Showing posts with label AlmasryAlyoum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AlmasryAlyoum. Show all posts

Saturday, 2 April 2016

Radar scans of Tutankhamun’s tomb did not offer clear results yet: Minister


AFP
Al-Masry Al-Youm
Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anany said on Friday no clear outcome was reached after the radar scans of King Tutankhamun's tomb.
The US-Egyptian team completed scans using a digital, ground-penetrating radar on Thursday. The team comprised both the current antiquities minister and the former, Mamdouh al-Damaty, as well as the Head of Egyptian Antiquities Sector, Mahmoud Afify, Head of Projects Sector Waadullah abul Ela, Faculty of Engineering Assistant Professor Yasser al-Shayeb, National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics member Abbas Mohamed, in addition to two National Geographic experts.
The radar scanned each wall of the burial chamber of Tutankhamun's tomb, producing high resolution data that the team hope to use in producing 3D images of what is behind the walls.
Anany added that the scans could prove right Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves’s theory that the lost body of Queen Nefertiti, the wife of Tutankhamun's father, the pharaoh Akhenaten, could be found in one of the tomb’s chambers.
The team said that the outcome reached by Thursday's scans does not contradict the findings of previous radar scans, however more time is needed before any accurate results can be finalized. The radar experts said that 40 radar scans were conducted at different heights. The outcome will be published in a week's time. 
An additional vertical radar scan will be carried out at end of April from outside the tomb, he added. The results will declared in a press conference in May at the Grand Egyptian Museum.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
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Security forces kill militant in exchange of fire in Giza: source


Aswat Masriya
Security forces killed a militant in an exchange of fire in al-Waraq district in Giza, a source within the Giza security directorate said.
The source told Aswat Masriya that the deceased militant attempted to kill a national security officer and a central security forces officer during his arrest.
 
He added that the killed militant was allegedly a member of the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood group.
 
Egyptian authorities have led a crackdown on Muslim brotherhood figures and supporters since the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, after mass protests against his rule.
 
Egypt designated the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation in December 2013 and insists it is behind a wave of militancy which has targeted security personnel since Mursi's ouster.
 
The brotherhood continuously denies these accusations.
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Monday, 14 February 2011

Monday’s papers: Constitution suspended, Parliament dissolved, protests sweep Egypt, corruption files uncovered


Heba Afify
Mon, 14/02/2011 - 12:23

Egypt's newspapers on Monday follow the repercussions of the fall of the regime and speculate on Egypt's future, while continuing to celebrate the revolution’s success and honor its heroes and martyrs.

The army’s suspension of the Constitution and the dissolution of both houses of parliament is on the front page of every newspaper. The armed forces' statement also announced that Ahmed Shafiq’s cabinet will remain in place until the formation of a new government and that Egypt will continue to abide by all its international treaties.

Independent daily Al-Shorouk supports the army with the headline: “The army triumphs for the people.” It announces political movements’ satisfaction with the decision.

Meanwhile the protests that overwhelmed many sectors yesterday--including the Ministry of Interior--were also featured in every newspaper.

Workers at governmental bodies, banks and other sectors protested to demand financial and job security. This led to the Central Bank's decision to close banks today and tomorrow.

Al-Shorouk independent newspaper details the protests under the title “A tsunami of mini-revolutions sweep the governorates." Al-Dostour newspaper calls it “the uprising of the financial sector against corruption.”

State-run Al-Ahram is more critical, announcing “The revolution under the siege of sectorial demands.” An editorial warns that the demands of the protesters are not feasible at the moment and should be postponed for at least one month. It says they endanger the revolution with demands that it can’t deliver right now.

The corruption files on the old regime’s figures also make into to all the newspapers. Al-Dostour gives the subject the most weight by discussing the investigation of former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly on its front page. Al-Shorouk announces the general prosecutor’s accusations that former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif and his cabinet wasted and wrongfully allocated state assets.

