Kodak Agfa Presents: Umm Kulthum .. The Voice of Egypt Exhibit in photos

Today marks the 51st anniversary of the death of Egypt’s legendary singer, Umm Kulthum.

Over the past year, Egypt hosted several events to commemorate the jubilee of the Planet of the East’s passing, beginning on 3 February 2025.

Last February, Egyptian Chronicles paid a visit to her small yet remarkably rich museum, which chronicles her life and legacy.

This year, I’m sharing another quick visit—this time to a special exhibition held in her honor by Egypt’s Ministry of Culture at Aisha Fahmy Palace, the Centre of Arts in Cairo’s Zamalek.

Titled “The Voice of Egypt,” the exhibition lived up to its name: Thuma truly was the voice of Egypt.

Umm Kalthoum statue between paintings

Held at Aisha Fahmy Palace from August through November 2025, the exhibition proved to be a major success.

I visited it in October.

Inside Thuma's exhibit

The exhibition included many things. "Spoiler: Keep reading and scroll down the post—the best is yet to come, and the true gems of the exhibition are just below. Make sure to read to the end."

It featured a selection of Umm Kulthum’s personal belongings, on loan from her museum on Al-Manial Island, including her notebook, pen, gloves, and sunglasses.

That time when Eric Adams met Egypt’s Mr. 1

I won’t speak about the glamorous Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) inauguration in this post — that event deserves a quieter, clearer moment, away from all the noise.

Instead, I want to talk about something else that caught the attention of many Egyptians last Saturday, right after the GEM’s glamorous opening ceremony.

That “something” was none other than a campaign ad by New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, targeting Arab American voters with a video in which he spoke Arabic.

أنا اسمي زهران ممدان وعم رشّح حالي لأكون العمدة الجديد في مدينة نيويورك pic.twitter.com/ptfVdpansX

— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 1, 2025

Speaking in a mix of Levantine and Egyptian accents, Mamdani visited a bodega — most likely Yemeni-owned, as many are — and greeted the resident cat with the Egyptian phrase “Ezayak ya basha” (How are you, Pasha?).

He also stopped by a Palestinian falafel shop, which, unsurprisingly, infuriated several pro-Israeli Zionists online.

But aside from that “Ezayak ya basha” moment, there was another scene that meant a lot to many of us — a subtle reminder of Egypt’s enduring soft power. In the background, one could hear a familiar tune: Mona Abdel Ghany’s 1987 hit “Yalla Ya As-hab” (Come Along, Friends).

Even though Mamdani studied Arabic in Egypt and his wife is Syrian American, I doubt either of them recognized that song. Clearly, someone on his campaign team is Egyptian — and has excellent taste in nostalgic 1980s pop.

But this wasn’t the only unexpected Egyptian pop culture cameo in New York City’s most heated mayoral race of the 21st century.

Just last month, we witnessed what could only be described as a meeting of the titans: Egypt’s Mohamed Ramadan meeting with former New York Mayor Eric Adams. (Yes, as you probably guessed from this post’s title.)

When Valentina Tereshkova visited Egypt

A Little Break Post – Escaping the Depressing News from the Middle East and Beyond

In case you missed it, American pop star Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez (Jeff Bezos’ fiancée), and three other women travelled on Monday aboard a Blue Origin suborbital space tourism flight.

Blue Origin, owned and operated by Bezos, launched this all-female crew on a short journey beyond Earth's atmosphere. According to media reports, Sánchez personally selected the crew members for this flight.

This “trip” reached the Kármán line — the commonly accepted boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space — which lies at an altitude of 100 kilometres (62 miles).

As expected, the 10-minute flight — filled with awkwardly staged moments, especially those featuring Katy Perry — quickly turned into a meme fest online.

Some U.S. mainstream media outlets and social media users even went so far as to claim it was the first all-female trip to space.

That’s not only factually incorrect — it's also a bit offensive.

So, to set the record straight: the first "all-female space mission" wasn't in 2024. It happened in 1963, and the entire crew was Valentina Tereshkova.

Valentina Tereshkova and the Pyramids generated by Chat-GPT as risograph print 

The real pioneer of an all-female spaceflight was Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who made history in June 1963.

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.

Egyptian Chronicles’ Movers and Shakers of 2024 "Updated"

Welcome to the 2024 edition of Egyptian Chronicles' Movers and Shakers!

