Young Egyptian photographer Mai Ayman created a photo essay titled ‘People of Cairo’ about the various individuals in Cairo’s streets. She documented her interactions with them and captured their facial expressions to give us a glimpse of their professions and personalities. “[The professionals] are so familiar to any of us and they are not appreciated enough in our society despite their great roles and their importance,” Ayman says, “so I loved to show that they [the professionals] are important and that people do really care about them.” Ayman talks to Egyptian Streets about her journey throughout the project. Because Cairo is not necessarily a camera-friendly city, shooting in the streets without a permission was difficult. “We had the fear that any policemen sees us and insists on deleting the pictures, but we tried to avoid this by hiding the camera whenever we see any of them.” The fear was not only from authorities, many people refused to be on camera because they were scared these pictures would be used against them one way or another. Some trusted Ayman enough to consent to being photographed doing what they love, other refused….
Second “Terrorism-Affiliated” German Student Deported From Egypt
Days following the deportation of a German student with Egyptian roots, local authorities have deported Isa El Sabbagh from Egypt on Sunday. El Sabbagh, who was detained on December 17 at Luxor airport, was supposedly en route to visit family relatives. However, this has been contested by Egyptian authorities who claim that El Sabbagh had the intentions of joining local IS branch in Sinai. Local news outlet Sada El Balad reported that authorities had found maps of North Sinai in El Sabbagh’s possessions. El Sabbagh had forfeited his Egyptian nationality in 2007 as a minor; the decision was taken by his father. Following his and, Göttingen-originating student Mahmoud Aziz ‘s detention in Cairo airport on the 27 of December, the German Foreign Ministry and German embassy in Cairo intervened to ensure their release and eventual deportation. Terrorists, including the IS-affiliated groups in North Sinai, have mainly focused their attacks on security forces as a result of the ongoing conflict in the area of Sinai. Egypt’s aggressive military operation ‘Sinai 2018’ began on 9 February aiming to eliminate terrorism in the province, which has been troubled by an Islamist militant insurgency since…
Egypt’s Very Own Zööba to Open Branch in NYC
According to an official press release issued on Monday, Egyptian food restaurant chain Zööba will be opening its very first US branch in Manhattan’s Nolita district. The Egyptian chain, which describes its achievement as the ‘first ever restaurant concept 100% homegrown in Egypt to launch in the the US’ was able to secure $USD 4mn to fund the flagship outlet. As such, founder and CEO Chris Khalifa as well as key senior members will be relocating to NYC while former Zööba marketing manager Ahmed Fahmy takes over as Egypt’s country manager. Zööba’s first branch opened in Zamalek in 2012 with a vision to have a Zööba in every major city in the world, according to Christopher Khalifa, the CEO and founder of Zööba. It has six branches in Maadi, Zamalek, Tagamou, Heliopolis, Sheikh Zayed and Nasr City. In June 2018, Zööba announced that it had partnered with SADF Trading and Development, a company that operates and scales an F&B franchise, which would help them open in 20 different locations over the following seven years. The first new international branches to open are to be in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain as the…
This Kenyan Photographer Visualizes the Legendary Tale of King Pino
Award-winning Kenyan photographer Richard Allela released a photo series beautifully capturing the African hero King Pano who single-handedly took down an entire army. “Legend goes that King Pino was conceived during heavy rains when lightning struck their village.He was possessed of unearthly powers, making him invincible during warfare. He was famously known for his capability to tear an entire army apart.” Allela recreated the story of King Pino with “hope that both the young and the old will be proud of their heritage and strive for greatness knowing that they are made of greatness and that they can become whatever they want,” he says to Egyptian Streets. By reviving the old African culture and tales that are often forgotten, the new generation can now better understand their roots and with that knowledge, they can become something better. What inspired Alella’s project was the lack of African heroes and heroines in representation in media, and especially the lack of visual representation. In one of the stories about King Pino, the legend says that while a stampede of elephants were storming towards the town, King Pino stood on his feet ready to…
Egypt’s Implementation of Braille Supports the Visually Impaired
On January 4 of each year, the world at large, particularly visually impaired individuals, celebrate the International Day of Braille. The latter was invented by the Frenchman Louis Braille, who developed the writing system due to having lost his eye sight following an accident. His invention paved the way for millions to become ‘literate’ worldwide. Braille is a system of writing which depends on the drawing of characters through distinct fixed size points or raised dots in ‘cells’ to a large extent, thus forming a ‘language’ that is traditionally written with embossed paper and which can be ‘read’ through tactile sensation. Although the braille method is considered an established code since the end of the 19th century, since its largely unchanged invention, the General Assembly of United Nations adopted its World Day celebration only in November 2018. On January 4, the International Day of Braille was approved to encourage people with visual disabilities or those with severe weaknesses in reading and writing to strengthen their visibility in societies. In the middle of the 19th century, the Arabic language was included by Mohamed El Onssy in the braille method. Its insertion was…
