Media Empires of Egypt : More shake ups , More layoffs

There is currently a complete reshuffle that is taking place in the Media City West of Cairo where once-successful TV channels have been shut down and once-famous TV hosts are forced to stay in their homes.
It is a reshuffle that nobody has cared to speak about or discuss or even follow. It started to happen in July during Ramadan and the World Cup.
Then as soon as the holy month ended and the World Cup was over, that media reshuffle began to began to be louder.

From Left to Right: Azmy Meghad, Amr El-Llissy and Tamer Abdel Moneim

On 27 July, Egyptian Media announced that it was restructuring ONTV Network and that it would close down ON Live, the Network News channel while launching a second sports TV channel.
In its statement about the decision, Egyptian Media said that it launched ON Sports 2 to serve the State’s policies to support youth and sports.
The Company also claimed that it saw it was best to close down ON Live giving no real or understandable reason behind that decision. “Its main audience from 25 January revolution supporters no longer watch it because their favorite stars like Liliane Daoud or even Amr Khafagy are not there and are not welcomed anymore”
That decision was accompanied with many layoffs among the network’s staff.
Unfortunately, the closure of ON Live meant for the Egyptian Media removing the channel’s archives on its YouTube channel.
I feel sad that ON Live archives documenting the 25th January revolution have been removed from YouTube.
Thankfully some friends at ONTV have got backup archives and hopefully, they will upload them once again when they are needed.
ON E, the network’s main TV channel also lost several top TV hosts above them Amr Adib who signed a new contract with Saudi-owned MBC.

The Black Palm Sunday "Updated with videos"

From Tanta's Cathedral 

This Sunday, millions of Christians around the globe celebrated the Palm Sunday and the start of the Holy Week. In Egypt and the Arab world, Arab Christians and Churches call the Holy week in Arabic "The Pains week".

This Sunday was officially the start of "Pains week" in Coptic Orthodox Churches in Egypt in a sad irony.

As you may have known, two Egyptian Churches were attacked earlier in two different cities during the Palm Sunday. At least 40 people killed and over 100 others were injured in both attack.
At 9.05 AM Tanta local time, the first explosion took place at St.George Cathedral in Tanta city.

According to early reports, the explosion took place at the first and front rows full of men during the Palm Sunday service.

Already the Palm Sunday service started at 6 AM and should have ended at 12 PM.
It never ended because of the explosion that killed over 29 people and injured not less 70 others.
Here is the moment when the explosion took place on the CCTV as aired on TV channels.

#سيناء24 قناة العربية تبث لحظة انفجار كنيسة مارجرجس في طنطا، ويأتي الانفجار قبل أيام من زيارة سيقوم بها بابا الفاتيكان، فرنسيس، لمصر pic.twitter.com/Rrb1qeDaKs

— سيناء 24 NEWS (@newsinai24) April 9, 2017

The victims include a judge, doctors, some members of the Church Choir, grandfathers and fathers.

The victims of Tanta bombing from
Tanta Cathedral 

The photos and video resurfaced online showed horrifying scenes. Reports also came speaking about a severe head that most probably belongs to the Suicide bomber.
The St. George Cathedral is considered the biggest church in the Nile Delta governorate.
Interestingly, from 12 days ago the Cathedral which hosts the bishopric of Tanta spoke about how security forces dealt with an unknown suspicious object found in front of it.

Fearing an Egyptian Waco

The time cover during then

In April 1993 , the World watched how a disaster was taking place in Waco, Taxes. After nearly 51 days siege the ATF agent and FB dispersed the sit in at compound in Mount Carmel held by Branch Davidians sect killing 76 people inside the compound including the infamous cult leader David Koresh and ..28 children in a big fire.
The ATF believed that federal firearms law had been preached and the sect members had already a stock of firearms in their compound. Still there were women and children killed in the siege.
Till this day this is a controversy about Waco siege and there has been a debate since then about how the ATF dispersed the siege despite everybody knew that David Koresh was crazy cult leader who deserved to be sent to some mental asylum.
Now in 2013 we got two sits in Cairo and Giza and I fear that they will have the same fate of Waco sit in especially knowing that our police is not trained to disperse sit-ins peacefully or even sits in that are that big in residence areas where children as well people who are ready to die for their cause. “Some of these people are also armed according to different news reports including a report from The famous Robert Fisk himself”
I am not comparing the Davidians with the Muslim brotherhood supporters but I can not stop myself of drawing parallels between the sits in and the doomed end. Some Egyptians believe that we are going to have a Jonestown Massacre in Cairo and honestly I think that this is wrong comparison.
Yesterday the Egyptian cabinet ordered the ministry of interior to end the Pro-Morsi sit-ins in both Rabaa and Nahda square , of course in accordance with law and human rights.
Today the ministry of interior called the protesters in both sits in to leave quickly and to clear the sits in promising them a safe exist and full protection.