It’s that time of year again for our annual post.

Here is my list of those I believe to be the movers and shakers of 2024 in Egypt, the Arab world, and beyond.

This is not a list of the "top" individuals but rather those who left an impact for better or worse. The good, the bad, and the ugly all make an appearance. The naughty and the goody-goody are here too.

I didn’t publish the 2023 edition due to the war in Gaza—a decision I now regret.

But now, let’s dive into my top picks for the Movers and Shakers of 2024.

Regional shakers and movers

• The Palestinian people in Gaza:

Does this need any explanation? The most resilient people in the world are facing genocide while steadfastly refusing to leave their land. Many are unaware that Palestinians could storm the Egyptian border and seek refuge in Sinai under international law, which obligates Egypt to receive them. Yet, the Palestinians of Gaza choose to remain because they know Gaza is their last frontier.

Palestinian man Ismail Al-Khlout reads the Quran as he waits to break his fast in
Ramadan "March" while sitting on the rubble of his house. Mahmoud Isssa for Reuters

The people of Gaza understand that crossing the border means never returning. Israeli plans to recolonize Gaza are not a secret; Israeli officials openly discuss them. Their relentless efforts to make Gaza uninhabitable are underway, but the Palestinian people of Gaza remain their greatest obstacle. They are the true resistance, keeping the hope of Palestine alive. Yet, one cannot help but wonder how much longer they can endure this ongoing genocide.

Some countless faces and names embody the resilience and spirit of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Among them is Hajj Khaled Nabhan, who became an icon of perseverance after losing his beloved granddaughter Reem in October 2023. Despite his grief, he continued to care for his elderly mother and support the injured and displaced in Gaza. Tragically, Hajj Nabhan was killed in November.

Khaled Nabhan and his granddaughter Reem are now together

Others, like food blogger-turned-chef Hamada Shaqoura and Mrs. Shahinaz, inspire hope through their efforts amidst the destruction. They remind us of the enduring humanity and strength of Gaza’s people.

As of October 7, 2023, the ongoing Israeli war has claimed the lives of 45,658 individuals and left 108,583 injured. Additionally, 80% of the Gaza Strip is now under Israeli evacuation orders, further compounding the humanitarian crisis.

Songs of Fire and struggle: Dear Internet Sherine’s Kalam Eineh is not about Palestine, but those songs are

This is a quick post as I have a million things to do right now. Recently, I found out that many pro-Palestinian content creators on TikTok and Instagram use Egyptian pop star Sherine's hit song "Kalam Eineh" as background music for their videos about Gaza.

"If my voice is gone, your songs will remain"
said Naji Al-Ali in one of his poems and cartoons in 1980s

I don't know how or when this started, but the song, musically composed by Hassan El-Shafei, has become a global hit strangely.

People visit the original song on YouTube and comment that they came from TikTok and shout "Viva Palestine," which makes me happy.

Yet I have to say, this song “Kalam Eineh” has nothing to do with Palestine or Gaza at all. “Kalam Eineh” or “The Love Words of his eyes” is a romantic song.

Here is the translation of the lyrics in English.

That is the first part which is usually shared in the videos.

" The love words of his eyes are sweeter than songs
From a couple of words, from a greeting, I become someone else
When he sways, my heart sways with him
I may sacrifice my eyes and whole life for him, and it's too little
The love words of his eyes are sweeter than songs
From a couple of words, from a greeting, I become someone else
When he sways, my heart sways with him
I may sacrifice my eyes and whole life for him, and it's too little"

I know it may sound exotic, but it does not fit the hard times the Palestinians are living currently in Gaza.

Watch this: Long Live us and Long Live Palestine in video

In the wake of the 2023 Gaza War, a surge of Arab and Palestinian artists took to the internet to express their solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza through their art. This outpouring of creative expression is not a new phenomenon for the Arab world.

Long Live Us and Long Live Palestine "Omar Rammal"

On the contrary, Palestine and the Palestinian resistance have long been a source of inspiration for artworks across various mediums, including painting, literature, poetry, cinema, and music.

This time arts found a bigger and quicker platform online. I wanted to share samples of those artworks. After all, it is important to share with the world what we say because it seems that the world does not see us as humans. 

