MARCH 2012
Dedicated to breaking your chains
IN THIS ISSUE
Features 10 Under Pressure 20 The Notorious Case of NGOS Underscore 24 Plagiarism: The Worst Form of Flattery 26 Mythbusting Drugs, Addiction and Rehab 30 Police Reform My Ass 32 Egypception Opinionated 34 The Attention Whore in its Natural Habitat 36 Losing (Most of) My Religion 38 Etharaset Fe Meet Film Abl Keda! Center Stage 42 Interview with Omar Samra CAMPUS Quiz 44 Are You a Pig? Patterns 46 Trends 48 Fashion Bulletin 50 Our “Greatest Love of All” 51 Made in Egypt
Screens and Speakers 54 Book Review: Did the Egyptian Revolution Make a Mistake? 56 Dubstep... the F*ck?! Balls 58 How to Ruin Your Own Life if You’re an Athlete...
Chairman Shady Sherif
Editor-in-Chief Louis Greiss
Creative Director Leila Tapozada
Editors
Wessam Sherif Yasmine Zohdi
Junior Editor
Youssef Saad Eldin
Business Development Ismaeel Khoudeir
Senior Media Executive Zeina El Alfy
Media Executive Ghada Zayed
Financial Manager Ehab A. Aziz
Chief Accountant
MARCH 2012
Sherif El Haggar
Accountant Ahmed Serag
Office Manager Sylvia Peter
Office Assistants Ibrahim Mansour Mohamed Eid
IT Manager Ahmed Saher
Production Executive Manager Sherif Mahmoud Mahmoud El Araby
Distribution Manager Shazly Eid
Distribution
Abdelhamed Fathy Ashraf Ramadan Gamal Moustafa Ramy Afifi Ragab Fathy Aly Afifi Aly Fawzy Waleed Gilani Abdel Aziz Abdel Rahman Mahmoud Samir
Art Director Ahmed Saad
Graphic Designers Bassem Raafat Nora El Gazzar Muhammed Abdelaal
Writers & Contributors Hend Ghorab May Kamel Menna Tarek Michel Antoun Mohammed Jamal Sherief Hassan Sherif El-Mashad Sondos Seif Tarek Afia
Cover Credits
Muhammed Abdelaal
CTP & Printing
Sahara Printing Company
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Heliopolis
69, Adidas (El-Marghany), Africana Café, C&CO (Horreyya St- El Korba), Belino Café, Blueberry (Ard El Golf ), Beano's Café (British Council – El Korba – Airport – British University), Charleston Café, Cortigiano, Café Mo, Cairo International Airport, Coffee Roastery, Colors, Cat, Diwan Bookstore, Diadora, Desire, Every Man’s Bookstore, Farah Café , Flower Market, G Live, Genga Café, Gelateria Roma Café, Harris Café, Gallery Bel3araby (El Nozha St.), House Café , Hope Flowers, Hot Pink, In Flower, Hyper Original, Khodier, Rosso Cafe, IIPennello Ceramic Café, Kan Zaman Restaurant, Le Rince, Linea, La Cassetta Retaurants, Makani, McDonalds, Mobil Mart, Mori Sushi (Salah Salem), Milk, Musicana (El Korba), Munchies Café, No Name, Nuts @ Nuts, Occo, One 4 all, Polka Dolka, Pottery Café, Schatz Café, Smart Gym (Sheraton & Ard El Golf), Roma Café, Shell Mart, Salah Beauty Salon, STR8, Spicy, Style Gym, Tres Bon, Up 2 Date, Viking Cafe, World Gym, Waffle Point, Zein, L’Aubergine
Nasr City
Adidas(Genina mall), Aroma Lounge (City Stars), Beano's Café (City stars – Makram Ebeid – Abbas El Akkad), Beka, Calvin Klein Jeans (City Stars), Casper & Gambini's, C&Co (City Stars – Geneina Mall), Esprit (City Stars), Farah Café (Geneina Mall), Le Gourment Marche, Kenouz Restaurant, ISI (City Stars), Martino, McDonalds (Abbas el Akkad), Musica (Abbas el Akkad), My Day Cafe, Pascucci Café, Ravin, Spicy (City Center - Geneina Mall) ,Virgin Megastore
Mohandiseen
Adidas/Timberland (Lebanon Street, Gezeeret Al Arab Street), Beano's Café (Gameat El Dowal Street), Beau Jardin Café, Bershka (Gezeeret Al Arab Street), Café Mo, Cedars café , C& Co, Café Bean (Aswan Sq.), Cocolina (Syria Street), Ciccio Café, Cilantro, Mohamed El Sagheer, Cocolina, Dar Al Balsam Bookstore, Diwan, Eventya Flowers, Laguna Café, L`Aroma Café, Makani, Marsh Café, McDonalds, Mori Sushi, Multi Stores, Non Bookstore, Pasqua Café, Quick24, Renaissance Library, Safari Café, Samia Alouba, Silviana Heach, Solitaire Café, Shoe Room, Scoop Café, Second Cup, Spectra, Spicy, Sports Café, Tommy Hilfiger, Toy Story, Trianon Café, Tornado Café, Volume One, Zarina, Zee Lounge, P 75, Al Dar, Café De Fiori
Downtown & Mokattam
AUC Bookstore, Beano's Café, Beymen, Cilantro, Maktabet El Balad, McDonalds (Tahrir), Balady
Dokki
Ahl Cairo, Adidas, Beano's Café (British Council), Coffee Roastery, Dar Al Balsam Bookstore, Mr. Joe, Makani, Korista Café, Momento, La Boutique, Orange, Quick24, Retro, Spicy, Tabasco, Zein, Zarina
Zamalek
Al Akhbar Bookstore, Arabica, Beano's Café, Coffee Bean, Cilantro, Cocolina, Crave, Diwan Bookstore, Euro Deli, FDA, 69, Gardenia Flowers, Goal, Googan Bookstore, Kodak Express, L'Aubergine, Makani, Mezza Luna, Mobil Mart, Mohamed El Sagheer, Mori Sushi, Munchies, Orangette, Tabasco, Quick 24, Ravin’, Romancia Bookshop, Sequoia, WIF, Zamalek Bookshop, Van Gogh Bookshop, Zafir
Maadi
Adidas, Adam Bookstore, Arthur Murray, Bakier Stationary, Bander Café, Beanos, Beau Jardin, Books & Books, Beta Bookshop, Bookspot, Caj, Euro Deli, Cat, Condetti, Chilis, Coffee Roastery, Gengra Café, Greco, Costa Coffee, El Shader, Dunes Lounge, Ghazala Stationary, Green Mill, Gudy, Kotob Khan, Kiwi, Honest Bookshop , I Spot , La Gourmandise, Makani, McDonalds, Mediterraneo Restaurants, Reebok, Renaissance Library, Rigoletto, Samia Alouba, Second Cup, Shell Shop, Shoe Room, Spectra,The Bakery, Timberland, Volume One
October City
Beano's, Byblos Café (Dandy Mall), Café Mo, McDonalds, Mexicana Café, Mori Sushi (Dandy Mall), Second Cup, Shell Shop, Solitaire, Sans Soucis Café, Trianon
El Rehab & Fifth Settlment
Food Court (Le Reve Grand Café, Jounich Café, Gauchos Café, Mercato Italiano), AUC Bookstore
Giza & Haram
Beano's, Dar El Shorouk, Mexicana Café, Polo Shop
Alexandria
24Seven Café, Adidas & Timberland (Syria st, - City Center), Banna Stationary, 24/7 Café, Adidas/Timberland, Banna Stationary, Beano's, Cillomo Café, C&CO, Cilantro, Coffee Roastery, Deekom, Mazaya, McDonalds, Quiksilver, The Sixties Café, Tamarin Center, Rapo
Tanta
Axon, Pizza Station, La Plato Café
EDITOR’S NOTE
To me, the finest form of storytelling is the tale a grandma tells her grandkid before tucking him in. Those bedtime stories are never forgotten, because not only are they told by an endearing person, they are told for the sole purpose of soothing the child to sleep. So, aided by drowsiness, the tales have a spell-like effect and they become memories that beguile us even as grownups. As a child, I’d been told countless stories by my grandma and I have not forgotten a single one, in fact, I plan to pass them on to my own kids. What I did miss out on though was Greek mythology; the intricate yet extremely captivating and simple tales would’ve undoubtedly made for the best bedtime tales ever. I’ve only come to discover the beauty of Greek mythology as a grownup and I’ve also discovered plentiful insight in one specific tale -- the tale of Sisyphus. Sisyphus was a king who stood in defiance of the gods and, as a punishment, was made to roll a massive boulder up a steep hill, and before he could reach the top the boulder would roll down the hill forcing him to start his grueling task all over again. This tormenting punishment was reserved only to Sisyphus, who believed himself to be cleverer than Zeus himself, only to be proven wrong by the King of Gods who gave him an eternity of working in vain. More than one analogy could be drawn from this tale, but the one I personally relate to most is the one that applies to my generation. A generation that dared defy authority only to be punished by one failed attempt after the other; a generation that has grown used to, yet very tired of, square one.
THE SISYPHEAN GENERATION 4 MARCH 2012 CAMPUS
There’s one thing that the oh-so-clever “gods” have missed. Sisyphus’ ordeal, to the average onlooker, is not that of fruitlessness but that of persistence; the tale sends a message of tenacity, not pointlessness. This generation’s Sisyphean efforts have spread a culture of determination, inciting others to never give up and inspiring the generations to come. True, some might see our current fights as pointless, but the rules of the game are ever-changing and so are the battles. And soon enough, our work will no longer be in vain. So, even if this generation doesn’t make it, the next one will, because they’re watching our tale and they see our message loud and clear. Maybe it’s our calling to be the Sisyphus of this country’s history; the bedtime tale children will fall asleep to in the future.
EDITOR’S NOTE
6 MARCH 2012 CAMPUS
book
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What students can expect Most courses are held at the El Gouna campus, a 10,000-square-meter complex that includes a large lecture hall, a library, and seven additional buildings housing seminar rooms, offices, and laboratories. Students in Energy Engineering and Urban Development must spend the second semester of their studies in Berlin, giving them the opportunity to experience Germany’s fascinating capital city and attend courses at the university’s main campus in the heart of Berlin.
Education opportunities Master’s degree track programs, in which students are fully enrolled by TU Berlin, are currently offered in Energy Engineering, Urban Development, and Water Engineering. Beyond the three master’s programs, TU Berlin plans to offer additional educational opportunities in the future, including doctoral programs. The institution will also engage in research and development and
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889
] FEATURE ] FEATURE
Under Pressure Stereotyping under the pretense of sympathy
HE WAS NERVOUS ABOUT IT. THE IDEA OF VISITING ONE OF CAIRO’S MOST NOTORIOUS SLUMS RENDERED HIM UNCOMFORTABLE; IT GAVE HIM THE CHILLS A MAN GETS MINUTES BEFORE GETTING INTO A FIGHT. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS; A FIGHT. THIS WASN’T A PHYSICAL FIGHT HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH IT DID BECOME PHYSICAL EVERY TIME HE THOUGHT ABOUT IT. A DISAGREEMENT WITH ONE OF THE RESIDENTS COULD EASILY DEVELOP INTO A BRAWL. By Wessam Sherif Photography by Sondos Seif 10 MARCH 2012 CAMPUS
“We need to walk as a group to avoid harassment. But all in all there isn’t much to worry about,” our trip advisor reassured us. On any other given day his subconscious would vehemently object to this National Geographic-ish description of an entire neighborhood, but he was so anxious that he absorbed the directions without question like a dry sponge. The neighborhood was 3ezbet El Haggana, located on the Cairo-Suez road fel Kilo Arba3a we Nos. He got out of the cab (taking his car there was a dumb idea to him) and walked through El 3ezba’s entrance, which is also a microbus stop, so you can probably imagine the human disarray. After huddling together like a herd of anticipant zebras, they walked towards the eye of the storm: the poorest, most famished part of the slums. He tried his best not to look surprised by the pseudo-life that surrounded him, but disgust slowly replaced the overcooked sympathy he came armed with. We’re usually only prepared to see what our mind makes us think we’ll see; the reality we’d like to see, the reality we expect. When you look at a starving child, your thoughts instantly jump to one basic emotion-hunger, disregarding an array of unimaginable miseries the kid goes through on a daily basis. We stereotype people’s suffering through our perception of what suffering really means. And we’re not really to blame for that parochial way of thinking, because, being brought up in a completely different social class, there’s a ceiling to our expectations of suffering and anything beyond it is almost metaphysical, really.
But then again, this was hardly the fight he had in mind. He wanted to prove himself amongst those who were looked at as socially inferior, although if weighed by their struggle, they’d put the entire city to shame. That’s the fight, that’s what made him nervous. I have to show them that I mean well without being condescending or offensive. I have to be perfectly sympathetic. The dreadful equation bounced off the walls of his brain as he was getting dressed for his little field trip.
That baffled man was me, a few years ago. And trust me, I sadly learned from that experience when I started remembering it a few years later as a relatively more grown-up person. I interviewed people living in the worst environment possible and I will share glimpses of their tales with you, but beforehand, let me give you a preface.
He jumped into a pair of old worn-out jeans, a t-shirt he doesn’t really like, a pair of converse and baseball cap to cover his hair –which was long at the time– so as not to instigate any cultural rift or dispute with any of the residents. You know how they can be. “They”. I have to be perfectly sympathetic. He never really paused to think of the meaning of sympathy, he had already figured it out and was doing all he could to express it well. He was going to show them that he knows, no, better yet, feels what they’re going through and is going to do all he can to help. This was part of a Human Rights workshop after all.
3ezbet El Haggana is a huge slum area located on the outskirt of Nasr City at the beginning of the Cairo-Suez road. Being a slum, this whole area holds no legal standing and is, of course, ignored by the government, so it depends primarily on aid by a handful of NGOs and good Samaritans. Consequently, the slum-dwellers have almost no water supply and definitely no electricity, even though they live right under a nest of high pressure power poles (the ones used to transmit electricity between governorates). These poles emit electromagnetic fields so high that they are always built a decent distance away from any population. A study shows that around 30% of all childhood cancers come from exposure to EMFs, and those are NORMAL EMFs found in our daily lives. In all fairness it was these people who made a home out of this dreadful area, but they have their reasons; some for what they perceived to be a better life, others for marriage and some simply came looking for a job in Cairo and that was the only place that would shelter them. Nevertheless, even within that undead society, there are owners and there are renters; there are social classes within zombies.
