Latest in Opinion Highlight
Latest in Opinion
An unlearned lesson from 9/11
By Dr Cesar Chelala On a rainy morning in April 1958, in Washington DC, Ezra Pound – then a 72-year-old man – was declared “incurably insane” by Judge Bolitha J. Laws, who set him free. As he prepared to leave for Italy, Pound declared: “Any man who could live in America is insane.” I wonder what Pound – …
Fighting the Islamic State: What about the day after?
By James M. Dorsey The beheading of a second American journalist and the likely execution of a British national have left US President Barak Obama and other Western leaders few options but to step up military operations against Islamist jihadists in Iraq and expand the battle into Syria. The focus on confronting the militant jihadists …
Is the New York Times always a credible source?
By Khalid Mahmoud The New York Times wrote a report last week detailing how Egypt, in cooperation the United Arab Emirates, conducted a joint airstrike against Islamist militias in Libya. The report, written by the newspaper’s Office Director in Cairo, David Kirkpatrick, and Editor Eric Smith, went on to tell the details of the airstrike, …
Egypt’s banning of ultras constitutes effort to outlaw legitimate opposition
By James M. Dorsey An expected decision by Egyptian football authorities to ban as terrorist organisations groups of militant football fans builds on the definition by Arab autocrats of legitimate, democratic opposition forces as violent threats to their grip on power. By leaving youth with ever fewer, if any, options for venting pent-up anger and …
Egypt’s media and the normality of broadcasting your phone-calls
By Mohamed Selim During the two past weeks, Egypt was gripped by yet another case of media sciolism. Al Kahera Wal Nas, “Cairo and the People”, a private satellite channel broadcasted from Cairo’s Media Production City (MPC), has been the subject of controversy in a dangerously polarised country. Its programme, The Black Box, presented by a …
Islamic State: an ideological challenge to Saudi Arabia
By James M. Dorsey The meteoric rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its declaration of an Islamic State straddling the two Arab countries raises the spectre of a militant Islamist state in the heart of the Middle East East close to the borders of US allies like Israel, Jordan and …
Lessons from the presidential elections: Egypt’s media and the upcoming parliamentary campaign
By Mohamed Selim Better late than never. As every decision in Egypt is always overdue, regardless of the consequences and constitutional prerogatives, the parliamentary elections will eventually take place. The constitution stipulates, according to Article 230: “Election of the President of the Republic or the House of Representatives shall take place as regulated by Law, …
Palestinian children are children too
By Dr Cesar Chelala A friend who lives in Tel Aviv recently told me, “We are so shocked by the death of this little four-year-old boy….he was such a beautiful child. The whole country is in shock.” She was referring to the death of Daniel Tragerman, who was killed in his home in Sha’ar Hanegev by …
The MB, AQ, ISIS and Al-Azhar’s crisis
By Mohamed Selim The unfortunate daily events that are unfolding in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia and Libya, are prompting the question: when will the entire region fall into the hands of radical Islamists? The demise of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) reign in Egypt at the hands of its military has caused the re-emergence of …
Egypt’s identity: Hovering between love and rule of law
By Mohammed Nosseir Egyptian rulers gamble when they think that they can manipulate the national identity to serve their political goals. Each ruler has his own perception of the Egyptian identity that he wants to impose on society either through expressing love or by applying harsh laws that aim at fine-tuning citizens to fit into a …
How does Al-Sisi expand the scope of his supporters?
In our previous article, we explained how President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi began his journey to power, claiming that his rise was based on two main forces: first, the armed forces, and second, the pro-Al-Sisi mood that has considered him to be the most capable person to provide security and stability after removing the Muslim Brotherhood. …
Gulf States and their US critics seek to shape US perceptions on football pitch
By James M. Dorsey Gulf states seeking to polish images tarnished by allegations of violations of human rights and their critics are employing football in an effort to shape American perceptions. At stake for countries like Qatar and the UAE is more than just reputation; it is the ability to invest in strategic US assets …
The ICC should live up to its mandate
By Dr Cesar Chelala The 1998 Rome Statute, the International Criminal Court’s founding charter, states that one of the critical ICC’s tasks is that “the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole must not go unpunished”. However, under pressure from the US and the European Community, the ICC has avoided opening an …
How uncertainty managed to negatively affect the Egyptian economy
By Mohammed Nosseir Egypt is in need of a coherent economic vision complemented by explicit economic policies. Undermining both, or using economic initiatives as substitutes and surprising citizens with an assortment of mega investment projects (even if they are beneficial) will not do our country any good. In a very short period, Al-Sisi has managed …
Syria: One year later
By Matthew Timmerman A column in honour of the one-year anniversary of Syria’s chemical attack At 2.30 am on the morning of 21 August 2013, statements circulated on Twitter of a chemical attack in a Damascus suburb, and within days 1,500 individuals were reported dead. A UN investigation ensued as Western powers debated the appropriate response. …
Greater respect for international humanitarian law needed – 150 years after Geneva Convention
By Didier Burkhalter and Peter Maurer 150 years ago this past Friday, the first Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field was adopted, enshrining the idea in international law that even in times of war, a certain degree of humanity must be …
Egypt looks to secure LNG production and supply
With its significant reserves of liquefied natural gas (LNG), Egypt has been a key exporter for regional consumers over the past decade but with growing domestic consumption and a number of fiscal constraints, the country has been looking to secure additional supplies by expanding LNG capacity. In May the Egyptian government signed a letter …
What are the forces that underpin Al-Sisi’s management of the country?