Unexpectedly, Al-Ahram reveals corruption files on the fallen regime under the headline “Marina tells its secrets,” referring to the upscale summer destination on the north coast, Marina. The newspaper writes that heads of the regime were able to purchase villas on the north coast through shady deals. It mentions various officials, including former Minister of Tourism Zoheir Garana, former head of the president’s office Zakareya Azmy, and former National Democratic Party head Safwat al-Sherif. The newspaper is uncharacteristically critical of Mubarak's regime, saying “The records show that corrupt officials used their powers for their own profit and wasted common money, allowing themselves to take what belonged to the people.”

The Mubarak family's wealth is also a hot topic. Al-Dostour announces that the general prosecutor has started investigating complaints filed about Mubarak’s wealth. It reports a story in Britain's Daily Telegraph that Mubarak held on to power throughout the past 18 days in order to safeguard his wealth, as well as a Sunday Times report that Britain will start investigating the former president's fortune. Al-Shorouk highlights contradictory estimates of its size in the international press, while Al-Ahram focuses on the most conservative estimate--in the New York Times--of US$3 billion.

Opinion pieces include celebrations and expressions of pride in the revolution, in addition to analyses on the revolution itself as well as the changes it has brought about in society, and proposals for what steps should be taken next.

Head of the Journalists Syndicate Makram Mohamed Ahmed, who was heavily criticized by protesters for being “a spokesperson for the regime,” writes a column in Al-Ahram celebrating the revolution, describing the protesters as “heroes,” and criticizing the former regime for ignoring the people’s demands for so long.

Fahmy al-Howeidy wonders in his column in Al-Shorouk whether the protesters in Tahrir Square should leave or continue, concluding that there are valid arguments for both options.

Al-Shorouk also publishes an exclusive interview with Mohamed ElBaradei in which the former IAEA chief says he is not considering running for president, and that he hoped that Mubarak would leave with his dignity intact.

Egypt's papers:

Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt

Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size

Al-Gomhorriya: Daily, state-run

Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run, close to the National Democratic Party's Policies Secretariat

Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned

Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned

Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party

Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Arab Nasserist party

Youm7: Weekly, privately owned

Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned

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Policemen protest for second day


Ahmed Abdel Latif
Mon, 14/02/2011 - 13:18

Around 1000 policemen continued to protest in front of the Ministry of Interior, calling for the prosecution of former Interior Minister Habib al-Adli and complaining of citizens' anger towards them in the wake of the popular revolt that led to the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.

A number of civilians joined the march, which was attended by Egyptian and international media reporters.

The protesters rejected an invitation to negotiate made by Interior Ministry officials.

Egypt witnessed separate protests by policemen complaining of increased working hours and demanding the right to recieve medical treatment at police hospitals.

They met with police chiefs in different governorates to discuss possible solutions. New Interior Minister Mahmoud Wagdi decided to revoke penalties imposed over the last six months and vowed to come up with immediate solutions once order is restored to the streets.

Tensions between the police and Egyptian citizens--already strained--reached a climax during the protests that started on 25 January. Police reportedly used live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas against protesters, killing over 300 and injuring thousands.

Al-Adli is reported to be facing a trial over these deaths and his decision the withdraw security forces on 28 January, which led to widespread chaos and looting.

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Saturday, 12 February 2011

25 January revolutionaries vow to ensure all demands are met


Arabic Edition
Sat, 12/02/2011 - 10:38

The people will continue their peaceful revolution, even after they managed to bring down President Hosni Mubarak's regime, until they achieve their democratic aspirations, said the "People of the 25 January Revolution" in a statement on Friday.

The statement was read by Mohamed Fouad, vice president of the State Council, on Al Jazeera television network. He said, "The people of Egypt--who have restored sovereignty over their land, wealth, and destiny through the sacrifices of its martyrs, announce the continuation of the peaceful revolution until final victory is achieved and all demands are met.”