11
FEATURE
So, as you read the next few lines let go of your existing preconceptions and assumptions of what constitutes a life, because as you will see, that is extremely relative. “We’re originally from Upper Egypt and we came here in pursuit of a better life, so I take whatever job I could get; “arzo2y”. I have no steady income. One day I bring money back and the other I have not a pound in my pocket. Moreover the prices are soaring and it’s excruciating for man like me who has 6 kids (3 boys and 3 girls) to keep food on the table every day. I have no money to fix the roof above our heads; it’s been falling for a while now and could give way any moment and during winter the rain seeps through it and we literally sleep in puddles of water. What life is this? If you really want to help us though, stop the Sheikhs from robbing us; they’re thieves. When people make donations (food, blankets…etc.) to El 3ezba, they usually make it through the mosques, so the Sheikhs take it all for themselves and worse yet, they send these donations back to their hometowns! They control our livelihoods and they distribute the donations as they please, not to mention that they’re not even in need of that aid! They’re taking over all the food and we can’t even find rocks to eat. We can’t move out of El 3ezba, we can’t afford to pay 100-150 LE a month rent outside, we have no alternatives. We only want to live, if we get 20 pounds a day we’ll be able to live.” “I’ve been here for 40 years. I have 9 kids; 8 girls and a boy, the boy helps me out financially. I don’t mind it here. It would be great if we had electricity though, also, water is very hard to get; the water supply usually comes at night and sometimes we have to wait till around 5 am to fill up one container. The lack of water really makes things harder for us. Not to mention that the government acts as if we don’t exist, which gives way to drug dealing here but it’s nothing unusual; there’s the good and the bad here, just like everywhere else.”
“I was just married (at 16 and she’s over 50 now) when I got here. I used to visit my sister in Heliopolis (Gesr El Sues) and I was pretty with long hair and as soon as my husband saw me, he decided: ‘I want this girl!’ So we got married and we moved here because there was no place else to go. We paid to get water here but we never really get any water except very late at night or at dawn. And we also pay LE 20 every month to get electricity through a wire. I won’t lie to you, we live off the mosques; I go there and people give me money, sometime’s a 10 other times I get a 5. There’s also Om Islam who helps people memorize Quran in her mosque every Saturday and she gives us money. So I buy 1 LE worth of bread and it lasts for 3 days. I have 2 girls and a boy who works as a blacksmith and was in prison for a while and just got out recently after I collected money for his bail from the mosques. This alley is a lot better than the other ones by the way; we’re all united here and no matter what happens we help each other out without having to resort to an outsider, not even the government. Besides, they never come to help us out anyway. We have no problems with the high pressure poles, although they give us headaches, but that’s not a big deal. I really want to add another floor to our house, it would be nice to go upstairs and have time away from the street because our neighbors are always fighting and we inadvertently get involved.”
12 MARCH 2012 CAMPUS
“I’m 16 and I’ve been here for 3 years and it’s a lot better than back when I was in Assiout. I decided to leave school after the third preparatory to start working. At first, I worked in a construction company and I save up till I was able to get this Foul cart and it pays well. In my free time I go out in Zahraa Madinet Nasr or El 7ay El 3asher. I’m an Ahlawy and my favorite player is Mohammed Abu Treka. If I wasn’t doing what I do now, I would have liked to get a degree or work in a governmental institute. Nevertheless, the government isn’t tending to our needs; we have no water and it could take us up to an hour to get a drink of water. I would definitely not mind moving from this place.” “My husband has passed away so I have two provide for my two kids and I also had a third 9-month-old child who passed away as well. I work as a maid so I was out for a very big portion of the day and I had no choice but to leave him home unattended and when I returned I found him dead in the sewer hole. What I earn barely covers our expenses because no matter how kind the people I work for are, they never give me more than what they see as fair. We eat meat every 15 days. Our life here is very hard, but what are we supposed to do? The high pressure poles spray sparks at us during the winter when they come in contact with rain, not to mention that we have constant headaches. Even the water tap is electrocuted! And whenever there’s an electricity cut (which is often) this house becomes a grave. Moreover this area is infested with drug-dealing of all sorts and it’s not because of the tough life, it’s how people have been brought up. 10 years ago, the government told us that they’d evict us from here because it’s illegal to build under the high pressure poles and in return they’d give us apartments elsewhere. But after making a cost benefit analysis, they discovered that it would be very costly for them to move all the families in this area (over a 1000 she said, but I honestly think it’s 4 times that number) so they just left us here. This is a 76 meter house. I’d gladly trade it for a 60 meter one somewhere else!”
Amidst a sea of depressing stories, he lost all sentiments of surprise or even disgust and all he could think of is how strongly he appreciated the luxury he had; the luxury that is his life. Not only that, as the visit neared its end all he could think of was: “The second I get out of here, I’m going to dig into a big juicy burger from McDonald’s.” And it wasn’t out of hunger, but a mere act of gratitude. He left and had his burger. And a few years later he wrote about the whole thing. About the social classes within an already impoverished class and about the massive difference in complaints and needs even when, to an outsider, they all seem to have the same needs. Even more interestingly, about how some actually like their plagued realities and would only like to tweak it, while others loathe it and would give anything to abandon it for good. More importantly he wrote about how he had it all wrong and was deluded, to say the least. To truly sympathize is to see people as complete lives and not just as a selection of needs, complaints and pains.
13
14 MARCH 2012 CAMPUS
15
PRESS RELEASES
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet The Future of Mobile Communication LENOVO HAS ANNOUNCED THE LOCAL AVAILABILITY OF THE LENOVO THINKPAD TABLET. COMBINING MOBILITY WITH SECURITY, IT IS THE PERFECT DEVICE TO MERGE BUSINESS WITH ENTERTAINMENT. The new Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet is perfect for enterprises for a multitude of reasons: Powered by NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 Dual-Core 1GHz processor, this powerful Android 3.1 tablet can handle corporate email and secure communication within and outside an enterprise network. Weighing 1.65 lbs and with ample storage space of upto 64 GB, all confidential data can be secured within its strong security features, including the full device and SD card encryption, lost device disablement and anti-theft software. It integrates cloud sharing capabilities to easily move files and information within the office environment It provides up to eight hours of productive use as well as connectivity on the go with a WiFi connectivity standard and optional 3G models. With its front and back mounted webcams, it’s perfect for maintaining successful video conferences. Features HD graphics support, which fully supports Adobe® Flash® for online media, a HDMI output, native USB 2.0 and micro USB ports. Comes with more than 25 free preloaded apps, including business apps suited for the enterprise tablet user like - Good for Enterprise™, Cisco AnyConnect™ and Computrace® Mobile by Absolute® Software.
LEVI’S® Spring/Summer 2012 collection
This Spring/Summer 2012 season, the new collection from the Levi’s® brand is all about ‘The Sea Ranch’. Inspiration comes from unspoilt surroundings; rugged beaches, traditional farms and time spent working outdoors on long hot summer days. There’s a real desire for authenticity: it’s about respecting the past while designing a better future. Classic American cool is seamlessly combined with craftsmanship, simplicity, and durability. Graphics are hand-painted, softened through the use of sustainable dyes, and inspired by weathered farm signs. The color palette - indigos, tobacco, reds and fresh summer whites - stems from a deconstructed pair of jeans; washed, worn and sun scorched. Oxidized, faded colors with a home-spun, worn-in vintage summer feel are alternated with pops of color including vintage orchids, monterey blues and pinks. Sustainability also continues to be an important focus for the Levi’s® brand with the introduction of more Water<Less™ finishes and Levi’s® 501® jeans made by recycling our old jeans.
16 MARCH 2012 CAMPUS
Hilton Hurghada Resort Deliver Gifts to the Children of ‘Al Tarbeya Al Fekreya’ School The Hilton Hurghada Resorts management team and the Blue Energy Committee hosted a party for the students of ‘Al Tarbeya Al Fekreya’ School recently in Hurghada. The Hilton team, including General Manager Soha El Torgoman, presented them with individually selected gifts and a giant cake in the shape of the Egyptian flag. During the party the children enjoyed a puppet show performance, face painting, singing and dancing. This event and the participation by the hotel management are in line with Hilton Worldwide’s “Blue Energy” concept of encouraging passion and commitment among staff members to undertake community service activities. Hilton Worldwide, the pre-eminent global hospitality company, promotes community involvement as an integral part of their social responsibility initiatives, including supporting local charities and initiatives where they feel they can make a difference.
Small Space - Big Space Size Does Not Matter! Call: 0100 66 87 667 E-mail: zelalfy@core-publications.net
FOR RENT
FOR RENT
Small Space - Big Space Size Does Not Matter! Call: 0100 66 87 667 E-mail: zelalfy@core-publications.net
Small Space - Big Space Size Does Not Matter! Call: 0100 66 87 667 E-mail: zelalfy@core-publications.net
FOR RENT
FOR RENT
Small Space - Big Space Size Does Not Matter! Call: 0100 66 87 667 E-mail: zelalfy@core-publications.net
Small Space - Big Space Size Does Not Matter! Call: 010 66 87 667 E-mail: zelalfy@core-publications.net
FEATURE
The
Notorious Case of
NGOs
Between a Flawed Law, a Desperate Government, an Embittered Minister and Mama Amreeka By Yasmine Zohdi
20 MARCH 2012 CAMPUS
... متويل أجنبي...أيادي خارجية
I can’t even begin to count the number of times I have heard those terms throughout the past year, especially after every disaster SCAF was responsible for. They’d find themselves cornered, and resort to those terms like they were the root of all evil, and they are but innocent bystanders (as if that’s not a crime in itself, the government being a useless onlooker). In most of their 93 statements, certain ‘groups receiving foreign funding’ are constantly mentioned as the reason of the continuing unrest in the country. In that light, it is very difficult – not to mention dumb, actually – not to relate that accusatory tone to the current illegal foreign funding case where 43 NGO workers are facing criminal charges.
The Case It all started on December 29th, when the offices of 17 non-governmental organizations around Egypt were stormed by security forces who confiscated computers and other equipment, and seized cash and documents by an order from the investigating judges on the case of ‘illegal foreign funding’ initiated by SCAF. The incident stirred an angry reaction locally and internationally, as – coming barely 10 days after outrageous brutality had been practiced by the army against protesters in the Cabinet events – it shed the light on the critical situation human rights are currently facing in Egypt. To add insult to injury, as investigations continued and certain “evidence” was found, the previously mentioned 43 employees – 19 of them American - were referred to trial by a criminal court on accusations of setting up offices and operating without official licenses from the Egyptian authorities and receiving “illegal foreign funding”. The accused employees belong to 5 organizations, 4 of them American (The International Republican Institute, The National Democratic Institute, Freedom House, The International Center for Journalists) and one German (The Konrad-Adenauer Foundation). They were accused of working in Egypt for years on tourist visas and no work permits, the activities of their organizations have become more political after the revolution, the foreign funding they received increased significantly as well, and the money was transferred to the organizations through individual accounts of employees rather than a bank account in the organization’s name. A report published by Al-Ahram (based on leaks from the investigation reports) stated that: a map showing Egypt divided into four parts (Upper Egypt, the Delta, Greater Cairo and the Canal provinces) was among the items seized when IRI was raided, the website of an NGO called (The Arrow of Trust – 7 April) was found to mark the location of military camps in Ismaila and Suez and to pinpoint churches around the country, and proof that surveys including questions concerning religion and dress codes were conducted was found at Freedom House.
The Facts The truth is, these organizations have in fact been operating in Egypt without official licenses, because they had kept applying for years but were constantly rejected. The Ministry of Social Affairs, responsible for the registration of NGOs deliberately excluded human rights and prodemocracy organizations, and therefore they decided to work as private, non-profit organizations. The workers had been instructed not to apply for work permits, because the Egyptian National Security Service refused to give them licenses. The activities of these organizations have indeed increased after the revolution and that’s only normal, considering the country is witnessing an unprecedented level of political activity. They have conducted trainings on political campaigning and electoral behavior, but have not mobilized voters towards a specific party/bloc. The Arrow of Trust is an old NGO in Ismailia, and its name by no means includes ‘7 April’; it is only ‘The Arrow of Trust’. It does not even have a website or the photography equipment required to record the locations of military camps and churches as it has been accused of doing. Moreover, this NGO is not even part of the case; it is not one of those organizations whose workers are facing charges.
Maps and surveys of the specified kind are very common as tools of ‘needs assessment’, the process by which NGOs determine the characteristics and requirements of the communities within which they operate.
Something Smells Funny The Investigations aren’t even accurate enough to get the names of the NGOs right for God’s sake. They consider a map with handwriting dividing Egypt into 4 areas (which could be done for a multitude of reasons other than an evil strategy to divide the republic) actual evidence, and surveys inquiring about religion a grand scheme to cause sectarian conflict. Moreover, the Ahram report that published the evidence actually stated that جمعية الدبدوب الدوليis one of the organizations accused of operating illegally. No, I’m not joking. And they’re asking us to take the evidence seriously. Moreover, isn’t it a bit suspicious that these organizations are suddenly treated as criminals and conspirators despite operating for years and years without any trouble? Not to mention the government has actually requested the NDI and IRI to take part in monitoring parliamentary elections – which is proof they find those organizations legitimate. And if illegal foreign funding is the real problem here, well it has been proven that the Muslim Brotherhood and other religious groups receive funding from certain Gulf states, and although they are not licensed organizations, the matter was never probed and no measures were taking regarding that fact.
Fayza, Ganz, and the United States … املعونةanother word I’m sick of hearing. The United States of America currently provides us with $1.3 billion in military aid and about $250 million in economic aid every year. The economic aid is channeled through the Ministry of International Cooperation, the Minister of which is the notorious Fayza Abu El Naga, the one Mubarak official that has kept her position throughout recent cabinet shuffles and the main accuser in the NGO case. She has even directly announced that she believes the accused NGOs are working for Israeli and American interests and are actually conspiring to bring down the state. Recently, $40 million of the US economic aid was reallocated to go to US democracy-building groups instead, a decision strongly resented by Abu El Naga, especially that it was taken solely by the United States without any prior negotiations with the Egyptian Government. Many think this is why she conducted this fierce attack on the American organizations; in an attempt to show the US who’s boss. The first reaction of the US to 19 of its nationals being put on trial in Egypt was to threaten to cut the annual aid. The statement was met with another seemingly strong statement by Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal El Ganzouri, who claimed that Egypt ‘will not be swayed because of aid or any other reasons’, although only a month ago he was whining on live TV that the countries that had promised to help us financially were late in sending their aid, and begging protesters to quiet down for a bit so the world would not ‘turn its back on us’.
