#UN Vote for the changes that would make the most difference to your world

The United Nations wants to hear from you. I have just told them my priorities for creating a better world. Join me and vote!

 

Vote for the changes that would make
the most difference to your world

The United Nations and partners want to hear from YOU! MY World is a global survey asking you to choose your priorities for a better world. Results will be shared with world leaders in setting the next global development agenda. Tell us about the world you want, because your voice matters.

 

Video .. prison director and Wadi Natrun tells: How #Morsi escaped from prison

Video .. prison director and Wadi Natrun tells: How Morsi escaped from prison

Gen. Issam Elkoussy warden Lehman 430 Wadi Natrun, who fled from Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on 28 January 2011 that prison inmates smuggling operation was organized process, and did not have parents as frequency, a certificate that contradict what the President says Morsi.

The testimony came Elkoussy Brigade in the trial of a fugitive from Wadi Alnzeron prison during the period which saw the withdrawal of police on Jan. 8, the same prison that was inside President Mursi and a number of Brotherhood leaders, all of whom fled from custody

Egyptian tourism targeted intentionally #egypt

After attacks on hotels and tourism sites in several areas in Egypt under the pretext of protests, Egyptian 

economic experts have asserted that the country's tourism industry is being targeted intentionally. The main target, they say, is the economy, which is unlikely to revive as long as there is daily turmoil on the streets of Egypt and security officers are deployed everywhere.

Many tourist hotels have been targeted during demonstrations called by the National Salvation Front (NSF). Analysts say that the NSF, which has never condemned the destructive attacks, provides a political cover for the violence. According to the Professor of International Relations at Cairo University, Mohammed Hussein, "The series of attacks on tourist hotels is carried out by paid vandals and they serve only to damage the tourism industry in Egypt."  He suggested that the reason is because tourism is one thing which can revive the Egyptian economy.

Prof. Hussein pointed to the role of the mass media, which projects what is carried out by the criminals as some kind of national achievement because they claim to be fighting for freedom. "However, they are just a few thousand, whereas the mass media speaks about millions taking to the streets," he said.

The head of the economic committee at the Chamber of Tourism Companies, Basel Al-Sisi, described the targeting of hotels as a "disaster" for the industry. Some tourism companies will be forced to make staff cuts if the attacks continue, he warned. Al-Sisi called for greater protection for hotels and for the security services to investigate attacks and arrest the culprits.

The Egyptian tourism industry has been suffering severe losses since the revolution which toppled former president Hosni Mubarak. It faces further difficulties after today's hot air balloon crash in which 19 foreign tourists were killed.

Egyptian X-Files : The Curious Case of #Morsi’s interview

Egyptian X-Files : The Curious Case of #Morsi’s interview

Yesterday millions of Egyptians glued in front of their TVs waiting for president Morsi’s recorded interview on Mehwer TV channel at 8 PM that actually started at nearly 2 AM !!! According to Presidency the interview was going to be aired on National TV as well other channels.

There were some official excuses said and claimed for this delay as I will list :

• There was a technical problem in the Nile Sat !! “ I am sorry but the Nile Sat was working fine then and it is not live interview in the first place  !!”
• The Presidency failed to broadcast the interview from the Presidential Palace “ WHY TO BROADCAST THE INTERVIEW FROM THE PALACE !!” as there was a problem in the fiber optics there and so they had to transfer the recorded interview to the National TV building in Maspero but there was another technical problem !! TECHNICAL PROBLEM IN NATIONAL TV BUILDING !?? Yes and that problem forced Amr El Lithy to take the recorded interview and head directly to the Media City in October !!! !!?
• The MB members claim that Mehwer channel delayed the interview to air commercials !! First the TV channel was airing from 8 PM to 2 AM patriotic songs , second CAN ANY TV IN THE WORLD DELAY THE PRESIDENT’S INTERVIEW FOR NEARLY 6 HOURS TO SHOW ADS AND PRESIDENCY IS OK WITH IT ??

