Hello and welcome back to a special episode of the Thursday Rants and Rave Podcast.
It's been a year since I last posted an episode.
I wasn’t able to publish any since then because, just a month after that solitary episode, we witnessed a genocide unfolding before our eyes—a genocide that still hasn’t ended. I found it impossible to write or search for episodes while the war on Gaza was ongoing.
I tried to shift my focus to Gaza-related content for the podcast, but I'll be honest—I couldn’t complete it. It wasn't due to procrastination, but rather burnout. I feel a sense of shame admitting this, especially knowing that I’m safe in Egypt, unlike the Palestinians in Gaza.
Nevertheless, I'm back to podcasting because I feel it's necessary to release this specific episode. Something happened last week that compelled me to return to podcasting in Arabic, in an attempt to clarify certain issues and prevent another wave of misinformation. “Shout out to dear fellow blogger and podcaster Israa El-Sakaa who you should follow her podcast if you understand Arabic”
Tonight's episode is not a rant but rather a factual discussion. I believe it’s crucial to clarify some points about an incident that took place in Paris two weeks ago.
Here is what I said in Arabic, it is not a rant.
A young Egyptian PhD student named Reem Hamed passed away in Paris on August 22nd, and now many Egyptians and Arabs believe she was killed.
Here’s what we really know about the late Reem Hamed—may Allah bless her soul and bring patience to her family, especially her mother.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UjUeZt1YM76XJGuc1cUZmhoApq3i-6_Rk-K40Sh7FlPDmulXpDrxYrcndzEHBmGMaRV6gVzLgeZLF021rKOI2bQL8W_phFfpZO7g0PlQ6GqkEWPf1GTKi0cJ2s6Jlij_RpnnoM6M18nV3LGmRLniNrK2HbpqPAN3UjMp6jp4BTxajNjs67-XqA/w640-h462/bwrh.jpg) |
Reem Hamed in a photo from February 2021 "Hamed's FB account" |
Reem passed away on the evening of Thursday, August 22, 2024, in Paris circumstances that remain unclear, according to her family and the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates stated that it is closely monitoring the ongoing investigations into the death of the Egyptian researcher, Reem Hamed.
The ministry noted that, upon being notified of Hamed's death, the Egyptian Consulate General in Paris immediately contacted French authorities to seek information about the investigation.