No More Aid? I don’t believe the US will cut off its aid to Egypt anytime soon. It’s all a question of interests and the aid is in the interest of the US even before Egypt’s. US aid to Egypt is a result of a 1978 bilateral treaty between the two countries, right after the Camp David Accords had been signed. Sustaining the aid is directly related to sustaining the peace treaty with Israel. The fact that the Egyptian Armed Forces are funded by the United States constitutes a convenient guarantee that Egypt will not go to war with Israel shall the need arise… cut the aid and that guarantee is no longer valid. Moreover, the US knows that if it cuts off aid, Egypt will look in other directions and form new alliances that might not work to its benefit. US aid to Egypt is a crucial prerequisite to maintaining the current status quo, and any change in that status quo is something the United States can’t afford.
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The fact of the matter is, NGOs in this country have long been stifled and restricted by the government. The Egyptian law on associations (law 84 of 2002) dictates that NGOs must acquire the official approval of the Ministry of Social Affairs in order to become registered, and even after they obtain a license, they cannot cooperate with any foreign bodies or receive any foreign funding without obtaining the formal permission of the government first. Needless to say, this imposes very tight constraints on the work of NGOs in Egypt, and that’s why, to me, this isn’t about the 5 accused organizations or what the verdict in the trial of their workers will be. The real case here is the poor legal context that civil society in Egypt has to work within. This law is the reason why these 5 organizations never got licensed despite trying for years – the government has always carried out the registration process selectively, ruling out human rights and democracy building organizations. To this day, even with registered NGOs, the government rejects proposals having to do with political rights. NGOs by their very nature are supposed to have complete autonomy and enjoy total independence from the government. The Egyptian NGO law, however, puts NGOs in the serious dilemma of being either independent or legally registered; never both. Once you’re officially licensed, you submit to the powers of the government. That’s why some organizations have willingly chosen not to register with the ministry and to operate as private, non-profit organizations rather than be ruled by a law they found quite crippling.
SCAF Wins In this whole episode, SCAF is the only winner – which is another reason that leads me to believe it’s all staged for political purposes rather than out of any devotion to the law. In one move, SCAF has: - Strengthened its baseless ‘foreign hands’ theories with evidence (at least they see it as evidence and push state media to make it seem like it is), leading the general population to start believing their statements once again. -Cemented its image as a patriotic, nationalistic hero, unshaken by threats from the United States and refusing meddling or interference of any kind, thus regaining some popularity at a time when it had reached below zero. -Displayed a clear distinction between its rule and Mubarak’s in order to silence the claims that it’s one and the same: While Mubarak feared the Americans, SCAF challenged them and did not back down, putting the country’s sovereignty and independence above all else. Needless to say, I find the above total bullsh*t, but there’s no denying many might have fallen for it. And I have no reason to reject the notion that maybe SCAF planned all of this to reach the three abovementioned objectives. The question remains, though: How could SCAF really challenge the United States like that when it’s so dependent on it?
-SCAF is putting on a false show of patriotism to win the respect of Egyptians, relying on the fact that cutting off aid isn’t an option like the US makes it seem. -Some conspiracy theorists believe this is actually a scheme devised by both SCAF and the US to save SCAF’s dwindling popularity in Egypt.
A New Law is the Answer After the revolution, the laws pertaining to the formation and operation of political parties and professional syndicates have been amended to suit the new political environment, but the NGO law remains the same.
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Counselor Mahmoud El-Khodeiry, President of the Legislative Committee in parliament, has stated that parliament is currently in the stage of proposing a bill for a new NGO law that would make it easier for civil society to perform efficiently and flourish in Egypt. MP and member of the Human Rights Committee, Amr Hamzawy, says the committee is in the process of drafting a law that would give civil society organizations more freedoms and limit the role of the government in their formation, where new NGOs only have to notify the government of their foundation without the need for official approval in the form of a license, and must submit an accurate annual report with all the foreign funds it received throughout the year and what exactly they were spent on rather than seek the government’s consent before obtaining any funds from abroad. Regardless of the many variables in this sad yet almost comical illegal foreign funding case and the hidden reasons behind it, some facts remain indisputable: Fayza Abu El Naga was appointed by Mubarak and has served in his regime for years upon years, the current NGO law was issued and ratified in the Mubarak era with every intention to limit the work of civil society in the country and SCAF has every reason to want to do the same. The difference between now and then, though, is that now we have a freely elected parliament that is not one with the government and is not obliged to issue tailor-made laws in its interest. Yes, its positions have so far been far from pleasing – in fact, they’ve been frustratingly disappointing, but it remains a legitimate body with legislative powers, and it belongs to the people. The right thing to do now is to put enough pressure on parliament to adopt a fair, solid law that guarantees total, uncompromised freedom for NGOs. This is one battle with SCAF that cannot be settled in the street; it can be finished nowhere but underneath the dome of that old, pristine, white building.
“
Well, no one knows what happens backstage, but to me there are only 3 possibilities: -SCAF is being dumb.
Recently, however, the government has proposed a draft for a new NGO law to be reviewed by the elected parliament. However, rights groups, as well as several members of parliament, find that the law – if issued – would be even more restrictive than the current one. It even prohibits organizations from operating as private non-profits in case of not receiving an official license.
The Egyptian legal system is an inseparable part of the regime the people have revolted against – and it’s about time we put an end to the devious way SCAF keeps using old, flawed laws to legitimize its oppression.
“
The Sad State of NGOs in Egypt
The Ahram report that published the evidence actually stated that جمعية الدبدوب الدوليis one of the organizations accused of operating illegally. No, I’m not joking. And they’re asking us to take the evidence seriously
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] UNDERSCORE ]
Ctrl the Z!
PLAGIARISM: THE WORST FORM OF FLATTERY By May Kamel
Let us start off by agreeing that plagiarizers will rot in hell; not burn, but rot. Khosara feehom el 7ar2. In proper definition, plagiarism is using someone else’s words or ideas and claiming them as your own. How I see it, however, is that when you plagiarize, then you’re just a lackadaisical slug with an ambition that doesn’t match your skills, feeding on some other creative person’s brains. Graphic much? Good. All around the world, teachers have probably spent a good portion of their lifetimes lecturing students about not stealing others’ work. But with all the off-Wikipedia degrees, they just seem to have wasted their lives ya 7aram. But plagiarism doesn’t stop there. With the cases reported throughout history, one would start doubting every single intellectual piece of work there is! When it comes to plagiarism, there isn’t really a counter-argument. So instead of debating, let’s just walk through the horrors of stealing thoughts. Thought Lifters When we read a book, we seek originality. When we watch a movie, we look for something new and interesting. When we discuss ideas, we aim at expanding our knowledge. Bearing this in mind, plagiarism,
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for starters, violates the very first reason why one would consider a piece of work/art/whatever: the motive. Consider this; person A writes a book discussing certain ideas. Person B barefacedly lifts wholesale from his ideas, be it in copy/paste form, in paraphrasing, or any other way that doesn’t give credit to person A. The question is, why in tarnation would I want to read person B’s book if it’s basically a rip-off of some other book? Practically speaking, the only plausible reason is that person B wants unmerited fame and/or more cash. And it’s sick. And pathetic. Bluntly, plagiarism is a form of stealing, not varying much from stealing money or property. The only difference is that stealing words or ideas is less apparent and has more chance to slide by. And with the internet out there, it becomes more compelling to people to sound interesting, channel their ideas on happenings, share their thoughts and interests, all while keeping people entertained. There’s the good side of internet exposure, that it’s supposed to boost creativity and provoke thought, bring out the best of your brain juice w beta3. But people are lazy, and humans in general have an inherent drive to copy. That’s how we’re wired. With this kind of pressure, people tend to copy blatantly.
book Plagiarism and the Culture War. I mean, it takes balls to take the greatest civil rights activist of all time to court for pretty much violating intellectual property! Ready to get your bubble burst? Dr. King plagiarized his doctoral thesis, the foundation of his career, with proof. But given that the human race owes him and all, they decided to turn a blind eye on it. Which, in turn, took him to the next violation of the intellectual property ethics. Remember the oh-so-inspiring closure of “I Have a Dream”? Well, let’s just say that Dr. King “shared” the dream with/from the less famous preacher Archibald Carey Jr. Wall of Shame We’ve been patient enough with thought lifters. However, this is a final warning before we start rapping your stealing knuckles with a ruler (for starters). This time around, we’re reading you the riot act 2abl el laswa3a. If you, good sir/pretty lady, do any of the following, you’re a PLAGIARIZER:
Plagiarism? H-wat You Say? What is sadder than the fact that plagiarism goes unnoticed in many cases is the fact that on our side of the world, the word plagiarism in itself is unheard of. With the herd mentality dictating most of people’s acts, originality, generating ideas and having a separate opinion have no place. Consequently, a few think, and the rest feed on their brain juice and suck it dry so that no one wants to ever hear of it again. Over time, everything becomes redundant, and people sound very sketchy, let alone the fact that some person’s efforts and intellectual property become violated. Perhaps the most prominent cases of plagiarism in Egypt are education-related. For a case in point, we have the university degrees and research. To most professors and students, earning a degree is synonymous to Googling keywords and topics online, copying the most appealing of them, and submitting it with your own name, sometimes even without having to read what it’s about. Over time, this has been the norm to the extent that some people have no idea that degrees can be earned otherwise! What adds insult to injury is that some specialized offices do that for money now. 3abooko koloko fe3lan.
• Copy Facebook statuses/steal tweets. No, it’s not only social media. It’s a channel for people to express thoughts. Like, share, retweet. • Rephrase something you got off the internet. Differentiate between them being your own words vs. your own thoughts. • Copy stuff off the internet and share them on other media, in official papers or in published material. For a case in point, Twitter’s @7ely’s tweets that turn into BBM broadcasts before the guy even presses Enter. • Steal music. If you’re not talented, don’t make music. Play covers (and only if you don’t ruin them too, if you may) • Steal ideas of drawings/designs…etc. “Seeing an original, creative ad that’s not ripped off the internet” is on my bucket list. Help me die a happy woman. • Copy Shakespeare for your literature homework/poetry attempts. You cannot possibly get a stroke of genius in between your impenetrable piles of rubbish and hope we won’t notice. We do. Also have some respect to a dead man ya3ny.
But Everyone Does It… That’s exactly the problem. Thoughts are property, just as much as your car is your property for instance. We all know that oftentimes, you come across an article or a piece of music and think “I should have written this.” Zay el foll… why don’t you actually WORK on something of quality if you think that you have the talent? I say this out of experience; writing is hard. Coming up with new material is a hassle, maintaining a string of thoughts requires a lot of work and, over and above, keeping it interesting is a challenge in itself. So I’m not sorry if I call plagiarizers horrid things and hurl them bil qazoorat for doing zero effort and gaining credit. He’s a barrel of laughs, or she’s the queen of thought-provoking ideas? Good for them. Not an excuse for you dimwits to steal their work though. “Et tu, Brute” (To practice what I preach, this line is of course by William Shakespeare. Khalseen keda.) The same Google that gets you the wittiest, most scientifically correct and properly written material is the same scumbag Google that busts you. Know this. No one is off the hook. Kollo beyban. For a case in point, remember the great Martin Luther King Jr.’s case. Well, it was merely a detailed accusation by some Theodore Pappers in his
• Copy bits and pieces from all over the internet, stitch them together and label them as your own for a paper/article/project. Plagiarism doesn’t mean copying the whole page. One sentence is actually where the line is drawn as per the law in many countries. • Paraphrase without giving proper credit. No, writing “copied” without mentioning the source is not enough. • Plagiarize Wikipedia enough times to earn a degree. Oops, that’s not my line. So zay el shatra I’ll write it again with quotations, as such à “Plagiarize Wikipedia enough times to earn a degree”. Allaaah. Yay, May. • Work on those for now and we’ll upgrade to level two as soon as the basics sink in. Now that you’ve been informed, please spare us the “I have a photographic memory” excuse. It’s both cliché and also not your own. To plagiarizers, I leave you with this tiny reminder: el intellectual property ya ghagar. Attention: Laying down the plagiarism law will be effective in 5…4…3…2…1
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UNDERSCORE
By Youssef Saad Eldin
Whenever the term “drug addict” is mentioned, several things come to mind. You may imagine a bunch of spoiled brats sniffing coke in some club bathroom, a handful of koshk dudes smoking hash or weed in their car, kids popping Ecstasy at a party or even a hobo from the slums shooting up beesa (a type of heroin). Nevertheless, there’s a big chance that most of the things you know about drug addicts and addiction are either wrong, mixed up or untrue due to the judgmental environment we live in and the hypocritical assh*le inside each and every single one of us. So it’s only right to clear the confusion and perhaps help people define where they stand on the addiction spectrum. The information in this article has been provided by Dr. Ayman Qadeera, an experienced psychiatrist working in one of Egypt’s biggest rehab facilities.
Why do people abuse drugs? There is a variety of reasons why someone may start abusing drugs and these reasons are either of a physiological or social nature but the fact remains: in both cases it’s an illness.
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Genetics The physiological reasons are mainly caused by genetics, because in more ways than one, genes are responsible for your nature; whether you’re smart, patient, short-tempered, etc. Consequently, some people are risk takers, easily bored or pleasure seekers by nature, hence, becoming more susceptible to gambling, drug addiction, fast driving and the likes. Having said that, the presence of a genetic variable doesn’t necessarily mean that a person will inevitably become a drug addict. For example, a father and his son may very well both be rush junkies, but the son chooses drugs whereas the father goes for risky activities.
Mental Illness Of course there is more to the physiological reasons than simple genes, sometimes it’s associated with certain illnesses. For example, a study estimates that 25 percent of adults who have a history of substance abuse may also have ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and another one showed that one-third of young adults diagnosed with ADHD can develop some form of substance abuse.
