Ramadan Arabian Nights 2025 : The Tale of Fatima, Halima and Karima “Karima at the Sultan of Jinn’s court” EP.19

Ramadan Karim

Tonight, we will know what happened to Karima when she returned to the realm of Jinn thanks to her auntie Reema.

But first, our little chitchat.

We can’t escape politics, as it seems, because we live in the Middle East. This is what I realised when I heard the name of “Golan”, which Taher Abu Fasha used as the name of the great Sultan of Jinn in our tale for this Ramadan.The 

The Golan Heights of Syria has a very rich history, and it does not start with the Israeli invasion and occupation in 1967 nor even with the migration of the Israelite tribes as mentioned in the Bible, where it acquired the name of Golan. 

The Golan Heights has a long and rich history of human settlement dating back to prehistoric times.

Archaeological evidence shows that the area was inhabited by hunter-gatherers as early as the Palaeolithic period.

The Venus of Berekhat Ram (280,000–250,000 BP) is a figurine found at Berekhat Ram on the northeastern Golan Heights. The pebble has been modified by early humans and is believed to represent a female human figure. It is one of the oldest artefacts ever discovered in the Middle East, with an estimated age of 280,000–250,000 BP. The figurine was found by archaeologists from the Hebrew University and is currently on display at the Israel Museum.

By the Bronze Age, the Golan was part of the broader ancient Near East, home to various Canaanite and Amorite groups. These early inhabitants were followed by Israelite tribes during the conquest of Canaan, as mentioned in biblical texts.

Over the centuries, the region saw the rise of various kingdoms and empires, including the Amorites, the Arameans, and later the Romans, who built several cities in the Golan.

The ancient Egyptians also passed through the Golan, as it lay along key trade and military routes connecting Egypt to the Levant and Mesopotamia.

Egyptian forces, traders, and officials likely traversed the area during military campaigns in the Levant, and their influence can be seen in the Egyptian-style pottery found in ancient Levantine sites.

Unlike other heights and due to its unique plateau region, the Golan was an open battlefield. It is part of the Levant that has witnessed little peace.

It is Syrian, and it will be Syrian

We will leave it for now and escape to the land of fantasy.

So, without further delay, here is the 691st episode of our Arabian Nights Egyptian radio show—or the 19th night in this year’s tale, The Tale of Fatima, Halima, and Karima

Kodak Agfa Presents: Cairo’s Umm Kulthum Museum in photos and video

It was like a perfect cinematic moment that Saturday afternoon. Just two days before the 50th anniversary of Umm Kulthum’s passing, you step out of her small yet rich museum in Cairo, still enveloped in the aura of her larger-than-life presence.

Outside, by the Nile, an old yet elegant man sits alone, detached from the world around him. From the small speakers of his mobile phone drifts the voice of Umm Kulthum, chanting "Lailat Hob"—her last recorded love song. He gazes into the river, lost in a trance, as though the currents carry the echoes of his own memories, entwined with the Lady’s immortal voice.

It was a perfect Egyptian scene. I wanted to capture it, to ask him what Umm Kulthum meant to him. But I did not dare, unwilling to be the one to pull him back to reality.

That scene summarizes a lot about Umm Kulthum and Egyptians if not Arabs.

Umm Kulthum's statue outside her museum in Al-Manial island 

On Monday Egypt remembered that 50 years ago it woke up to find its “Planet of East” Umm Kulthum passed away after having

Umm Kulthum died on the same day the music died in the US. She died but her legacy and art still stand as the true fourth pyramid in Egypt.

According to historians and those who witnessed the day, her funeral was a popular one to the level that people compared to the funeral of the second president of Egypt and her lifelong fan Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Yes, Umm Kulthum Ibrahim, the singer who came from rural Nile Delta’s Tamay e-Zahayra village had the biggest public funeral of a woman in Egypt in the modern age if not in the nation’s long recorded history.

I can’t speak about Umm Kulthum or Thuma or the Dame “as we nickname her in Egypt for decades” easily thus I would focus on her museum.

Umm Kulthum Museum is located inside the Nilometer-Manasterly Palace site on Manial Al-Roda Island in Cairo.

Watch this : The setback defeat Continues from 1967 to 2024 “Updated”

The anniversary of the Six Days War aka 1967 War passes this year in a very bitter way in the Arab world, especially in Egypt. With all that is happening in Palestine whether in Gaza especially in Rafah or in the West Bank, especially in East Jerusalem, it is a very bitter anniversary.

