Shafiq to be named president on Sunday, claim govt sources
Egypt electoral body is set to announce victory for Brotherhood's opponent, according to several government figures and diplomats
Dina Ezzat, Friday 22 Jun 2012
Egypt's electoral body is set to announce Ahmed Shafiq as the country's new president on Sunday evening, several government sources claimed.
Western diplomats in Cairo also said they have heard similar predictions from Cabinet members over the last three days.
A source in the current government said that Shafiq will be declared victor with 50.7 per cent of the vote, in an outcome that is likely to be strongly disputed by the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate, Mohamed Mursi.
Mursi's campaign has previously shrugged off Shafiq's claims of a victory, insisting they have compiled strong evidence to the contrary.
Sources at the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC) would not confirm to Ahram Online the claims of a Shafiq win.
It is unclear if it is simply another salvo in the ongoing campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood.
BREAKING: Egypt's electoral commission to unveil presidential elections results Sunday 3pm
Ahram Online, Saturday 23 Jun 2012
Secretary-General of the Presidential Electoral Commission Hatem Bagato said the commission will announce the results of Egypt's presidential runoff elections at 3pm (1pm GMT) Sunday, according to Egyptian state TV.
Both Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Mursi and Mubarak's last premier Ahmed Shafiq have claimed victory, citing their unofficial counts.
The electoral commission was supposed to announce the results on Thursday but decided to delay the announcement in order to examine appeals presented by both candidates.
Earlier reports claimed that the commission would announce the results of the second round run-off Saturday evening, but the Presidential Commission denied the reports.
Sultan said the commission is still in the process of assessing complaints filed against the results in certain polling stations. He added that the date of announcing the results will only be specified when the commission has obtained the final results having examined all the complaints.
ursi declared first civilian Egyptian president but military still in control
Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi becomes Egypt's first freely-elected, non-military head of state – but his diminished presidential authority under last week's 'constitutional addendum' raises question marks
Sherif Tarek, Sunday 24 Jun 2012
Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate Mohamed Mursi has been named Egypt's fifth president after narrowly defeating his rival, Mubarak-era PM Ahmed Shafiq, in the hotly-contested presidential elections' runoffs. His victory, however, is barely expected to bring immediate stability to the turmoil-hit country.
The final results, which gave 52 per cent of the vote to Mursi, were announced around 4:30pm, Sunday, at the Cairo headquarters of the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC).
The announcement sparked massive celebrations in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicentre of Egypt's uprising.
According to the final tally, Mursi won 13,280,131 votes against 12,347,380 (a bit over 48 per cent) for Shafiq, according to the SPEC's official vote count, announced after allegations of electoral fraud – filed by both candidates' campaigns – were declared.
The total number of registered voters in Egypt stands at 50,958,794. Voter turnout in the presidential runoff was 26,420,763 (nearly 52 per cent). The total number of valid ballots cast was 25,575,511, while the number of voided ballots was 843,252.
"I would like to thank the military council, the judicial system and the police for their efforts in making the elections clean and fair," Mursi campaign manager Ahmed Abdel-Atti said shortly after the announcement.
Mursi, who resigned as head of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) shortly after the result announcement, launched his presidential campaign after Brotherhood second-in-command Khairat El-Shater was disqualified from the race by Egypt's electoral commission in April. El-Shater was disqualified due to a prior criminal conviction under the Mubarak regime.
Mursi's win in Egypt's first-ever genuine multi-candidate presidential election puts an end to a 60-year military monopoly on the office of president. His predecessors, who ruled the country since the 1952 Free Officers' coup – Mohamed Naguib, Gamal Abdel-Nasser, Anwar El-Sadat and Hosni Mubarak – all came from within the army's ranks.
Mursi's victory, however, does not mean that the military will loosen its current grip on power. Recent decisions by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) give the military junta expanded authorities at the expense of both parliament and the office of the presidency.
モルシ氏は当選の発表の数時間後「私は全エジプト人の大統領になる」と語り、ムスリム同胞団はモルシ氏が当選発表後にムスリム同胞団と自由公正党の役職を辞任したと発表した。イスラム勢力の伸張を恐れるキリスト教の一派で、3月に教皇が死去したコプト正教会の暫定トップもモルシ氏に祝意を表した。(c)AFP/Samer al-Atrush and Jailan Zayan
Amr Nabil/Associated Press
Egyptians carried a poster of Mohammed Morsi in Cairo's Tahrir Square Sunday after an election commission declared the Islamist the winner of a presidential runoff.