#30June Palooza : A True Sad story of #June21

Today thousands of religious right wing supporters protesters for hours to show off their numbers and power in front of the army and the world especially the United States as well the Egyptian people.
At the same time we got few thousands at the ministry of defense begging the army and El Sisi to save the day. Those protesters from Mubarak/Military/Shafik loyalists carrying none other the martyrs posters including the poster of Dr. Alaa Abdel Hady, the young protester and Tahrir doctor volunteer who was killed during the clashes of cabinet HQ in 2011 between protesters and army forces unfortunately !!!!!!!!!
Afternoon there was some expressive protest at Kasr Al Nil Bridge which actually represents a very dark image of what is happening now in Cairo. A group of Pro-revolutionary protesters decided to commit symbolic suicide and threw themselves in to the Nile. It is a fake suicide ,more of symbolic political move.

أحد المنتحرين رمزيا من فوق كوبري قصر النيل اليوم pic.twitter.com/13y7Ta4baJ
— justicentric (@justicentric) June 21, 2013

من فاعلية الانتحار الجماعي على كوبري قصر النيل اليوم pic.twitter.com/voK8cPJ6MA
— justicentric (@justicentric) June 21, 2013

To Negotiate or Not to Negotiate , To Attack or Not Attack , The Options currently in #Sinai

We have got a national security crisis in Egypt , the recent kidnapping of the soldiers in Sinai is a huge challenge for the Egyptian state whether for the Presidency “as in Morsi’s administration” or the army or the police.
The presidency and the army are in extreme critical position with not much options. All the options come with the price especially we are speaking about Sinai.
Sinai and its tribes got its own share from neglect and security mistreatment especially in the last ten starting with Taba explosives and what followed it from random arrests by state security. We are not speaking the tamed Nile Valley but a tribal environment with people of high dignity.
After speaking to several people from Sinai in the past two years I can say the locals especially from tribes did not forget what the ministry of interior. “We will not allow the old days of El Adly and Mubarak to return back” this phrase I heard from locals in Sinai too many times including today.
I believe the army and the police understand this very well especially the military intelligence that runs the show in the North and the South. Thousands of men were arrested randomly whenever something happens in Sinai and some of them were badly tortured by security forces. They can’t forget the humiliation they faced.

GIS in Campus , yes it is official after the revolution

Strange thing that this new has passed away in silence since last January 2013.

In last January 2013 I found this strange news “Ain Shams University uses the intelligence to face the spread of arms inside campus”. According to what was said then the General intelligence in Egypt “GIS” would supply Ain Shams University “ASU” with metal detector gates and to secure the university’s entrances and exists. The deal will include training the security of university to fight thuggery.
Of course in the January news the ASU officials told the newspaper that they would study the offer of the GIS to see if its prices are reasonable or not.

Al Watan Newspaper during then had published more interesting details regarding the GIS deal : LE 6 million for installing 8 metal detector gates, 67 surveillance cameras and training to the University Campus. The ASU administration said that it will pay LE 3 million only. 

On last April 4,2013 the ASU Students union wrote on its official FB page that the ASU administration signed a 6 months contract with the intelligence in last February 2013 for LE 4.4 million. The students union welcomed this because they had enough from thugs attacks and assaults actually. The problem is that this is not how it should be solved or is going to be solved.

Mubarak’s trial : You know this was going to happen so why a sad face !?

So the criminal court in New Cairo ordered the release of Mubarak in the Killing of the protesters but he will remain in prison pending investigation in other corruption cases. It was expected and purely procedural and got nothing to do with the evidence.
Judge Ahmed Atia Abu Shosha from the real reformist judges in Egypt explained the court ruling :

إخلاء سبيل مبارك اليوم ليس له أى علاقة بقوة الأدلة أو ضعفها..الموضوع إجرائى بحت..الحد الأقصى للحبس الاحتياطى سنتين فأوجب القانون إخلاء سبيله
— Ahmed atia aboshosha (@AD_Shosha) April 15, 2013

Releasing Mubarak has nothing to do with how strong or weak the evidence is , the issue is completely procedural. The maximum limit for temporarily detention is two years and thus according to the law he had to be released.

