civilisation and its origins in Egypt
Turkey and Egypt: the battle to control dissent pitches fans against autocrats
Battles for the control of stadiums and other public spaces in Turkey and Egypt have pitched militant soccer fans against authoritarian leaders determined to limit supporters’ ability to challenge their authority. As a result, a struggle that comes on the back of years of confrontation in the stadiums and mass, watershed anti-government protests that in …
Federation of Egyptian Banks and lost independence
When I read the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Law No. 88 of 2003, known as the Banking Law, I could not help but notice Article No. 44 regarding the Federation of Egyptian Banks (FEB).To save the effort of interpreting the law for non-specialists, I will list a summary in the following points: The CBE …
The Bin Ladens: A Saudi bellwether
The past year has not been good to Osama Bin Laden’s brothers, owners of the Saudi Binladen Group, one of the kingdom’s leading construction conglomerates. Tumbling oil prices that have forced the government to delay payments have left the group no choice but to lay off tens of thousands of employees. The layoff sparked rare …
A visit to a frightening, angry Cairo
“In Egypt, nothing is what it is supposed to be. Wrong numbers, wrong policies, and wrong leaders”
Do we need a map to the economic projects in Egypt?
It has become clear to everyone that we need a true power to take administrative and financial decisions to bring economic studies and drawings to reality and to show the world the real political and economic message of the New Suez Canal: Egypt is capable of facing its economic challenges without fear. But the question here …
Do countries sacrifice democracy for development?
It is one of the most complicated issues faced by political economic studies for development. Just like other complicated issues, there are those who consider that a minimal level of democracy is required to achieve economic development, while others oppose that view. There are also those who say there is a dialectic and complicated relationship …
Opinion: Trump tests new low in attack on Clinton
Donald Trump attacking Hillary Clinton for her husband’s infidelity marks a new low in the likely Republican presidential nominee’s below-the belt-campaign rhetoric. Unfortunately, things are bound to only get worse.
Renewing Egypt’s energy sector
After a period when electricity shortages and black-outs were a regular occurrence in Egypt, we are now entering an exciting period in the Egyptian energy sector, despite the challenges of the prevailing economic climate. Government initiatives to prioritise electricity provision to residential and commercial areas and the emergence of the private sector in generating electricity …
Opinion: Leipzig reflect new Bundesliga reality
RB Leipzig’s promotion to the top flight is a traditionalists’ nightmare. But as DW’s Jefferson Chase points out, it’s also indicative of where the league is heading, whether some fans like it or not.
Protest may be unpleasant, but repression is ugly
In Egypt, protest and repression spark off from one another. The state, which has a strong grip on the whole society, applies its repressive policy to intimidate citizens and deter them from engaging in demonstrations. Many citizens try to protest against the state to condemn and shout down its repressive policy. The state believes, …
Opinion: Why a Republican nominee Donald Trump is a good thing
With Ted Cruz bowing out after a blistering defeat in Indiana, Donald Trump will be the Republican Party’s presidential candidate. That’s hard to swallow, but it’s good for both democracy in the US and the GOP.
Opinion: Bayern Munich fans happy with Pep Guardiola despite Champions League shortcomings
Pep Guardiola’s side fell in the Champions League semifinals for the third straight year. Athough there are mixed feelings about his reign, match-going fans didn’t seem to hold him responsible for Tuesday’s exit.
Haphazard excursions: hitchhiking into Spain
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page”—Saint Augustine
Turkish stadiums: a contested political battleground
Last month’s opening of storied Istanbul soccer club Besiktas JK’s renovated Vodafone Arena stadium was laden with political symbols ranging from clashes between police and militant fans, to fans being banned from attending the opening, to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan using the event to his political advantage. Celebrations of the opening reflected …
Women: a benchmark of Saudi and Iranian reform
With Saudi Arabia announcing plans for a major restructuring of the kingdom’s economy and Iran gearing up to become a regional hegemony, women’s sports are emerging as a benchmark of reform, and one that so far is less than promising. Saudi Arabia’s recent outline of plans for large scale economic reform away from the kingdom’s …
Hungary’s unacknowledged leadership
Egyptian automotive dealers sold 300 Kia Picanto models worth approximately EGP 33m in January and February, a 26% in a year over year comparison when 407 car were sold
A discovery of poetry
Some people’s lives are marked by their concern for others. That is the case for my friend Janet Brof, whom I have known for many years. She is the equivalent of any heroine from old times. In her, there is an ingrained love for those less favoured in life, an unbending urge for justice and …
Islands transfer backs Al-Sisi’s regime further into corner
The regime has its back to the wall. Egypt’s president, reputed for his hyper-nationalism, has made concessions about what is viewed by many as Egyptian land. The transfer of the islands of Tiran and Sanafir, which control the straits of Tiran, has angered many Egyptians, particularly in light of what seems like a covertly negotiated …
Gender relations in Egypt: a philosophical facelift
An Egyptian philosopher friend advised me to watch The Three Faces of Eve (1957) as a guide to the abysmal status of women here in Egypt, and boy, did I discover a thing or two watching this black and white classic on multiple personality syndrome. Not just about the kind of twin tracks modern-day Egypt …
Egyptian football fans set stage for growing anti-government protests
Militant, street battle-hardened Egyptian football fans set the stage for growing protests against the government of general-turned-president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi when, earlier this month, they forced their way into a stadium, in protest against the country’s long-standing ban on supporters attending football matches. The storming of the pitch in the Borg Al-Arab stadium in the …
25 April: Egypt’s paradox of repression
State repression has been one of the main characteristics of Egypt’s post-30 June regime. Repression in the post-30 June era has taken on various forms and has been carried out through multiple means, such as direct state violence, despotic legislation, random mass arrests and constitutional violations. The resurrection of the state’s repressive apparatus on the …
FIFA, human rights, and politics: one step forward, two steps back
World football body FIFA’s creation of a watchdog to monitor the living and working conditions of migrant labour employed in World Cup 2022-related construction sites is the second time in a month that Qatar has been warned that it needs to demonstrate sincerity in its reform of the Gulf state’s controversial labour system. The announcement …
Foreigners, but friends of Egypt
I used to think that immigration was about migrants moving from a developing country to a developed one, motivated by a single criterion—the better standard of living. This was until I learned that moving from a country to another is not only a matter of climbing up a ladder; for numerous reasons, people move to …
Those plagued with war and those plagued with hatred
Are we plagued with political hatred? This question always arises when I see some politicians criticise their opponents exaggeratedly and defame them enthusiastically, in a manner that only suits those who are oppressed and have a just cause, or those who have a deep hatred, akin to a mental illness. I read a book entitled …
Where is the parliament headed?
Once the parliament started holding its initial sessions, problems and disagreements arose among its members. The first problem arose during parliament’s opening session, due to explicit violations of Articles 104 and 127 of the amended 2014 Egyptian Constitution that relate to the constitutional oath. After that problem had passed, we thought it would be time …