Please watch this short film by Palestinian director Omar Rammal. It went viral on social media across the Arab world in the past few days.

It is called “Long Live Us, Long Live Palestine.”
And yes, there are whole younger generations of Palestinians that won’t forget nor forgive.

Thursday Rants and Rave: #S02EP01 “Travis Scott and gates of hell at Giza’s great pyramid”

The Thursday Rant and Rave podcast in Arabic is back with a new season of tales and rants in Arabic.

This episode should have been published Friday night, but several issues made me publish it on Monday night. 

Here is what I ranted about in Arabic.

It is about Travis Scott’s new album launch concert in Egypt's ongoing saga. In case, you do not know Egypt’s Musicians Syndicate cancelled a permit that allows famous and popular singer Traves Scott to hold an album launch concert.

The cancellation comes amidst claims that went viral that Scott is an Afrocentric satanic who will present to Satan as sacrifice from the audience to open a gate into hell at the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Now there are new updates that took place after I published my post in English.

Egypt’s Tickets Marche warned that if the concert is cancelled, the financial losses can reach up to LE 300 million.

Tickets March Mohamed Serge asked President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to allow the concert to be held. Serge is facing hell as it turned out that the 4,000 tickets to the concerts have been sold mostly to foreigners who will come to Egypt to attend the concert.

Travis Scott Vs the Musicians Syndicate in Egypt: The gates of conspiracy theories hell are open already

Earlier this Tuesday, Egypt made headlines on social media, but for all the wrong reasons, as usual. Egypt's Musicians Syndicate announced the cancellation of the permit for a concert featuring the renowned American rapper Travis Scott scheduled for late July. 

In case you're not aware, Travis Scott had planned a massive concert at the Pyramids plateau to launch his highly anticipated album "Utopia" on July 28. Official tickets for this much-awaited event have already been sold.

 Interestingly, tickets are being resold on the black market for a staggering price of at least LE 6,000! It is already a 1% concert. Jokes have been shared that the roofs of Nazlat El-Saman's houses beside the pyramids will be rented for the fans who can't afford the tickets. 

Although I'm not a fan of Scott's music, it appears that he has gained popularity among the younger generation, who believe this concert to be the pinnacle of Egypt's music scene in 2023.

Travis Scott vs Mustafa Kamel is the fight 
nobody expected. 

Egypt's Musicians Syndicate, led by the singer/composer Mustafa Kamel, has withdrawn the permit, citing that the concert "contradicts the identity of Egyptian culture." This decision comes in the wake of a huge social media campaign in Egypt, involving various groups of people who believe that this concert has no place in our country.

 Among these groups are the nationalists, known as the "Kemitists," who argue that Scott, as a black Afrocentric American, not only appropriates our ancient history but also attempts to rewrite it by claiming that Ancient Egypt was built solely by Black Africans.

Additionally, conspiracy theorists believe that Travis Scott is a satanic Freemason who intends to open a gateway to hell at the Great Pyramid of Giza. 

Palestinian Singer Mohammed Assaf's Song "Dammi Falastini" Deleted from Spotify and Apple Music

Earlier Sunday, Arab music fans and subscribers of Spotify and Apple Music found that both music platforms had removed Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf's top hit "Dammi Falastini" (My Blood is Palestinian).

According to Assaf, he received emails from both services stating that the song had been removed due to "incitement."

Some Arab news websites have reported that the song was removed because it was believed to incite antisemitism.

The song's page on Spotify's web player is now greyed out, and it has been deleted from Apple Music.

From his side, Assaf believes according to his statements to Arab media that the song was removed under the pretext that the song incites against the Zionist enemy aka Israel. He added that it brought him great honour that his songs express the Palestinian people's resistance against the occupation.

"Even if they delete this song, it exists in the memory and conscience of every Palestinian and every honourable free person defending the right of the Palestinian people to obtain their freedom and independence” The singer from Gaza added.

I do not know how the 2015 song is accused of inciting antisemitism when it celebrates Semitic people. Palestinian people regardless of what some people try to spread worldwide are Semitic people. “Yes, the conflict is Semitic people against Semitic people over Semitic land in a nutshell”

Here is the popular hit song from YouTube.

Egyptian Chronicles’ Movers and Shakers of 2022

Welcome to the 2022 edition of Egyptian Chronicles' Movers and Shakers.