معلومة:مبارك لازال يواجه اتهامات بقتل المتظاهرين تصل عقوبتها إلى الإعدام..إخلاء السبيل لا يؤثر فى ذلك..العبرة بتقديم أدلة تثبت هذه الاتهامات
— Ahmed atia aboshosha (@AD_Shosha) April 15, 2013

An info : Mubarak is still facing charges of killing the protesters , these charges’ penalties reach to execution. Releasing him will not affect other cases. The idea is about representing evidences to prove these accusations.

Judge Abu Shosha predicted this already last week so I do not know why people are overacting.
Of course many indications and leaks say that he will be acquitted because there is no real evidence incriminating him for real as all these months his people were doing a great job especially in time of SCAF.
Mubarak has not been acquitted yet. He is still waiting for the new judges panel in the killing of the protesters case. He is also facing other cases as you know.

Ask on #Twitter and President #Morsi Will Answer !!

Last Wednesday Egyptian Presidency announced that Egyptians can send their questions on “Ask_president_Morsi” hashtag on twitter so President Morsi can answer those questions after an hour from launching the hashtag.
Of course most of the tweets came offensives and comic too. Still the presidency team was careful in what they chose from questions.  I will not comment , I will leave to you the comment on the president’s answers. "Thanks to Dr. Nermeen Bedair and Abdel Moneim Mahmoud that took screen capture for the tweets, Bedair took the first 5 while Mahmoud took a screen capture of the last one."

Exhibit "1"

 Exhibit "1"

@Cestlavie_egy : Why do not you Dr. Morsi announce a plan to restructure the MOI ? The MOI has got corrupted officials Mr. President and they make you fail everyday and defame your image in front of the people. 
@MuhammedMorsi : The MOI needs care but for itself but for Egypt , give it some confidence and everything will be fine God's will !

The Price To transfer his Former Excellency

Today two interesting news happened in Egypt aside from on going saga about cabinet , constitution and Muslim brotherhood's enemies plotting with Martians.

The public prosecutor decided to transport Ousted president Mubarak to Military Maadi hospital for health reasons from Torah prison. The former President currently serving a life sentence in jail for not protecting the protesters in January 25th Revolution fell in his cell at Torah prison earlier this month and suffered some fractures.

After few hours we found out that the public prosecutor suddenly ordered that LE 27,000,000 from Suzanne Thabet’s bank account “allegedly secret one” to be confiscated and transferred to the Central Bank Account.

Ironically we suddenly hear the news of LE 27,000,000 that come from Suzanne Thabet’s bank account and we do not know if she is facing charges or not.Suzanne Mubarak already officially is off the hook yet Illicit gains authority say that she got them illegally , well why is not she not punished for that !?? The  Public prosecutor did not tell us from from where the former first lady got those millions !!

At the same time Mubarak was transferred to Maadi military hospital !!

Personally I believe that Suzanne paid those LE 27,000,000 to the current regime in order to transfer Mubarak to the military hospital , there is no other explanation.

#EgyConstitution : The Silent Majority is back For real

And Supreme referendum commission “SRC” has announced the official results of the constitution referendum :

• The eligible voters in the constitution referendum : 51,919,067 voters
• The no. of voters who casted their vote in the referendum : 17,058,317 voters
• The official turnout : 32.9%
• The valid votes : 16,755,012 votes
• The null votes : 303,395 votes
• The no. of those who approved the constitution : 10,693,911 voters “63.8%”
• The no. of those who rejected the constitution : 6,061,101 voters “36.2%”

In other words the constitution is approved by 63.8% out of the 32.9% who showed up to vote. This is low regardless of what you think with all my respect to the idea of democracy and so on. We are speaking a constitution that affect the future of the country.

#EgyStudents : You Can Not Force Rana to Shut up

Rana with her friends last Tuesday

Rana El Siyad Fouad , a student in the secondary stage in a private school who participated and led a students protest against the draft constitution to Tahrir square last Tuesday December 11th,2012 among other students from different schools. “College De la Salle, Jesuites and the Franciscan”
Rana spoke to Al Masry Al Youm and her photo was featured in the newspaper. She was quoted for saying that she decided to participate in the protest because she wanted a constituent assembly that truly represents the whole Egyptian society adding that President Morsi issues constitutional declarations in order to distract people from the draft constitution.
Now from two days ago officials from the ministry of education went to Rana’s school "The Franciscan" and interrogated her about her quotes in Al Masry Al Youm. The brave girl insisted on her opinions. Rana’s father is proud of his daughter and he is not worried on her but rather is worried on how the ministry of education is turned in to a security apparatus.

