Latest in Opinion Highlight
Latest in Opinion
Facts are stubborn things
On 5 March 1770, British soldiers killed five civilians in Boston, Massachusetts in what Americans would call the “Boston Massacre”. The incident happened within the larger context of escalating polarisation between factions calling for American independence and those loyal to the British Crown. Leading up to the trial of eight British soldiers, the polarisation was …
In answer to Pope Tawadros, now is the time to talk about human rights
By Wael Eskandar Last week Pope Tawadros issued the latest in a long list of fiery statements, when, in a visit to Norway, he remarked: “We can pray in a nation without a church but we can’t pray in a church without a nation. The statement is an attempt at nationalism to support Egypt. Yet …
Why Bush and Blair should be prosecuted for war crimes
By Dr Cesar Chelala Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair recently stated that air strikes and drones should be used once again on Iraq to stem recent gains by extremists in that country. Mr Blair is oblivious of the responsibility he shares with former US president George W Bush on account of one of the most serious …
World Cup boosts Iran’s image, highlights political sports battles
By James M. Dorsey It didn’t take long for it to emerge that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani shared an understanding of football’s political utility with predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose conservative policies he hopes to reverse. Like Ahmadinejad, Rouhani, a cleric, is seeking to identify himself with the success of his country’s national football team, delivering …
Al-Jazeera Trial and Sisi’s Era
“Shocking, appalling, preposterously unjust.” These are excerpts of angry global reactions to the harsh prison sentences of three journalists for Al-Jazeera English by an Egyptian court. Canadian Mohamed Fahmy and Australian Peter Greste were sentenced to seven years in jail on charges of aiding terrorists and endangering national security, based merely on ludicrous pieces of evidence. While the verdict …
What are the social and cultural dimensions behind the phenomenon of harassment? (2)
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 …
Victims of female genital mutilation make harmful traditional practice a crime
By Ignacio Artaza 14 June marks National Anti-FGM Day in honour of 12-year-old Bodour Shaker, from Minya, who died on the same date in 2007 as a victim of this inhumane practice. In June 2013, 13-year-old Soheir El Batea from Daqahleya suffered the same fate. As heartbreaking as these two tragedies are, their untimely deaths …
Window to investment remains shuttered
By Mohamed Ayyad Today I am writing to you, Minister of Investment Ashraf Salman. It is up to you if you wish, honestly and in the name of success, to listen to the masses. You must wage a fierce war on bureaucracy and administrative corruption, for even if you fail, the effort will be recognised. As you …
Excuse us for being sceptical
The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict was held last week in London, the largest gathering to ever happen on the subject. Co-chaired by the UK foreign secretary William Hague and UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie, the summit gathered delegations from 129 countries, including 79 ministers. This gathering aimed at bringing the international …
Al-Sisi: Egypt’s accidental democrat?
Despite his dictatorial tendencies, Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi may find himself unwittingly presiding over Egypt’s transition to democracy
The foreigner’s gift: Why Iran would gain from US military intervention in Iraq
By Michael Young What does one make of the apparent rapprochement between the United States and Iran over Iraq? It’s difficult to say, principally because both countries have very different agendas in the country, even if their shared aim is to contain the offensive of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). For Iran, fragmentation …
World Cup sparks Islamist debate on football’s integrity
By James M. Dorsey Ultra-conservative clerics are condemning football as a Jewish and Christian tool undermining Islamic culture as millions of Muslims worldwide tune in to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The condemnations revive an enduring debate among conservatives and militants about the football’s integrity. They constitute one side of a jihadi and Salafi …
Europe and those Arabs (4): The EU and the Belgian syndrome
Unlike most Europeans, Belgians are shy to ask for better services, not only in public institutions, but even in the private sector. If a Belgian has trouble getting service, or buying a product, he or she won’t make a fuss. They’re polite. The service provider will apologise and everyone will go off on their way. …
What are the four social and cultural factors behind the phenomenon of harassment?