What really happened for and caused this delay ?? Why was not there a singly apology to the millions of the viewers waiting for that delay with a realistic excuse ??
People are speculating that the true reason of delay was in fact the editing of that interview especially there parts that seemed to be missing like a question about America who answer was still there. Some say that the interview was edited by Muslim brotherhood presidency team to avoid any mockery while others say that parts related to Iranian Egyptian relations were removed from interview.
Interestingly people like Dr. Bassem Khafagy paid attention closely to Morsi’s watch and found the following :

• The beginning of the interview , it was 2.15 PM according to Morsi’s watch.
• Then in the end it was 4.30 PM according to Morsi’s watch.
• When Amr El Lithy asked him about Port Said it was 11.50 AM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyhow editing does not take all that time when the summary of the President’s interview was distributed all those newspapers , channels and websites by Presidency by 5 PM !!!!!??
Another riddle , another enigma we will know its truth hopefully soon.
By the way did Amr El Lithy explain to Morsi why he resigned from his position as his media advisor after the December 5,2013 Presidential Palace clashes !!?
Here is the long interview

 

 

 

Protest Torture & Zero Dark Thirty

 

  "Zero never acknowledges that torture is immoral and criminal. It does portray torture as getting results."

• Click here to download flyer to take to your local movie theater in protest. 

 

 

• Click here for series of posters of Guantanamo prisoners cleared for release yet still unjustly held.

Here are some of the articles and opinion pieces outlining why people of conscience must take a stand against the justification and use of torture:

Michael Moore’s Repellent Defense of “Zero Dark Thirty
by Dave Clennon

Instead of being indicted, these torturers are presented as heroes, as brave and dedicated “detectives.”  No one gives Maya or Dan the kind of scolding, which you envision Obama giving, off-screen.  Chastain’s Maya, is presented as especially admirable, a feminist action hero.  She not only gets her man; she also muscles CIA male chauvinists out of the way, as she pushes ahead on “The Greatest Manhunt in History.”  And we’re supposed to empathize and cheer her on.

On Zero Dark Thirty
by James Spione

That a movie which at its core is essentially a revenge flick—evil guy kills innocents, heroine stops at nothing to kill evil guy—is even being compared to journalism by its makers or anyone else says more about the sorry state of journalism today than it does about the film.

The Zero Dark Thirty Controversy
by Ramzi Kassem

"The controversy surrounding Zero Dark Thirty has been as misguided as the film itself, which opened nationwide on Friday. Much of the debate has centered on whether The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow's latest opus leaves viewers with the false impression that torture led to the killing of Usama bin Laden. That both the means employed and the ends achieved in that equation are illegal and repugnant seems all but forgotten. Both torture and extrajudicial executions are anathema to civilized society, irrespective of their possible efficacy or expediency. More importantly, both the film and the controversy it has ignited treat torture at secret CIA prisons as though it were a thing of the past, masking the reality of an enduring practice."

Zero Dark Thirty and Truthiness
by Dennis Loo

"Bigelow, Boal, and Sony thus have portrayed the criticism of their film as censorship and wrapped themselves in the flag of free expression. But the opposition their film has sparked is not about censorship at all and their characterizing their critics as censorious is dishonest. People who oppose torture want torture to be shown to the American people. The fine 2007 film Rendition, for example, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep, and Reese Witherspoon, showed torture and was appreciated by those of us who admire well-made films and oppose torture’s immorality and illegality."

Colbert Takes On 'Zero Dark Thirty' Torture Controversy (VIDEO)

And the Academy Award for the Promotion of Torture Goes to…
by David Clennon

"Those who are protesting the easy tolerance of torture in Zero Dark Thirty have been dismissed by some commentators as having a political agenda. The problem of torture is not political. It's moral. And it's criminal.
I'm a member of Hollywood's Motion Picture Academy. At the risk of being expelled for disclosing my intentions, I will not be voting for Zero Dark Thirty - in any Academy Awards category."