It is the time for our annual post
Here is my list of those I believe to be the shakers and movers of 2022 in Egypt, the Arab world and the world.

This is not the list of the top people but rather those who made an impact whether positive or negative based on my own views. The good, bad and ugly are here. The naughty and goody-goody are here too.

From Upper left to right: Mohamed Omda, Mohamed Maait and Mohamed Al-Amin 
From lower left to right: Ramy Fahim, Sherine, Sanaa Seif, Ahmed El-Tayab 

This list is without any order. You know me, I write what I remember.

Again, I started writing down this post at 2:04 AM, yet once again my epic procrastination and being burned out for the year rules.

From Egypt

• Finance Minister Mohamed Maait, Ex-Central Bank of Egypt Governor Tarek Amer and Current CBE governor Hassan Abdullah: Do I need to explain !? I mean we enter the new year with more fears than hopes about what we may face economically. 2022 is one of the most brutal economic years Egypt has ever witnessed and God knows how Egypt’s economy will survive its repercussions as external debts increase.

•  Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayeb: El-Tayeb made a name for himself to stand out among all the previous Imams of Egypt and the world’s oldest and most Sunni Islamic institution. Aside from the successful coexistence dialogue he leads with Christian faith leaders around the globe like his best BBF in Rome Pope Francis, El-Tayeb is truly standing the moderate Sunni Muslims against attacks from left and right. This year he stood against endless attacks by radical seculars who believe that he is ultra-conservative and by religious fanatics who believe that he is ultra-progressive alike. El-Tayeb so far got very progressive views for real, but no one wants to listen truly to him. He also brought back the voice of Al-Azhar internationally to comment on and defend Muslim rights’ around the globe whether in India or in Afghanistan defending the right of Afghani girls to learn.

Watch this: Shafika , Egypt’s underground folk music Queen

First time I knew that there was a very famous Egyptian folk singer that most people in Cairo never heard before was through social media.

Yes, you may be surprised but social media opened a door for us the people of Great Cairo province who got no roots in the Nile Delta or Upper Egypt to know and listen to different styles or genres of Egyptian folk music.

The social media presented Shafika to me after 2011 when some tweeps began to speak about her and their memories with her cassette albums in Nile Delta while they were teens. When I searched online for her name, I found a photo of a heavily make-upped woman with 1980s style-blonde dyed hair.

Shafika in the 1980s 

To be honest, I do not remember if I listened to her, but all I knew about her was that she was a famous underground folk music singer whose luck and talent did not lead her to be recognized in the mainstream in Cairo.

Time passes and this week, I was properly introduced to Shafika as Egyptian underground folk music Queen and I was reminded again that Egypt is too big and diverse to be constrained by the borders of Great Cairo.

The introduction was through that simple and short documentary about her: Shafika.

Siri, show me orientalism in Qatar World Cup !! Tukoh Taka as an example

Two days ago, FIFA has launched its official fan festival anthem for the Qatar World Cup. It is the first “fan festival anthem” for the world cup.

It is called “Tukoh Taka”. It features Nicki Minaj, Maluma and Lebanese singer Myriam Fares. It is in English, Arabic and Spanish.

Myriam and her backup dancers 

Myriam appears while wearing some exotic dancer's suit, it is not even a traditional belly dancer's suit and you got the backup dancers wearing golden veils and I do not understand what the hell that was " I am sorry dear Ruby for slamming you decades ago when you sang while wearing a belly dancer suit in Holland" 

I do not know what “Tukoh Taka” means but I know the song is an insult to the Arab culture and is a blatant example of orientalism.

Egyptian Chronicles’ Movers and Shakers of 2021 “Egypt’s edition”

Welcome to the 2021 edition of Egyptian Chronicles' Movers and Shakers.

It is time of our annual post
Here is my list of those I believe that have been the shakers and movers of 2021 in Egypt.

There will be another list for “Region and world edition”

This is not the list of the top people but rather those who made an impact whether positive or negative based on my own views

This list is without any order. You know me, I write what I remember.