Palestinian Woman Shot Dead By Israel While Holding a Flag
During the protests of the ‘Great March of Return’ on Friday, a Palestinian woman was shot dead along the eastern borders of the besieged Gaza Strip. “She took a flag from a youth and before she moved, three gunshots rang out … she fell down,” witness Umm Yazan told The Independent. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, 43-year old Amal al-Taramsi was shot in the head during the rallies, and at least 25 other people were injured, including a journalist. The ministry also mentioned that Israeli forces targeted a Palestinian ambulance by firing several tear-gas bombs, which left many Palestinians suffer from tear-gas inhalation. Since March of 2018, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians protested near the Gaza-Israel border, which was called by the protestors as”the Great March of Return,” to demand that Palestinian refugees be allowed to return back to their homes. More than 220 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the protests, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Though initially planned to last until May, the protests continued on every week, with five tent camps set up 500 to 700 meters from the border to remain there throughout the campaign….
Azhar Student Expelled for Hugging Her Fiancé
Last week, Al-Azhar University decided to dismiss one of its student after a video of a student hugging her fiance inside the Mansoura University campus in Delta Egypt went viral, however the disciplinary committee gave her the opportunity to appeal the decision after they were criticized. Azhar University spokesman Ahmed Zarei revealed in a statement to the BBC that a disciplinary council had decided to expel the student, who is studying at the Faculty of Arabic Language at the university branch in Mansoura, after an investigation. “The expelled student now has the right to appeal the university’s decision before a high disciplinary board,” he told Ahram Online on Sunday. Zarei added that she can now settle for a lesser punishment. The video circulated social media websites where a student at the Faculty of Law in Mansoura University hugs the student after proposing to her. The young man shows up and surprised the girl with roses. Zarei said that Al-Azhar University is a religious and educational institution “and what the girl did is contrary to the ethics of religion and society as well as our traditions in Egypt.” Al-Azhar University President…
Egyptian Museum Receives € 3M Grant to Undergo Development
According to local news outlet, Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled El Enany announced that the ministry received an internal grant of € 3 million to restore and develop one of Cairo’s iconic institutions, the Egyptian Museum. The beloved 116-year old landmark would be undergoing a development plan which would see the collaboration of the Ministry of Antiquities as well as European museums such as London’s British Museum, the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Egyptian Museum of Berlin and the Egyptian Museum in Turin. After the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the British Museum houses the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of Egyptian antiquities (over 100,000) followed by the Egyptian Museum in Berlin (around 80,000). The news was announced on Saturday, while El Enany accompanied Osama Heikal head of Egypt’s parliament’s Media, Culture and Antiquities Committee in an inspection tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Additional information regarding the exact renovation and development work that the museums are planning to carry out have not yet been revealed. For years, tourists and locals have lamented the state of the Egyptian museum, criticizing its lay-out scheme, lighting, out-dated display features and lack of proper labeling. The museum,…
New Middle East Alliance Including Egypt and GCC States to Be Formed
United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a speech on Thursday in Cairo at the American University on America policy’s in the Middle East, noting that the Trump administration hopes to establish a coalition consisting of GCC states, Egypt and Jordan. “The Trump Administration is also working to establish the Middle East Strategic Alliance – or ‘MESA’ to confront the region’s most serious threats, and bolster energy and economic cooperation. This effort is bringing together members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as Egypt and Jordan. Today we ask those countries to take the next step in solidifying MESA,” Pompeo said in the speech. Pompeo noted that the “the age of self-inflicted American shame is over” and that America will pursue a more activist policy, adding that it is a “force of good” for the region. He added that the only way to end the rivalries and conflict in the region is by containing and defeating Iran, and vowed “expel every last Iranian boot” from Syria. “For those who fret about the use of American power, remember this: America has always been, and always will be, a liberating force, not…