Society On the other hand, there are countless social reasons that would drive a person towards drug addiction; bad parenting is one of them. For example, a child who was raised in an over-protective environment hardly handles his own problems; his parents always take care of everything and he in turn develops low self-esteem. This form of parenting makes children try to experience certain types of drugs because of the comfort and self-confidence they provide and cocaine is a prime example. Same goes for distant, emotionless parenting that can also create an attention-deprived individual who could resort to drugs as a form of escapism. The environment in which one is brought up is also a huge factor in nudging a person down a path of addiction. Low-grade yet extremely addictive drugs like beesa come at a very cheap price in impoverished areas and shooting up is only a matter of time. Whereas in richer strata of the society, the party scene alone plays a huge role in introducing youngsters to a wide array of drugs and it is very rare for a young adult to resist the peer pressure that this environment puts on him. It is noteworthy however to add that all the aforementioned are only variables that might push a person towards substance abuse but they are in no way the sole decisive factors.
F*cking with your brain The latest studies explained that drugs eventually change the way the brain works, the entire perception of a human being could be permanently altered if drugs were used for a long period of time. For example, what a normal person may perceive as a pleasurable experience may not be pleasurable enough to satisfy a drug addict; the brain reward system gets mixed up. In other words, drugs can in fact screw up how you think permanently. Add to that the insensitive and compulsive way in which an addict starts to act. Even more so, the irrational things drug addicts do make perfect of sense to them. The addict spends the time he’s not doing drugs thinking of how and when he’ll get his next fix; doing drugs becomes a purpose in life!
A user is not necessarily an addict It’s important however to clear out the difference between a drug addict and a drug user. A drug user is someone who does drugs but still retains control of his urges. The problem is that most drug addicts start at a young age and at that age their personality is not yet built and still is in the development phase. So instead of drugs altering how their brain works, it makes it develop in a wrong way and this is why it gets very tricky when it comes to the treatment process. In other words, the older you are when you first started the more chances you have to get clean.
Getting Clean If you want to get clean, rehab is more or less the only option. But that usually happens when the addict hits rock bottom and probably reaches the point where they lost everything and the only path upwards is through rehab. Sadly, many people don’t make it far enough to reach that point!
subject to relapse. After getting clean there are several steps that should be followed permanently to increase the chances of avoiding relapse. Second of all, it is noteworthy that it takes an average of 4-6 times of relapsing and going back to rehab in order to get clean. It’s very rare, if not impossible, for a person to succeed through the first try.
Rehab When it comes to rehab, you need to understand that it’s a long and hard process; an addict normally goes in for a period of 45 days. The first week is spent in detoxification to counter the withdrawal symptoms his body goes through, which is another reason why it’s hard for an addict to quit on his own. The rest of the treatment period is recovery; patients are scheduled for a bunch of daily activities and they receive both individual and group therapy sessions. After those 45 days, it is recommended for the patients to stay in a halfway house for a couple of months. The halfway house is pretty similar to the hospital, but patients have more liberty and plan their own daily schedules in order to go back to the normal life gradually instead of being shocked back into it. Since the treatment relies mostly on psychology, the initiative to get clean must come from the patient; he has to be willing and fully convinced that he should do this, the treatment must be voluntarily. Some underground hospitals however enforce “elsha7n” which is basically sending a couple of big ass orderlies to the addict’s door to take him by force to the hospital for treatment. This policy is illegal and has proved to be a failure in most cases. why private hospitals never use that method, because even though they’re profit-oriented, they still have a reputation to keep. Accordingly only unlicensed hospitals resort to “el sha7n”. And this is but the tip of the iceberg; there are claims that some staff members in those places do in fact sell drugs to the patients due to the terrible level of supervision by the doctors! Going into rehab in a private hospital on the other hand will cost you a little over 60,000 LE. It’s no news that not everyone can come up with that kind of money. However, it happens to be that treatment from addiction relies mainly on the doctor himself; there is no need for sophisticated and expensive equipment.
Surprisingly though, doctors in public rehab facilities are very qualified and offer pretty much the same level of treatment being offered in private rehab facilities. The difference is visible in other aspects, like how clean the rooms are and the quality of food served. The amount of money a patient has is irrelevant to the treatment process; the only thing that matters is the patient’s willingness to get his act together and take the initiative. In conclusion, it is crucial to note that there is no such thing as a bad seed; there are people with physical issues, mental or social issues which play a role in their choices. Behavioral problems should be understood and handled rather than frowned upon and judged. Drug addicts are patients not criminals and the fact that rehab didn’t work out for them doesn’t mean that they are a lost cause and don’t want to get better, it only means that they need more help and persistence.
But before delving into the process of rehab itself two things need clarification. First of all, drug addiction is categorized by most medical organizations and associations, including the World Health Organization, as a chronic disease. Chronic diseases cannot be cured but can be controlled, for example diabetes cannot be cured but patients adapt to it and take medication to keep it at bay. The same thing applies to drug addiction; you may get clean but you’re always
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UNDERSCORE
Without getting into clichés like how drugs are a cancer to society and how devastating they could be to youth, let’s talk numbers. The fact is: you always hear how common drugs became among youth. But there are no reliable statistics on this issue in Egypt. We surveyed a number of people online to have a better understanding of those facts and here is what we came up with. Addiction Surprisingly, when we asked how often people do drugs, nearly half (45%) of the people who took the survey tried drugs a couple of times to get the feel of it and then stopped. This means that 55% of people who tried drugs have taken it as a habit. 32% of the people who took the survey do drugs socially; when they are on vacation or in special occasions, while only 9% do it several times a month and most shockingly 14% do it on a daily basis!
was actually arrested and then and got bailed out. Awkward, very awkward.
It’s just a phase… or so they claim When it comes to quitting, 64% plan on quitting at some point, may that be on the short or the long term. 26% never gave it any thought and 10% have decided that this is what they want and that they don’t plan on quitting at any point.
Hash and weed for the win!
I need help!
When we asked about the types of drugs people use, it came as no surprise that the vast majority (nearly 98%) smoke hash or weed which probably goes back to the fact that these two types are not perceived by society as “hardcore drugs” and are sometimes even considered more socially acceptable than alcohol. 30% pop pills (my guess would be at parties) and an astounding 20% sniff cocaine while 9% shoot up heroin.
When we asked whether drug users considered going to rehab or not we got some unexpected answers. A very small fraction (9%) considered rehab, nearly half of the people surveyed (48%) never considered rehab as an option and 43% don’t think they need rehab. Here are some of the reasons why the latter believe that they don’t need rehab:
Kids doing drugs?
• “Because I don’t see it as a big problem” • “Because I am not addicted”
Turns out that 23% of people who do drugs tried it first between the ages of 14-17, whereas a the whopping majority (70%) started between 18-23 years old, probably because they started befriending drug dealers in class! A small 7% started when they were over 24 years old, which makes sense; the older and wiser one is, the less likely it is for he/she to take drugs.
The bad apple
• “I only smoke weed a few times a year, nothing major” • “I can do it myself” • “I am the only one who can help myself”
Bad parenting? When we asked how this habit was taken up, only 40% were offered drugs by friends while 60% took the initiative to try drugs on their own. This sort of refutes the theory that a bad apple would spoil the rest of the basket. Of course your friends affect your choices, but apparently, drugs have a bit of an appeal that makes people really want to try it.
The iron fist… Remember the “badass” friends you had; the ones who always used to tell you how they were caught doing drugs, but smooth-talked their way out of it? Apparently they weren’t lying, at least not all of them! According to the survey, 75% never got into trouble with the police and 23% were caught but talked their way out of it. A very modest 2%
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Apparently not all parents are keeping a close eye on their children; 63% of the parents were not aware that their kids are doing drugs while a surprising 20% knew and wouldn’t confront their kids. A brave 10% went to their parents and told them themselves while only 7% of the parents knew on their own and confronted their kids!
Find out If You Have an Allergy… and Cure It Now! Allergy When your body mistakes a harmless, nontoxic substance for a dangerous attack or a disease when a foreign substance (allergen) is detected.
Symptoms May include sneezing, itchiness, congestion, Sinus and ear problems, rashes and stomach ache.
The Test The skin prick test exposes the patient to a small quantity of allergens and monitors the skin for a reaction. It’s usually done using about 20 types of allergens. The entire process ends within 90 minutes.
Side Effects Triggers - Certain foods; such as strawberries, chocolate, mangos and sea food. - Molds, house dust, animal hair, grass, etc.
Certain discomfort, redness or itching of the skin can occur after the test but that would disappear within two to three hours.
The Cure Treatment Medications such as nasal spray, decongestants, or antihistamines in the form of pills may be a temporary fix, but not a cure.
Get Tested...
For reservation call: 02–37615102/ 01008377777 114 Al-Tahrir Street, Dokki M. El-Fouly, MD Clinic working hours: Saturday to Wednesday - 4PM to 8PM
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Immunotherapy is a scientifically proven allergy cure. It is a vaccine that can be injected or given in the form of drops. It trains the body to regular little diluted doses of the allergen(s) until the prescribed amount reaches its optimum.
UNDERSCORE
Police reform my a*s!
Salalem’s lead singer, Jimi, talks about his encounter with the police... By Mohammed Jamal
IT WAS LATE ONE NIGHT IN MOHANDESSEEN. MY FRIEND AND BANDMATE WALKMAN AND I HAD JUST FINISHED A GIG AT CAIRO JAZZ CLUB, AND WERE ON OUR WAY HOME. AS WE DROVE WE APPROACHED A POLICE CHECKPOINT. THE OFFICER ASKED US TO PULL OVER AND REQUESTED TO SEE MY DRIVING LICENSE AND OUR IDENTIFICATION CARDS. HE THEN SEARCHED MY CAR, AND AFTER FINDING NOTHING SUSPICIOUS, HE TOLD US WE COULD GO. Almost as soon as we moved, though, I realized that I hadn’t taken back my ID card from the officer. I searched the whole car for it but couldn’t find it, so I drove back to the checkpoint in order to get it back. I found the officer who had searched us and asked him about my ID, but he said he was certain he had given to me, and offered to come help me look for it in the car. Meanwhile, Walkman had gone off to ask the other officers standing about the card. One of them got furious and viewed Walkman’s question as an accusation of theft, and that’s when all hell broke loose. I was on my way to the car with the officer when I heard Walkman groan as they kicked and punched him, and by the time I turned around to see what was happening and ran to help my friend, they had caught me and started ruthlessly beating me as well.
Then the officer approached us, and this is what he said: يعني أنا طالع ميتني...“يلعن كـ* أم الثورة اللي خليتكوا فاكرين إنكم ممكن تتعالوا عـ الضباط ”.أمي في الشارع ليه؟ مش عشانكم؟ دي ثورة بنت قـ*بة وأنا هاعمل معاكم الصح He then sent off another policeman to write the report he would – in his words – “screw us over” with. His colleague opened a drawer, brought out a machete (senga), a bar of hashish, and some papers. He came back an hour later with a sealed envelope, and we realized afterwards that they had fabricated a report accusing us of possession of two grams of hashish and a machete, as well as attacking a police officer while on duty. We were later taken to another middle-ranking officer who was very decent. He apologized to us when he found out about the abuse we had been subjected to, and ordered the guard to separate us from the criminals at the police station for the night, until we were transferred to the prosecutor’s office the next morning as was planned. He allowed us to use our phones in order to call our families and ask them to hire a lawyer. First thing I did when I had my phone back in my hands was tweet; I didn’t know who to call at 6 a.m. It was Walkman who asked his brother to hire us a lawyer. The next day we were taken to the prosecutor’s office, handcuffed, and in a van full of criminals. Our fury was growing by the minute, but we believed staying silent was the wise thing to do. We met the lawyer, and the prosecutor treated us respectfully. He told us that what happened was probably due to the way we looked. He said that to the police officers we must have looked ‘weird’ and our attitude could have provoked them. Yes, sadly, that’s the mindset of the police in this country. We were released on a bail of 400 LE, but we remain charged with three very serious criminal offences. But I made a vow that I will not be silenced, despite those charges. And neither will Walkman. We will not rest until this officer is punished, and the whole Ministry of Interior is purged of this sick mentality the Mubarak regime has instilled.
We tried to shield ourselves from their blows, but it was in vain. After beating the hell out of us for what seemed like an eternity, they dragged us to a police car parked on the side. They confiscated my car and took our phones, and inside the car on our way to the police station, an officer very calmly handed me my ID: “Here you go; your card.” I was appalled to know that it had all been a cheap act – it was obvious that they had staged the whole thing for a nightly dose of entertainment. As we walked into the station, the shock hadn’t left me. Never in my life had I been through an experience that was even as remotely humiliating as this one. They led us into a room where an arrogant-looking officer was seated at a desk, and although we were not beaten again, we were met with a string of profanities. However, considering how angry we already were, it had no effect on us. In the same room were a number of men who seemed to be criminals, but were laughing with the cops as if they were the best of friends.
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OPINIONATED UNDERSCORE
From Rod Qalby to 3andaleeb El Do2y WHENEVER SOMEONE TALKS ABOUT MEDIA AND HOW IT AFFECTS PUBLIC OPINION, YOU CAN’T HELP BUT THINK OF YOUSRY FOUDA AND HIS SHOCKING DISPLAY OF FACTS OR TAWFIK OKASHA AND HIS IDIOTIC OPINIONS. MEDIA ISN’T SIMPLY THE EVIL MASPERO NOR IS IT THE GOOD ON TV. THIS TYPE OF MEDIA HAS A BRAINWASHING EFFECT, AND IT’S NOT EVEN REMOTELY SUBTLE; THEY WILL BLATANTLY TELL YOU WHO’S GOOD AND WHO’S BAD, REGARDLESS OF OBJECTIVITY.
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By Youssef Saad Eldin
On the other hand, there’s another form of media that controls your mind without you even noticing. Movies for example, send all sorts of subliminal messages and implant them in your head. Allow me to point out a few ideas the movie industry managed to instill in our heads.
All hail the king This could be noticed the most in the post-1952 coup era; most of the movies produced in that era focused on how corrupt and evil monarchy was and how patriotic and fair Gamal Abdelnasser was. Objectively speaking, we all must realize that no matter how bad King Farouk was, he couldn’t have been all that bad; he must’ve done some good in his life. On the other hand, no matter how much you love Nasser and the revolution (which was more of a coup), you have to accept that there were mistakes and screw-ups, because he was human after all.
