www.majalla.com Issue 1921- September- 09/09/2022 www.majalla.com Houthi Prisons: Graves for Yemenis A Weekly Political News Magazine In Tribute to ElizabethQueenII Egypt Aims to Be At Top of Int’l Sports Pyramid by 2032 Serena Williams: The Superstar Athlete and Businesswoman Bids Tennis Farewell
The Editor Mostafa El-Dessouki
Editor-in-Chief Ghassan Charbel
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Apart from the outcomes of the ongoing attempts to restart the nuclear deal, which will only end in a new disappointment, Ahmed Taher says in the cover story that the record of Houthis as Iran’s arm in Yemen is full of rights violations that range from sabotaging Yemen’s institutions and daily assaults to terrorist attacks that kill innocent Yemenis, according to the international, regional and local reports that reveal the suffering of Yemenis inside the prisons of the coup militia.
In the Politics section, Sama Mamdouh El Sheikh reports about the paradoxes of a Sino-Russian alliance. She said that with every major crisis in Washington›s relations with Beijing and Moscow, many expected the emergence of a Sino-Russian alliance that would return the world to a state of bipolarity or establish a new multipolar world order.
One of the paradoxes of this discourse is that it never put «a united Europe» on the list of poles, which means: Either accept that united Europe is already part of a Western alliance led by America, or it will remain a «hostage» for the two conflicting poles to wage their battles on its soil, as was the case during the Cold War years, El-Sheikh said in her story.
In the Sports section, Sara Gamal is also reporting about Egypt and its international Olympic city. Work has begun on the development process to complete the implementation of Egypt International Olympic City in the New Administrative Capital, which will be the largest in the Middle TheEast.City, which Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi recently directed to be completed as soon as possible, is a massive sports complex built to the highest international standards. Read these articles and more on our website eng.majalla.com. As always, we welcome and value our readers’ feedback and we invite you to take the opportunity to leave your comments on our website.
The latest of these efforts is establishing the largest spinning factory in the world in Mahalla, a city known for its textile industry, located in the middle of the Nile Delta.
10th Floor Building 7 Chiswick Business Park 566 Chiswick High Road London W4 5YG
In the Economy section, Salwa Samir talks about Egyptian efforts to return to the golden cotton era as it was before. Following directives from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the State›s current strategy to develop the cotton system and the spinning and weaving industry is paving the way to restore the country’s leadership in the cotton cultivation and spinning and weaving sector.
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New violations of the rights of Yemeni people by the Houthis are continuing to be reported. Meanwhile, negotiations are held between Tehran, US and some European countries in hopes of reviving the stillborn nuclear deal.
Highlighting the magnitude of Yemeni people’s suffering under the hegemony of Houthis, this report focuses on who is responsible for protecting Yemenis in Houthi prisons.
A Weekly Political News Magazine
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Paradoxes of Sino-Russian Alliance: Forbidden Desire26 Back Syrian Families Suffer from Decline of Educational System
58 Microsoft vs. Meta 42 Beit Yakan:
Egypt Seeks to Regain Cotton’s Golden Era
Issue 1921- September- 09/09/2022A Weekly Political News Magazine 5 09/09/22
to Old Glory 36
Status of Arab Cinema Still Stagnant
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Economics As Politics30
Italo Ferreira of Brazil competes during the Rip Curl WSL Finals at Lower Trestles beach in San Clemente, California on September 2022 ,8. (Photo by Apu GOMES / AFP) Surfing World WSL
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Vendors sell decorations for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival at a street in Hanoi, Vietnam, 09 September 2022. The Mid-Autumn Festi val, also known as Moon Festival, is a special festival for Vietnamese children as the celebrations involve lion dancers, lantern processions and mooncakes. This year the festival falls on 10 September. /EPA
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Vietnam Mid-Autumn Festival
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SAUDI
Gulf
Dozens of Lebanese and Syrian migrants who are adrift in the Mediterranean on a shing boat that has taken on water pleaded with European coast guards Monday to save them, saying two children on board have already died.
LEBANON
EGYPT
The roughly 60 migrants also told relatives and volunteer groups by satellite phone that they have been without food, water, and baby formula for the past three days. The vessel left from the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli about 10 days ago. The passengers, headed for Italy, include Syrian refugees and Lebanese from their country’s impoverished northern provinces.
