Many Egyptians take a moment of grieving silence for the death of Abdel Rahaman el-Abnudi, the esteemed Egyptian poet who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 76. After years of battling illness and deteriorating lungs, el-Abnudi passed away earlier this afternoon due to repercussions and health complications following a brain surgery he underwent on Sunday. Dubbed “Al-Khal” (The Uncle), el-Abnudi was the voice the poor, the impoverished, the working class, the peasants, and a wide base of simple Egyptians whose voices barely found room to be heard. His poetry which was written in the Egyptian dialect (al’amiyya) rather than classical Arabic (fusha) reflected the hopes, fears, aches and dreams of a people which made his works relatable to the common man. El-Abnudi was born in 1939 in Abnud Village of Qena Governorate in Upper Egypt to Mahmoud el-Abnudi, a marriage official. His upbringing in Qena was highly influential to his appreciation for language and poetry. It was back in his hometown that he grew to Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah, also known as Al-Hilali epic, an oral epic poet of the Arab folk. Among his most famous collections of poetry…
Women Battle To Report Sexual Harassment in Egypt
Amira, 26, commutes to work every day by bus. “Most of the time it is too crowded to sit”, she says. One night she is almost at her stop when a man standing next to her tries to shove his hand down her trousers. “From behind I felt somebody lift up my shirt and put their hand between my belt en my skin,” Amira describes, recalling how she created a big scene and dragged the man to the nearest police station. It’s been more than ten months since Egypt adopted a new law that was supposed to make it easier for women in Egypt to press charges against someone who has sexually harassed them. Unfortunately, in reality, not much has changed. At first the police officers made fun of Amira. “Go home, girl, they told me.” When she insisted on pressing charges they started threatening her. “The officers knew who my father is, where he works and what his boss’ name is. ‘Surely your father wouldn’t like to hear that his daughter is a whore’ one of them said. They stood uncomfortably close to me the whole time and everybody…
Former Egyptian President Morsi Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison
Deposed President Mohammed Morsi and 12 co-defendants have been sentenced to 20 years in maximum security prison for violence outside the Presidential Palace in December 2012. The former President and all other defendants were acquitted by the Court on charges of incitement to murder protesters, but were found guilty of intimidation, general violence and torture of protesters. Two defendants received 10 years in prison. The deposed President and Muslim Brotherhood member was among 15 high profile Muslim Brotherhood leaders on trial for the killing of protesters outside the Ittihadiya Presidential Palace in December 2012. The violence outside the Presidential Palace resulted in the deaths of 10 people, including a journalist, and injuries of more than 700 others. Morsi, who was deposed on July 3 after mass protests against his government, had won Egypt’s first free democratic elections since former Hosni Mubarak was toppled in 2011. Among other cases Morsi and numerous Muslim Brotherhood leaders are facing relate to charges of espionage and escape from prison during the January 25 revolution. The former President is expected to appeal his 20 year prison sentence, said sources to state media Al-Ahram….