For Disney, one of the biggest media companies in Hollywood, there is no better way to start a film like Aladdin than with the old classic and controversial song: Arabian Nights. It is quite different this time from one in the 1992 animation, as they decided to remove the racist and offending remark of ‘barbaric’ in the song. Though the song as it is represents just everything you need to know about the film: an exoticised and romantised fantasy of the ‘East’ that is detached from its own history. After more than a decade with dramatic events like 9/11 and the Iraq war, one would expect that Disney’s producers would make some kind of effort in digging just a little deeper to study other cultures, particularly after the backlash it received from the 1992 film due to its racist undertones. Though the new live-action remake proves that there is still an unbothered attitude towards knowing the history of other countries, to the extent that the film takes place in a fake city named ‘Agrabah’ – no one knows what it is, where it is or what it represents, but it…
The Battle of the Races: Egypt’s Media Syndicate Finally Took a Stance Against Racism
In light of the recent backlash Egyptian actress and comedian Shaimaa Seif faced after appearing in an episode of the Ramadan prank program ‘Shaklabaz’ wearing blackface to portray Sudanese women, Egyptian actor Maged El-Masry spat racist remarks towards African women when he appeared on the show ‘Sheikh El-Hara’ hosted by Basma Wahba resulting in the show getting suspended by Egypt’s Media Syndicate. In an on-air interview, El-Masry recounted with the host a what he considered a “funny” story of a “prank” his friend played on him. El-Masry said that his friend told him that three female fans really wanted to meet him and decided to meet at Roxy Square. When he arrived to Roxy Square that night, three women wearing veils covering their faces hopped into his car. The moment they exposed their faces he was horrified at the sight of their dark skin complexion revealing that they are ‘African’. Wahba was very amused by his reaction and continued to laugh while he revealed that he literally kicked them out of his car. In case him saying it was not vile enough, El-Masry gestured how he kicked them out of the…
‘Most Wanted’ Terrorist Hesham Ashmawi Extradited to Egypt from Libya
Hesham Ashmawi, one of Egypt’s most wanted terrorists, was extradited to Egypt from Libya on Tuesday night following a meeting earlier in the day between Libyan National Army (LNA) General Khalifa Haftar and Egypt’s General Intelligence Service (GIS) chief General Abbas Kamel. Ashmawi, who is implicated in a number of deadly terrorist attacks in Egypt, was escorted by members of Egypt’s GIS upon his arrival at Cairo International Airport. Live television footage aired on Egypt’s main television channels showing a blind-folded Ashmawi being led by heavily armed members of the GIS from a military aircraft to a black vehicle. In a short statement on Twitter, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi applauded the successful extradition and extended his appreciation to the ‘brave men who have always acted as hawks against all those who thought they can terrorize Egyptians’. “The war on terrorism has not ended and will not end until the right of every martyr who died for the sake of the country is restored,” said President Sisi. وأوكد أن الحرب ضد الإرهاب لم تنتهي ولن تنتهي قبل أن نسترجع حق كل شهيد مات فداءً لأجل الوطن. عاشت مصر برجالها.#صقور_مصر#تحيا_مصر —…
Cairene Coffeehouses: A Selection of Personal Favorites
Antique Khana I sit in Antique Khana as I write this, sipping on their staple lemon and mint juice whilst deciding what I want to order. Located on the corner of Brazil Street, an area packed with perfect cafes, Antique Khana remains an outlier. The place has a lot to offer even if you’re not a fan of coffee, their main dishes are truly delicious! Flipping through their menu highlights the culinary craft of their chefs; from breakfast dishes and leafy green salads to soups and sandwiches, their vast array of comfort food is clear. Despite their many options, I go for their midnight pasta every time – a meal which always leaves me in a carb-induced coma. The bistro is often found empty during Ramadan, thus boosting their Wi-Fi speed and making it easier to find a table. Although I would love to sit here for hours working, eating or catching up with friends, there are many more places to explore. Beanos & Cilantro If you’re a sucker for good Wi-Fi and great coffee, then Beanos and Cilantro are the places to go. Both chains have branches scattered throughout…
Netflix Announces Production of First Egyptian Drama ‘Paranormal’
Netflix announced this week the upcoming production of an original Egyptian TV-series entitled Paranormal, based on the Arabic horror books of late Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik. “We are excited to continue our investment in Middle Eastern productions by adapting the highly acclaimed ‘Paranormal’ novels into a thrilling new series,” Kelly Luegenbiehl, Netflix’s VP of international originals, said in a statement. To be directed by young Egyptian director Amr Salama, who is associated with a number of recent Egyptian films such as Oscar-entry Sheikh Jackson (2017), this marks the online entertainment giant’s first attempt at producing Egyptian drama, a genre with a long and popular history on Arab television. “I’m very excited about this project, it was my dream to adapt Paranormal of the late author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik and turn it into a drama, ever since I wanted to be a filmmaker. I’m proud to present the books in a new light while still keeping the essence of Paranormal,” noted Salama. The series will be collaboratively produced by Salama and fellow Egyptian indie producer Mohamed Hefzy, who was appointed president of the Cairo Film Festival in 2018. Paranormal will be…