Locally :

From left to right "Egypt's Olympics delegation, Suez Canal workers, healthcare workers 
and antiquities workers"

A Special Mention

• Egypt’s healthcare workers: For the second year in a row, they are the unsung heroes of a bloody pandemic that does not want to end or fade away. I do not need to speak about their sacrifices in those hard times.
• The Egyptian Olympian and Paralympian team: For their victories against all odds in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics scoring the highest numbers of Medals in 7 decades against all odds and corruption in the Egyptian sports federation. The names of our champions are Feryal Abdel Aziz, Ahmed Al-Gendy, Gianna Farouk, Mohamed Ibrahim El-Sayed “Kesho”, Hadeya Malak, Seif Issa, Sherif Othman, Rehab Radwan, Mahmoud Attia, Fatima Omar, Mohamed Sobhy, Hany Abdel Hady and Mohamed El-Zayat.  
• The Suez Canal Authority workers and all those who worked hard for nearly 6 days in March to make the gigantic Ever Given float again and unblock the Suez canal saving global trade from another crisis. For their efforts all those years.
• The Egyptian archaeologists and workers: For their discoveries throughout the years and not only 2021.

Tiktok dispatch #1 Welcome to the Jungle

Lately, I have been spending more and more time on Tiktok.

I have become addicted to the short video-sharing Chinese media platform that took the world by storm. Tiktok has had its own storm in Egypt’s legal system after its endless controversy whether the sad Tiktok girls saga or the Tiktok racist bullies. It earned a bad reputation.

Older generations still consider it the social media platform of vice where women pimp themselves thanks to the endless Tiktok girls arrested in the media every couple of weeks whereas older Upper classes look at it as a vulgar social media platform of lower classes sing and dance on awful Mahraganat music that should be banned altogether.

Ironically those old Upper classes do not realize that their young actually are active on the platform like any youth in the world nowadays and present interesting content.

For me, as I dig more and I change my choice algorithm, it became another way for me to see that other Egypt usually ignored or forgotten in the mainstream media.

I remember seeing that small protest organized by a group of angry high school students against the Education Minister in front of the Education Ministry in Downtown Cairo following the announcement of the Thanaweya Amma results of the 2020/21 academic year. Almost all news websites ignored this small protest.

I knew through it about great talents.

Like Mr Sayed who used to work in a simple poor workshop but Tiktok and social media changed his life thanks to some Tweets. This is the first video I have ever seen for him and I could not ignore it.

Watch Egypt’s Golden Pharaohs Parade in video

And Egypt succeeded in transferring its 22 ancient Kings and Queens’ mummies from the Egyptian Museum of Cairo to the National Egyptian Civilization Museum “NECM” in a huge spectator with big fanfares.

Modern Egyptians say hi to ancient Egyptians from their balconies
"Abdullah Ewais for Masrawy"

Here is a video of the parade organized by the Egyptian Government, mainly the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Ministry of Culture.

 

One thing sure, the parade was successful and earned the admiration of many.

Egypt’s parliamentary elections 2020 : Shake it to the beat

After a few hours from now, the House of Representatives elections' first stage will kick off in 10,240 polling stations will be operating in 14 governorates where 1,879 candidates are competing on the votes of nearly 33 million eligible voters.

In this stage, those candidates are fighting over 284 seats; half to the individual candidates and the other half to the party lists. 

This is the first elections after the new amendments of 2019 that brought the Upper House and Lower House to Egypt once again.

The Upper House elections aka were held in September and they recorded the lowest turnout in Egyptian elections since the March 2011 referendum “only 14.23% of the eligible voters participated in the 4 days of the Senate elections while in the runoffs attracted only 10.22%”.

We got nearly 66 million voters. The Senate elections were held when almost all Egyptians were taking vacations after months of a lockdown or simply they did not know unlike the House of Representatives’ elections.

I expect a higher turnout without a doubt but smashing turnout because we are speaking about pandemic time and less publicity and interactions with voters on the ground.

Now in the time of coronavirus, this could be the quietest elections I have seen with less noise on the ground from the usual elections campaigns.

You will know that there are elections only from the banner everywhere with the faces and names , mostly you only see once;  in the time of the elections.

The first stage's 14 governorates are Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assuit, New Valley, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, Red Sea, Alexandria, Beheira and Marsa Matruh.

Giza is the second biggest governorate and the extension of the Egyptian capital Cairo is witnessing the clash of the titans of names from businessmen, public figures and media figures.