Authorities in New York announced Wednesday the return of 16 antiquities to Egypt, including ve works that were seized from the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of a probe into international art tra Manhattancking. District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the 16 works were worth more than $16 million. He spoke a day after announcing a similar return of 58 artworks to Italy. "Today’s repatriation shows the breadth and prevalence of antiquities tra cking networks," Bragg said in a statement. Nine of the pieces had been in the possession of Michael Steinhardt, whom Bragg described as one of the world's largest collectors of ancient art. In 2021, Steinhardt was forced by US authorities to return 180 stolen ancient artworks worth a total of $70 million.
thewithrespectiveeachSaudivaluesprogramsmadecommitteeAshowservice,removeArab“oapparentlypeoplejointstatementtheandArabiapublishedBahrain,six-nation
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Prime Minister Edi Rama on Wednesday accused Iran of directing a cyberattack against Albanian institutions on July 15 in a bid to "paralyse public services and hack data and electronic communications from the government systems".
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countries on Tuesday asked Net ix to ensive content” on the streaming apparently targeting programs that people who are gay and lesbian. statement issued on behalf of a committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council request, saying the unspeci ed “contradict Islamic and societal and Arabiaprinciples.”andtheUnited Arab Emirates published the statement via their respective governments as well. They, along Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, make up six-nation
IRAN
Fitchcouncil.Ratings
Albania broke diplomatic ties with Iran on Wednesday over an alleged cyberattack against the government this summer, prompting rebuke from Washington, which vowed to hold Tehran accountable for targeting its NATO ally. Albania and Iran have been bitter foes for years, stemming from Tirana's hosting of the Iranian opposition group the People's Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK) on its soil.
They "agreed to form a technical committee comprising the various political forces... to bridge di erences with the aim of reaching early elections", Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi's o ce said in a statement.
SAUDI
ARABIAUAE
The president, prime minister and parliament speaker met with representatives of political parties to chart an exit from an 11-month-long political paralysis.
IRAQ
said on Wednesday that sharia compliance standards for Islamic bonds adopted by the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) have been taken up "to an extent" in the wider market, but their practical impact is "untested".
Iraq's top executive powers and major parties agreed Monday at a meeting boycotted by powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to work towards holding early elections, a week after deadly unrest, the prime minister's o ce said.
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U.S.
Truss, appointed prime minister on Tuesday, has promised immediate action to address one of the most daunting sets of challenges for an incoming leader in post-war history, including soaring energy bills, a looming recession, and industrial strife. Her office said she would set out a plan to parliament on Thursday involving both short- and long-term solutions to the energy crisis, but did not give any details of her plans.
Chilean leaders on Monday began trying to chart a fresh course toward updating the country’s dictatorship-era constitution after voters overwhelmingly rejected a progressive proposal that many felt went too far.
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U.K.
Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said Tuesday that “the information that we have is that Russia has specifically asked for ammunition.” He said the U.S. has seen indications Russia approached North Korea, but said he had no other details, including whether money has changed hands or any shipments are in progress.
CHILE.
A WEEK ACROSS
Although rejection had been expected in Sunday’s plebiscite, the almost 24-point margin was a shocking repudiation of a document that was three years in the making and had been promoted as a democratic effort to replace the constitution imposed by Gen. Augusto Pinochet 41 years ago.
The Russian Ministry of Defense is in the process of purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for its ongoing fight in Ukraine, according to a newly downgraded U.S. intelligence finding.
“It does demonstrate and is indicative of the situation that Russia finds itself in, in terms of its logistics and sustainment capabilities as it relates to Ukraine,” said Ryder, in the administration’s first public comments on the intelligence assessment. “We assess that things are not going well on that front for Russia.”
The heavy loss was a blow to youthful President Gabriel Boric, who met with congressional leaders Monday to begin hammering out a way to create another proposal or modify the current constitution.
A source familiar with the situation told Reuters that Truss was considering freezing energy bills in a plan that could cost 100 billion pounds ($115 billion), surpassing the COVID-19 furlough scheme.
The constitution, written by a convention split equally between male and female delegates, characterized Chile as a plurinational state, would have established autonomous Indigenous territories and prioritized the environment and gender parity.
Britain's new Prime Minister Liz Truss will on Thursday set out a "bold plan of action" to support households and businesses with soaring energy bills while also seeking to boost the domestic energy supply, her office said.
The grain pact, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, created a protected corridor after Kyiv lost access to its main export route when Russia attacked via land, air and sea.
UKRAINE.
President Vladimir Putin mooted on Wednesday reopening a U.N.-brokered deal for Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea and threatened to halt all energy supplies to Europe if Brussels caps the price of Russian gas.
Russia’s ambassador to China told reporters Wednesday that the two would meet in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on Sept. 15-16. Then Putin confirmed it himself, telling top Chinese legislator Li Zhanshu at an economic forum in Russia that “we will see each other with President Xi Jinping soon, I hope, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.”