Zero Dark Thirty: Turning the Spotlight on US Use of Torture
by Ralph E. Stone

"Extraordinary renditions apparently continue to this day.  These are secret abductions and transfers of prisoners to other countries where torture is used. Torture is torture whether it is done by Americans at Guantánamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, Afghanistan, or by proxy through our rendition program."

Martin Sheen, Ed Asner Join 'Zero Dark Thirty' Protest

Above, protesting at the opening of Zero Dark Thirty in NYC December 19, 2013

Dark, Zero-Feminism
by Zillah Eisenstein

"...the real problem with ZDT is that it lets the audience and the American public think that terrible things are allowable because they are doable.   A courageous telling of the U.S. anti-terror narrative would demand critique and defiance."

A letter to Kathryn Bigelow on Zero Dark Thirty's apology for torture
by Naomi Wolf

"By peddling the lie that CIA detentions led to Bin Laden's killing, you have become a Leni Riefenstahl-like propagandist of torture"

a critical choiceby Curt Wechsler

"The public "controversy" whipped up by release of the new torture movie Zero Dark Thirty is actually a re-hash of an argument that had largely been put to bed, that torture works to extract reliable intelligence from suspected terrorists (and even if it did, would that make the practice morally acceptable?) But torture IS effective in getting subjects to say what you want them to say, to fabricate rationale for government venture, such as the ultimate war crime of aggression on sovereign nations that pose no imminent threat."

Listen to Debra Sweet discuss the film on Flashpoints, KPFA (at 42:00 into the show).

Zero Dark Thirty: the Veneration of Torture and the C.I.A.
by Glenn Greenwald

Zero Conscience in “Zero Dark Thirty”
by Jane Mayer

Zero Dark Thirty: Torturing the Facts
by Marjorie Cohn

Torture is Wrongby Debra Sweet

Torture, Torture Everywhere
by Andy Worthington

Zero Dark Thirty's Wrong and Dangerous Conclusion
by Alex Gibney

Who will join me in protesting CIA's view of the world?by Debra Sweet

Ending U.S.-Sponsored Torture Forever from NRCAT on Vimeo.

العنف ضد المراة العربية الى اين !! Violence against women in the Arab world

مشهد يتكرر في أغلب بيوت مصر , البنت أبوها مدير ادارة حياتها و أخوها نائب المدير , لحد ما يطلع معاش و ييجي جوزها كمدير جديد , و لو اتطلقت يرجع أبوها تاني و لو جوزها مات و ابنها كبر , يبقي كدة اتطمننا ان فيه ادارة جديده برضه. لو كبر ابنك خاويه , لكن بنتك لأ.