#EgyConstitution : Why I will Say big NO “Article No.76”

There are many reasons why I should say NO to the draft constitution like the fact we became a presidential state despite it was better to have a semi-presidential state , the President got no vice president and Shura council got more power than the people’s assembly. Still there is one article that makes me want to say big “NO” , article no.76 .

Article No.76 states the following :

No punishment without a legal or constitutional text 

This is the first time in the world and history according to constitution experts that we got those words “and Constitutional text”

In Constitution 1971 article no.66  was as followed :

No punishment without legal text

Now this alteration in the article allows directly judges to ignore the law and go directly for Islamic Sharia or rather to be accurate for their own interpretation of Sharia based on that Sheikh from Salafists or this Sheikh from Al Azhar.

The problem of the Muslim brotherhood “1”

I got many ideas and theories about the problem of the Muslim brotherhood currently in Egypt and I decided to share these ideas , they are not organized in a professional way

The Muslim brotherhood and being a secret organization :

The MB is facing a huge problem now , it officially rules the country through a president and Shura council yet it does not want to act as a transparent political party open for criticism as well to renew its ideas or its methods and techniques. This problem is resulted from the fact we are speaking about a political religious underground organization that managed to survive in Egypt for 80 years thanks to its secrecy.

The MB is not used to be open nor transparent. In fact it is hard for that group to be open for real transparent political partisan activity in two years after 80 years of working in darkness. I will dare to say that the Freedom and Justice Party can not be separated for this reason. The MB is its backbone , brain and heart.

Due to its secrecy , it  is not used to be open from criticism , in fact it is not used to democracy when it comes to decision making as it claims. Of course they will claim that they elect their Supreme guide bla bla bla , well the ruling party in China also elect its leader !! 

#EgyConstitution : First round "My field trip"

And voting has started already in 10 governorates in Egypt from 15 minutes ago. Today I will do another live coverage from Cairo. Photos will be uploaded later as well video , please follow my twitter account. I will update this post as much as I can insh Allah.

@11:32 AM

Taking a break to eat something as I haven't had a breakfast yet !!
I finished my tour in Zamalek ,most of the Upper middle class islanders of Cairo say No to the constitution.
I went to the Faculty of arts polling station as early as 8:45Am to find two long queues of women and men, some of them brought their coffee from nearby cafe that seemed to be surprised to find all those customers today while other brought chairs with them.
I witnessed conversation between two ladies from No And yes team. I spoke to other two ladies one from team yes and one from team no.
I noticed that the Yessers always start with that phrase : I am not a MB followed by "Egypt needs stability" and "let's give the man a chance!!"
At that polling station I met the popular committee of Zamalek with their yellow vests. Local community volunteers from Zamalek organizing the process of voting.

One of the "ZC" volunteers

They help voters to find their numbers especially senior citizens.

Senior citizens were seated there

 They were very organized and polite.

#EgyConstitution : Referendum 2012

OK tomorrow insh Allah we will have the first round , the first stage of the most controversial referendum in the first half of the 21th century if I would say.

Now some trivia which probably you already know :

• The Constitution referendum will be held on two stages , on two days because of the number of judges. Most of the judges and prosecutors in Egypt refuse to oversee except couple of thousands thus it was better to hold it on two days according to the decision maker in Egypt whether the current Presidency or its superiors in Muslim brotherhood HQ. Ironically holding the referendum on two days will raise the matter of the constitution unconstitutionality !!!!
• Already according to Dostor Newspaper out of the 22,347 members of judiciary, only 5,772 agreed to supervise the referendum !! 
• The first stage will be held on December 15,2012 “tomorrow” in 10 governorates : Cairo , Alexandria , El Sharkia , El Gharbia , Dakhalia , Assuit, Sohag , Aswan , North Sinai and South Sinai.

A true Banana Republic

When Mohamed ElBaradei once criticized the way Egypt is being ruled comparing it to a Banana Republic state , people mocked him as usual despite it turned out that it was true : We live in Banana Republic. 
Yesterday the general prosecutor "appointed by President Morsi" Talaat Abdullah decided to transfer the East Cairo district attorney Mostafa Khater to Bani Sawif. Mostafa Khater is the district attorney who released the detainees tortured and arrested by MB members during the Presidential Palace Clashes.
The decision was a shock especially that we found a memo presented by Khater and the Heliopolis East Cairo district to the Supreme council of judiciary demanding their return to judiciary and revealing shocking details about the decision of Abdullah to transfer him.