ACROSS THE WORLD
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet next week in Uzbekistan for talks that could signal warming relations between two powers that are increasingly facing off against the West.
Putin is dealing with the economic and political fallout of his war in Ukraine that has left Russia more isolated — and defiant. Xi faces rising tensions with the West over the status of Taiwan and China’s treatment of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups.
CHINA.
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Designed to help ease global food prices by increasing supplies, the pact has been the only diplomatic breakthrough between Moscow and Kyiv in more than six months of war.
India and Bangladesh on Tuesday signed a agreementwater-sharingandsixother pacts, including ones on space technology and scientific collaboration, aimed at boosting ties between the two countries.
INDIA.
Ukraine remained guarded about its counter offensive in the east but warned that Russia could turn to nuclear weapons and other nations could be drawn into a protracted "Third World War."
The meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization — a political, economic and security forum that China and Russia dominate — comes at delicate times for both leaders, and it would be their second face-to-face meeting this year.
In a combative speech to an economic forum in Russia's Far East region, Putin also said that Russia would not lose its war in Ukraine and had strengthened its sovereignty.
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reigning monarch of Britain, world leaders and public figures started to send their condolences and pay trib ute to the late Queen. Saddened by the news of their monarch’s death, mourning crowds have been flocking to Buckingham Palace in central London to keep vigil under dark rain Queenclouds.Elizabeth II was the only sovereign most Brit ons have ever known, which indicates that the UK is on the “cusp of a new era,” as the royal author Cath
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In Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
Following the official announcement by Buckingham Palace of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-
By Majalla
“Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flour ished under her reign,” said Liz Truss, UK Prime Minister in her tribute to the late monarch who passed away yesterday at 96.
The Queen Leaves Behind Legacy of Stability
According to accession protocols, within 24 hours of a monarch’s death, the new king should be for mally proclaimed at St. James’s Palace in London by the “Accession Council.” This is made up of of ficials from the Privy Council, which includes senior Cabinet ministers, judges and leaders of the Church of England, who are summoned to the palace for the meeting. Charles must declare to Parliament on the first day of its session following the accession, or at the coronation, whichever is first, that he is a faithful Protestant. The oath is mandated by the Accession Declaration Act of 1910.
erine Pepinster told BBC News, adding that it is a “traumatic” moment for the country.
Windsor.
The late Queen’s son King Charles III made his first statement as a monarch following his mother’s death: “The death of my beloved mother, Her Maj esty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved mother.”
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
On the fourth day after death, there is a rehearsal for the procession of the coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Palace.
The Queen welcomes Liz Truss during an audience where she in vited the newly elected leader of the Conserva tive party to become Prime Minister and form a new govern ment on Tuesday.
The Queen’s body will be transported to London by Royal Train as part of a process known as the “uni corn” in the documents. If this is not possible, the body is flown in, and in both scenarios the casket is received by the prime minister and senior ministers.
The royal family announces plans for the funeral, which will likely take place 10 days after the queen’s death. The funeral takes place at Westminster Ab bey. There is a two-minute silence at midday, and is buried at the King George VI Memorial Chapel in
Credit: REUTERS
The Queen was born on April 21, 1926, as the first child of Albert Frederick Arthur George and Eliza beth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon who were then the Duke and Duchess of York. Prince Albert was the second child of King George V and was second in line to the throne after his elder brother Prince Ed ward. As such, Princess Elizabeth was expected to live the life of a minor royal with little chance of be coming queen. When King George V passed away in 1936, Prince Edward became King Edward VIII and as he had no children of his own, Prince Albert be came first in line for the throne while Princess Eliza beth became second in line. Less than a year passed when Edward VIII abdicated the throne. Therefore Prince Albert was crowned as the new monarch and ascended the throne as King George VI with his daughter Princess Elizabeth becoming heir apparent.
Just like royals of her time, Elizabeth and her young er sister Margaret never went to a public school and were educated at home. Princess Elizabeth was taught by her father, a senior teacher at Eton College, and a number of French and Belgian governesses. She had lessons on history, language and literature, while she was taught religion by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Elizabeth’s schooling also included learning to ride, swim, and dance as well as the study of fine art and music.
According to “London Bridge Operation” that de tails of what will happen in the 10 days following the Queen’s death, the King receives condolences at Westminster Hall on the third day after death, after which he begins a tour of the United Kingdom, where the first assignment is to visit the Scottish Parliament.
Queen Elizabeth II was the only sovereign most Britons have ever known.