The demands, the statement said, constitute the immediate abolition of Emergency Law, the release of all political detainees, the abolition of the current Constitution and the dissolution of the People's Assembly, Shura Council and local councils.

The statement called for the establishment of a transitional presidential council composed of five members consisting of one member from the military and four trusted civilians. None would be permitted to participate in the upcoming presidential election.

The statement also called for the formation of an interim government that included competent figures, with no partisan affiliations, to manage the country and pave the road for free elections at the end of a transitional period, the length of which would not exceed nine months. The members of the transition government would also be barred from running in upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

The statement urged the formation of a committee to construct a new constitution that takes into account the world’s oldest standing constitutions and human rights charters. The proposed constitution should be put to a popular referendum three months after the committee’s formation.

The revolutionaries called for allowing the free formation of political parties on a civil, democratic and peaceful basis. It also called for free media, the free exchange information, and the free formation of syndicates and non-governmental organizations.

The statement called for the abolition of military tribunals, and demanded that their prior rulings against civilians should be thrown out.

The statement called on Egypt's Armed Forces to endorse the demands.

Former President Hosni Mubarak had announced his resignation on Friday in a statement delivered by Vice President Omar Suleiman.

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Protests sweep Arab countries


Arabic Edition
Sat, 12/02/2011 - 10:38
Several Arab countries witnessed massive protests on Friday calling for democratic reforms, an end to corruption, the release of political detainees and the creation of job opportunities.

In Yemen, thousands of protesters in the south of the country took to the streets under the banner “A Friday of Anger” to call for separation from the north. The protesters also called for the release of detainees and a suspension of the trials currently conducted on southern activists.

Hundreds of Iraqis poured into the streets in Baghdad to call for the creation of job opportunities and the respect of human liberties.

Approximately 1000 graduates from universities in Rabat protested, calling for their immediate appointment to public jobs.

In Khartoum, dozens of women staged a sit-in in front of the Sudanese intelligence building to call for the release of political detainees. They also demanded to know where their relatives are being detained.

In Saudi Arabia, a group of Saudi activists announced on Friday the establishment of the kingdom’s first officially sanctioned political party, under the title “The Nation’s Islamic Party,” in a step that aims to maintain stability following the wave of political change sweeping in the region.

In Jordan, Queen Rania was accused by a number of Jordanian families of involvement in corruption, sparking controversy around the country. The Royal Court issued a statement refuting the accusations and threatening legal action against those who circulated them.

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Protesters force police cordon in Algiers demo


AFP
Sat, 12/02/2011 - 16:07

Up to 2000 Algerian demonstrators briefly forced a police cordon Saturday as they tried to begin a banned march calling for regime change a day after the fall of Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak.

Protesters, put at 800 by police but estimated at 2000 by journalists at the scene, found themselves blocked again by massed security forces, who had encircled the area, backed up by armoured vehicles.

There were scuffles with security forces and numerous arrests well before the march called by the National Coordination for Change and Democracy (CNCD) had been due to begin at 11AM, witnesses said.

An AFP journalist saw two arrests, one of them of a deputy from the opposition Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), Othmane Maazouz.

Other journalists reported seeing several other arrests.

Demonstrators, who included Ali Bejadj, one of the leaders of the banned Islamic Salvation Front, chanted "Free Algeria" in Arabic or "Regime out!"

President of the RCD Said Sadi told AFP by telephone that he was outraged that 90-year-old veteran human rights campaigner Ali Yahia Abdelnour had been manhandled by police.

He said that police had already violently dispersed a gathering on Friday of people celebrating Mubarak's downfall and made ten arrests.

"It wasn't even an organised demonstration. It was spontaneous. It was an explosion of joy," he said.

From early Saturday authorities took draconian measures against the planned protest with nearly 30,000 police deployed in the capital along the proposed route of the march.

Anti-riot vehicles and water cannon were seen ready for action near the square where it was scheduled to begin.

Police roadblocks on avenues leading into the city following suicide attacks in 2007 had been strengthened and uniformed police were patrolling the streets.

