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… for worse I am afraid when Israel attacked and invaded Arab territories creating a bigger mess than the one it had originally made in 1948.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.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2018 : The amazing tales challenge Episode 19 “Remorse ”

It is time for a new episode from our Ramadan Arabian Nights Podcast for this year.
We continue with our tale “The Amazing tales challenge” which was aired in the Egyptian State Radio’s One Thousands and One Nights” in the late 1950s.
Interesting events will happen in the magical realm of Djinn in the 19th episode of our podcast.
You can listen to the tale in Arabic after the break after

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2018 : The amazing tales challenge Episode 18 “The Young , The Old ”

And we will continue our tale for this year, the tale of the Amazing tale challenge.
Tonight in the 18th episode of our Ramadan Arabian Nights Podcast in Arabic this year we will return shortly to out original tale for short time.
If you remember, our tale is inside a tale inside a tale itself.
The original tale is the One Thousand and One nights and inside we hear the Amazing tales challenge tale which is about the tale of King Saeed and brothers against the evil realm of Ifrits.
You can hear episode no. 270 from the original Egyptian State Radio’s One Thousand and One Nights show after the break.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2018 : The amazing tales challenge Episode 17 “The hooded knight ”

We continue our tale for this, the tale of the Amazing tales challenge.
Tonight, we will continue listening to the 17th episode of our Ramadan Arabian Nights Podcast and know the fate of that war that started in the Djinn Realm.
Though it is named after the legendary tales book, our take for this year was inspired by the 1956 war and its events.
You can listen to the 278th episode of the original Egyptian state radio’s “One Thousand and One Nights” after the break.

A Princess on a Cover of a magazine ; it is Vogue

Vogue Arabia has not made such noise since its launch in March 2017 in the World as what meant to be a huge positive image for the Saudi Kingdom is turning into a negative move in a very wrong time.

Vogue Arabia's Controversial cover 

June issue of Vogue Arabia features Princes Hayfa Bin Abdullah Al Saud on its cover behinds of a red convertible car with the big headline “Driving force” in bold
.
The fashion magazine which is based in Dubai is celebrating “the trailblazing women of Saudi Arabia” and how they are granted the right to drive their own cars in summer 2018 at last after years of fighting for this simple right.

The issue features an interview with Princess Hayfa who has been an advocate for women’s rights since the days of her father late King Abdullah with a glamorous photo shoot along with features about rising Saudi women stars in various fields whether sports or modeling or acting.
Now there is one problem regarding that cover and that special file about Saudi women’s progress in the era of Prince Mohamed Ibn Salman “MBS”.

It comes at the same time Saudi women activists who worked hard for women’s rights in the Kingdom are being arrested, imprisoned as well humiliated in the worst inhuman way every.

Just as the Holy month of Ramadan was starting from two weeks ago, Saudi authorities launched a new crackdown campaign against women activists who have worked for decades to grant Saudi women’s basic rights including the right to drive.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2018 : The amazing tales challenge Episode 16 “The war ”

We continue our tale for this year, the tale of the Amazing tales challenge.
Tonight, we will listen to the 16th episode of our Ramadan Arabian Nights Podcast this year and just like last night’s episode, it was inspired by true events that changed the course of history.
Taher Abu Fasha was inspired by the Suez war events in 1956 to write the 277th episode of the Egyptian Radio state’s One Thousands Nights and One.
There is nationalization or support to Algerian rebels and their great revolution here but you will below what I mean.
I believe that that tale was written and aired following the war.
You can hear the episode after the break.