The Israeli ultranationalist flag parade entering the Al-Aqsa complex on Wednesday
5 June 2024 in Occupied East Jerusalem by Activestills.org 

I do not know if I posted this here before or not, but I remember speaking about it earlier.

In cooperation with the Al-Mawkef Al-Masry political news Facebook page, renowned Egyptian historian Dr. Khaled Fahmy presented a series of episodes about the Six Days War in 2022.

It is a must-watch series.

Unfortunately, it is in Arabic. I wish it were translated into English one day.

Until now, the official documents of the Six Days War in Egypt have not been released.

Fahmy depends on foreign sources as well as the transcripts of Nasser’s cabinet meetings that were released by his family, in addition to the memoirs of Egyptian officials.

Bahr El-Baqar School Bombing Anniversary in Egypt: Echoes in the Time of the Gaza War

Today marks the 54^th anniversary of the horrifying Israeli bombing of Bahr El-Baqar school in Egypt’s Sharkia governorate where over 40 people were killed including 30 children and over 40 others were injured in an attack that left its mark in the collective Egyptian mind till now.

On Wednesday 8 April 1970 at 9:20 am, Israeli Air Force F4 Phantom II bombed a single-floor school made of three classrooms and a Land Reclamation Authority workshop with Five bombs and two air-to-ground missiles.

Out of 150 students, 30 were killed right away and over 50 were injured. The attack also killed 11 civilian men who were working in the workshop that was beside the school. 

I wrote about the Bahr El-Baqar massacre on its 50th anniversary but this year the anniversary comes in time of the Gaza war. It hit a cord.

A doctor helping an Egyptian pupil from the injured who suffered from burns
due to the Israeli airstrike at El-Husseina Hospital 
"Bettmann Archives/Getty Images"

It is like the worst rewind for what happened 54 years ago but on a mega-scale. We are seeing children suffering from burns all over their bodies in 4k instead of black and white photos.

This year I saw Al-Ahram archives photos of Bahr El-Baqar school injured children suffering burns in the same position as the Palestinian children 54 years later in Gaza.

An injured Egyptian pupil who survived an Israeli airstrike
sleeping  at El-Husseina Hospital 
"Al-Ahram Archives"

They were even put in pairs because El-Husseina Hospital did not have enough beds to meet that catastrophe.

Watch this: The Arab League slams Israel in front of the ICJ

I do not know how I missed this, but you must watch the official advisory opinion of the League of Arab States “LAS” at the International Court of Justice “ICJ” on Israeli violations in Palestine earlier this month at the Hague.

If you like the official advisory opinion of Egypt then you will be amazed at what international law veteran expert and professor Ralph Wilde said.

LAS is among 52 countries and 3 international organizations the United Nations General Assembly requested from the ICJ their advisory opinion regarding the legal consequences of the Israeli policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem in 2022.

Wilde spoke about the right of self-determination and how for over 70 years the Palestinians have not enjoyed it like the rest of the peoples in the world.

This violation of Palestinian self-determination is ongoing, and unresolved. Two key elements are: First, Palestinian people not displaced from the land proclaimed to be of Israel in 1948, and their descendants, have been forced to live as citizens— presently they constitute 17.2 per cent — of a State conceived to be of and for another racial group, under the domination of that group, necessarily treated as second class, because of their race.

Second, Palestinian people displaced from that land, and their descendants, cannot return.

These are serious breaches of the right of self-determination, the prohibitions of racial discrimination and apartheid, and the right of return. They must end, immediately.

Many people were disappointed and shocked that LAS chose a non-Arab to represent it in front of the ICJ but honestly, Ralph Wilde made an argument to remember.

It is not about Arab or non-Arab at this time.

One must admit we did not expect the LAS’ argument would be that strong because LAS is truly a dead useless organization when you think about it.

Watch : Egypt speaks about the 75 years of collective punishment and forced displacement of Palestinians in front of the ICJ on Israeli violations in Palestine

Watch the official advisory opinion of Egypt at the International Court of Justice “ICJ” on Israeli violations in Palestine on Wednesday at the Hague

Egypt’s statement in the hearing is read by Dr Jasmine Moussa, the legal advisor in the office of Egypt’s Foreign Minister.