Traffic jams began an hour earlier than usual, around 6:30AM, with nervous drivers honking their horns non-stop.

In the main western city of Oran where another demonstration had also been banned by the authorities, between 400 and 500 protesters had already rallied in a central square by 11AM.

A dozen arrests had already been made, an AFP correspondent said. They included a reporter with the Arabic language daily El Khabar, Djaafar Bensaleh, who took a phone call from AFP in a police van.

The CNCD, an umbrella group of opposition parties, civil society movements and unofficial unions announced the march in Algiers when it was set up only three weeks ago, emboldened by the mass protests in Tunisia and Egypt which brought down their longstanding autocratic rulers.

The CNCD is demanding the immediate end of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's regime, citing the same problems of high unemployment, housing problems and soaring costs that inspired uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

Like their north African counterparts, the protesters have used Facebook and text messages to spread their call for change.

A 36-year-old unemployed father of six died in eastern Algeria Friday after setting himself on fire on 17 January in regional council offices in eastern Algeria, his family said.

His death brought to four the number of Algerians who have died from self-immolation since January.

Altogether, at least a dozen Algerians have set themselves on fire so far this year, apparently inspired by a similar act in neighbouring Tunisia that was the catalyst for the uprising that toppled that country's authoritarian regime.

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Cairo protesters disagree on whether to leave Tahrir Square


Mohamed Elmeshad
Sat, 12/02/2011 - 21:35

The revolutionaries of Tahrir Square are split as to whether they should--or will--vacate the square following former President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation Friday evening.

Although many already left the square, a large number refused to move until other demands are met.

Mubarak’s resignation fulfilled what was widely considered to be the protesters’ main demand. Protests and sit-ins across Egypt have lasted 18 days.

The Youth of the Anger Uprising Coalition called for an evacuation of Tahrir Square. Other informal groups participating in the revolution reject the call. They believe they should not let go of the revolution’s primary symbol and gathering point until their demands are met in full.

After over two weeks of continuous protests, some have already answered the call to pack up their tents and go home.

“I think now we have what we need to move along to the next phase of rebuilding Egypt. We achieved enough on this front, and now we need to start focusing on change outside of Tahrir square,” said Mahmoud Abbas, a 30 year-old teacher. Abbas, who has camped out in Tahrir almost every day since 28 January, thinks that those who wish to remain in Tahrir have grown too “fond” of the place. They “need to start thinking about where else they can be useful,” he says.

Some believe that people should begin trying to exert pressure for change in other ways besides protesting.

Amr al-Mahdy, a 35 year-old interior designer, has been an active member of the Tahrir Square community since protests initially began on 25 January. He informally organized groups of people to provide clothing, food, and sanitary services to the protesters. Today he stood in front of a tent that served as a center for Tahrir clean-up services. Al-Mahdy was overwhelmed with the amount of volunteers and sponsors that joined him. He now thinks, however, that the work in Tahrir is over.

“There’s a split between a group who wants to stay and wants to leave. I personally think that leaving is better,” he said.

Al-Mahdy plans to make use of the increased social conscience resulting from the revolution to organize groups focusing on cleaning up different areas of Cairo. “Every month we will focus on a different area,” he said.

Still, a large group planned to continue camping out in the square.

“We are not leaving until all our demands our fulfilled,” said Mohamed Abdel’al, a 22 year-old student. Abdel’al remains unsatisfied by Mubarak’s resignation and the army’s subsequent statements, which pledged to transition the country to a civilian government without specifying a timetable. “Until they cancel the Emergency Law, and dissolve both Houses of Parliament, it doesn’t work,” he added.

“The main slogan is, ‘Down with the system.’ Until now, only one section of the system has fallen,” said Ahmed Makram, a 36 year-old lawyer. Makram frequented the square for six days. He said that he decided to postpone his wedding until after revolution is successful.