Four Reasons Why You Should Learn Arabic
The Arabic language is one of the most ancient languages in the world. It has been around for over 1000 years and is believed to be originated from the Arabian Peninsula. For instance, Arabic means “nomadic”: Arabs (aka nomads). Arabic is considered a language with a non-Latin alphabet. Its 28 script letters are easier for English speakers to comprehend than the thousands of Chinese characters, yet, it’s still not easy to become acquainted with the new writing system. Arabic is also written from right to left instead of left to right, which can take some getting used to. Arabic is one of the hardest languages for English speakers to pick up, but, it’s worth learning. Learning any language, let alone one with dozens of varieties of it, can reveal so much about a culture. Each region or country has a special dialect of Arabic that can be radically different from another country, revealing stories of its’ traditions, geography, and history. Below are four reasons why, despite being such a difficult language, Arabic has its rewards. Arabic has one of the richest histories During the Middle Ages, Arabic was a driving…
Remembering Films by Faten Hamama Championing Women’s Rights
Faten Hamama – the icon, the lady, the star, and the epitome of elegance and grace. She is not just one of the most famous actresses in Egyptian and Arab cinema, but also a strong advocate of women’s rights. Hamama made her first screen debut in 1939 in the film Yawm Said, after winning a children’s beauty pageant in Egypt and was taken by her father to the director Mohammed Karim who was looking for a young female child to play aside famous actor and musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab. After her role in the film, people called her “Egypt’s own Shirley Temple”. Later, she also became an icon of Egypt’s gender struggles and feminism during her time. Here are the five prominent ones: 1. THE OPEN DOOR (AL BAB AL MAFTOUH) In this 1963 film, the female lead (Laila) played by Hamama is shown to be a growing independent woman who goes against society’s norms, after rejecting her situation of being stuck in a miserable relationship with her fiancé imposed on her by her patriarchal father. It touches on love, rebellion, and freedom, as she falls in love with a…
Underlying Message of Mubarak Interview: No Peace Without a Just Solution
Interview Draws Mixed Reactions A rare interview with former president Hosni Mubarak published in the Kuwaiti Al Anba newspaper on May 20 drew mixed reactions from Egyptians. Supporters of the deposed president eagerly shared the interview on social media platforms, promoting it as a “must read.” Activists who took part in the 2011 mass protests that forced the longtime autocrat to step down, however, showed their disdain by re-publishing old “Down with Mubarak” tweets, reminiscent of the chant that had echoed across Tahrir Square during the eighteen-day uprising. The readers’ comments published below the article were largely pro-Mubarak, with a supporter praising him as “the boldest of Egyptian rulers.” Not surprisingly, the commenter also mentioned that he was a member of the group, “We are sorry Mr. President,” a loose coalition of Mubarak supporters, created after the 2011 uprising to show solidarity with the deposed president and apologize for the way he was overthrown after 30 years in power. Meanwhile, a Mubarak critic reminded readers that the Egyptian people had lived in poverty, ignorance and dire economic conditions under the latter’s rule. “Corruption had become so rampant that it created…
WhatsApp Announces That It Will Start Showing Ads in 2020
The era of ad-free messaging is coming to an end as one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, WhatsApp, announces during the Facebook Marketing Summit in the Netherlands that it will start screening advertisements on its application in 2020. What attracted people the most to the messaging app is that they can text and call their friends and family without any disruptions unlike other messaging platforms. The Facebook-owned company revealed that the texting experience will soon change for over a billion users worldwide. “WhatsApp will bring Stories Ads in its status product in 2020,” tweeted head of media at BeConnectAgency, Olivier Ponteville. WhatsApp will bring Stories Ads in its status product in 2020. #FMS19 pic.twitter.com/OI3TWMmfKj — Olivier Ponteville (@Olivier_Ptv) May 21, 2019 On both, ‘InstaStories’ and ‘Facebook Stories’, users can post photos or videos that disappear in 24 hours. ‘InstaStories’ on Instagram and ‘Facebook Stories’ on Facebook have ads that appear while the user is tapping or swiping through the videos and pictures. Similarly, the ads are expected to roll under the ‘Status’ section. This is how the ads are expected to look like: In this way, Facebook…