Along with the oral argument, Egypt submitted two written memoranda to the court concerning Israel's violations since 1967.

Can we save Old Jerusalem's Armenian Quarter?

 On Saturday, the Patriarchs and heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a joint statement declaring their total support and solidarity with the Armenian Patriarchate warning against Israeli settler takeover of Armenian Quarter land without saying explicitly.

It was the latest update in ongoing serious development that is not covered as it should in the media due to the ongoing ethnic genocide in Gaza by the Israeli army.

The statement of the Churches in Jerusalem and the Holy Land expressing deep concern about recent events in the Armenian Quarter of old Jerusalem.

They urgently appeal to relevant authorities to restore peace and harmony in the Armenian Quarter, emphasizing the need for legal negotiations to prevent further escalations.

The door to the famous Cathedral of Saint James in the Armenian Quarter 
Arab Media considers it as a symbol of the Armenian Quarter 
with its words in Arabic "The Armenian Monastery"  

The statement of the Churches of Christianity's Holy Land comes after the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem issued a statement on Saturday pleading with them to stand with it in what it called "unprecedented times," saying that what has been happening in the past few days was "another clear step taken toward the endangerment of the Christian presence in Jerusalem and the Holy Land."

So, What is happening in the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem's Old City?

Israeli Occupation Police aka IOP ordered local Armenians to vacate the Armenian Gardens, also known as the Cows' Garden, in the Old City of Jerusalem, alleging misappropriation of property.

How or why did this happen?

It turned out that the Armenian Patriarchate made a significant mistake, and there is now a genuine concern that this error may jeopardize the existence of the Armenian community in Old Jerusalem after 16 centuries of its presence.

A Guide to Middle East Conflict: Why Egypt Opposes Resettlement or Hosting of Gaza's Palestinians in Sinai

I'm writing this post early on a Saturday morning, feeling truly exhausted, whether from the demands of news coverage or the emotional toll that the news itself takes on a person. "P.S. I am publishing this on Sunday morning; that's how drained I am."

It all started early Friday morning when we awoke to an Israeli ultimatum directed at the Palestinians residing in North Gaza, instructing them to move to the South due to an impending Israeli military operation despite the local and international rejection of such an order.

Rafah crossing from Egypt's side 

Approximately 1.1 million people call North Gaza home. Many made the difficult decision to stay, driven by the desire not to repeat the mistakes of their forebears in 1948. Around 70% of Gaza's residents, particularly in the North, are descendants of Palestinian refugees who were displaced during the Nakba by Zionist terrorist gangs.

Their grandparents were promised they could return to their homes in cities like Yafa soon after defeating the Zionist gangs, but this promise turned out to be empty. Some believe that leaving their homes and land without putting up a fight was not a mistake, but a grave sin.

Now, some of their grandchildren and their families have chosen not to leave their homes in North Gaza and to remain. 

This decision was not influenced by claims that "Hamas stopped them," as falsely stated by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during his recent Mideast-Arab tour. How do we know this? Well, Palestinians in North Gaza still have access to the internet, and some have shared their last wishes.

While some Palestinians have managed to leave the area, others have embarked on a perilous journey to the unknown, once again becoming refugees in their own land.

Tragically, a convoy of cars carrying North Gaza residents was struck by an Israeli airstrike, resulting in the loss of at least 70 lives and leaving 200 others injured. We have received verified photos and videos, and the scenes are nothing short of horrifying.

Now, everything I mentioned above is directly tied to the central question posed in the title of this post: "Why does Egypt reject the resettlement/displacement/hosting of Palestinian refugees in Sinai as a means to shield them from this military operation? And why do the Palestinians also reject this proposal?"

This post helps clarify the situation. It is your guide. 

When the Egyptian Battalion Arrived in the Valley of Ayalon: One Year After the Discovery of Mini-Israel Park's Mass Grave

Historically, the Valley of Ayalon in Palestine, also known as Ajalon, is mentioned in the renowned Amarna letters of ancient Egypt. Specifically, a series of letters were sent by a local chieftain in ancient Jerusalem, seeking military aid from Egypt to protect the city of Ajalon against invaders.

The recipient pharaoh of these pleas remains unclear. While some historians suggest Amenhotep III as the addressee, others speculate that the letters were sent to either Akhenaten or his son Tutankhamun.