A copy from the memo from Wael Abbas

#MediaCity_Sitin : This does not look good

For days now hundreds of extremists and conservatives are having at sit in at Media city in October City. These extremists led by Salafists “Mainly Salafist Front” as it seems and Hazem Abu Ismail are claiming that they want to purge the media !!!
“To purge the media” actually is actually underestimating to what these guys want. They want to close the channels and punish those TV presenters who are against Sharia and Islam. You got the most radical chants and the most scariest slogans that would make investors and tourists think twice to come to this country.
Today we find the protesters at that sit in butchering a calf distributing its meat to the protesters. “Actually I consider a way to attract the poor to get free meat” 

Meat in Media city sit in

The calf’s price is expensive and yet you find the MB and Salafists claim that the protesters in Tahrir and Presidential Palace’s sits in are enjoying gourmet foods !!
Strangely nobody speaks about the amount of lies spread in the Salafist channels like El Hafez and the MB official channel "Misr 25” !!
Ironically that Sit in is led by none other than Egypt’s Jim Jones aka Hazem Salah Abu Ismail , whom without the media exposure and interview provided by TV private channels he would not be that known and famous !!

After the big #Dec4 , now what !?

Now what ?? Are we going to spend our days in protesting and mobilizing our supporters and friends every day !? Now what Mr. President and ruling Party !?
The Muslim brotherhood officially announced that it will organize Pro-Morsi protests at the presidential palace.
In return now different political powers opposing the Muslim brotherhood began as well independent protesters began to spread calls on social networks urging the people to head to the Presidential palace in order to protect the protesters there.
The doctors now are speaking about having a field hospital there. There is true fear from a massacre for real. The Ultras Ahlawy is heading there too to protect the sit in !!!
Since early morning we began to hear threats from the Islamists especially from Hazemoon's supporters like Mr. Abdel Rahman Ezz.  A terrorist talk from the first degree !!
There was a rumor last night that was denied by the Freedom and Justice Party that the MB has launched "the general mobilization call" directive to all its members all over the country to protect the legitimacy of the president even it will cost them blood and it will stand against the state itself in reference to the army and police for it !!!
It seems that it is a not a rumor after all the young members of MB were proudly repeating that directive  with pride declaring that they are ready to die today for the sake of the President's legitimacy !!
You must know the Supreme guidance office of the Muslim brotherhood held meeting with Islamist powers and parties last night and they issued a statement that slammed the protests describing them as violent and horrifying demanding Morsi to act firmly against that minority !!

Elected President Mohamed Morsi must understand that Mubarak is in jail now because he did not protect the protesters in #Jan25 

#Dec4 : To #Tahrir and To #Heliopolis

And today is another long day.
Right now there is a march heading from the journalists syndicate to Tahrir square against the Constitutional declaration and draft constitution.
There will be also another rally led by the tourism sector workers in Tahrir square against draft constitution.
Now there will be two set of rallies today , one to Heliopolis and another one to Tahrir square. The Constitution Party will have rallies in Tahrir but its students will head to Heliopolis Palace.
Heliopolis Palace is now a military zone with huge security measures and barbed wires.
Banks , schools and ministries made its employees leave earlier today and ATMs are emptied.
The MB and Salafists hold ElBaradei and Sabbahi responsible for anything happy today !!
More coverage coming on the way.
Today there will be four rallies heading to Heliopolis palace :

• One from El Fatah Mosque in Ramasis at 4 PM 
• One from El Nour Mosque in Heliopolis at 5 PM 
• One from Rab'a Al Adawiya Mosque in Heliopolis at 5 PM
• One from El Rashideen Mosque also in Heliopolis at 5 PM

Ok here is a live coverage with pictures and so on. 

#Jan25: Meet Abdel Rahman Mansour

And for the first time Egyptians meet one of the young faces behind Kolena Khaled Said and the invitation to January 25, 2011 protests. Here is Abdel Rahman Mansour , the unknown knight of Kolena Khaled Said speaking for the first time about past and present of Egypt with the hopes of better future.

Here is Abdel Rahman speaking on ONTV last night in Last Talk.

Abdel Rahman was serving in the army in 2011 and he missed what happened all that time but here he is in the second wave. May Allah bless him and protect him.

It is worth to mention that Kolena Khaled Said is being under huge attack by the Muslim brotherhood and their supporters. Ikhwan Web already has been retweeting tweets of MB members comparing the page to Ana Asf Ya Rayes , the infamous Pro-Mubarak page !!

There have been calls among Islamists to nationalize the Page as well !!

Anyhow I love the statement of the Page it issued today “We are not unbiased , we are bias against all shapes of injustice”