سائق الميكروباص : مكنش ينفع غير الدوله الدينيه
انا : اشمعنا ؟؟
السائق : حتطبق الشريعه بجد
انا : يعني ايه تطبق الشريعه ؟؟
السائق : اديك مثل بسيط , نعمل اتوبيسات للرجاله و اتبوسيات للستات و نخلي الست تتفرغ لبيتها و عيلها
انا : طب انت شايف ان مشاكل مصر كلها واقفه علي ان الستات تبقي في اتوبيس و الرجاله في اتوبيس
السائق : ده مثل بسيط .. انت عارف العيل اللي بتعاكس , حتتربي و مش حتشوف بت مع واد تاني في الشارع
انا : و انت ايه اللي مضايقك لما يكون في بنت مع ولد في الشارع
السائق : نعم !!!! انت ترضي اختك تمشي مع ولد
انا : يعني مش فاهم ايه المشكله مع زميلها .. خطيبها , ابن عمها , و يمكن يكون الولد ده , انا اخوها
السائق : يعني ايه بنتي او اختي تمشي مع ولد و تتمرقع في الشارع
انا : يعني افرض بنتك عندها زميل ليها او حد معجب بشخصيتها و صديقها
السائق : ده انا اديها بالجزمه و اكسر لها رقبتها !!
انا : طب ما انت حتمنعها .. حتعمل كده من وراك
السائق : ما هي لو عملت كده وحياه امها ما حخرجها من البيت !! , طرطور انا ؟؟
انا : معلش بس انت ازاي تسمح لنفسك , انك تضرب بنتك ؟؟ هي مش انسان ناضج تقدر تحدد مصيرها ؟؟
السائق : ناضج ايه يا كابتن ؟؟ البنت ديه تبعي لغايه ما تتنيل تروح بيت جوزها و لو جوزها طرطور دي مش قصتي
انا : طب عدم الامؤخذه , الطرطور ده يعرفها ازاي ؟؟ قصدي مين حيجي يخطبها ؟؟ لو ميعرفهاش ؟؟
السائق : ما انا خلاص اخترت لها
انا : هايل , و يا تري لو عندك ابن ؟؟ حتختار له برضه ؟؟
السائق : بص انا حشوف اختياره لو عجابني تمام , لو معجبنيش حقوله لا ..
انا : يعني حتعقد معاه تقنعه ؟؟
السائق : اه , طبعا لو كبر ابنك خاويه ...
انا : طب و لو كبرت بنتك ؟؟؟؟؟
السائق : بس يا استاذ .. انت بتلف و تدور علي نقطه .. من الاخر عشان اريحيك .. البنات لازم تتربي مش تلبس لي ملزق و ضيق و تروح تصاحب ولاد و تقولي هي حريه .. لا مش حره
انا : ما حضرتك لو مربيها صح , هي من الاساس مش حتعمل حاجه غلط ....
( مش حكمل عشان هنا الحوار خد طريق تاني و الحمد الله اني وصلت بيتي سليم ) .......................
, , , ,
انا مش عارف ليه في ثقافه سايده ان الاب او الاخ يمتلك بنته او اخته !؟!؟؟! ليه مش قادرين يقتنعوا انها انسان كامل زي الولد بالظبط ؟؟ و ليه متخيلين ان الكبت و الحبس هما الحل ؟؟؟ ميعرفوش ان الممنوع مرغوب .. يعني احبس و افصل و امنع و ابعد .. برضه لو في مشكله حتفضل موجوده .. اما لو اتكلم و ناقشت و تواصلت ... المشكله مش حتبقي موجوده , عشان خلاص طلعت للنور ... و اللي متعود علي الضلمه حيعيش طول عمره يخبي و يخفي في الضلمه , بس اللي متربي علي النور , بيبقي انسان حر , ناضج , عارف مصلحته ... مش بيخاف من حد عشان عارف انه في السليم ... فلتسقط سياسه الترهيب و تبدأ سياسه الاقناع و التوعيه !

The new #Egypt at (almost) #Morsi

On January 25, thousands of Egyptians will gather in Tahrir Square and across Egypt to commemorate the uprising that toppled the Hosni Mubarak dictatorship. They will celebrate with good reason. When Mubarak, pressured by millions in the streets and ultimately betrayed by his own top generals, resigned on February 11, 2011, a military-backed dictatorship that had ruled and largely abused Egypt for more than half a century came to an end. Most Egyptians were euphoric, and the world was transfixed by the unexpected power of the Tahrir Square freedom movement.

However, in the two years since, the transition remains fragile, and Egypt's politics remain dangerously polarized. In fact, in addition to celebration, there may also be clashes on January 25. Today Egypt has an elected president, a new constitution, and will soon hold parliamentary elections. But if Egypt has made halting steps toward democracy, worrying signs of illiberalism and poor governance are increasingly apparent. The outcome of the revolution in the Arab world's most populous country remains uncertain, and the threat of violence looms large. 