Unfortunately none of Farouk’s good deeds, or Abdelnasser’s screw-ups was ever mentioned in those movies. Rod Qalby for example is one of the most subjective movies I’ve ever seen. In that movie, aristocrats were cold-blooded, inhumane assh*les. The ungrateful “pacha”, who forgot that the gardener’s son saved his daughter’s life, kicked the gardener and his family out of their home. On the other hand, the pacha’s son, Prince Alaa, was a sadist; he shot the gardener’s son for holding hands with his sister and right after the revolution he went on a killing spree because all the “slaves” (as he referred to them) wanted “nothing but their rights”. The movie tackled how the elite’s properties were confiscated and were given back to their rightful owners: the people. But it never discussed how some of those properties (houses, land or even jewelry) wound up in the possession of high-ranking army officers. In any movie that features Nasser, if the “1967 defeat” was to be mentioned, it’s Abdel Hakim Amer’s (the Minister of Defense at the time) fault. It is never mentioned that it was Nasser who appointed him, and that he did so because he trusted him, not because he was the most competent person available. As a matter of fact, appointing people you trust over people of more competence is a culture that Nasser introduced and we still suffer from it to this day. One of the most provocative scenes I’ve ever seen was in Nasser 65. Generally speaking, it’s a good movie that demonstrates how Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. However, there’s a scene that shows Nasser staying up late in the midst of all the pressure and at a very critical moment in Egyptian history, when all of a sudden, he receives a call by mistake from an old lady. I do not recall the details of the conversation, but I remember that Nasser at some point in time offered to send the lady someone to help her out. And of course, as soon she finds out that she’s speaking to the president, her first reaction is “rabena ye7meek yabny” and hangs up. I’m sorry but was that supposed to make us see “Abdelnasser el ensan”? This was naive beyond words; I mean have you ever heard of anyone who got in touch with a president by accident? Have you ever seen “El Nasser Salah Eldin”? Good movie, but did you know that “El Nasser” is just one of many titles given to Salah Eldin? But this title was specifically chosen for the movie to make people relate Abdelnasser to Salaheldin and how both icons fight Western invaders! This trend remains till the present day.
Scumbag foreign conspirators Remember Hammam in Amsterdam? It was Mohamed Henedi’s 2nd movie. I was around 12 when that movie came out and I remember how I laughed my ass off when I watched it. Problem is, when I got a bit older and watched the movie again, I realized that this movie had one hell of a hate message. In case you haven’t seen the movie, let me clear things up for you. Henedi goes to Amsterdam to make something out of himself (yes I know, how original?) and gets a job at a hotel. His supervisor was a very nice man; never gave him a hard time and tried to be very friendly. Things started to get crappy when Henedi found out that the guy is Israeli. Consequently and for no other reason, Henedi started giving him the cold shoulder and despite the man’s miserable attempts to patch things up, Henedi refused to even say hello. Only then did the Israeli start to show his true colors, and became “as evil as any average Israeli”. In 3andaleeb El Do2y, another Henedi movie, Henedi owned a pharmaceutical company in the UAE and a Danish company wanted to buy him out. This was just one year after that whole offensive Danish cartoon came out. Of course he wouldn’t sell the company because they’re Danish. But of course, the Danish use twisted methods (including kidnap) to bully him into selling the company only for him to discover that they were only acting like a middle man and the true buyer is an Israeli company! So we conclude from the movie that the Danish are evil because they wouldn’t stone to death a guy who drew cartoons that were offensive to
us and of course they wouldn’t find anyone better than the Israelis to ally with. Whenever it comes to “foreign conspiracies”, Hany Ramzy is no amateur. In 3awez 7a2y, the public decided to sell their share in the country (a bit complicated and unrealistic but that was how the movie went). Thing is, the Americans and Israelis did all they could to buy these shares. And of course the hot girl who approached Hani Ramzy and organized the whole thing worked for an Israeli man.
There are non-Israelis who are actually evil too! I won’t get into the Arab-Israeli conflict, but hating someone for no other reason than his nationality doesn’t sound too fair to me. How many times have you seen in movies that drugs come from Israel for the sole purpose of destroying Egyptian youth? Way too many. How about the ones coming from Libya and Sudan? Never! The idea of us as sitting ducks while each and every single Western country tries to come up with a scheme to destroy us is ridiculous. Just like how all aliens must land first in the U.S. in all American movies, Egypt is the only country people want to destroy. This happened because movies –alongside our dark history with colonization– forced us to believe that Western countries are evil and it became deeply rooted in the back of our heads. Consequently, when the time is right, a couple of statements from government officials and stateowned media will revitalize that fear.
Rich bastards! In the process of making people hate the monarchy (as explained earlier), movies also sent the message that the majority of the rich are evil and corrupt. This goes all the way back from 1950s where most of the rich were alcoholic blood-sucking elitist pricks to the modern-day corrupt businessmen. Wa7ed Men El Nas is one of the modern movies that fuel resentment towards the rich. Despite it being one of my favorite movies, you can’t help but notice how it portrays businessmen as invulnerable beings. In that movie, Ezzat Abou Ouf is a very rich and powerful businessman. His son, being the spoiled reckless prick any businessman’s son is, shot a man in a moment of anger. Of course a “poor man” was framed and Karim Abdel Aziz’s wife was killed because he was unwilling to lie in court. The exact same scenario happened in “El Shaba7” where Ahmed Ezz was being framed for a murder that a rich businessman’s son committed. According to Egyptian movies, rich people could literally get away with murder and frame any average man; they have their own militias to clear out differences between themselves. But more importantly, despite that all their work could be of legal nature, it could only be achieved through corrupt methods. Egyptian movies often categorize “rich kids” as corrupt and selfish young men like in the 2 previous examples or as spoiled brats like in Ebn Ezz or H. Dabbour where in both movies the kids were too spoiled and had no idea how the poor felt until they tried being poor themselves. Not to mention that it’s taken for granted that rich kids do drugs! I’m not saying that this is not entirely true, but it is being shown in an extremely exaggerated manner, one that generates hatred between different social classes. The “kol elly rakbeen Mercedes 7arameya” mentality is a byproduct of these kinds of messages. But why? This got me thinking, do the writers of those movies genuinely believe that bullshit? Or are they simply just making these movies because the ideas they propagate are commercial and mainstream? Are they just creating what the majority wants to watch? Are script-writers jeopardizing the awareness of an entire nation to make a quick buck, or do they simply lack an adequate level of awareness? No matter what the answer is, the fact remains: the media does in fact control you, it will tell you who to love, who to hate and even what to think!
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] OPINIONATED ]
In-Depth Report:
The Attention Whore in its Natural Habitat By Leila Tapozada
IN THE VAST WASTELANDS OF CAIRO, THERE ARE MANY A CREATURE TO BE FOUND – THE HUNTER, THE HUNTED, THE BOTTOM-DWELLERS, THE LEADERS OF THE PACK, THE BRIGHTLY-COLORED PEACOCKS (RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR MATCHING VEIL, BELT, BAG AND SHOES IN ELECTRIC BLUE), HAIRY CREATURES (SALAFIS), HAIRLESS CREATURES (METROSEXUAL MEN), ETC.; THESE ARE ALL INHABITANTS OF THIS STRANGE LAND. THEY MIGRATE TO THE NORTH COAST DURING SUMMER MONTHS, MATING SEASON IS AROUND MID-FEBRUARY, AND SOMETIMES THEY ALL LIVE PEACEFULLY AND SOMETIMES THEY… UH, DON’T.
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unremarkable in real life, hence the spreading of their metaphorical peacock feathers over social media. Then there are the sad, lost media rapists who tweet and blog about their feelings all the live-long day, and how they’re depressed, and how they’re alone, and are practically pleading with the world at large: “Notice me! Love me! Validate me!”
• Hercules Wannabes These are usually men. They go out of their way to talk about how they were at the front line of the Mohamed Mahmoud fighting (even if they were cowering in the corner, tweeting to announce that they’re there), they talk about how they effed up some guys in a huge fight a few years back (the only fight they were actually in, and yet you’ve heard about it at least a million times), they like to show off their scars because they believe they are testimonies to their manliness, w ya salam ba2a if they throw in a few comments about how the ladies want them. Subtlety is not their strong point. They think their showing off and trying to impress is slick, and will force you to see them as Superman, but really, who likes a Superman who toots his own horn?
• The Know-it-Alls (and you must know that they know it all)
But wait – what is that we hear? What is that constant, and vaguely annoying, noise in the background? Oh! Gather around boys and girls, for that is the distinctive call of the creature known as ‘the attention whore’! While not rare, ‘the attention whore’ comes in many shapes and forms, and thus it becomes an interesting creature to study.
During our school days, they were shabab saff el awel, their hands up in the air like gunshots the second the teacher asks a question. Today, these know-it-alls pride themselves on being ‘intellectuals’, smugly residing on what they perceive as a higher plane of understanding than the rest of the poor average souls. They must flaunt the books they read, the languages they speak, name-drop famous journalists, thinkers, politicians, etc. Although most of these know-it-alls are actually quite average, they realize they’re not going to get the attention they desperately crave from their looks or sparkling sense of humor (know-it-alls score low marks in these categories), so they put all their eggs in the ‘brainy’ basket. Don’t try getting into a discussion with them. They’re stubborn, obnoxious and desperate to prove themselves to be your intellectual superior.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ATTENTION WHORES:
• The Egyptian Mother
• The Drama Queen The most common type of attention whore found in the wild. To the drama queen, any attention, even negative attention in the sense of fights or nakkad, is still attention. Everything is a disaster, everything is horrific, her life is about to topple around her ears. And these catastrophes include commonplace events such as a friend not personally inviting her to a wedding, an argument with her mother, or her boyfriend forgetting to call. She demands attention, and sympathy, and some more attention. She’s the one sending rambling text messages at 4 in the morning.
• The Social Media Rapist This person manipulates social media –Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc- in any attempt to bring attention to his/her yard. They’ll try to be funny, try to be witty, try to be profound, try to be shocking – anything to garner attention and in turn get more followers, blog comments, or profile picture likes. What is real and what is not doesn’t matter; truths can be exaggerated in a blog post, ugly girls can be made pretty by Photoshop, and everyone knows that you’re not going to get any followers on Twitter by being, you know, yourself! This person is probably pretty plain and
Now behold the most dangerous of the attention-seekers. The Egyptian mother is part drama queen and part know-it-all, and carries a deadly secret weapon – emotional blackmail. The Egyptian mother knows exactly what to do and what to say in order to get her kids’ attention, and all the while you don’t even realize she’s doing it. Phrases to look out for: “nefsi bas te2adarni marra abl ma amoot” (ba3d el sharr 3aleiky ya 7agga), “yerdeek anam wana albi maksoor?” (la2 tab3an ya 7agga), “aywa enzelo fasa7o w sebooni li wa7di fel beit” (7a2ek 3aleiya ya 7agga), “enta mish betakol leih, ana 3amalt el akl dah kolo makhsous 3ashanak” (teslem 2eedek ya 7agga), etc. Over all the Egyptian creatures’ cacophony, the attention whores’ calls resonate throughout the city. And while the variety of attention whores range wide and long (there are many types unmentioned here), one fact remains. Every single one of us has a little attention whore within, so we should not shun nor condemn the blatant attention whores. Like every creature on earth, they need love and acceptance, even if they are annoying. We must learn to live with all sorts of types, and see the comedic value in each. Because, hey, if you’re laughing at them, it makes it that less likely for you to slap them… face it, they’re not going extinct anytime soon.
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OPINIONATED
Religion
Losing
(Most of ) (Most of) My
By Anonymous
I STILL CALL MYSELF MUSLIM. I AM A MUSLIM WHO HAS LOTS OF ISSUES WITH ISLAM, A MUSLIM WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THE QURAN, AS IT IS, IS SUITABLE FOR ALL TIMES AND PLACES. I AM A MUSLIM WHO DRINKS, SUPPORTS GAY RIGHTS, HAS CASUAL SEX, AND DOES NOT PRAY (OR AT LEAST NO LONGER DOES.) I AM A MUSLIM WHO BELIEVES THAT THE QURAN IS SEXIST AGAINST WOMEN, AND I BLAME THE ACTUAL TEXT, NOT THE INTERPRETATION OF IT. WHILE I WAS ALWAYS A CONTROVERSIAL CHARACTER, IT TOOK A LONG TIME FOR ME TO DEVELOP INTO THIS CONTROVERSIAL OF A CHARACTER, AND HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED:
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I started praying all five prayers when I was in 5th grade (khamsa ibtida2i), because I really enjoyed fasting in Ramadan, and was told that if I don’t pray, my fasting would not count. So I started praying, and then continued after Ramadan, because it was time for mid-year exams, and it seemed like a good idea to pray then as well, I wanted God on my side while I was taking my exams, right? By Prep 2, I was fully addicted to Amr Khaled, had read the Quran several times and even practiced “Night Prayer” (Qeyam El-Leil), which is thought to be the most sacred and intimate of all types of prayers. I was that annoying person who pushed all of her friends to pray too, and made my Fagr prayer alarm so high so as to force my family members to wake up too. One of the first questions I would think about (or even ask), when I met a new person, was if he/ she prayed, and judged him/her if not. I was quite the God-conscious person; my dream was to grow up, be super successful, and thereby set a great example for Muslims and non-Muslims everywhere. But none of that makes me controversial; lots of girls/women/people do the whole getting super religious at a really young age thing. But I was different. Sure I prayed the five prayers of the day, and on time, but I also wore very revealing clothes. I was known for my cleavage-y tops, and “lesani el zefer”. I went out, loved to dance, and even got very physical with my high school boyfriend. I am also very much a feminist, in fact, for the longest time I used to argue that one cannot know Islam and understand the Quran well, and not be a feminist. I actually cried the first time I understood that husbands were allowed to hit their wives (albeit the hitting is not allowed to leave a so-called mark). But I brushed off this piece of information; I decided that my tears of disappointment were proof of my love for Islam. Yes, denial and I were good friends for a long time.