50 years on Israel’s War Crime in Bahr el Baqar : Never forget

Wednesday 8 April 2020 marked the 50 anniversary of the Bahr el-Baqar school massacre.

In case you do not know what it is then let me tell you what happened 50 years ago.

On 8 April 1970, Israeli Air Forces bombed a Primary school in a small Sharkia governorate village called Bahr El-Baqar aka “Cows’ Sea” killing 46 Children and injuring over 50 others.

An IAF Phantom Fighter struck the single-floored three classrooms school at 9:20 am with five bombs and two air-to-ground missiles as part of its response to the war of attrition launched by Egypt.

There were 150 children in that poor school then.

From Ahram's archives, the shoes of the students at Bahr
El-Baquar school 
Colourized by Abdel Latif El-Tahan "My Heritage"

Interestingly, all the targets of Egypt during the war of attrition were military and never reached that civilian depth. 

Israeli officials said that they thought it was a military building and their war criminal defence minister then Moshe Dayan claimed that maybe the Nasser regime planted a school inside a military base !!

Mecca’s girl : You got a bigger issue here

In Egypt and Saudi Arabia, two songs are making headlines for all the wrong reasons forcing us to ask a question about creativity, censorship, racism, classicism, and society in general.

I will speak in this post about that song from Saudi Arabia with my all due respect and yes I am going to meddle in one of their internal issues.

Late Monday news came from Saudi Arabia that Saudi authorities released young rapper Asayel AlBishi after her arrest following the release of the music video “Bent Mecca” {Mecca’s girl}.
It is still unofficial news based on her sister Ayah AlBishi’s Tweet.

#افراج_اصايل_البيشي#ساعدوا_اصايل_البيشي الحمدلله على سلامة أختي أصايل البيشي وشكرا لكل من سأل. وأنصح نفسي والجميع لا يتكلموا بناء على الظن لأن النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام قال(إياكم والظن فإن الظن أكذب الحديث) ومن تعرضوا لنا بالسخرية والغلط فبيننا وبينهم الله هو حسبنا ونعم الوكيل.

— Ayah Albishi (@AyahAlbishi) February 24, 2020

The whole sad affair started in the Weekend when Asayel AlBishi or Asayel Slay, a young amateur rapper decided to release her music video “Bent Mecca” online and it went viral creating huge uproar online.
Slay was bragging about how fine and great the girls of Mecca. She was doing a classical braggadocio rap.
There is one problem, she was bragging and little girls dancing around her in a café in Mecca, the holiest city for Muslims.

I won’t lie and say that I was not taken by surprise and a little shock when I saw the song and the little girls dancing at first glance. I was surprised like many to find a Mecca girl rapping like that.

My only remark is how the girls were dancing because I think they are younger to dance those moves and actually I do not like women dancing in rap music.

Another remark, if Asayel rapped about Jeddah girls or Riyadh girls, she would have gotten away with it but this is Mecca where the holiest site for Muslims is located.

 Yes, the Muslim world got this perception of the people living in Mecca are extremely pious but in reality they are like any other population with youth and teenagers like any other city

#Jan25 …. in Baghdad … in Beirut and in Cairo

It is 25 January 2020, folks

In Cairo, there is a huge security presence and the police forces are celebrating their national day by distributing flowers and sweets on the public.

There is a huge security alert because on the virtual world, Long time army contractor/one-time actor/whistleblower/political activist in exile Mohamed Ali called for a huge revolution on that day.

Unsurprisingly it did not happen and Ali declared that he quit politics and he will focus on construction as well as his acting career.
Despite the majority of the people know that there will be no anti-regime massive protests, the authorities are worried because last September no one would have imagined that some people would go and chant against the regime after all those years.

Needless to say, the mainstream media is celebrating only the day as the Police National Day while all the TV hosts are cursing the revolution and it is not a shock anymore
There is no big change on how the media covers the media now, in fact, I will be surprised if the mainstream media speaks nicely about the 2011 revolution.

There is sadness and despair that the January revolution did not make it as it should. I am trying not to fall in to this as much as I can “I will be lying if I say I did not”.

For me, the 25 January revolution is not fully dead and it is still alive as part of that thing still going on in our part of the world that the West called “The Arab Spring”.
Here is Baghdad’s Tahrir square rocking with protesters who standing high and firm despite they are facing corrupted political system backed by deadly regional and international powers.