アメリカン大学（カイロ）のハレド・ファフミー教授（歴史学）は、「国民に開かれてこなかったアラブ諸国にあって、激しい抵抗にも関わらず国民が初めて大統領を選んだという意味で、革命的な出来事だ」と述べた。
Ahram Online compiled and calculated results according to polling stations voting tallies approved by presiding judges in 100 per cent of Egypt's governorates
６月25日（ブルームバーグ）：エジプトの次期大統領に選出されたムスリム同胞団のムハンマド・モルシ氏は、就任を前に国民に団結を呼びかけた。一方で、実権を握る軍は大統領の権限制約を図っている。
米国でエンジニアとしての教育を受けたモルシ氏（60）は、エジプト初の民主的選挙で大統領に当選した。かつてムバラク前政権の下では投獄された経験もある。選挙終了から緊張の１週間を経て24日に当選が確定し、テレビ放映された当選演説で、「すべてのエジプト人のための大統領になる」と宣言。民主化運動によるムバラク前大統領の失脚からこれまでの１年４カ月で国内の対立が深まっていることを受け、国民の融和に努める姿勢を前面に押し出した。同氏はまた、エジプトは国際的な合意を尊重すると表明した。
モルシ氏は演説で、「辛抱強い偉大な国民が払った犠牲が報われるよう」エジプトは団結を必要としていると強調した。ムバラク政権で首相を務めたシャフィク氏との決選投票で同氏が勝利したことを祝い、何百万人もの群衆が夜の市街に繰り出した。同国選挙管理委員会は24日、決選投票の結果を発表。得票率はモルシ氏の51.7％に対しシャフィク氏が48.3％だった。
原題：Mursi Vows to Unite Egypt, Respect International Treaties(2)（抜粋）
拡張したばかりのボルグ・エル・アラブ（Borg Al Ara）空港に近い牧場リゾート、ヒルトン・アレクサンドリア（Hilton Alexandria）には、ビジネスセンター、屋内プール、エグゼクティブラウンジ、地元料理が自慢のレストランなど飲食施設を備えた195室の新ホテルができる。オープン予定は2013年末。(c)Relaxnews/AFPBB News
７月17日（ブルームバーグ）：米パシフィック・インベストメント・マネジメント（ＰＩＭＣＯ）のモハメド・エラリアン最高経営責任者（ＣＥＯ）が、エジプトの次期首相の有力候補となっている。同国紙エルワタンが自由公正党の当局者アハメド・アブ・バラカ氏の話として報じた。
同ＣＥＯはエジプトの中央銀行総裁を務めたマフムード・アブレヨウン氏より有力だという。自由公正党はムスリム同胞団が母体で、大統領選挙を制したモルシ大統領が先月まで党首を務めていた。同大統領が首相を指名する。
別のエジプト紙が首相候補だと報じた後にエラリアン氏にコメントを求める電子メールを先週送ったが返答はない。ＰＩＭＣＯ広報担当のマーク・ポーターフィールド氏もコメントを求める電子メールに回答していない。
原題：Pimco’s El-Erian Is a Candidate for Egypt PM Job, WatanReports（抜粋）
Train derails in Egypt's Giza, no deaths confirmed
Egyptian National Railways official says passengers from another train placed barriers on track; health ministry says no deaths
Ahram Online, Tuesday 17 Jul 2012
A train heading from Cairo to the Upper Egyptian governorate of Sohag was derailed in the Badrasheen area of Giza on Tuesday after hitting barriers deliberately placed on the track by passengers from another train. A number of people were reportedly injured, although no deaths have been confirmed.
Ahmed El-Ansary, head of the Egyptian Ambulance Organization, which is affiliated with the health ministry, said that four passengers had been injured but that no one had been killed.
"The injured were treated by paramedics," he said, according to Al-Ahram's Arabic-language news website. "They only sustained bruises and are all in stable condition."
Reuters quoted unnamed security and medical sources as saying that at least 15 passengers had been injured, while no deaths had been confirmed.
Egyptian National Railways head Hani Hegab, however, told state-run news agency MENA that the accident had in fact resulted in deaths, but that the toll had yet to be confirmed.
MENA also reported that train number 990 had been derailed after hitting barriers placed on the track by disgruntled passengers from another train.