The military on Saturday attempted to open Qasr al-Aini, an important thoroughfare leading to the square, to traffic. Some protesters, emboldened by their sovereignty in Tahrir since 28 January, refused; they formed a human barrier.

“We can’t trust the word of the military or anyone right now. We need absolute guarantees, or actions to convince us,” said Shereen Abdelhaleem, a 28 year-old lawyer. Her brother, Mohamed, a 26 year-old taxi driver, said “I do not understand politics, but I trust the people here who do understand to let me know when we get the correct guarantees.” Pointing out those he trusted, he gestured to a podium, known as “The Broadcast,” on the opposite side of the square.

“We and many others will not be moving until the other demands are met,” said Salah Yassin, one of the organizers at “The Broadcast.”

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Youth coalition calls on protesters to leave Tahrir Square


Heba Afify
Sat, 12/02/2011 - 21:50

After President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation, the Youth of Anger Uprising Coalition announced in a press conference that it would like “normal life” to return to Tahrir Square starting Sunday while it continued lobbying for the rest of its demands.

“Leaving the square is an announcement of our victory, and if we don’t like how things progress, the 20 million people who protested won’t fail to protest again,” said Nasser Abdel Hamid, member of the coalition.

The coalition said that it has accomplished the first phase of the revolution which is the fall of the old regime and that it will now begin the more difficult task of building a new one.

“This revolution wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the unique people of Egypt who spilled their blood,” announced the coalition. “The only way we can thank them is to continue the revolution and build the Egypt we’ve always dreamed of while guaranteeing its proper place among the nations.”

Abdel Hamid said that this revolution has “broken the darkness” that Egypt was plunged into for years. He said that the revolution not only changed Egypt, but also the world.

Beyond Mubarak’s departure, the coalition continues to press additional demands such as ending Emergency Law, forming of a national unity government, and prosecuting corrupt government officials and businessmen. It also demands the dissolution of the parliament, an investigation into reasons for the security void that occurred during the first week of the revolution, the release of all political detainees, the lifting restraints on the formation of political parties and the formation of a committee to create a new constitution.

The coalition plans a “day of victory” celebration in Tahrir Square next Friday to honor the revolution’s martyrs.

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Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Uganda ripe for Egypt-style uprising: opposition


AFP
Wed, 09/02/2011 - 13:38

KAMPALA--The Ugandan government has created a climate of "oppression and despondency" that could spark an Egypt-style uprising, the country's top opposition leader told AFP Wednesday, only days from elections.

"I can't tell you how many of our people are following the events internationally, in Egypt and elsewhere, but they don't have to, because the conditions are the same in Uganda," Kizza Besigye said.

Besigye is challenging President Yoweri Museveni for the third time in 18 February elections. He lost to Museveni in 2001 and 2006, but both votes were tainted by intimidation and rigging, according to multiple reports.

Besigye on Wednesday said that while he is often criticized for making alarmist predictions about unrest, the political turmoil in north Africa demonstrates that desperate people can revolt without prompting from politicians.

"The government should understand that it is not the opposition that would provoke violence or protest. It is the government that created these conditions of oppression and despondency, conditions of frustration, unemployment, that can lead to violence," he said.

Besigye served as a top commander in the National Resistance Army rebel movement that brought Museveni to power in 1986.

He was Museveni's personal medical doctor through much of the 1981-1986 rebellion, but was forced out by the regime in 1999 after publishing a letter critical of the president's record in his first 13 years in power.

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptian demonstrators have been calling for President Hosni Mubarak's departure in an unprecedented three-week-old revolt that has sent shockwaves across the Arab world and beyond.

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Wednesday’s papers: Suleiman statements, reform committees, state employees protest


Heba Helmy
Wed, 09/02/2011 - 11:42

Wednesday’s state-owned papers focus on Vice President Omar Suleiman’s meeting with the board chairmen and chief editors of state-owned and independent newspapers, giving little attention to the mass protests that swept Mahalla, Suez and Alexandria in solidarity with the millions who stayed in Tahrir Square on the second day of the “week of steadfastness.”