Alternatively, there is no recorded evidence of Egyptian military aid being dispatched to the area, at least not promptly.

After a span of 3,259 years (according to AI calculations), a contingent of Egyptian fighters finally arrived in the Valley of Ayalon in response to the plea of East Jerusalem's ruler.

In July 2022, Egyptians became aware of the events that took place in the Valley of Ayalon during the summer of 1967. Unlike the ancient clay tablets, this knowledge was acquired through the internet when Israeli media once again uncovered a mass grave, revealing a war crime committed against Egyptian fighters during the Six-Day War.

Israeli Yediot Ahronoth and Haaretz newspapers “Please note that Yediot Ahronoth published the report in Hebrew while Haaretz has got its infamous paywall” as well as veteran Israeli journalist Yossi Melman on Twitter revealed after five decades of Israeli military censorship the horrifying truth.

That's what the Israeli media reported as published by Haaretz, Yediot Ahronoth, and Melman but first little official background.

Unknown Egyptian policeman, killed IDF soldiers and disappearing smugglers: Notes on That incident on the Egyptian-Israeli borders

On Saturday morning, an unknown Egyptian policeman killed three Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and injured at least one other.

This is what we know for certain.

Beyond that, the truth seems to be lost, despite two official statements issued by Egypt and Israel following the incident.

This is what the IDF said in English.

Three IDF soldiers were killed today. Two soldiers were killed by live fire adjacent to the Egyptian border, and the third during an exchange of fire with an assailant in the area of the Paran Regional Brigade. An IDF NCO was also lightly injured.

The assailant is an Egyptian policeman. An investigation is being conducted in full cooperation with the Egyptian army. IDF soldiers continue searching the area to rule out the presence of any additional assailants.

The Egyptian Armed Forces finally broke their radio silence several hours after the Israeli official announcement.

At dawn on Saturday, June 3, 2023, a security personnel assigned to secure the international border line engaged in a pursuit of drug smugglers. During the pursuit, the security personnel breached the security barrier and exchanged gunfire, resulting in the death of three Israeli security personnel and the injury of two others. Additionally, the Egyptian security personnel was killed during the exchange of fire. 

All necessary searches, inspection, and security measures are being taken in the area, along with the implementation of legal procedures regarding the incident.

Our sincere condolences to the families of the deceased, and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured.

The use of the term "security personnel" to refer to the deceased Egyptian that he was a policeman, not a member of the military.

It is noteworthy that the Egyptian Armed Forces issued the statement about the incident, even though the Ministry of Interior is the agency responsible for civilian law enforcement in Egypt.

As you can see, there is a significant discrepancy between the official Israeli and Egyptian versions of events.

Watch “Inside the Battle of Jerusalem” .. inside the battle of Sheikh Jarrah

Please watch this short documentary produced by Vice News about the recent events in Palestine that started technically in the small neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem and the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

The video is focusing on the case of Sheikh Jarrah and its Palestinian residents who are facing illegal forced evictions.

The documentary includes the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on video.

I was following Vice News reporter Hind Hassan on that day the Israeli forces stormed the Aqsa Mosque from two weeks ago.

It turned out that she was doing this short documentary on Sheikh Jarrah but things got escalated fast.

Now this short documentary got a special appearance of the Arab World’s favourite Fauci aka Jacob Fauci or Yacoub Fauci

We knew more information about our infamous blatant illegal settler from New York’s Long Island.

Unsurprisingly, he is a Kahanist Trump support and COVID-19 truther.  It is like a whole package !!

The return of Mubarak : YouTube edition

Last Tuesday many Egyptians waited at 8 PM Cairo local on a YouTube channel to see their former and ousted President Mohamed Hosni
Mubarak to appear and speak.

24 hours earlier, Mubarak’s eldest son Alaa announced on Twitter that his father would speak for the first time live on YouTube on Tuesday at 8PM.

I would have loved to share the tweet directly from Alaa Mubarak’s twitter account but the once-a-businessman -tycoon has blocked me on the popular social media network.

Anyhow Ironically at the same time, whistleblower Mohamed Ali announced that he would address the nation yet again in an important video at 8.30 PM !!

It seemed that the 91-years-old despot joined Egypt’s latest Political online video craze that has hit the country in September with the first video released by the contractor turned in to an actor then a runaway whistleblower who continues to release videos against current president El-Sisi on Facebook and YouTube from Spain.