According to Hegab, passengers from train number 162 on the Cairo-Assiut line were angry because their train had to make an unscheduled stop to allow another train to pass.
Consequently, frustrated passengers of the halted train positioned blocks on the track that caused three carriages of train 990 to flip over.
A police investigation is currently underway aimed at ascertaining the reasons for the accident.
One dead as clashes erupt at Cairo's Nile City Towers
Local residents are said to be besieging luxury Nilefront complex following alleged shooting incident in Fairmont Hotel; corniche road closed to traffic
Ahram Online, Thursday 2 Aug 2012
ベラルーシ戦で１得点１アシストと活躍したエジプト代表の主将アブートリカ（中央）
Photo By ＡＰ
エジプトは１日の１次リーグ最終戦でベラルーシに３―１で快勝し、Ｃ組２位で逆転突破を果たした。突破には勝ち点３が条件だったが、速攻を中心に持ち前の攻撃力を発揮し、ラムジ監督は「われわれは８強にふさわしい素晴らしいチームだ」と胸を張った。
(c) The Financial Times Limited 2012. All Rights Reserved. The Nikkei Inc. is solely responsible for providing this translated content and The Financial Times Limited does not accept any liability for the accuracy or quality of the translation.
８月22日（ブルームバーグ）：エジプトが同国初のユーロ建て財務省証券を発行する見通しだ。政府は過去最高水準に近い借り入れコストの引き下げに取り組んでいる。事情に詳しい関係者が明らかにした。
計画がまだ公表されていないとして匿名を条件に語った関係者によると、政府は１年物証券の発行を通じ最大５億ユーロ（約494億円）の調達を目指している。サイード財務相からのコメントは今のところ得られていない。
原題：Egypt Said to Plan First Euro-Denominated Treasury-BillSale（抜粋）
(c) The Financial Times Limited 2012. All Rights Reserved. The Nikkei Inc. is solely responsible for providing this translated content and The Financial Times Limited does not accept any liability for the accuracy or quality of the translation.
Mohammed Abu Zaid/Associated Press
Egyptian protesters, largely ultraconservative Islamists, climbed the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo Tuesday to protest a film, reportedly produced in the U.S., that was deemed offensive to Islam's Prophet Muhammad.
モルシ大統領の母体であるイスラム原理主義組織、ムスリム同胞団の幹部らは、オバマ大統領が12日、米国のスペイン語テレビ局に対し、「われわれはエジプトを同盟国とみていないが、敵とはみなしていない」と発言し、米国の対エジプト関係を軽視する姿勢を見せたことに驚いたと語る。
The Health Ministry on Tuesday formally shut down seven mineral water companies after test results from random samples of groundwater wells used by the companies showed they contain water pollutants, including live protozoa.
In a statement on Tuesday, Health Ministry Undersecretary for Preventive Medicine Dr. Amr Qandil said the companies are not meeting health and safety standards.
Qandil said the manufacturing companies and the concerned regulatory authorities were informed of the decision to shut down the wells and that any violations by the concerned companies will be considered as negligence punishable by law.
He noted that a number of water bottling companies had previously ignored decisions issued by the Water and Health Commission concerning the closure of wells used by companies.
Qandil added that the ministry had a duty to inform consumers and that the public prosecutor had been notified of the issue. Qandil said products manufactured by the companies include Alpha, Hadir, Seway, Aqua Delta, Tiba, Aqua Mina and Aqua Soteir bottled water.
After the latest contamination scandal, can you trust your water?
Wed, 04/07/2012 - 13:51
It is a common perception worldwide that drinking bottled water is safer than consuming tap water. In Egypt specifically, people have little faith in the safety of the water that runs from the tap, in light of the country’s exceedingly high level of kidney failure ― a condition spurred by the lack of a reliable source for clean drinking water.
Although the health benefits claimed by the labels on bottled water are unproven at best, most Egyptians consider tap water contaminated and unhealthy.
Bottled water consumption has been steadily growing in the world over the past three decades, and has become one of the most dynamic sectors of the food and beverage industry. In Egypt, the stable price of bottled water has made the market grow considerably, although it is estimated that bottled water costs 1,000 times more than tap water by volume.
But the so-called “healthy” label for bottled water received a serious blow in Egypt a week ago, when seven brands of local bottled water were taken off the market overnight after tests revealed the presence of pollutants.