To understand where Egypt's revolution might go from here, it is useful to take a sober accounting of the key lessons that we have learned over the past two years, and to debunk some myths that stubbornly took root during that time.

The Muslim Brotherhood are not democrats. Despite some prominent Western journalists and analysts' continued wishful thinking to the contrary, the Muslim Brotherhood -- a secretive, rigorously disciplined and hierarchical organization -- neither understands nor sees inherent value in democratic politics. Rather, the Muslim Brotherhood believes in a narrow majoritarianism and its leaders and supporters often confuse that with democracy. The Brotherhood believes that 50 percent + 1 equals a free hand to pursue its agenda. And its agenda is manifestly an illiberal one in which universal rights are subordinated to religious doctrine.

The manner in which Egypt's new constitution was conceived, written, and adopted offers the clearest example of the Brotherhood's authoritarian and majoritarian tendencies. A post-authoritarian state should adopt a consensus document, but the current constitution was rammed through despite the staunch objections of non-Islamists. Rather than guaranteeing protections for minorities and women, the constitution leaves a troublingly broad scope for violation of their human rights. Looking ahead, as the Brotherhood embarks upon a legislative agenda, expect laws that will seek to limit media freedoms and constrain freedom of assembly.

The military remains very powerful. In November 2011, Egypt's Islamists, which had for months worked closely with the Mubarak appointed military leadership, protested the proposed "Selmi document" which was designed to ensure the military's privileges in any new constitution. However, after President Mohamed Morsi was elected in June 2012 and dismissed the two top Mubarak era generals in August, Egypt's Islamist dominated constituent assembly crafted a constitution that explicitly guarantees the military's power and privileges. The Islamists learned that trying to bring the military under civilian control was a dangerous task, and the two entities now have a more collaborative relationship. This gives some of Egypt's non-Islamists, who erroneously believed that the military represents the last line of defense against Islamists, migraines. But the more salient factor is that a military not under direct civilian oversight is simply bad for nurturing a fledgling democracy.

Sectarianism in Egypt is alive and well. Attacks on Egyptian Christians were not uncommon in Mubarak's time -- on New Year's Day in 2011, three and a half weeks before the uprising, a church in Alexandria was bombed, killing 21 worshipers. But Christians have thus far fared even worse in post-revolution Egypt. Churches have been burned, Christians have been attacked and prevented from voting, a Christian man's ear was even cut off -- and few perpetrators have been arrested, fostering a culture of impunity. In fact, Christian victims are often blamed for being attacked. In October 2011, for example, the military attacked a group of Christian protesters, killing 27, and as the melee was taking place, a state TV presenter requested that "honorable citizens" report to the scene to protect the soldiers from the marauding Christians.

Now with Islamists politically ascendant, hardline influential Muslim clerics have ratcheted up their sectarian invective against Christians. They are emboldened by the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood and their Salafi extremist junior partners believe in the primacy of Islamic principles over equal citizenship. While the Brotherhood, to appease Western skeptics, has issued various blandishments about its commitment to "equality," its leaders will stand by idly as more hardline Islamists spew ugly and dangerous rhetoric about Christians. Egyptians Christians should be concerned. Even if legislation is not overtly prejudiced, the views of Egypt's leaders will increasingly permeate the country, fanning existing anti-Christian biases.

The progressive "Muslim Brotherhood youth" is a myth. In the years leading up to the Egyptian uprising, there was a prevalent belief that the younger members of the Muslim Brotherhood would exert a moderating influence on the Muslim Brotherhood, especially if the movement was granted legal recognition. Many young Islamists are indeed more moderate, revolutionary, and yes more liberal, than the leadership. However, these more progressive, democratic young Brothers are outnumbered by adherents of similar age who remain committed to conservatism. As a result, the "young brothers" have not had the moderating influence that was expected.