Al-Ahram dedicates almost its entire front page to the regime’s efforts to control the unprecedented growing anger of Egyptians. The state-owned paper writes that President Hosni Mubarak issued a decree to form reform committees in accordance with agreements reached between Suleiman and representatives of various opposition movements last Sunday.

Despite the 15-day protest, President Hosni Mubarak has been carrying out his full presidential functions while turning a blind eye to the protesters who flood daily to Tahrir Square demanding his resignation.

According to the report, the first committee will study and implement the required constitutional amendments as well as other legislative changes that impose presidential-term limits. The amendments constitute the government’s first effective step to introduce “real” reform aiming to overcome the country’s escalating crisis.

It is believed that the government’s amendments to Article 76 in 2007 were a manipulation tactic to strengthen the power of the ruling National Democratic Party and impose more obstacles in the path of independent candidates in the upcoming presidential elections.

The regime will also set a committee headed by Sirry Mahmoud Siam, head of the Court of Cassation and Chairman of the Higher Judicial Council to ascertain the implementation of all agreed demands, says the paper.

It is also reported that a third committee will be created to investigate the violent clashes that broke out on 2 February between supporters and opponents of Mubarak.

Suleiman’s statements in yesterday’s meeting dominate Al-Ahram’s top headlines, which read “Egypt is between two choices: Dialogue or coup.”

The paper quotes Sulemian as saying: “The regime did not and will not collapse,” and “The government has no problem in fulfilling all popular demands.”

In his statement, Suleiman categorically denied widespread allegations about Mubarak’s departure to Germany, saying that the president remains in Egypt and will put into practice the reform measures by the end of his term. He pointed out that the word “departure” which has been reiterated by protesters contradicts with the ethics of the Egyptians.

On different front, Al-Dostour starts off today’s news with a report on the important developments that occurred yesterday in the “Revolution of Anger.” The paper writes that tens of thousands moved from Tahrir Square to the Shura Council and People’s Assembly, calling for the dissolution of both. The demonstration extended to the Ministers’ Council where protesters chanted against the newly appointed Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq and demanded his resignation.

The independent paper adds that hundreds of Ministry of Health employees joined the demonstrators calling for pay rises, better working conditions and the dismissal of former Minister of Health Hatem al-Baltagi’s advisers. The newly appointed Minister of Health, however, disappointed the masses by refusing to leave his office to respond to their complaints.

In related news, the liberal opposition party paper Al-Wafd writes that hundreds of journalists and employees of Egypt’s state-owned newspapers, including Al-Ahram, Rose al-Youssef and Al-Gomhorriya, provoked demonstrations against their chairmen and chief editors.

According to the report, protesters prevented Rose al-Youssef’s chairman Karam Gabr and chief editor Abdalah Kamal from entering the institution’s building. The same action was taken against Ali Ibrahim, chief cditor of Al-Gomhorriya paper.

Al-Ahram workers, for their part, protested the editorial policy of the paper and their deteriorating financial conditions.

Al-Wafd also states that the 25 January youth have announced their intention to march to the presidential palace in Heliopolis if Mubarak insists on staying in power. The report also adds that the preacher Safwat Hagazy threatens to call for an indefinite nationwide strike in the next week if the government continues to ignore their demands.

Egypt's papers:

Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt

Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size

Al-Gomhorriya: Daily, state-run

Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run, close to the National Democratic Party's Policies Secretariat

Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned

Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned

Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party

Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Arab Nasserist party

Youm7: Weekly, privately owned

Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned

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Journalists plan to oust syndicate head


Staff
Wed, 09/02/2011 - 13:46

Egyptian journalists called for withdrawing confidence from their syndicate president, Makram Mohamed Ahmed, after signatures of 250 members of the syndicate’s general assembly were gathered.

The journalists say they have enough signatures to propose a vote of no confidence.