The incriminated wells were shut down immediately, with the World Health Organization (WHO) issuing a statement naming the contaminated brands. Alfa, Alhadeer, Sawa, Aqua Delta, Taiba, Aqua Mina and Aqua Soteir did not pass the Ministry of Health’s surprise well-water testing.
Ahmed Shaaban is a professor of Water Pollution Research, and vice-president of the National Research Centre (NRC). He explains that the Ministry of Health and other authorized institutes ― including the NRC ― regularly conduct testing of bottled water on the market and pay surprise visits to bottled water companies to analyze the water quality of their wells.
This time, these seven companies failed the test after the water tested positive for live protozoa, usually present only in the intestines and feces of humans and animals, says Shaaban.
There is only one likely scenario that explains the presence of this parasite in the bottled water: the surface water of the wells mixed with polluted waste water near the plant from septic tanks, or discharges into the groundwater. “The problem is that these companies use shallow wells, which are between 50 and 300 meters deep only, when the pure and clean water is located much deeper,” says Shaaban.
The location of the bottled water companies has a major influence on the quality of the water, and if dumpsites are located around the wells, the water will be contaminated, he explains. “There are always methods to get rid of all pollutants, no matter how contaminated the water is,” he adds. “Once the water’s composition is evaluated, we decide on the most appropriate type of treatment. If the water contains too many minerals then we opt for reverse osmosis, a membrane-technology filtration system that removes many of the large molecules and ions from the water.” If the problem resides in the presence of bacteria and organic matter, the preferred technique used is carbon filtering, which uses activated carbon to remove contaminants and impurities.
“I am positive that the wells that have been shut down by the ministry will be reopened in a couple of weeks,” claims Shaaban, because no matter how contaminated well-water can be, filtering techniques can get rid of most of it, and the water can then comply with the health and safety standards set by WHO. “For these wells, what needs to be done is to either change the purification method or clean the filters because maintenance practices are not being followed.”
While most contaminants in bottled water infiltrate the solution at the source, before it is bottled up and put on the market, picking the wrong storage facility can also be highly detrimental to the quality of the water. If, for example, bottles are stored outside under a plastic cover, the sun can cause the polymers in the plastic to melt and mix with the water. “Not only is this very unhealthy, but it also changes the taste of the water,” says Shaaban.
According to a study conducted by the Egypt Public Health Association in 2008, “Quality of Bottled Water Brands in Egypt, Biological Water Examination,” the longer the time between the production date and the date of purchasing, the higher the likelihood of unacceptable samples becomes.
Although unopened bottles of water should have a shelf life of 30 days, most bottled water stickers advertise a shelf life of one to two years. If refrigerated, the risks are considerably lower, but if left at room temperature for over a month, the study reveals that 52 percent of unrefrigerated bottles fail to comply with Egyptian standards, a pattern consistent in all brands, according to the study.
“There was a major outbreak of diseases related to contaminated bottled water in Egypt in the 1980s,” Shaaban remembers. “The well water of a company in Sharqiya was polluted with bacteria and parasites, and the Ministry of Health closed the company down for good.” In 1994, an outbreak of cholera in the United States was associated with bottled water. The incriminated company obtained the water mainly from municipal water and some of the wells tested positive for fecal coliform bacteria. In Portugal in the 1970s, cholera spread due to the use of bottled water originating from a limestone aquifer that had been contaminated by broken sewers nearby. These examples show how contaminated bottled water can easily spread waterborne diseases.
In Egypt’s most rural areas, there are no proper treatment and secure sewage systems, and this has two severe consequences. If a bottled water company is located nearby, there is a high risk that the groundwater will be contaminated with waste and sewage water. It also means that drinking tap water here is very risky. “The risks related to tap water are high in rural Egypt,” asserts Shaaban, “because a large amount of disinfectant is added into the water to try to purify it, which is very unhealthy. But the safety of tap water is guaranteed in all of Egypt’s major cities,” he says.
As a water pollution research professor, Shaaban and two colleagues from the UK and Greece are now working on a new project to design cheaper water cleaning technology specifically for rural areas.
The system, “Bioremoval for Clean Water,” is specifically designed to remove the iron, manganese and organic matter that are found in Egyptian aquifers.