I moved to the US for college, and chose to associate myself with the Muslim scene. I was living my dream; I was my open-minded-gaymarriage-supporting yet super religious self, becoming successful, and serving as a loud face of Islam in the West. I was more attached to my religion than I ever had been. The first time I came face to face with my denial, was during my Philosophy of Feminism class, in my third year of college in UCLA. I decided it was a great idea to write a 20 page academic paper comparing Islam, Christianity and Judaism, in relation to women’s rights. My hypothesis was: Islam had it best, Islam and feminism do indeed come together. The more I researched and wrote, the more my hypothesis became ‘Islam had it better, not best,’ and my supposedly academic paper became a sub-conscious defensive argument for Islam. I wrote things like: yes, a daughter is entitled half the inheritance of a son, but that is because the son has to take care of her, I promise! I know there is nothing that regulates that she is indeed taken care of but .. umm... (*cricket*cricket*). My reality check came when I sat with my empowered female professor, discussing my draft. She read my paragraph about wife-beating, and then my conclusion which argued that while there ‘may’ be some sexism in Islam, it still measured up pretty high in the women’s rights area. Needless to say, worst conclusion paragraph of my life. My professor looked at me, and said: “what do you mean ‘there may be’, is there or isn’t there?” I went home, and changed the ‘there may be sexism’ to ‘there is sexism,’ and that was the first time I allowed myself to truly question, criticize, and not make excuses. From there, I went through a long phase of questioning, which was followed by a phase of decision-making. The questions were from “why do male Hamadraya baboons beat the sh*t out of female baboons if they are not obedient, and isn’t this dangerously similar to a husband ‘beating’ a wife if she isn’t obedient? Is this a universal trend? Did God create a universe where the female sex was at a universal disadvantage?”, “Why did God create human beings, give them a brain and the freedom of choice, and then promise some of them punishment for using their brain and making the supposed ‘wrong’ choice of not believing?”, “Why does God order men not to have sex with their wives when they are on their period? Why aren’t the women being ordered not to have sex with their husbands when they are on THEIR period? Me being on my period is pain enough, kaman my husband needs to reject me? Shouldn’t this order be given to me? I’m the one menstruating here”, “Would I be judged for even thinking about all of this?”, “Why was it okay for Prophet Mohamed to have concubines? Why were sex slaves even allowed?!” and of course, the all-too-simple question, “How can atheists or agnostics or even Christians who believe in the Holy Trinity, be promised hell when they, like anyone else, can be amazing charitable people?” Obviously the questions did not stop, and there were no answers given, simply because I believe there are none. The questioning lead to decision-making. Absorbing all my new-found acceptance of religious injustices and mysteries took over a year, and with that year came my conscious drifting away from Islam. After spending my entire four years in college in the US not drinking, I took two full weeks to thoroughly think about the matter, and decided I no longer found a reason not to drink. I did not succumb to peer pressure, I simply made an adult decision. Same with sex. We are all adults and we all have hormones, and I fought mine like everyone else does, and chose not to have sex because I believed I was not supposed to. I later made the conscious decision, based on the thought process: “I am a good person, I cannot possibly believe that God is trivial enough to punish me in hell because I had safe sex, I am going to give God some credit.” At 24, I am now in the acceptance phase. I am accepting that my views are not commonplace, and that that is okay. I am accepting that I do not know what will happen after we die, but I would like to think God will not be angry with my thought process. I am still the same God-conscious girl. I still believe in God, and the revealing of the Quran, and Prophet Mohamed (Pbuh), albeit with many reservations. I still call myself Muslim for these reasons among others, but I accept the fact that that too can change. In the end, I strive to be a good person who does not judge others, and I believe/hope that God is who I give him credit to be, and will accept me as I am.
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OPINIONATED
By Sherief Hassan
“So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause” – A statement once said by an agitated Padme Amidala of the Naboo (Star Wars fans will relate) and I’ll probably tweet it a couple of months from now. And the reason why I expect to tweet that line is because I’m tracing striking similarities between the sequence of events between what in the Star Wars saga and what’s going on in Egypt nowadays.
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“In order to ensure the security and continuing stability, the republic is to be reorganized into the first galactic empire” *APPLAUSE* - Now this is what was said right before Ms Padme gave her aforementioned famous line. It’s astonishing, really, how all dictators play the same cards with no one noticing; on what basis exactly did Senator Palpatine, now Emperor Palpatine, build his case? Ensuring security and stability. Allow me to start the story from the very beginning, with a quick synopsis of the Star Wars world for those of you who are not fans (shame on you!). Star Wars is a Sci-Fi series of movies carried out in a fictional galaxy somewhere in the future. Like any tale there are bad people known as “the Sith” and the good people known as the “Jedi knights”, both with knowledge of “the force” which is the most fascinating element of Star Wars since it provides ever-evolving and limitless powers to whoever was born sensitive to it. Then there is the Galactic Republic with a senate that has representatives from each and every planet out there. Now our main antagonist here is known as Palpatine who is known to possess great patience and that his manoeuvrings resemble those of a chess master moving pieces on a board. He is depicted as a diabolical genius where everything he says or does is out of pure hypocrisy. Palpatine had a long term plan to control the galaxy and turn it into his own empire. His plot went as follows: he assumed an alter ego; that of a prominent Senator/Chancellor/Emperor, cleverly concealing his true identity as a “Sith” lord and through both personas – known only to a select loyal few – he started to manipulate key figures everywhere to carry out his grand scheme. As a senator, Palpatine starts pushing for a complete blockade by the trade federation via its weak and greedy viceroy on a planet (Naboo) that is considered an eminent threat and a potential trigger of a widescale war; the first in a thousand years. The senate tries to intervene but bureaucracy stifles its efficiency and they decide to send a committee to gather facts (lagnet taqasy 7aqa2eq). Taking advantage of the blockade crisis and through manipulation, Palpatine, nudges the senate to raise a motion to remove the chancellor from office. Naturally Palpatine gets voted into power. Ten years after the blockade crisis, as Chancellor of the Republic and simultaneously a Sith lord, Palpatine orchestrates the outbreak of the clone wars; a devastating conflict on a scale unseen in thousands of years. He himself headed both the Galactic Republic and, secretly, the confederacy of independent systems, both parties to the conflict.
Now this is not remotely how the movies end but this is where the relevant part ends, what relevance? Well, if you haven’t picked up the relevance then allow me to elaborate. SCAF has been in control of this country for over a year now using allies in different sects of the country such as media, police, state security, intelligence and some would say the Muslim Brotherhood in order to remain in power or at the very least preserve its pre-revolution status. Naturally, they would never agree to yield power without ensuring some sort of relevant stature accompanied by some financial privileges. SCAF is an entity created, originally, to perform strategic, long term, patient chess-like schemes in order to reach their goals, in resemblance with the villain of our tale. SCAF is responsible for the state and thus responsible for the massacre that was carried out in Port Said eliminating a strong opposing organised fighting body; the Ultras. It’s not their direct responsibility, but you can definitely connect them to it. SCAF has left the parliament to drown in nonsense and theatrics without actually executing anything consequently deeming it redundant. People will soon lose faith in it and call for a more authoritative figure to take care of their affairs. Several alien acts of dissent have been carried out recently like the successive bank robberies and rather organised thuggery. Again, people will soon come out and call for an iron-fist intervention to restore peace and order. SCAF’s media machine helped in dividing the country into Muslims, Christians, Ahly fans, Port Said-ians, Salafis, MB, liberals, seculars, etc. Classic divide and conquer there. Now of course the analogy is based on fiction and I, in all honesty, am not one who digests conspiracy theories easily, but the line of creating chaos in order to relinquish democracy and freedoms and reinstating a police vicious state has reoccurred several times in history, most relevant back in 1953 in Egypt when demonstrations and a fake attempt of assassination resulted in people calling for the fall of democracy. Sadly, yes, people did call for the fall of democracy due to a well executed plan by Nasser back then. The model is being repeated; spreading fear and despair then ruling with an iron fist. May the force be with Egypt.
The scheme carries on with an assassination attempt on a queen by a separatist movement secretly backed by the evil genius who was himself later kidnapped by the same separatists - all according to plan - and the good old Jedi knights come in to rescue him. After his rescue he was granted “emergency powers” consequently becoming a virtual dictator able to pass any order in the senate. Later, through his loyal figures (hello media), Palpatine tarnishes the image of the only force standing between him and to total domination over the galaxy; the Jedi knights. He then sets the destruction of the Jedi in motion by announcing to the Senate that the Jedi were planning to overthrow the Republic and that the Republic will be restructured into the Galactic Empire. Palpatine assumes complete power, promising stability and security and only delivering vile subjugation. The End.
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OPINIONATED
Wicked Jordanian Guitars By Menna Tarek
Akher Zapheer
The first time I knew there was an underground music scene in the Arab world was when Salalem (a sarcastic Egyptian band) introduced Autostrad (reggae/funk Jordanian band) to us more than a couple of years ago. Autostrad’s music instantly caught my ear. I mean, have you ever heard something so groovy and funky with Arabic lyrics before? I had my eye on the Jordanian scene ever since and although Amman doesn’t offer multiple venues for music bands to perform live at, bands keep producing music and keep getting better at it. A quick roundup of the Jordanian music scene right now: Autostrad (reggae/funk): They are the oldest band out there. Jadal (rock): They covered AbdelHalim’s Eltouba; this is how they became popular and they have released their first album which includes 14 tracks. El Morabba3 (rock fusion/psychedelic): They are yet to launch their first album. Akher Zapheer (rock): They are a studio band and they have but one single out. Find them on Youtube, give them a listen and check them out on Facebook to find their pages. Just try them out and realize how good they really are. The music is layered, diverse, catchy and smart. The production is excellent. The lyrics are edgy and new to your ears (their accent is rough).
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So yeah, they are all that. The Egyptian underground scene vis-à-vis the Jordanian one Comparing the Jordanian underground scene to its Egyptian counterpart had to happen; Egyptian musicians were leaders of the “art” scene for so long. Although we are not short of venues, production studios, sound engineers and all that, the underground music scene in Egypt is somehow very repetitive.
Autostrad
Putting aside instrumental bands like Eftekasat and ElDor ElAwal, bands keep making very basic music while adding lyrics that are either by poets you can’t go wrong with ( Salah Jahin and Negm, for instance) or use the popularity of old favorites and create an audience base on that. On the other hand, bands with original lyrics are trying to reach out to as many people as possible by “simplifying” both the lyrics and the music construction as much as they can. Of course, some songs are catchy and keep us running after bands in Sakia or CJC, but the scene lacks creativity and originality more than I, personally, would like. We are yet to integrate more “rock” into the Arabic singing bands. We are yet to discover how to write lyrics that are not as tacky without losing ground with the audience. There has to be bands that do covers for old favorites and there has to be bands that are sarcastic and easy to listen to, I am not against that. All I am saying is that Egyptian musicians have to think outside the box for a while and understand that they are reaching out for a more aware audience now. Bands like “Black Thema” for example are very original, their tickets are almost always sold out and they get Sakia packed, but they don’t perform that much. Whereas bands that are not as “original” find/get the chance to perform a hundred times more. Is it a problem of finance? Do bands look at the scene as a popularity contest of some sort? Are bands giving people what they want to hear? I don’t want to sound condescending or anything. I just want to hear some original underground music that would trigger my senses again. We should be leading this thing, not following certain molds that bands simply fit into. That is the whole point of a parallel scene at the end of the day. So push your boundaries a little bit. Surprise me.