Mubarak as he appeared in his video sharing his war memories 

Now he also joins the growing and interesting Egyptian YouTube realm in his own way.

Anyhow Tuesday came and a video was upload on that YouTube Channel called “Mubarak archives” in English. The YouTube Channel was created and launched on 13 October 2019.

Ahmed Saeed is dead but his legacy lives on

No one would have thought that the man whose voice was an iconic feature of Nasser era’s propaganda machine would die on the eve of that day that put his end to his career from 51 years.
No one would have imagined it but sometimes life could be stranger than fiction.
Late Monday 4th of June, news came from Cairo that veteran and famous radio host Ahmed Saeed passed away in his house. He was 93 years old.

Born in August 1925, Saeed is considered the founder of “Sawt Al-Arab” radio station in 1953.
Founded by the Free Officers in Egypt and aimed to support Arab countries’ quest for independence, “Sawt Al-Arab” or “The Voice of the Arabs” radio station was the No.1 Nasserite Propaganda mouthpiece in the Middle East region through radio waves for a whole decade.
The epic moment of “Sawt Al-Arab” radio station when it supported and helped the Algerian independence activist in their quest that France wanted to be jammed in Algeria.

It supported the independence of other Arab and African countries and Saeed became its voice and face with inflammatory style reminding the world in Arabic that “Sawt Al-Arab or the Voice of the Arabs call the Arab Nations from the heart of Cairo”
There is nothing bad about independence or freedom or pan Arabism but they can’t be associated well with dictatorship and Totalitarianism as well media control.
Saeed was the director of “Sawt Al-Arab” from its launch July 1953 till his resignation in September 1967.

Ahmed Saeed at State-owned Sawt Al-Arab in 1958

The Defeat/setback radio host

The fifth of June 1967 changed the lives of millions in the Middle East directly including Ahmed Saeed.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2018 : The amazing tales challenge Episode 20 “United ”

Dear all, from 51 years ago on that day the world had changed forever … for worse I am afraid when Israel attacked and invaded Arab territories creating a bigger mess than the one it had originally made in 1948.
Revising the history and what led to the defeat of the Six days war politically before militarily we know that that defeat did not happen because had military geniuses or better armies but rather number of factors including how the Arab countries were fighting each literality and figuratively speaking just like the heroes of our tale, the Amazing tales challenge.
Divided, as usual, Arab leaders reconciled too late after that defeat and it did not take too many years to find them also divided plotting against each other.
“The Arabs agreed to disagree,” We say in our sad part of the world.
Arab people pray for truthful and rightful unity but it never comes.
Anyhow, we go back to our tale and our fantasy world which is a good escape from the cruel reality.
Tonight we are going to listen to the 20th episode of our Ramadan Arabian Nights Podcast.
You can listen to the episode after the break.

Tiran and Sanafir Saga : The summer of 1967 Redux

A group of opposition figures called for mass protests across Egypt in the past 48 following the fast approval of Egypt' House of Representatives on the Egyptian Saudi maritime borders demarcation deal on Wednesday.

According to the deal and despite the history of Egyptian sovereignty, the Tiran and Sanafir Red Sea are part of the Saudi territories after this approval.

Former Presidential candidate and Nasserite political founder of the Karma Party and Popular Current Hamdeen Sabhi called for protests on Friday.
I do not know where or when those protests are going to be, to be honest.

It seems that the security predicted that there would be protests and thus in the past 48 hours as there are extended security crackdown as well mass arrests for activists across the country.

According to the latest Socialist Popular Alliance party statement, there are currently 64 detainees arrested from Cairo, Giza, Port Said, Gharbia, Sharkia, Al-Ismailia, Qalyubia, Fayoum, Alexandria, Aswan, Damietta, Kafr Al-Sheikh, Behaira, Bani Suef and Suez.

The current crackdown targets independent activists as well party members like The Constitution Party, The Socialist Popular Alliance Party and El-Karma Party as well Bread and Liberty party.
I am afraid that the protests would not attract too many people because we are speaking about Ramadan, Summer and above them fear.