“After a few years of research, we discovered that one bacteria in particular can eliminate iron and manganese particles by feeding on the organic matter,” says Shaaban. The scientist won’t reveal the name of this bacteria as the Egyptian strain of the bacteria is currently being patented.
“We attached the bacteria on a special type of gravel that acts as a biofilter inside the water treatment system, and reduces the level of iron and manganese to acceptable levels,” he explains.
Although Shaaban has received funding from the Ministry of Scientific Research for the research part of the project, he is still waiting for additional funding to implement this device in rural areas. Given the current political climate, however, nothing is for certain.
This piece was originally published in Egypt Independent's weekly print edition.
A STRIKE by microbus drivers on Tuesday left many Cairo streets in chaos. Drivers parked their vehicles and forced passengers to get out while drivers who refused to take part in the strike were assaulted by their comrades on strike. The protesters are critical of the fines imposed by the Interior Ministry for traffic violations. They also want a reduction in the price of diesel fuel and an end to the fuel shortage.
A byproduct of last year's revolution, thousands of Egyptians from all walks of life have been demonstrating incessantly in recent months, most demanding higher wages. (see p.7)
ｘ
上記ミニバスストライキの影響受けた、という方のブログ記事 http://ameblo.jp/mariam-egypt/entry-11371017005.html
Egypt president removes prosecutor-general
Muhammad Morsi removes top prosecutor after Mubarak loyalists acquitted in "Camel Battle" case.
Last Modified: 11 Oct 2012 17:26 GMT
Middle East
「社会的な理由から、これは非常にいいニュースだと思います。2005年から2010年の5年間を見ると、エジプトのインフレ率は平均7−8%で、これはエジプトのような国にとっては高すぎるレベルです」とアブダビの投資顧問会社・ナショナル・インベスター(The National Investor)のセバスチャン・ヘニン(Sebastien Henin)副社長は言う。
Egypt's shops and restaurants face strict new closing times
Starting in November, Egypt's shops will have to shut their doors by 10pm and restaurants by midnight or face stiff penalties; tourist establishments are exempt
Bassem Abo Alabass, Thursday 11 Oct 2012
Egypt's governors' council has set strict new closing times for shops and restaurants due to the country's "current security and economic condition," the state-run MENA news agency reported on Thursday.
Under new laws to be enforced in November, Egypt's shops will have to shut their doors by 10pm, while restaurants will have to close by midnight.
Speaking to MENA, local development minister Ahmed Zaki Abdeen warned of harsh penalties for violators but said that business owners who wish to keep their premises open later could apply for a licence from the Ministry of Tourism.
Establishments classed as catering to tourists, as well as pharmacies, will be allowed to operate as normal.
Enforcing closing times for businesses was suggested in August by petroleum minister Osama Kamal, then tackling persistent power outages, who said it would reduce Egypt's energy consumption.
The move was welcomed by Elhamy El-Zayat, the head of Egypt's Federation of Tourism Chambers, who said it would trim the number of unlicenced street vendors.
"Shops will turn off their lights by 10pm. That will mean customers won't be milling around the main streets and illegal vendors will give up," he told Ahram Online.
El-Zayat said the decision would have no real impact on tourists, adding that around 1,500 restaurants have licences from the Ministry of Tourism and will be exempt from the new hours.
New legislation may encourage other businesses to register, he said, allowing the ministry to monitor their services.
"Owners of these establishments are obliged to pay 10 per cent sales tax to the Ministry of Tourism which will push up public revenues too," he said.
An Egyptian security official on Monday acknowledged a security notification issued by Israel warning of imminent attacks in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula by local militant groups.
"We're aware of the alert," the official told Ahram Online by phone. "Israel usually informs us before it issues alerts; these are the procedures."
According to the official and other informed sources, the threat is "to be expected" in light of an Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip on Saturday that killed the commander of Jihadist group Tawhid wal Jihad.
The security official said that, since Saturday, security measures in the area had been "stepped up."
Other government sources, meanwhile, acknowledge that intelligence exchanges between Egypt and Israel – as between Egypt and Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip – have been ongoing in recent days.
The latest Israeli air strike on Gaza "was a significant operation; it's only expected that Al-Tawhid wal Jihad would attempt to retaliate," military-political commentator Mohamed Abdel-Salam told Ahram Online.
He added: "It would be very tough for the Jihadists to operate from Gaza given the fact that Gaza is under the very tight control of Hamas; retaliatory attacks from Sinai would be easier."