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]CENTER-STAGE ]
Omar Samra on a Mission FIVE SUMMITS DOWN, ONE TO GO! By Hend Ghorab
LAST TIME WE INTERVIEWED HIM, OMAR SAMRA HAD JUST CLIMBED MT. ACONCAGUA; THE HIGHEST SUMMIT IN SOUTH AMERICA. TODAY, HE HAS ADDED YET ANOTHER SUMMIT TO HIS LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS… MOUNT VINSON IN ANTARCTICA. BEING THE FIRST EGYPTIAN AND THE SECOND YOUNGEST ARAB TO CLIMB MOUNT EVEREST, OMAR IS NOW SET TO BREAK A RECORD: HE IS ON A MISSION TO CLIMB TO THE HIGHEST PEAKS ON EVERY CONTINENT, AND HIS WILL BE THE FIRST CARBON NEUTRAL 7-SUMMIT EXPEDITION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. WE CHITCHATTED WITH OMAR ABOUT THE ANTARCTICA EXPERIENCE, AND HOW HE’S PREPARING FOR THE NEXT SUMMIT – THE LAST ON THE 7-SUMMIT PLAN. Congratulations on climbing Mount Vinson! What was that like? Oh well, it was grueling. It’s 4892 meters high; in terms of altitude it’s the second lowest of the seven summits. It’s 12,000 km from the South Pole; quite a long distance from the coast also. People think Antarctica is usually flat, but it actually is the continent with the highest overall elevation, even more than Asia (which has the Himalayas!). Why did you decide to climb Mount Vinson at this time? Over the years I read a great deal of stories about explorers like Amundsen, Shackelton and Scott who had climbed that summit and set unbelievable records and underwent astounding feats of human strength and perseverance. I watched documentaries, browsed countless photos and spoke to people who had been there, in an effort to visualize what it would actually feel like to be there. That is in addition to the fact that Antarctica had been the continent of my dreams. How long did the expedition last? The actual expedition lasted 9 days. It sort of went like clockwork. I took a total of 14 plane rides (seven going and seven on the way back). But the real journey began when we took the Russian Illyushion 76 aircraft from Chile to Antarctica. This airplane was hollowed out, with about 50 seats bolted down to it, and not a single window. The beauty of this plane is that it lands on a blue-ice runway, about 3 kilometers long, because the pilot can’t press the brakes (or else we’d skid off); he just lets the plane come to a natural halt. Until now, I can remember that moment when I took my first step on the ice. How did you spend the first few days in Antarctica while preparing for the climb? First of all to get to Mount Vinson, me, along with my team, took a twin otter plane that dropped us within range of the far slopes of the peak. This plane lands directly on snow and instead of having wheels it has skis. From there we began shouldering our packs and hauling sleds a few hundred meters in elevation to Low Camp. Everyone carries a backpack which is tied to their sled directly with a rope. Then in the next few days we spent at Low Camp prepping, organizing, and accommodating ourselves with the 24-hour sunlight. From here we
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climbed a relatively steep and sustained ice face with heavy loads to gain the ridge and move further towards High Camp, offering spectacular views of Mount Shin, the 3rd highest and one of the most intimidating of all climbed peaks on the continent. Our equipment far outweighed a single carry, so we had to make an additional journey up with more loads. When everything finally made it to High Camp, we set up tents and waited for a good weather window in order to push for the summit. So far the weather had been uncharacteristically “warm” and clear but on our last climb to High Camp we were greeted with low clouds and winds reaching 70km/h. As the winds threatened to blow away our tents and summit chances we hunkered down for 2 nights in an effort to get stronger for the summit. Tell us about the climb itself and how you felt afterwards… The day started with the team beginning an early morning march towards the summit. It was a very long day. Initially it was too warm for our down suits but quickly it became excruciatingly cold and windy with every single part of our body covered in heavy clothing. By late afternoon we had travelled a great distance and climbed no less than 700m until we were at the foot of another steep slope leading up to the final summit ridge. We worked hard as a rope team, making slow but consistent progress until we gained the ridge and could now see the summit before us. The final hour seemed like it would never end. The going was slow and hard but we persevered on. It had been mostly cloudy until that point but as we took our final steps on to the summit of the bottom of the world the clouds parted almost in unison to give us a rare and spectacular view of the surrounding ranges. It was everything you want a summit to be; beautiful, emotional and memorable. I picked up my satellite phone, which luckily had not frozen and called my wife. Her warm voice made the harsh conditions a little more bearable and we began making our descent from the other side down the knife-edge ridge and then retracing our steps back to safety. How did you get in shape to be able to endure all of that? Well I didn’t do much, because for Wild Guanabana I’m in shape all year round. I didn’t train as much as I did for other summits. This climb was one that had more to do with physical ability to deal with weather. What was the lowest temperature you dealt with? Negative 40 Celsius. Who was with you on the expedition? A team of 8; they organize expeditions that go to Antarctica every year. It is usually not a large team because it’s very costly given the precautions you need to take. How do you manage to make your expeditions environment friendly and carbon-free? One of my sponsors called AGT (Advanced Global Trading) is a carbon offsetting company. I worked with them in all other five summits as they are carbon neutralizers. Prior to every summit I calculate all emissions (flight, vehicle, phone, etc.), and what I do with AGT is that we buy equipment in carbon credits to offset the carbon emission. Every carbon credit that exists has been created because of an environment-friendly project that uses these credits. It’s an incentive for people to become environmentally friendly. The point is to raise awareness about global warming. It’s an extension and promotion for my work with my travel company Wild Guanabana, which is the first travel company in the Middle East and North Africa to be carbon neutral. What was the most challenging part of this summit? Summit day was hardest day, and obviously the higher you go the colder it gets. At that time my hair was long, and frozen from the sides. This is definitely one of the coldest expeditions I’ve been on. Another challenging obstacle was the fact it was 24 hour sunlight. You could get
sunburnt at 2 am. It was very disorienting, when you come back from a long day around 12 am even though your body is tired, you mind is telling you not to sleep because it’s still bright. To the point that for two weeks after coming back from expedition, my sleeping patterns were distorted. As soon as it would get dark my body wouldn’t know how to react and I would be extremely sleepy midday although I am someone who generally sleeps very late. What surprised you most about Antarctica and the climb? Just how beautiful it is in Antarctica. Also it makes it all that more powerful that only a few people make it to Antarctica; it makes the feeling and experience more dramatic. The intense beauty of the pristine white surroundings and incredible quietness is simply overwhelming. This is what stepping onto an alien planet must feel like. In fact I was so taken back by the moment that a good 15 minutes had passed before I started feeling the piercing cold winds on my skin and then it was time to take cover quickly. What’s your advice to anyone tempted to tackle Mount Vinson? I’d tell them to be prepared because it’s quite challenging. Other than the cold and the 24-hour sunlight, due to Antarctica’s extreme remoteness there are many things that are done on this climb which aren’t done on any other. For instance, there are very few areas allocated for peeing, and you have to poo in a bag, the ‘Wag-Bag’, and carry it all along the ascent and descent, until you make it back to base camp where you get rid of the waste. It sounds awful, but it isn’t; given the really low temperature the poo immediately freezes and doesn’t smell. But still it’s quite uncomfortable and can be difficult for some climbers. What are you near future plans? I am now training hard for my final summit in North America; which is Mount McKinley in Alaska. This will actually be one of my most difficult climbs, given that in reality Mount McKinley is measured base-to-peak as the tallest mountain on land; standing at summit elevation of 20,320 feet (6,194 m) above sea level. Not only that, but given that it is in Alaska, the temperature might drop down to levels similar to those in Antarctica, maybe even lower. What keeps me going though is that, if completed, my 7-Summits Expedition will be the world’s first to be done carbon neutral. We wish you luck! Thanks, I’ll keep you posted!
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Are you a pig? CAMPUS QUIZ
When you order McDonald’s, you usually get:
• A large combo and a side sandwich or two • A combo, medium or large, doesn’t really matter • A happy meal (McD’s is so bad for me, but I can’t resist a small sandwich and fries) • Are you kidding me? You couldn’t pay me to eat them.
• A meal right before I sleep is: • A necessity, or else I wake up so hungry I could eat a water buffalo • A good way to end the night • I try to avoid eating before I sleep, but I indulge every now and then • I don’t eat after 7 pm.
• Samna. What are your thoughts on the subject? • I don’t think about this sh*t. I just eat what’s in front of me. • Makes the food pretty damn tasty • I try to avoid it, or use olive oil or something less fattening instead • No. Just… no.
• When you go to a restaurant, what do you usually order? • An appetizer, a main course, and dessert. Soup also if they have good soup. • A main course, and I don’t mind splitting either an appetizer or dessert with someone • A main course, but I try to stick to healthier options like grilled stuff • A salad. With the dressing on the side.
• So, how much pizza can you eat? • Never tried eating more than a large by myself, but I think I could do it. • A medium by myself • I try not to eat more than 2/3 slices • Do you know how many calories are in ONE slice of pizza? 250-350.
• How often do you order fast food? • Let’s put it this way, I know the delivery men pretty well by now • Several times a week, especially at work • I try not to a lot, but I guess maybe a couple times a month • More like “fast-way-to-get-fat food”; I avoid it like the plague.
• What were your first clues that maybe you eat a little too much? • The waiters in dozens of restaurants all over town know me, and remember my order. • Being overweight! • I notice when I gain a kilo or two, but then I try to cut down • Eat too much? People beg me to eat.
• Do you exercise to combat your eating at all? • Go away. • Does climbing stairs count? • I try to go to the gym regularly, or play sports, but I’m not a fanatic • Of course. I’ve had a gym regimen for years.
• What do people say about your eating habits? • “Yekhreb beitak” • That it’s not too healthy • I don’t know, no one’s ever really commented • They are in awe and amazement of my willpower
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Answers: Mostly a’s – Hello Porky You love food so much that you’re eating your way into a coffin or obesity. Even if you don’t want to cut down for weight reasons, you should probably cut back for health reasons. Embrace the whole “eat to live, not live to eat” mantra. We’re not saying turn into a grass-grazing gazelle, but just take care of yourself.
Mostly b’s – Typical Egyptian Meaning, you’re not the slimmest or healthiest person out there, but at least you’re not eating your way onto your deathbed within the next 5 years. Try to make smarter food decisions – both healthier and less-fattening.
Mostly c’s – Smart Eater Good for you, you’re something rare in Egypt. You’re conscious and aware of what you eat, try to make good eating decisions, and exercise and diet when needed. Spread the health education people. We need more like you.
Mostly d’s – Anorexic Cut that sh*t out.
45 45
] PATTERNS ]
Orange Fever
Go Bold or Go Home
Orange is definitely THE colour to wear this season.
This Spring it’s all about matching bold colours up with bold patterns: monochromatic, plaid, stripes, or - guess what - Hawaiian prints (yes, they are back).
H& M- Orange and White Striped Shirt
River Island – Bright Purple Denim Shorts
Marks and Spencer- Spring Orange Shirt
House of Fraser - Floral Pattern Shirt
H&M – Bright Orange Straight Cut Pants
Fat Face- Ventnor Engineered Stripe Tee
River Island - Patterned Shirt Next- Block Stripe Crew T-Shirt
H&M – Bright Yellow Loafer Urban Outfiters– Denim Shirt with Multi-Colored Shoulder Outline
Next- Argyle Socks
The Man Bag The man bag trend is beginning to slowly infiltrate the Egyptian market. Not only is it a stylish piece; it is also very practical.
French Connection UK Light Brown Man Bag
House of Fraser- White Bag with Green & Brown Straps
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Zara – Navy Blue Vintage Briefcase
Next – Holdhall Bag
Flower Power
The Stylish Peplum
Flowers, in all shapes, types, and colors, are hot this season.
The ‘peplum’ is a very special cut; its beauty is that it can be paired with anything from a cute pair of shorts to leggings/jeggings even jeans. Republic- Miso Floral Bandeau Bralet
H&M – Multicolored peplum Dorothy Perkins – Orange Peplum New Look --Large Flower Pants H&M – Large Flower Dress
Republic- MIso Floral Belted Playsuit
H&M – Metallic Peplum New Look – Short Light Flower Denim Vest
River Island- Peach Bathing Suit
Trendy Neutrals Creamy neutrals are elegant, feminine and very trendy this season.
Stripes, Stripes, Stripes Over the years, fashion houses have mastered techniques and cuts that make stripes quite flattering; and this Spring they’re totally in. New Look- Multi Colour Zig Zag hem top
Monsoon- Carroll Dress
Next- Embellished Vest
Urban Outfitters – Striped Dress Marks and Spencer- Geo Palazzo Pants
Republic- Miso Pleated Chiffon Skirt
Monsoon- Upnor Bangle Head Over Heels- Striped Wedges
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Fashion Bulletin PATTERNS
Lana Del Ray: Inevitable Not only has Lana Del Ray surfaced in the music scene, she also has in the fashion world. Other than her undeniable sex appeal, she has become a fashion icon. Known also as “Gangsta” Nancy Sinatra, she maintains the whole classic look with sleek hair, natural makeup, and bold lipstick colours. Within less than a year she has landed the covers of both Vogue and T magazine. She has also brought back classic fashion staples but with a modern twist. For instance, the nail polish trend of the 1970s where the inner part of the nail would not be painted, and the full buttoned-up shirts/blouses, giving a sharp but chic impression.
Hot at the Grammys Every year we all tune into the Grammys, cheering for our favourite artists, but also to see what everyone’s rocking on the red carpet. Here we check out the pieces that made our jaws drop, whether in appreciation or just astonishment. Last month Campus raved about the 2012 Spring/Summer Collection of Elie Saab, pop star Katy Perry showed up at the Grammys in one of his hottest baby blue flower embroidered pieces. Fergie pushed the limits in a Jean Paul Gaultier orange lace gown. Every year Rihanna reinvents herself; at the Grammys she stunned the crowd with blonde hair accompanied with a sexy and sleek backless black dress by Giorgio Armani. Nicki Minaj rocks a Red Riding Hood dress by Versace, side by side with her “Pope” Singer Sasha Gradiva takes accessorizing to the next level as she rocks a metal armature. Lady GaGa always outdoes herself.This year she went all futuristic but sexy in a fishnet outfit, accompanied with a black and gold cane to compliment her golden outlines and massive ring. Taylor Swift goes classy in this elegant piece by Zuhair Murad.
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Timeless Beauty Susan Sarandon teams up with her daughter Eva-Amurri Martino for the new Neiman Marcus campaign. The mother-daughter duo shows us that beauty is timeless; truly not bad for a 65 year old.
She might be old, she might have a temper, she might not fit today’s standard of being a size -2, but her sexiness and beauty is indisputable. Naomi Campbell is the hottest photoshoot this month, in the March 2012 issue of Harper’s Bazaar.She is seen modeling the latest pieces from Dolce & Gabbana, Giambattista Valli, Givenchy, Hakaan and Gucci.
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PATTERNS
Our “Greatest Love of All” IT BROKE OUR HEARTS TO KNOW THAT ONE OF THE BEST VOICES OF THE PAST GENERATIONS PASSED AWAY ON FEBRUARY 12, 2012. ALONG WITH HER EPIC VOICE, SHE ALWAYS HAD HER FANS CAPTIVATED WITH HER BOLD STATEMENT PIECES. HERE IS A LOOK BACK AT OUR FAVOURITE WHITNEY FASHION STATEMENTS.
2011: Pre-Grammy Gala and Salute to Industry Icons
2009: Onstage at the American Music Awards 2007: Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Awards Party
1986: At the American Music Awards where she wore a blackteal column dress with rhinestone brooch placed on her giant bow.
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1987: The “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” Barbie Doll
1988: At an award ceremony with Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson, Whitney and Christie Brinkley. Here she is spotted with what eventually becomes her signature white hat.
Rings with Arabic scripture have been in for years now, but Tash have added their own twist, making rings out of old Egyptian coins. We especially love their statement Cleopatra ring.
The Evil Eye will never go out of style and neither will this ‘Ain El Hasood’ multipurpose shawl by Persona.
Louli’s returns with a line of bags sporting classic Egyptian sayings. Our favorite piece this month is Louli’s ‘Ma Asaab An Tahwa Ragol Laysa Laho 3enwan’ handbag.
Made in Egypt Feel comfy and look stylish all at once in that hooded pancho with lilac pompoms by Cairo Koshk.
Turn your outfit around with this evil eye in a nest pendant by Joel. Beautifully simple.
Nothing is as comfortable and as reliable as a snuggly home slipper. Seeing that this is Egypt’s coldest winter in years, get yourself a home slipper for him and her from Shib Square.