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 …
The Palestinian national reconciliation: Regional and international implications
By Fadi Elhusseini Palestinian success in burying a seven-year division has surpassed its domestic effects and has, without a doubt, regional and international implications. With the Palestinian unity government, the relationships between the Palestinians and Israelis on one side and the Palestinians, their Arab neighbours and the international community on the other side will experience …
The first step to solving a problem
You don’t need to read the United Nations report saying 99.3% of Egyptian women have been sexually harassed (and worse) to know how serious of a problem the issue is in Egypt. Half of Egyptian society is under constant threat in the public space — studies, reported cases, and anecdotes all make this very clear. …
Egypt needs a fair and firm leader – not a hero
By Mohammed Nosseir Egyptians are looking for a hero, a person who will magically solve their problems with minimal contribution on their part.. Egypt’s current president, aware of this issue, capitalised on this fragile emotional bond to garner additional votes and reinforce his popularity. It would be a serious mistake for President Al-Sisi to believe that …
Rape in Congo can be a death sentence to women
By Dr. César Chelala Rape as a weapon of war continues to take a heavy toll on women’s lives in today’s conflicts around the world. A high proportion of the women who are victims of rape end up infected with sexually transmitted diseases and infections, including HIV. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is …
AFC power struggle reflects sorry state of football governance
By James M. Dorsey FIFA Vice President and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive committee member Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, in an uncommon display of elegance and magnanimity in the rarefied world of world soccer as well as of Middle Eastern and North African leaders, has conceded defeat in a battle that is symptomatic of …
Hopes and fears: Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict
By Sanam Naraghi Anderlini Ahead of tomorrow’s Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini questions the presence of government officials from countries with dubious track records, and says ministers should take the advice of women who are most at risk and already working at the frontlines to end all sexual violence. …
Sisi’s ideal first decision: Release the detained youth
By Emad Al-Din Hussein Field Marshal Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi was sworn in Sunday and has officially become the country’s president. All eyes have turned to him to pull Egypt out of its unprecedented crisis. Experts and observers have all been talking about what the first decision taken by the new president will be. Most …
Will Brazil win the World Cup?
By Dr César Chelala When Diego Maradona was asked in 1998 who would win that year’s football World Cup being played in France, he said: “Countries organise the World Cup to win it,” thus suggesting that France would be the winner. And it was. The same thing could be said for this year’s World Cup in Brazil. For most people, Brazil is …
In search of alternatives
“Who is the alternative?” This was indeed the most repeated and frustrating question asked by the pro-Sisi camp during the past two weeks, before and during the surreal presidential election that brought a military man to power after three years of calls for democracy. The question is frustrating because this camp thinks that the “revolution” …
Guilt or competition? Winning the Cyber Espionage War
By Michael R. Czinkota During the Cold War, the Allies protected Germany’s Fulda gap against a possible Soviet invasion. In today’s environment of cyber vulnerability, surely all major parties have developed a plan of defence against cyber aggression. If not, they should do so. Yet even good plans may not fulfill the hopes of their …
Intrusion for all
By Fahmi Howeidi From regulating demonstrations to regulating storytelling, from tightening security on the streets to securing cyberspace, and from the protection of society to monitoring it: all would be included. This was the message sent by the Ministry of Interior when it announced it would be establishing what it called “a system to monitor …
Qatar corruption allegations may prove to have potentially massive fall-out
By James M. Dorsey British weekly’s, The Sunday Times, disclosure of millions of documents allegedly revealing Qatari vote buying in the Gulf state’s successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup could alter the Gulf’s fragile balance of power. It could also reverse hopes that Qatar would initiate significant social change in the region, and return the worst corruption …
The EU, Bassem Youssef, and reinforcing criticism
On Saturday night, a video of a National Council for Women (NCW) press conference went viral. The footage shows representatives of the European Union Electoral Observer Mission (EUEOM) leaving the press conference after being berated and criticised for the mission’s preliminary report by attendees at the press conference, including head of the NCW Mervat Tellawy. …
The limit of Egyptian hospitality
When I met with the European Union’s Chief Observer Mario David at a polling station in downtown Cairo last week one thing that he highlighted to me was how welcome he and his fellow observers felt. He described “the salute they give us… the welcoming smiles” he had seen during his time in Cairo. He …
Copts and political action before the 1919 revolution
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 …
Europe and those Arabs (3): Migrating for a lonely death
In 2007, mid-production of a documentary film of mine called Back in a Coffin discussing the phenomenon of illegal migration from Egypt to Italy on what is tragically called death boats, I learned about real human beings, not just a media exaggeration to sell a story to the public. In a village called Tatoon in …