It is now clear, to all those concerned, that President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi does not depend on political parties or forces in his administration of the country’s affairs. He has been clear and careful in emphasising this since he was elected into the presidency. Although he was trying to win support from various factions during …
Tourism insights from around the world
By Omar Khedr Changing perceptions and successfully rebounding an entire industry is generally a herculean challenge. Representing approximately 6.5% of Egypt’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as being an important source of foreign exchange, Egypt’s travel and tourism industry forms a vital bedrock of her economy. The industry benefits from several competitive advantages. …
Use of barrel bombs in Syria and Iraq devastate civilians’ lives
By Dr Cesar Chelala UN Security Council Resolution 2139 of 22 February 2014, ordered all parties to the conflict in Syria to end the discriminate use of barrel bombs and other weapons in populated areas. In spite of that, both the Syrian and the Iraqi governments continue using them against civilians. Human rights groups have characterised …
Saudi efforts to professionalise football marred by politics
By James M. Dorsey Efforts to professionalise football in Saudi Arabia in advance of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar are marred by efforts to maintain political control of the game, a lack of transparency and accountability, and disputes between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Prominent Saudi businessmen and football officials grumbled over the awarding …
The ‘revolution’ continues: Massacres, violence and counting deaths
“So when people ask me how I’m doing… how am I supposed to respond? How am I supposed to feel? What exactly am I supposed to tell them about? About the death that we saw for thirteen consecutive hours? About the day that passed by as if it were a thousand years? About the man …
A stranger in the motherland
By Amr Khalifa The Cairo sun beat down mercilessly upon landing at the airport; it would not compare to the emotional assault of a 40-day odyssey into the valley of the divided: Egypt. What made the trip eventful was not that it was a return home. Though the nation was not at war, per se, …
Do Egyptian elites represent an asset or a burden to their country?
By Mohammed Nosseir Elites are blessed! A tiny minority in any given society that enjoys great privileges associated with the amazing knowledge, personal status, social recognition and many other fortunate traits that they possess. But are Egypt’s elites using these qualities in the service of their country? Certainly not! Most of them have developed a …
As little like IS as possible
A tiny, misunderstood, and often-persecuted community is facing a serious crisis in Iraq. The Yezidi, who practice an ancient monotheistic religion, face genocide as militants of the “Islamic State” (IS) have overrun Sinjar, the main hub for this minority, and proceeded to slaughter and torment them, sending tens of thousands of them up into the …
Peacemaking Egypt!
Since Hamas seized control of the Gaza strip, three notable spells of war have engulfed one of the most densely populated parts of the world. The latest of such outbreaks have been by far the deadliest of the three armed conflicts; more than 1,800 people have perished since Israel launched its operation on 8 July. …
Migrants: A treasure for Egypt
By Omar Khedr For its 2014 forecasts, the World Bank predicts that Egypt’s economy will grow by 2.4% followed by a further 2.9% expansion in 2015. Endowed with a young population, Egypt has a strong potential to kickstart its economic development programme. In fact, Goldman Sachs – one of the largest investment banks in the …
Egypt keeps changing suits – but its mindset remains intact
By Mohammed Nosseir Egypt has not changed a bit! It claims to have gone through two revolutions in less than three years and it has managed to have four different rulers since Mubarak was toppled from power, and has been shaped by the diverse styles of its successive rulers. However, the same mindset that was …
When poetry mirrors war
By Cesar Chelala I am returning home from a memorial to an old and dear friend, Marijke Velzeboer Salcedo. Marijke was a remarkable woman on many counts: a wonderful mother, wife and friend. She was a talented and energetic woman whose work on behalf of women for United Nations agencies contributed to the improvement in …
Close your eyes
By Wael Eskander A young black girl is raped and abused by two racist white men, who are then shot by the girl’s father during their trial. This is the premise of ‘A Time to Kill’, a book by John Grisham. In the courtroom drama the lawyer attempts to convince the jury to release the …