Another security official told Ahram Online: "I'm not ruling anything out, but – given the ongoing military operation in Sinai – one should hope that things are being brought under control there."
As of early august, the army – under the command of recently appointed Defence Minister Abdel-Fattah Al-Sissi – has been combing Sinai for militant Jihadists.
According to a military source, the operation "is progressing well, but we're trying to clean up a mess that has been ignored for at least ten years. It's a job that requires time and effort, especially that we're being very careful to avoid collateral damage."
Assessments of the Sinai operation's impact, meanwhile, remain debatable. Relevant state bodies say that significant progress has been made, at least in terms of deterrence. Some foreign diplomats in Cairo, however, suggest it is still too early to say that alleged Sinai-based militant networks have been deterred.
"Maybe they've been thrown on the defensive. They are certainly not as free as they used to be. But even Egyptian officials do not say that the situation has been brought under control," said one Cairo-based European diplomat.
Egypt, according to diplomatic sources, is constantly receiving queries about the situation in Sinai. The same sources say that Cairo is showing transparency in this regard by informing all concerned parties that progress is being made and that coordination remains underway both with Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
"The trouble is that Hamas is not really in full control of Gaza; we know there are parts of the strip that are almost completely under the control of the Jihadists," the same diplomat said.
Egyptian officials say Israel is intensifying its intelligence operations in southern Gaza, where Jihadist groups are alleged to be active.
"In fact, there are clear signs of serious Israeli infiltration of these groups at the highest levels – this is the only way to explain the surgical operations that Israel has been conducting recently," said Abdel-Salam.
Some concerned Egyptian officials say that the ongoing military operation in Sinai requires better military hardware – a notion, they add, that Israel is perennially uncomfortable with.
According to the terms of the 1979 peace treaty between the two countries, Egypt is only allowed a very limited police and military presence in the part of Sinai closest to Israel.
There have been frequent Egyptian calls to revise the treaty's terms, but Israel has consistently rejected any modification of the current arrangement.
Egyptian Presidential spokesman Yasser Ali recently acknowledged that no amendments to the treaty were likely to be negotiated with Israel any time soon.
"We're doing the best we can and are coordinating daily with Israel," said the military source. "But Israel will always complain under any circumstances."
http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/press/release/24/10/1015_10.html
榛葉外務副大臣とエルアラビー・エジプト計画・国際協力大臣との会談
平成24年10月15日
本15日，榛葉賀津也外務副大臣は，IMF・世銀年次総会出席のため来日中のアシュラフ・エルアラビー・エジプト計画・国際協力大臣（His Excellency Dr. Ashraf El-Araby, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of the Arab Republlic of Egypt）と会談を行ったところ，概要は以下のとおりです。
Egyptian Shias to join Friday's planned Tahrir protest
Spokesman for Egypt's Shia minority says his coreligionists will participate in planned Friday rally to press for religious freedom
Ahram Online, Wednesday 17 Oct 2012
Egyptian Shias will take part in Friday's planned 'Egypt for all Egyptians' demonstration, Bahaa Anwar Mohamed, senior member of the liberal Ghad Al-Thawra Party and a spokesman for Egyptian Shias, announced Wednesday.
The demonstration, organised by opposition forces, is intended to protest perceived Islamist dominance of Egypt's Constituent Assembly – tasked with drafting a new constitution – and press for revolutionary demands of democracy and social justice.
Separate marches will set out from the Mohandiseen, Shubra and Sayyeda Zeinab districts of Cairo.
Bahaa said that Egyptian Shias planned to join the Sayyeda Zeinab rally, slated to begin following Friday prayers.
The Sayyeda Zeinab Mosque contains the shrine of Prophet Mohamed's granddaughter Zeinab, a sacred figure for Shia Muslims.
Estimates for the number of Shias in Egypt, who reprtedly suffer from discrimination, range from 10,000 to more than 1 million.
Egypt's Sunni-Muslim majority does not typically welcome open Shia religious practices in the country, with many seeing Shia religious doctrine as a deviation from the legitimate teachings of the Islamic faith.
Brotherhood vows not to attend Friday demo against Morsy
A senior Muslim Brotherhood leader on Wednesday vowed that the group would not go to Friday’s demonstration against President Mohamed Morsy to avoid clashes like those that took place last Friday.
Hundreds of pro- and anti-Morsy protesters were injured last Friday in the violence.