They accuse Ahmed of adopting a weak position toward assaults on reporters during protests that called for the departure of the president.

At least one reporter was killed by the police in the protests that erupted on 25 January. Reporters said that security also suppressed their work.

Before resigning from his position as chairperson of Dar al-Hilal Publishing, Ahmed was a speech-writer for President Hosni Mubarak.

Yahia Qallash, a member of the Journalists Syndicate, said an emergency meeting to withdraw confidence from the syndicate head may now be held according to law.

He added that the meeting will also provide an opportunity to appraise the performance of the syndicate's council in light of the assaults to which some reporters were subjected.

The journalists also formed a committee to follow up on the performance of the syndicate and the members of its council.

Meanwhile, Ahmed told Al-Masry Al-Youm that he is ready to leave office if this is the wish of the general assembly, even though he has never stood against the interests of journalists.

In a related development, several journalists at national newspapers are planning to file a report with the Attorney General to probe how the chief editors and chairpersons of national newspapers--especially those from the National Democratic Party-- gathered their fortunes.

A signature-gathering campaign has been launched at national newspapers toward that end, informed sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm.

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Day 16: Protesters show no signs of giving up


Staff
Wed, 09/02/2011 - 13:47
Thousands of protesters demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak continued to flock to Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo for the sixteenth consecutive day of popular demonstrations. The protesters said they were willing to continue the Tahrir protests for an additional two weeks or until their demands were achieved.
During the third consecutive week of the revolution, the protesters seemed even more determined to fight out a long battle against the regime, having turned Tahrir Square into what looks like a temporary camp. Hundreds of thousands of protesters join in each day, with some sleeping in tents that have sprung up in the center of the square.
Ali Ahmed, a 27-year-old protester, said next week will be named the "Week of stubbornness", an apparent reference to Mubarak’s refused to respond to their demands. He went on to say that the following week would be named "the farewell week ", in the hope that Mubarak would comply to the people's demands for him to step down.
German newspapers on Tuesday reported that US officials had allegedly put forward plans for Mubarak to travel to Germany for medical reasons as part of a graceful exit strategy for the Egyptian president. However, despite those reports, the protesters still insist that Mubarak step down immediately.
Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman stressed that Mubarak was one of the heroes of Egypt's 1973 October War with Israel, and that the military establishment could not forget its glorious history.

Both sides are now betting on the time factor, however, as the regime offers concessions that have not been accepted by the protesters, and both sides hold firm to their stances.
Over the past two days, the government announced a 15 percent raise in salaries for government employees, increased employment opportunities in the public sector, and an exemption of late fines and postponement of social security fees. The government also announced it was taking steps to amend the constitution, eradicate poverty and hold accountable those found to be corrupt.
However, the new promises and measures did not resonate with the protesters, who demanded Mubarak’s departure through song, chants, banners, poetry and caricatures.
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Tahrir Square: Egypt's new transit


Noha El-Hennawy
Wed, 09/02/2011 - 14:18

Moved by photos of young martyrs on satellite television, Afaf Mohamed, a 44-year-old housewife, decided to ride the train from her hometown in the Delta province of Daqahleyya along with her two sons and head to Cairo to join hundreds of thousands of demonstrators who rallied for the one-million march on Tuesday.

“I came here for the sake of change which we have been dreaming of for so long,” says Mohamed with a strong tone, sitting with a group of women from her hometown underneath one of the hundreds of plastic tents erected to shelter protesters in the heart of Tahrir Square.

One meter away, her sons were sitting with a group of older men and holding banners challenging President Hosni Mubarak’s rule.

“I came today so that I could feel I participated,” says 17-year-old Amr Mostafa, a high school student.

Amr's elder brother, Abdel Rahman Mostafa, came to Tahrir to develop a better understanding of the uprising away from all the media brainwashing.

“In our hometown, people are divided. Some say the revolution is good and others say it is not. When you come here, you see things by yourself. It makes a huge difference. When I go back, I will convey the true image that has nothing to do with what the media say,” says Abdel Rahman, a 19-year-old civil engineering student.