Lawyers protesting against the agreement at their syndicate earlier
Thursday "Reuters" 

People are afraid of protesting thanks to the infamous protest law.
There had been small protests this week against the agreement whether at the Journalists Syndicate or Lawyers Syndicate or the doctors' syndicate so you can imagine how downtown Cairo was locked down in the past few days.

Aside from the usual crackdown, the government to close down El-Sadat Metro station in Tahrir.

A Late Midnight's recommendation

At 3 AM Cairo Local Time, The Supreme Constitutional Court's Commissioners authority issued its recommendations to the Supreme Court to reject the two appeals presented by the Egyptian Government against the Administrative court's verdict that the two islands are Egyptians.
The commissioners' authority whose opinion is advisory to the court upheld the original June 2016 administrative court, which was already upheld in January by the High Administrative.

More blocked websites in Egypt : Medium is blocked too "Updated"

Just as the Egyptian Parliament is on the verge of committing unforgivable sin by discussing the Tiran and Sanafir deal against the public opinion as well the court orders, we find that more websites are blocked including petition website and a whole popular publishing and blogging platform !!!

A screenshot for Medium homepage on TEData

On Friday , I have known that an online petition website against the Egyptian Saudi maritime borders demarcation deal was blocked.
Honestly, I am surprised because this website is not that popular and only 1480 people have signed the petition so far.

Updated on 12/6/2017

Just in less than 24 hours , we found out Al-Bediah news website and El-Badil news website are blocked.

Headed by veteran leftist journalist and activist Khaled El-Balshy, the left-leaning Pro-25 January new website is actually the most prominent defendant of the islands' Egyptian identity in the world of Egyptian press. The website used to publish every single shred of paper or document stating the islands are Egyptian.

El-Balshly who used to used to the head Egypt's Journalists syndicate's Freedom committee is a long time opposition figure in the press. He may go to jail if his appeal against the November's two years in jail and LE 10,000 Fine court sentence is rejected in the case that goes also back to Tiran and Sanafir.

El-Bedial , which ironically El-Balshy founded and then left in 2012 , joined the list of the blocked websites. Also, the Nasserite website was against the Saudi-Egyptian government deal.

I have just known Saturday evening that popular Medium publishing and blogging platform has been blocked in Egypt.
You can't get access to Medium.com and its blogs and sites whether on TEData DSL ISP or Orange 4G LTE as I have tired.
You can access it through VPN.

Aside from its current blogs publishing what the regime rejects of ,I read that some of news websites originally blocked in May was going to use Medium as alternative to reach to its readers in Egypt.On 24 May , not less than 23 websites were blocked in Egypt including independent Mada Masr news website as well Al-Jazeera TV network's websites.

In the following days , more websites have been blocked in the country till they reached over 40 50 websites  according to Cairo-based Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression "AFTE".
Following the first batch , we got new websites blocked everyday. Aside from Medium.com , Turkey-based SasaPost was also blocked in Egypt.

Tiran and Sanafir : Many Egyptians are angry , really angry

On Saturday , we suddenly found out that the current Egyptian administration gave up Egypt's Tiran and Sanafir Islands in the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia.
Suddenly without any introductions 'except couple of articles in Saudi press' , the Egyptian

The Egyptian Flag on Sanafir 'Instagram"

government announced during the real historical unforgettable visit of King Salman that the maritime borders between Egypt and the Saudi Kingdom were redrawn and suddenly Tiran and Sanafir were Saudi Islands in the Red Sea!!
Tiran and Sanafir were disputed islands where Saudi Arabia has been claiming that they are Saudi while Egypt has been maintaining  that they are Egyptian for decades including years under Israeli occupation.
Ironically , I was going to write a post about that bridge that returned back once again like a bad menace but then I found that not only we are having that bridge but Tiran and Sanafir are taken from us at the same moment.
Many Egyptians are really and sincerely angry for what happened.
You can not keep the people in dark for months  then you come tell them that part of their country belongs to another foreign neighbor state.
Our problem is not with the Saudi government or the Saudi people. On the contrary , I cannot blame them for seizing the opportunity of Egypt's weakness.
In the past 48 hours , #Tiran_and_Sanafir,  #Tiran_Sanafir_are_Egyptian and #Awad_Sold_his_land Arabic hashtags have been trending in Egypt and Saudi Arabia where Egyptian tweeps are slamming El-Sisi for his decision
Awad is a sad hero of some folk moral story , a peasant who sold his land for quick revenue only to be doomed.
For the first time since months , I found calls for a protest in Tahrir square next Friday against the Egyptian government's decision.
There is also an online petition calling for the cancellation of that agreement and it is attracting signatures.