The demonstration was originally called for in September to criticize Morsy’s performance in his first 100 days, but the Brotherhood decided a day before to protest the acquittals issued in the Battle of the Camel case on the same day.
“[The coming protest] would be exclusively for the opponents of the president,” said Helmi al-Gazzar of the group’s Shura Council. “I hope it would be a civilized one, for such is democracy."
Political and revolutionary movements called for Friday’s demonstration under the title of “Egypt for all Egyptians” to demand a constitution that represents the whole of society, retribution for the martyrs of the revolution, and social justice.
In a joint statement, they said the demonstration sends the message that Egypt is not for the Muslim Brotherhood alone.
The statement also said that had it not been for the alliance of national forces, there would not be a president, but his group now abuses power and silences it opponents just as Mubarak did. These national forces will never be suppressed again, it added.
The Popular Current, the Constitution Party, the Socialist Popular Alliance Party, the Egyptian Democratic Party, the April 6 Youth Movement, the Revolution Continues Youth Movement, the Freedom Movement, the Maadi Rebels Union, the Workers and Farmers Party, and the Popular Committees for the Defense of the Revolution have announced that they will participate in the protest.
Thousands in Tahrir demand an 'Egypt for all Egyptians'
Cairo sees another Friday of protest as pro-democracy forces march on the flashpoint square, decrying Brotherhood rule and the prospect of an 'unrepresentative' constitution
Salma Shukrallah , Friday 19 Oct 2012
Several thousand Egyptians rallied in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday, protesting what they said were attempts by the Muslim Brotherhood to impose its ideas on society.
Nearly 30 political parties and movements marched across the capital for the protest, dubbed "Egypt is no-one's private estate - Egypt for all Egyptians."
Protesters held banners demanding better constitutional representation and "social justice." One common chant accused the Muslim Brotherhood's supreme leader of "selling" the revolution.
Marchers flew the flags of the Constitution Party, the Egyptian Current, the Revolutionary Socialists and the April 6 Democratic Front. Other banners showed slain activist Mina Daniel, while dozens of party members wore t-shirts showing their affiliations.
Revolutionary groups, liberal and leftist forces called the protest earlier this week, voicing their disapproval of a draft constitution presented by Egypt's Constituent Assembly, a 100-person body they claim fails to represent the country's cultural and political diversity.
One of the largest marches came from the Old Cairo district of Saida Zeynab and was led by prominent activist Ahmed Harara.
A second was launched from Mostafa Mahmoud Square in Mohandiseen, with well-known leftist Kamal Khalil and the founder of Egypt's first independent syndicate, Kamal Abu-Eita, at its head.
Chants at the Mohandiseen march called for "a free, revolutionary constitution" written by all Egyptians, and vowed to start the country's revolution "all over again" for the sake of those killed.
One of the most impassioned protests were by the Baheya Masr, a women's movement, and the Social Democratic Party, both of which decried what they said were attacks on the status of Egypt's women in the newly drafted constitution.
"Children should play not get married," read one banner, referring to alleged serious debate within the charter-writing assembly as to whether the marriageable age for females should be lowered to 9 years old.
Another banner voiced opposition to Article 36 in the draft constitution, which stipulates that gender equality be decided with reference to Islamic jurisprudence.
Pictures of prominent Egyptian women, including 1930s women's education advocate Nabaweya Mousa, were also on display.
"We are here to say Egypt is not [President Mohamed] Morsi's private estate and we will not have them rule us anymore," said Iman Diab, a 16 year old demonstrator. "Morsi is only recreating Mubarak's old regime."
Other activists who took part said that they didn't believe attacking the Brotherhood was the main goal.
"I'm happy we are all working together again, but we [political forces] should focus on our demands instead of what we are against," said Salma Said, a well-known activist.
"We shouldn't repeat the same mistake as before, when we only focused on our rejection of Mubarak and we disregarded our differences as to what we stood for," she continued, adding that she had come to Tahrir to hold Morsi to account for his first 100 days and to protest the government's attack on labour strikes.
Egypt has seen several high-profile strikes since Morsi won the presidency in late June, mostly by workers demanding better conditions and higher wages. Some of these protests were quashed with violent police crackdowns, to the chagrin of many activists who believe implementing fairer wages was a core demand of the early 2011 uprising.