“Here, everything is beautiful," says Amr. "People are very civilized and aware of what is going on. They are not barbarians as the Egyptian media try to portray them.”

Mohamed and her two sons are like thousands of Egyptians who have been flooding from various provinces to Tahrir Square for the last two weeks to express their support for the cause. Delta residents and Upper Egyptians seem to have thrown themselves into a competition over the most articulate expression of public outrage. Creative anti-Mubarak banners signed on behalf of inhabitants of different cities have been raised everywhere in the square.

“In the beginning, we didn't come because we were scared of thugs,” says Mohamed. “But now, we are no longer scared. Let them beat us up, we are ready for that. I brought my sons with me; they are not any better than martyrs killed in clashes,” says Mohamed from behind her dark-blue niqab which covers her face.

At least 300 people have been killed since the uprising erupted last month. In recent days, local and international media have been circulating photos of young victims who were killed by riot police or regime-backed thugs over the last two weeks.

In an attempt to turn public opinion against the Tahrir protesters, state-owned media has been contending that the square is being hijacked by Islamists. For decades, Mubarak's regime has argued that genuine democratic reforms will bring fundamentalists to power.

Mohamed admits that her family sympathizes with the Muslim Brotherhood. Yet, none of the group leaders pushed her to travel to Tahrir, leaving her husband and youngest son behind. Her decision was based on a personal initiative.

“We come from a small town. People know each other. We deal with the Muslim Brotherhood and we find them very ethical. Why do they [the regime] keep scaring us from them. We support them because they are our neighbors,” says Mohamed.

A few meters away from Mohamed’s family sits Shokry al-Sherbiny, a 23-year-old science graduate who does not identify himself with any political group. Following the first wave of mass protests that erupted two weeks ago, the young man departed from his village in Daqahleyya province to camp in Tahrir square.

“I came to Cairo to be at the heart of events,” says al-Sherbiny. “I never felt liberated until I came to Tahrir Square. This is the most secure place in Egypt....I am here until the regime is changed.”

Al-Sherbiny was raised in a lower-middle class family. His 63-year-old father is a retired worker with the largest public sector Egyptian textile company in Mehalla province who owns a small piece of agricultural land.

Frustrated with slim job opportunities and meager family resources, al-Sherbiny’s three elder brothers left to France six years ago. Despite their university degrees, they ended up as wood floor workers in the West. Al-Sherbiny doesn't want the same fate.

“I want to live in this country so I can change it. We should not all run away,” he says. “Now, I tell my brothers that I am living an era of freedom. God willing, they will come back and find jobs here.”

The influx of non-Cairenes is not limited to individuals or families. Distinct professional groups have been commuting to the capital to express their disenchantment with the Mubarak regime.

Standing in his religious uniform among a dozen fellow preachers, Ahmed Gamal Eddin, a 38-year-old state-sanctioned imam, explains why he left his wife and two small children to join the sit-in last week.

“This is a national cause, nobody asked me to be here. We were dreaming of this day long time ago. ..I dream of a better life for my children. I hope my kids can enjoy freedom and good education away from oppression and despotism,” says Gamal Eddin.

“My wife is happy that I am here. She never asked me to go back,” he says. Gamal Eddin has been sleeping in Tahrir for over eight days.

By adopting a clearly anti-Mubarak stance, Gamal Eddin and colleagues might be jeopardizing their jobs with the state religious establishment. These low-rank clerics have refused to toe the line with Egypt’s top religious figures, namely the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar and the Grand Mufti, who have remained supportive of Mubarak’s regime throughout the uprising.

“I felt sad when I heard the comments made by the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, who I hold as my professor. He should have joined the nation here in the square and stood with them against injustice and despotism,” says Gamal Eddin, who was detained for two months in 2005 for joining a pro-reform protest held by judges.

“We have to be patient and persevere until the regime falls.”

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