Latest in Opinion Highlight
Latest in Opinion
A celebration for democracy…or is it?
It is without a doubt that the 2015 Egyptian parliamentary elections are a step forward for Egypt’s political progression, especially when compared to previous elections, if previous elections are something worth comparing. Many honourable candidates who have won a seat in the Egyptian chamber of legislation have described this election as a “celebration for democracy”, …
What would it take for Paris to succeed?
There’s a lot of focus now on the politics of Paris. Will poor countries get the “climate aid” they want? Will China agree to reduce its growth, leaving millions more in poverty, by committing to far-reaching carbon cuts? What will be the wording of the treaty that emerges? It is easy to become cynical. Let …
Breeding intolerance: Turkish football fans disrespect ‘Islamic State’ victims
Twice in two months, Turkish fans disrupted the moments of silence for victims of “Islamic State” (IS) attacks in Ankara and Paris in a demonstration. It showed a kind of intolerance bred by religiously-cloaked authoritarianism in countries like Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The fans demonstrative support with IS was clear when they shouted “Allahu Akbar” …
Black Mess: Gangsters, bombers, and alliance politics
You may be wondering what gangster thriller “Black Mass” (2015) about James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp) has to do with our neck of the woods but you will be surprised to know. I say this because the movie is supremely political, having little to nothing to do with that notorious South Boston gangster and his …
Déjà vu in Paris: 21st time lucky? Of course not
If you do not learn from history, you are bound to repeat it. Here in Saint-Denis, northern Paris, a history lesson is sorely needed. Thousands are gathering here for the 21st international global warming meeting. Hotels are already near-full, broadcasters are setting up, protestors are preparing to roar. All because this summit is “the last …
A death that matters
The human, religious and political lives of Coptic Christians
Police brutality over and over again
A new incident involving police brutality takes place in Egypt once more. This time, the venue was Luxor and the victim was Talaat Rashidi, who died in the Luxor police station last Wednesday morning after his arrest. Now, despite how unfortunate and sad this specific incident is, and with all condolences to the family of …
The Turkish bluff in the new Great Game
By Omar Ghannam
Opinion: France needs help in Syrian crisis
Turkey’s downing of a Russian fighter jet has sabotaged the French president’s attempt to form an anti-“IS” coalition. This is especially true given France’s lack of political clout, says DW’s Miodrag Soric. As if things weren’t bad enough. Now, the Turkish Air Force had to go and shoot down a Russian fighter jet. Things have …
How does the ‘Family of 1952’ perceive ‘the people’? (Part 2)
The radical opposition that was brought up in the 1952 era, with its “religious” and “secular” segments, begins from the perception that the people are an inanimate object with homogenous interests and orientations. Therefore, it considered, or almost considered, all citizens who did not vote in elections, in this case the “peaceful” majority, to necessarily …
Let me hear you
By Reem Khorshid During a busy college day, my friend and I went to the document services centre on campus to get a copy of our assignment document. Standing there, I saw my friend losing her temper with the man who works there because he was not very responsive. I asked her to calm down …
Honouring Mohamed Mahmoud
“In the name of those who unjustly died in defence of an idea and in pursuit of a dream” Four years have passed since 19 November 2011 when the events of Mohamed Mahmoud Street in downtown Cairo broke out. Perhaps it is too late to wallow in the futility of nostalgia or to merely mourn …
United in protest against horror in Syria
By Dr. Cesar Chelala I just saw an incredible performance by two remarkable Syrian artists, Kinan Azmeh and Kevork Mourad, working together against the horror ravaging their country and in support of the Syrian refugees. Their performance, called “Home Within”, was presented at the Miller Theater at Columbia University in New York. Their work is an audio-visual intended to reflect the …
Paris attacks: A journey begins to prove innocence
By Hala Kindleberger “Now my husband will not be able to join me,” said a Syrian woman who has been in France for seven months, waiting for husband to arrive from Turkey. In Germany too, they have begun slowing down the acceptance of Arab and Muslim refugees after months of providing refuge. Authorities have been …
Bahraini players’ support for Salman raises more questions than answers
In recent statements, Bahraini football players sought to absolve Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president and world football body FIFA presidential candidate Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, who is a member of Bahrain’s ruling family, of any moral or direct responsibility for the arrest, dismissal, and abuse of hundreds of sports executives and athletes accused …
Does the international community have real will to fight terrorism?