"They use religion to justify attacking farmers," shouted protesters, led by Haitham Mohamaden, a member of the Independent Federation of Trade Unions.
There was low-level violence throughout the day, when revolutionary groups turned on members of the Conference Party, founded by former presidential candidate Amr Moussa, calling them "remnants" of the old regime.
Other demonstrators on the square voiced anger at Brotherhood claims that their opposition to the Islamist group meant they were in favour of the old regime. It was possible to reject both the Mubarak regime and rule by the Brotherhood, they said, with some suggesting there was little difference between the two.
"Morsi is Mubarak," went another common chant.
Simultaneous protests by Brotherhood supporters and opponents in central Cairo last Friday descended into prolonged street-fights between the two sides in which over 100 were injured.
The violence seemed to spur a larger showing of secular protesters on Tahrir this time around, including groups who were absent last Friday.
"Those who beat Egyptians cannot rule Egypt," was another chant.
Among the parties and movements taking part in Friday's protest were: the Popular Current, the Constitution Party, the Free Egyptians party, the Nile Party, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, the Socialist Popular Alliance Party, the 6 April Youth Movement's Democratic Front, the Revolutionary Socialists, the National Association for Change, the Peaceful Change Front and the 'No to Military Trials' campaign.
A. 始まりはいつも内部からであると考えている。それなので、家庭の在り方を定めること、そして教会内部の職務の規定が非常に重要なことであることに疑いの余地はない。私の考えでは、これは正しい始まりである。家族法の問題については、複数の検討がなされており、専門家が存在する。そのため、適切な時期に専門家およびその問題に取り組んでいる神父たちとともにこの問題の検討が始まるであろう。
祖国を共にする私たちの兄弟たちに関しては、イスラーム潮流の人々であれ、他のいかなる潮流の人々であれ、私たちは1400年間に亘って共に暮らしてきた。私たちの心はいつも彼らに対して開かれているし、私たちはこの祖国の土地でエジプト的生活を送っている。私たちの間には相互に交わされる愛と尊重と尊敬があり、この堅固な構造に影響を及ぼそうとするいくつかの事件がどのようなものであれ、私たちはもっとも素晴らしい共存の範を垂れるのである。私たちは常に、ムスリムであれコプトであれ私たちはエジプト人であると述べてきた。私たちの心はすべての人に対する愛と平和で満ち満ちているのである。
A. エジプトは、世界でも他に比類するものがない祖国である。エジプトという祖国の土地が聖地であるということだけで十分である。従って、世界のいかなる国もエジプトに類似することはない。エジプトは時として多少の衰弱を経験したかもしれないが、エジプトの歴史上、多くの時代が力強く平和と愛に満ちた時代であったのである。
Al-Nadeem Center: Man imprisoned for sexual harassment
A man was sentenced to two years in prison and fined LE2,000 for sexually harassing a woman, an NGO announced Monday.
Al-Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence announced the conviction in a post on Facebook, saying that the accident dates back to 17 July, when a woman was sexually harassed by a 42-year-old man while waiting for a taxi on Nasr street in Maadi.
The woman caught him and screamed, prompting bystanders to apprehend the man and turn him over to the police. One witness saw the whole incident from the beginning. Prosecutors conducted investigation and detained the suspect pending investigations. The trial’s first session was held on 20 October.
The judge ordered the sentence on Saturday, in addition awarding LE10,000 in compensation to the victim, according to the center.
The center also praised the Egyptian judiciary for protecting women’s rights and called on prosecution and judges to confront the daily harassment that women face.
Last month, during the Eid al-Adha holiday, police said that they received more than 1,000 reports of verbal and sexual harassment across Egypt, typically taking place in public places, malls, movie theaters, beaches and squares.
Activists have long called for amending the Penal Code to punish harassers, whether men or women, with imprisonment and fines.
According to a 2008 study published by the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights, 83 percent of Egyptian women and 98 percent of foreign visitors experienced one or various forms of harassment in Egypt.
一方でイスラエルの高官によると、同国の閣僚らは前夜、停戦を念頭にガザ地区への侵攻開始を見合わせることを決定したという。ネタニヤフ政権の主要9閣僚による深夜会合の後、この高官はAFPに対し「外交努力に成功の機会を与えるために、当面は地上侵攻を一時的に見合わせるとの決定が下された」ことを明らかにした。(c)AFP/Christophe de Roquefeuil