Remember, Remember the Fifth of June

Yesterday was the 48th anniversary of the Six days war defeat in Egypt or as we called it “The 67 setback”.
Nasser’s media and later the Egypt’s media called it a “setback” and not as a defeat because “defeat”word was affecting the morale of the Egyptian army and the Egyptian people. Also Nasser’s era should not hold any “defeats”, it was only a “setback” that hindered the progress of Nasser and we would stand high out of it as usual.

We stood high indeed once again and we restored Sinai through war and peace. Yes the Egyptian army restored its dignity through a magnificent attack plan that wiped the disgrace of the Field Marshal of Nothing Abdel Hakim Amar’s withdrawal plan but till this day Egypt, Middle East as well the World suffer from this defeat.

I do not need to speak about the reasons of why Egypt was defeated politically and militarily. We all know why we were defeated and it was not because the Israelis were more advanced.
Anyhow this year I would like to present to you a special look to the Egyptian press from 48 years old ago.
Those were the issues of Al-Messa Daily newspaper, Egypt's oldest evening newspaper from 48 years ago , from 5 June 1967 to 8 June 1967. Nasser declared the defeat on 9 June 1967.

On 5 June 1967
Upper Headline: We downed 43 enemy
Jetfighters   

Six Days War after 47 years : Escaping a defeat

It seems that after 47 years of the Six days war defeat many Egyptians have forgotten all the lessons they learned for an expensive price they paid with blood and land.

After 47 years the Egyptians returned back to the same reasons that made us lose in what can be described as the worst military defeat in the Egyptian modern history in the 20th history.

Once again they allow the army to get busy in politics as well economy , once again they let the mainstream media deceive them with cheap nationalism slogans and hypocrisy, once again they idolize a mortal military making him immortal savoir. Once again cheap populism is taking the country.

Now nobody dares to question a decision taken by the regime just like the 1960s , nobody dares to say a different opinion otherwise he or she will be a traitor.

In 1967 it was not only about warfare but it was about a series of bad leadership in Egypt that nobody dared to criticized for fear of dictatorship. Same headlines are back in the newspapers , same ideas are back , even in politics we see now a new modern one Party Socialist Union in making to provide a so-called political cover for the new elected president.

Now amazingly the 1967 Generation is the same generation right now idolizing Field Marshal El-Sisi as the savior of not only of Egypt but the Arab world if not the world who stood against the American imperialism !!

That 1967 generation had a dream that saw it turning in to a nightmare in that summer and despite it achieved victory in 1973 and despite they had 47 years to restore that dream they failed and yet they insist to continue pursing it. That generation is always speaking about its dream in that bloody summer of 1967 , just check all the renowned writers , intellectuals and poets’ interviews in the past few months. You will find that lost dream there.

Amazingly that old generation does not realize that it is killing the dreams of other generations that came after it, especially the young generation which has got its own dreams for its own time.

I fear that the old generation dream of 1967 will make us repeat the same defeat in a different way and unfortunately the only generations that will pay the price are the younger generations as usual.

#Oct1973War : The lessons We Failed to learn after 40 years !!

Thousands headed to the streets allegedly to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 6 October War by the orders of the interim president , army , Muslim brotherhood , the Church , parties to the end of that to get the party on or accurately to get on with their own political agendas.

None of them tried to learn from the political lessons Egypt learned in a very expensive in 6 years of war.
I am afraid we are repeating the mistakes we have committed in 1967 and forgot all the reasons on why we made it in 1973.

Let’s start with the media, we got the same Ultra-hypocrite lying propaganda machine of 1967 working effectively in 1973 !! Joseph Goebbels would be impressed by the amount of propaganda this nation has produced whether in 1967 or in 2013 to be honest !!!

When I look to the headlines of the newspapers on 7 October 1973 and the headlines of the early editions of the newspapers on 6 June 1967, I see that someone had learned a tough lesson.

Do you know that people did not believe the Egyptian radio and TV news on 6 October 1973 and had to hear the news from Israeli radio Arabic service as well Monte Carlo Arabic radio service !? Do you know that for 6 years Israel seized this to send its poison propaganda in its radio service !?