The more impressive progressive Brothers, like Ibrahim El Houdaiby, have left the Brotherhood and started their own small political parties, or joined forces with more established, popular, moderate former members like Abdel Moniem Aboul Fotouh. Their defections have only reinforced the orthodox conservatism and authoritarian nature of the movement. On November 22, 2012, when Morsi declared himself above legal challenges, the Brotherhood ordered its younger members to gather in support of the president's statement, even before the content of that statement was known. The young Brothers actually had no idea what Morsi was going to say. They just knew that they would agree with it.

The silent majority remains the most potentially potent force in Egypt. To be sure, the Brotherhood is currently the most powerful and organized political force in the country. It can count on a bloc of between five and 10 million voters. And these voters have delivered victory after victory over the last 22 months in referenda as well as parliamentary and presidential elections. In fact, it is likely that Islamists will win the upcoming parliamentary elections. However, Egypt has more than 50 million voters. The biggest bloc is the unaffiliated -- either because they don't care, don't know enough about politics, or are disillusioned. For example, only 11 million voters approved the Islamist crafted constitution. This of course does not mean that the other 39 million voters reject it, but if the Brotherhood can only get one fifth of voters to make their way to a polling station to register their approval of such an important document, it means they can be beaten.

The prevalence of undecided potential voters means that Egypt's divided non-Islamists could make electoral progress if they successfully appeal to new voters beyond their own bloc of five to six million, mostly urban supporters. However, to date, Egypt's non-Islamist movement remains incoherent. Thus far, their strategy has been to be the party of "no" and to try to pressure authorities through street protests. This will not work. Non-Islamists can certainly win Egyptian elections, but they have to work twice as hard. They have yet to hone an appealing message, focused on the economy, for example, that would attract voters in places like Upper Egypt or other rural parts of the country, where they are particularly weak.

Authorities are adrift on the economy. There was a strong economic component to the January 25 uprising. Egypt's economy, like those of many other non-oil Arab states, grew under Mubarak in the last few years of his rule, but that growth did little for the poor. As recently as last fall, the Muslim Brotherhood was heralded as "serious" about economic reform. Given Egypt's deep economic problems -- growth is anemic, the pound is losing value, structural limitations to growth abound -- this should have been the government's primary focus. Instead, the Muslim Brotherhood used its political capital to ram through a constitution and then found it had little leverage to push through some needed but difficult economic reforms.

Of course, if the Brotherhood had pursued political consensus, it might have been better positioned to carry out needed reforms -- for example, on taxation and subsidies. In addition, were there less polarization and political upheaval, tourism receipts could well be higher and foreign and domestic investors less skittish. But the Muslim Brotherhood gambled that it was more important to cement its political agenda. For a time, Egypt's regional importance will continue to attract aid -- from the IMF, the United States and, increasingly from the Gulf -- but room for maneuver on crucial reforms is now much more limited.

Sinai is a serious security problem. Sinai is becoming increasingly lawless and poses a potential threat to Egyptian security and the economy. Since Mubarak's ouster, the gas pipeline in Sinai has been attacked more than a dozen times. In August 2012, the border police were attacked and 16 officers were killed, leading to a major shakeup of the security and military leadership. It is also disturbing that it appears difficult to get solid information about what is actually happening in Sinai -- who the Sinai militants are and what are their goals. However, their actions can carry serious consequences. A single devastating terrorist attack on tourists from Sinai-based groups could deal a further blow to Egypt's ailing economy.

Despite all the challenges that post-uprising Egypt faces, Egyptian politics are more alive than they have been in decades, and Egyptian democracy and pluralism are still good long term bets. Entrenched interests and many newly empowered political forces are change resistant -- but it is very unlikely that Egypt will return to the kind of "stable" authoritarianism of Mubarak. While they are a small minority, the core group of revolutionary activists agitating for democracy remains indefatigable. Egypt will probably experience a very bumpy few years, but these activists will keep pushing those in power to move toward a more democratic Egypt. Egypt has changed.