to move up and down
Man goes undercover as a woman to investigate deep-rooted sexual harassment and abuse in Egypt
Waleed Hammad dressed conservatively for his secret mission into the world of sexual harassment and abuse on the streets of Cairo, donning a long tan skirt and sleeved shirt, and at times covering his head like many Egyptian women.
The 24-year-old actor walked the sidewalks, hidden cameras in tow, for an investigative television report, hoping the broadcast would enlighten national debate about how to combat deep-rooted day-to-day sexual harassment and abuse in this patriarchal society.
As he strolled, Hammad, who wore light makeup to conceal hints of facial hair and accentuate his eyes, was hissed at and verbally abused. In one instance — when he was wearing a head veil — he was taken for a prostitute and offered up to $580 for one night.
“I can go wherever I want, do whatever I want very simply, very easily, very casually,” Hammad said. “For a woman, it boils down to her having to focus on how she breathes while she is walking. It is not just the walk. It is not just the clothes. It is not what she says or how she looks.” As a woman walking down the street, “you have to be in a constant state of alertness.” (AP Photo / Courtesy of Awel el Kheit)
Violent protests erupt in Tahrir Square as Mohammed Morsi’s decree threatens new turmoil at heart of Arab Spring
Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi’s decree that put his decisions above legal challenge until a new parliament was elected caused fury amongst his opponents on Friday who accused him of being the new Hosni Mubarak and hijacking the revolution.
Police fired tear gas in a street leading to Cairo’s Tahrir Square, heart of the 2011 anti-Mubarak uprising, where thousands demanded Mursi quit and accused him of launching a “coup”. There were violent protests in Alexandria, Port Said and Suez.
“The people want to bring down the regime,” shouted protesters in Tahrir, echoing a chant used in the uprising that forced Mubarak to step down. “Get out, Mursi,” they chanted. (Reuters; AP Photos)
The Arab Spring, the Syrian civil war what they mean for the conflict in Gaza
A lot has happened since the 2008/09 Gaza conflict. While the rebellion in Syria means the Jewish state can expect little substantial interference from one of its long-time adversaries, the Mavi Marmara incident in 2010 means Israel can also expect little public support from Turkey. Here’s a look at the geopolitical situation in the region today.
‘Today is your last day, ambassador’: Embassies under siege as anti-Islam film protests spread
Demonstrators, furious at a film they say insults the Prophet Mohammad, clashed with police near the U.S. embassy in Cairo on Friday before a nationwide protest called by the Muslim Brotherhood which propelled Egypt’s Islamist president to power.
‘We were misled’: Crew members condemn anti-Islam film, claim Mohammed references added in post production
As mystery continued to surround the man behind Innocence of Muslims — the video that has sparked violent protest across North Africa — members of the film’s crew have come forward to claim they had no idea they were working on a piece of anti-Islamic propaganda.
Cindy Lee Garcia, an actress from Bakersfield, Calif., who worked on the film told Gawker that the script she was given was titled simply Desert Warriors.
“It was going to be a film based on how things were 2,000 years ago,” she said. “It wasn’t based on anything to do with religion, it was just on how things were run in Egypt. There wasn’t anything about Mohammed or Muslims or anything.”
U.S. ambassador to Libya killed in rocket attack in Benghazi
The U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other embassy staff were killed in a rocket attack on their car, a Libyan official said, as they were rushed from a consular building stormed by militants denouncing a U.S.-made film insulting the Prophet Mohammad.
Gunmen had attacked and burned the U.S. consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi, a center of last year’s uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, late on Tuesday evening, killing one U.S. consular official. The building was evacuated.
Gary Clement’s week in review for May 20-26, 2012
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At least 50 people were killed after a soccer pitch invasion in the Egyptian city of Port Said, health ministry sources said, raising the official estimate of the death count from 25.
It was one of the worst incidents of sports violence in Egypt in decades.
A security official and a medic said fans of the home team, Al-Masry, swarmed the field after a rare 3-1 win against Al-Ahly, Egypt’s top team. They threw stones, fireworks, and bottles at the fans and injured some players.
(via nationalpostsports)
Photos: Tens of thousands mass in Egypt’s Tahrir Square to mark one-year anniversary of revolt
Tens of thousands massed in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and other Egyptian cities on Wednesday, a year after an uprising erupted that toppled Hosni Mubarak, spurred on revolts across the region and exposed rifts in the Arab world’s most populous state.
United last year by popular anger at Mubarak and his 30-year rule, Egyptians gathering on the January 25 anniversary were in high spirits but divided between activists demanding a swift end to army rule and Islamists celebrating their dramatic change in fortunes after emerging victors in a parliamentary election.
Lingerie market in Muslim countries booming
Behind their more modest street clothes, many women in Arab countries apparently are wearing North American lingerie as western companies expand into these markets.
With slightly lower hems and largely altered advertisements, Canadian lingerie retailer La Vie en Rose has made a splash in Arab countries.
About 10% of the Montreal-based company’s annual revenue comes from its stores in Arab countries, and the company plans to expand to meet growing demands there, said Luc Poirier, the CFO and vice-president of international business.
“It was a bit surprising to see the growth compared to the Canadian market,” Poirier said. “Still, we feel that women, whether Muslim or whatever the religion, like to be fashionable. So if there’s a demand there, we thought we should try to serve it as well as we do here in Canada.” (Photo: Patrick Smith for National Post)
Horrific police beating of ‘girl in the blue bra’ becomes new rallying call for Egyptian protesters
She has been dubbed “the girl in the blue bra” and has quickly become a symbol for Egyptian protesters trying to end the country’s military power.
In a powerful and graphic video seen around the world, soldiers are seen beating and dragging the woman along the street during a protest. Her clothing becomes loose and her blue bra is clearly on show as a soldier stomps on her.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed outrage at the woman’s treatment and said it dishonours the country.
“This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonours the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform and is not worthy of a great people,” she said.
Burnt and damaged books at the Institute of Egypt in central Cairo on December 19, 2011 after the world-famous centre caught fire during deadly clashes between security forces and protesters. The heavily damaged historic centre for the advancement of scientific research, housing priceless national archives, was founded in 1798 during Napoleon Bonaparte’s expedition to Egypt, and contained more than 20,000 precious documents and manuscripts. MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images READ MORE
The Arab Awakening: The ex-Google executive behind Egypt’s online revolution
The Arab Spring began a year ago, ushering in an era of revolution and protest. In the second of a six-part series, the National Post’s Peter Goodspeed charts Egypt’s route from “day of rage” to the ballot box
During the early days of Egypt’s revolution, the once-powerful and much-feared interior minister, Habib al-Adly, reportedly dismissed Cairo’s protesters as “a bunch of incognizant, ineffective young people.”
It was, perhaps, the most erroneous assessment of the entire Arab Spring.
Mr. Habib obviously had not met Wael Ghonim, the former Google executive, computer engineer and Internet activist who unwittingly became the unofficial spokesman for Egypt’s revolutionaries.
“I’m not a hero. I want to tell every mother and every father who lost a child, I am sorry. But this is not our mistake. I swear to God, it is not our mistake. It is the mistake of every one of those in power who doesn’t want to let go of it.” (Photo: Dylan Martinez/Reuters)