By Ayman Okeil Does the world need more blood to teach the international community, those who govern and their voters, that humanity is exposed to a real war with extremist forces and terrorism? What happened in France is not the first incident and will not be the last. When will the global system take serious …
How does the ‘Family of 1952’ perceive ‘the people’? (Part 1)
The initial results announced at the end of the first day in the first round of the 2015 parliamentary elections revealed that turnout did not exceed 2.7%. This was according to official sources, and from inside the electoral commission, as well as from inside the different polling stations. It was clear through the satellite channels …
Brief stories of those behind bars for calling for justice
By Tarek ‘Tito’ Hussein Ramy El-Sayed Ramy El-Sayed is 28-years-old, a graduate from the Faculty of Languages, a translator and a member of 6 April youth movement. On 1 September, 2014, El-Sayed and a number of members of the 6 April movement went to extend condolences to the family of their martyred friend Ahmed El-Masry …
When nobles partner with enemies of the state
Intentions lie in the heart or the mind; they cannot be detected until after the consequences of actions resulting from those intentions. Before reaching the results, we cannot distinguish between nobles and enemies; they all ride the wave until it arrives at the shore of objectives, which vary according to loyalty to the country. Nobles …
Embattled World Cup host Qatar sends mixed messages
The embattled World Cup host Qatar is sending contradictory messages as it struggles with demands to improve migrant labour conditions, answer the mounting questions about the integrity of its successful FIFA bi, confront the fall-out of dropping energy prices, and seek to project itself as both a key Western ally and a useful conduit to …
Targeted Paris stadium symbolises pitfalls of war against “Islamic State”
Zouhair, a security guard of immigrant background, was one of several security officers who on Friday prevented three of the Paris suicide bombers from entering the city’s Stade de France stadium. The bombers were forced to blow themselves up outside the stadium and at nearby McDonald’s. Little is publicly known about the background of Zouhair, who described …
Blaming Arabs
Who created terrorism? Who used jihadists and fed them with hatred towards humanity? Who lit the fire that will burn everything and everybody? Who is driving us into a third world war? Is this the new Middle East that American political books talked about? Did weapons’ prices fall that much to awaken the devils and …
Opinion: Football friendlies must go on
European football associations have decided to proceed with friendlies in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks. DW Sports’ Jefferson Chase says that it was the only justifiable decision. The final scores of France’s friendly versus England and Germany’s test against the Netherlands on Tuesday will be utterly irrelevant, and the national coaches involved can …
Africa and the death penalty: Time to let go!
By Ivan Simonovic On Tuesday, 6 June 1995, over a year after electing the late Nelson Mandela as its President, South Africa ended the use of the death penalty, with a ruling of its constitutional court. Mandela’s personal involvement in this outcome was significant: five years earlier, freshly out of prison, he had successfully pressed …
A way out of Syria: International interventions to establish power-sharing systems
By Ruby Amatulla A short-term approach such as defeating a group and letting another win and dominate is not going to work either in Syria or in the region inflamed by sectarian conflicts. A pluralistic culture with power-sharing arrangements is the long-term solution for the region. The long conflict-ridden history has caused Shi’a, Sunni, and …
What we know about the Russian plane crash
It is almost impossible to write about an incident that involves the loss of human life without first expressing grief and condolences for the lives lost in such unfortunate events. Almost two weeks have now passed since the Russian passenger plane crashed over Sinai and all we know so far from the Egyptian …
Opinion: Time to act in Burundi
In Burundi, the killing sprees continue with impunity. The UN Security Council deliberated over the issue twice this week but the resolution it eventually passed does not go far enough, says Dirke Köpp. It’s a bare minimum. The resolution unanimously approved by the UN Security Council on Thursday (12.11.2015) calls for an immediate end to …
Al-Assad must not get away with his crimes
By Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor Ancient cities and World Heritage sites across Syria have been turned into wastelands of blood-soaked rubble littered with infants’ shoes and toys. Almost 300,000 Syrians have been killed and 11 million displaced. If there is one person to blame for the four-year-long tragedy it is Bashar Al-Assad, who instructed his …
Hope is in the stubbornness and rebellion of the people
Egyptian tourism has never been in a more difficult position than it is now, even in the most difficult situations when bombs blew up Sharm El-Sheikh shaking the Sinai Peninsula. An international coalition is now standing against it. Britain violated all international norms and protocols and announced strict measures to evacuate its nationals from Sharm …
Al-Sisi’s popularity, from an active mass to a static one
By Walaa Gad El-Karim A year and a half ago, 23 million Egyptians voted in favour of Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi for president. At the time, his popularity was at its peak and the general public looked up to him as a saviour, capable of confronting all of Egypt’s political, security, and economic challenges to save …