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53
] SCREENS, SCREENS, SHELVES SHELVES & & SPEAKERS SPEAKERS]
Alaa Al Aswany’s
‘Did the Egyptian Revolution Make a Mistake?’ An attempt to figure out where it all went wrong By Sherif El Mashad HE’S BEEN CALLED ONE OF THE BEST WRITERS OF HIS GENERATION. HE’S BEEN TITLED ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL THINKERS OF THE YEAR BY FOREIGN POLICY, A GLOBAL MAGAZINE OF ECONOMICS, POLITICS AND IDEAS. HE’S ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL EGYPTIAN PUBLIC FIGURES OF OUR TIME; THE AUTHOR OF THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED “CHICAGO” AND “YACOUBIAN BUILDING”, ALAA AL ASWANY WILL PROBABLY BE REMEMBERED LATER ON AS THE FIRST EGYPTIAN TO BASH A PRIME MINISTER ON LIVE T.V. AND CAUSE HIM TO BE SACKED (A.K.A AHMED SHAFEEQ… EH?), BESIDES BEING A DENTIST AND A KEY FIGURE IN THE EGYPTIAN OPPOSITION. And with a long line of books that easily climb up the best-seller charts, I have little doubt that this book “Did the Egyptian Revolution Make a Mistake?” will be any different. This is Al Aswany’s fourth book of the same kind; a collection of articles published mainly in Al Masry Al Youm. Published by El Shorouq, the book gathers 43 articles, most of them falling under a single theme: the Egyptian Revolution. For those familiar with Al Aswany’s style, this book offers no surprises. Same revolutionary spirit. Same writing techniques. Same clinging on to personal opinions. Same aggressiveness towards Islamists. Same “democracy is the solution” marking the end of almost every article. In short, it’s your typical Al Aswany package. Yet, what I really find interesting in these articles written over a year’s span (March 1st2011 till January 10th 2012) is how they trace the ups and downs that his revolutionary voice went through. It’s very evident in the early articles how the theme of “SCAF has taken a patriotic role, choosing to side with the revolution” prevails (though many signs proved the opposite), and how he connected every wrong decision or unfortunate event to the remains of Mubarak’s regime, without realizing that SCAF was one of the pillars of this regime. The first two articles in the book are about the ex-prime minister, Ahmed Shafeeq, where Al Aswany practically says everything he’s said in the famous “Baladna Bel Masry” episode; and these are probably the best articles in the book -- precise, to the point, and devoid of any false accusations. The book then moves on to tackle other various issues. Some articles beautifully dissect the governing mentality of some of the policemen who benefited from the ex-regime, some hold indirect comparisons between the philosophy governing the relations between people and their superiors in Egypt and in the USA (based on the period he spent there studying for his degree), while some articles reflect upon the exceedingly high spirit he saw in the eyes of Egyptians during the revolution, whether here or abroad, and how sensitive issues like relations between Muslims and Christians seemed pretty irrelevant then. Along the way, Al Aswany repeatedly criticizes two major issues: the Ministry of Interior’s deliberate failure to perform their role in maintaining security all over Egypt, and Political Islam, the ideology both the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis act upon (their “deluded” perception of the Islamic Caliph state, the ongoing rumors of a deal between them and SCAF, their perspective on individual rights and the civil state, and the ongoing mystery – the source of their funding). One also comes across some annoying opinions that Al Aswany writes as if they were facts along the way. For example, he states that during sit-ins or protests, anyone who cuts a road or a railway is an informant planted by State Security, and he claims that had we all voted ‘No’ for
the constitutional amendments, everything would have gone smoother (as if we’re not fighting and losing a lot of martyrs right now just to state the fact that the new constitution can’t be written under military rule), and he says that everyone who voted ‘yes’ did so, because they were tricked into it by the Islamists – which, needless to say, is not true. Yet, what really bothered me were the “wisdom in a story” articles. Articles about how the animals revolted against the old elephant who appointed the lion as his successor are nothing short of lame bedtime stories for children. Such pieces include “What the Monkey Said in the Lion’s Presence”, “Special Show in the Presidential Suite”, “Abu Shama”, “Who’s Trialing Asmaa Mahfouz” and others. But you’ll also enjoy brilliantly written articles such as “From an Egyptian Citizen to Tantawy” – which will probably bring you to tears, “Ali, Thank You” - about Ali Ferzat, a Syrian caricaturist, and “A Dialogue between a Young Revolutionary and a Senior Honourable Citizen”. In short, this is a book that voices Al Aswany’s mind. You’ll agree with some opinions, disagree with others. You’ll toggle between feeling proud, sad and furious upon reflecting on what happened in the past year. You’ll retrace how his opinions were created then gradually changed concerning every party’s role in what happened. And you’ll find yourself asking the same question by the end of the book: Where did it all go wrong?
CAMPUS RATING: 6.5\10 54 54 MARCH MARCH 2012 2012 CAMPUS CAMPUS
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p e t s b u
SCREENS, SHELVES & SPEAKERS
D
* F E H
T …
I can’t think of a better way to start this than by asking why. Why is this generation so insistent on destroying music; one of the most powerful means of expression known to mankind? I ask this in all sincerity. Recently, I’ve stumbled upon the most atrocious form of pop culture to ever impale my ears; Dubstep. Now, for those of you who haven’t heard this genre, or heard of it, I invite you to learn a little more about it. As for those of you who listen to it, well, you’ve made your bed. Brought to you from the slums of England, is Dubstep: a sub-genre of Drum & Bass –another useless genre- incorporating a spectrum of different sounds; drums, bass, and uhmm… well that’s about it. Actually, there is also a few computer generated sounds that are apparently aimed at making you identify the bad-ass nature of this shameful form of art. With its obviously complex musical composition, monotonously riveting beats, and uncompromising lyrical “genius”, this multi-layered hard-hitting genre will undoubtedly stir-up something within you (probably a bowel movement). But I have to admit, this genre has provoked my attention. My first reaction was to point fingers at the music industry. It was the music industry that shamelessly thrust this genre our way and it is the industry’s fault for me having to write this today. I then quickly refuted my own argument saying that the music industry only supplies
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! ? K C ar By T
fia
ek A
the market with what it demands. Then I thought: it must be the consumer! The consumer is to blame for wanting to listen to this noise. But after a while, I realized that these poor people we call the consumers will in fact buy skinny jeans and “ICE Watches”; they’re helpless against the many whims of the sadists that brought to you things of the likes of Dubstep. Then it hit me… the “artists”! They’re the culprits! But before I start tearing the “artists” a new one, let’s relax for a second and break it down. The beat is undeniably heavy, but that was never my problem; the accompanying sounds are what really got to me. The music sounds like some sort of massive device malfunction or a dial-up connection gone bad. And I find myself asking, not why, but how would anyone be able to listen to this music and be able to function normally? Whether you’re working, studying, driving, or simply sitting around and listening, I challenge you to survive an hour of this without receiving a massive migraine. Even the lyrical aspect of this genre has in no way risen to its defense. No matter how hard you try, you will not find a hint of depth in the lyrics. The “artists” have merely put together a couple of sentences -sometimes even a few words- which would
p wene3ma mana fahem 7aga
eh yabny el 2araf da!?
be repeated over and over again throughout a song. I’m sorry, but “Who moved my cheese?” does not seem like the name of a song that would keep you up at night thinking, nor would a name like “Stenchman” make you imagine an intelligent musician. I must say, this music has made me feel guilty. It made me feel guilty for ever having attacked trance, house, or even the 80s! I had no idea that anybody was really ever capable of creating something like this. I don’t know if this was a product of a drug-induced practical joke, blatant arrogance, or just simple silliness, but the fact of the matter is that the result is a catastrophe. Even the music I didn’t like before had something to it. There was a little harmony here and there. But to listen to Dubstep, you really have to possess something most of us normal human beings don’t have; some sort of divine inner peace that can enable you to listen to this and not have an aneurysm. On the other hand, there has to be some sort of drug that helps; a little multi-colored pill that you’d pop that would keep your brain in-check. But whatever it is that can make a person withstand this suffering, at the end it’s all the same: tasteless. I don’t know how or why this genre came about. All I know is that if you’ve haven’t crossed paths with it, then you’re one of the lucky ones. If you have, and you’ve taken a disliking to it, then you’re the kind of person I’m sending this out to. And if you know anyone who’s been a victim of this monstrosity, save him, please, before it’s too late!
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] BALLS ]
By Michel Antoun
It’s very simple really; if you’re an athlete and you’re participating in the Olympic Games for example, then you’ve probably been training for the better part of 4 years, as well as a lifetime of preparation. You probably always dreamt of competing in front of the entire world, representing your country and perhaps coming home with a medal that would be your legacy for many years to come. Then, as we have seen or heard so many times before, you take steroids and then everything you worked for is over… Simply put, there are two main reasons why an athlete would take steroids; the uncontrollable amount of pressure he/she feels as the event approaches, or he/ she simply feels they are not good enough to win and need that extra something that will give them an edge in speed, stamina or power, among other things. Without going into long boring detail about types of steroids and their side effects and so on, let me show you a few examples of those poor souls who threw everything away:
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Party Pooper First up, at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, a hotlycontested 100 meter race between American Carl Lewis and Canadian Ben Johnson ended with Ben Johnson bringing home the gold. Now just to put things into perspective, those poor Canadians really have nothing to really celebrate because nothing actually happens in Canada (‘How I Met Your Mother’ and Barney fans will relate to this) so this was like the event of the century (up to that point anyway) for this cold, lonely country. Then after three days of what I imagine was a historical celebration of drinking and debauchery for Canadians everywhere, poor old Ben tested positive for steroids and got his medal stripped from him and Canada cried… (If they had their 3 days of partying as I imagined it, at least they had their fun). Anyway 8 years later in Sydney another Canadian bloke won a gold medal in that very same race, but no one really cares about that… Lousy Cheater Another known case would be the Tour de France 2010; kind of like the World Cup for cycling (remember this is about steroids and not about how much the sport sucks). Spanish cycler Alberto Contador won the race after what was allegedly an incredible race (don’t have the faintest clue what constitutes “an incredible race” so I’ll take Wikipedia’s word for it), but then went through around a year and half of investigation and trial till he was eventually stripped of the title. I imagine he must have been pretty annoyed when he found out the dose he took was around 40 times under the amount needed to make an actual difference to the athlete and give him any sort of advantage. Still counts though… Political Rivalry Taken Too Far Another case that I found particularly funny, yet sad, was that of various East German athletes throughout the 1970s and 80s. While there was no drug testing back then, turns out later that the government allegedly gave its athletes steroids in order to compete with the West. They jumped from winning 20 gold medals at the games to 40 in the next Olympics 4 years later. Apparently they started giving their athletes steroids since they were 13 to prepare them for glory when the Olympic Games came around. Weirdly enough, there was this one particular athlete that came out in 1998, admitted she took steroids, gave back her medals and asked to have her name removed from the record books.
When modern drug testing first started, it was at the 1983 Pan American games, where they were testing new techniques for drug testing that no one really knew anything about. The result was another Canadian athlete testing positive and banned, and hilariously after that 24 athletes mysteriously dropped out and disappeared, including a dozen Americans. Horses Too! For a change, let’s talk about horses. Apart from the seriously stupid names they give the horses in races such as Ocean and Beyond, Star Future and Eloise (the last one made me laugh actually the first 2 are just dumb really) they also have their fair share of steroid scandals. Now if you think about it, why give a horse steroids? Obviously you want to win the race but isn’t this some form of animal cruelty or some crap like that? In that case not only would you get banned, your horse could get taken away! I’m actually just guessing here but there has to be repercussions to giving drugs to an animal. I could probably close up this article with some clichéd words about working your ass off to win fair and square or how much steroids can screw up your life if you’re an athlete and there’s a lot more nauseating “7ekam” like that I could bring forth but let’s face it, anyone who takes steroids knows what he or she (or ‘it’ in the horse’s case but then this wouldn’t be very accurate) is getting into, and accepted the risk, so I say let’s just point and laugh. Idiots…
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so, as you all know, the world ends in 2012 and we’re betting on a zombie apocalypse to take the life of every last one of us. that is, of course, unless you can do something about it. because come to think of it, zombies are freaking scary yes, but they aren’t without their weak points; they’re slow and they’re, well… stupid! they do come in numbers however, so here’s what you must do should you find yourself in the middle of a zombie-infested city by the dint of bad luck: 60 MARCH 2012 CAMPUS
•jogging, jogging, jogging: as of now, you jog that lazy ass of yours everyday! work out your leg muscles coz you’re going to need them when you’re running for your life.
•become best friends with at least two fat persons: they’re slow and they make for a very appealing meal, hence, awesome distraction for the biters as you flee the scene. if they happen to be fast and composed while running, trip them. oh you think you’re better than us?! you won’t trip your friends? well, it’s your funeral buddy, literally! in fact, you won’t even get a funeral! know why? coz everybody will be dead!
•buy a shotgun: and we don’t mean the stupid ass khartoosh gun that egyptian police use, we mean a real shotgun; the one you see in movies.
•get access to an apartment in a very high building: odds are, electricity will be dead come apocalypse time and zombies don’t do stairs. also, if they come near, you can see them coming from afar, which calls for a sniper rifle, if you can afford one having bought that shotgun.
•make everyone hate you and hate everyone: yes, you’ll be forever alone for like a year or something, but once they start trying to eat you, putting a bullet in their goddamn brains will be a delight! no remorse, no mercy.
•learn how to hotwire a car: zombies don’t drive, which means that there will be all sorts of cars just waiting for you to take ’em! also, it’ll help you get around the city in case you’re taking your gf/bf (if s/he’s still not undead) out.
•food: obviously, you’ll need to eat. so the first thing to do once your grandma tries to take a chunk out of your neck is to get the hell outta there and raid the first supermarket you come across. even if the people inside are still normal people, act like it’s a goddamn robbery and take everything you can. any delay when it comes to this specific piece of advice will cost you dearly! because as soon as the word spreads, everyone will wipe every bit of nutrition clean. there you go, you have been warned. now you know, and knowing is half the battle – g. i. joe.
for even more great articles from g mag, make sure you pick up the newest g book from your nearest on the run or bookstore!
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Old masra7iyat - Madraset el Moshaghbeen, El 3ayal Kebret, Sok 3ala Banatak, etc. The Oscars - it’s undoubtedly the biggest movie event of the year. Where else can you see so many celebrities in one place? It provides gossip galore about who was wearing what, who performed well, who was dissed during the awards, etc. The only thing we hate is that it starts at 1 am on a Monday night!
Belly dancers - Where they are, we are. What can we say, it’s part of our heritage!
G Mag’s new pet fish! Tiger, Henkesh, Frank, Snooki, Sherif Mahmoud (esm morakab), Dolce, Gabbana, Bastaweesy and Bella (RIP Lyly aka Za3bola and Bisso)
El 7omar hehehe 64 MARCH 2012 CAMPUS
MPUS Kobri 6 October - Anyone feel like blowing up a bridge? No? Think about it.
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The Porn Ban - We know the actual ban hasn’t been passed, but we’re not exactly in the mood to be the next Saudi Arabia.
The new Facebook timiline
Waking up early during winter - Leaving your battaneyya makes waking up THAT much harder.
Credit cards - They are the cards of the devil.
Sheikh Mone’m el Sha7at
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Y U NO STOP BEING PASSIVE AGRESSIVE?!
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