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Flags on landmark buildings in Britain and across the Commonwealth were being lowered to half-mast as a period of official mourning was announced. The royal family’s website changed to a black holding page with a short statement announcing the Queen’s Thedeath.Church of England has said church bells are ex pected to be tolled across England this Friday. Parish churches, chapels and cathedrals are being encour aged to toll their bells and open their doors for prayer or special services following the announcement from Buckingham Palace. The British Parliament, as well as the delegated legislatures of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is adjourned.
Queen Elizabeth II was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as the Head of State of 16 Commonwealth realms from 1952 to 2022. She was the head of the House of Windsor, the reigning royal house of the UK, which was founded in 1917 by her grandfather King George V after he changed the house’s name from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha due to the anti-German sentiment that was present in Britain during World War I.
ROYAL FAMILY
LIFE AND LEGACY
er as a unit in Britain. Instead, the princesses were moved to and from several castles in the country, before finally settling at Windsor Castle where they stayed throughout the remainder of the war.
Saddened by the news of their monarch’s death, mourning crowds have been flocking to Buckingham Palace in central London to keep vigil under dark rain clouds. over story
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During the war, King George VI considered transfer ring his daughters to Canada in order to escape the dangers of German aerial bombing. However, their mother Elizabeth refused and the family stuck togeth
Princess Elizabeth played her part to support the war effort in several ways, for example, she would per form pantomimes to help the Queen’s Wool Fund. She made her first public statement at age 14 in 1940 via the BBC’S Children’s Hour when she addressed children who had been separated from their parents during the Blitz. In 1945, Elizabeth was made a Sub altern in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, serving Britain during World War II, where she trained as a driver and mechanic.
The princess then joined the 1st Buckingham Palace Company as a Girl Guide in order to meet and inter act with girls her own age. The breakout of the Second World War in 1939 would dramatically change the life of the princess as well as the lives of all other children in Britain and around the world.
The Queen poses for a photograph in the drawing room at Balmoral shortly before her meeting with Ms Truss, whom she appointed as her Prime Minister. Credit: AP
Princess Elizabeth first met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark at a royal wedding in 1934. When the pair met again in 1939 and started to exchange letters, a romance blossomed between them. Princess Eliza beth and Prince Philip became engaged after the war in 1947. The couple married on November 20, 1947, and shortly before the wedding Phillip was named the Duke of Edinburgh. Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip enjoyed a stable relationship for more than 70 years and had four children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
HER EFFORT IN WORLD WAR II
A ROYAL LOVE STORY
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POPULARITY OF THE QUEEN
TELEVISED CORONATION
In 1940, Princess Elizabeth played her part to support the war effort in several ways.
Queen Elizabeth II is one of the most popular fig ures among all segments of the British public. Even when people started thinking that the Queen and the royal family were waning in popularity at the turn of the new century, several polls disproved such conjec tures. For instance, a 2012 Ipsos Mori poll showed that the Queen had an approval rating of 90 percent. Since her coronation, she has been an ‘anchor in the storm,’ guiding the country steadfastly through upheaval both personal (her children’s distressingly public marital struggles) and political (most recently, the Brexit vote). Queen Elizabeth II has become the keystone in the nation’s architecture, a solid and im movable piece holding the country’s image of itself in Queenplace.Elizabeth II has lived through some of the darkest days in Britain’s history, namely the Second World War. While most of her reign as Queen has
After the death of her father King George VI in 1952, Princess Elizabeth would then ascend the throne and became Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II. Her formal coronation at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, was very special because it was the first ever televised coronation of a British monarch and first major world event to be broadcast worldwide, when the ceremony was watched by an estimated 27 million viewers in Britain, and 277 million viewers around the world.
ONE QUEEN, SIXTEEN PRIME MINISTERS
: It began when Princess Elizabeth was formally proclaimed Queen on February 8, 1952. She was crowned in West minster Abbey (pictured) on June 2, 1953 - by coincidence the same day a joyous nation learned a Commonwealth team had conquered Mount Everest. Credit: Getty Images
“He has been quite simply my strength and stay all these years,” the Queen said of Philip on their 50th wedding anniversary.
During her 70-year reign, Elizabeth II met with 15 prime ministers – Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and finally Liz Truss, whom the Queen asked to form a new government just four days ago.
Prince William drives Prince Andrew, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Prince Edward into Balmoral. Credit: Getty Images
SENSE OF HUMOR
She had a constant presence since the Suez Crisis of 1956, when Egypt’s seizure of the Suez Canal high lighted Britain’s declining power, through the 1980s labor strife and the 2005 terror attacks in London.
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When Windsor Castle, the Queen’s weekend resi dence, was ravaged by fire in 1992, criticism of the monarchy grew in response to reports of costly re pairs. The Queen agreed to pay for the majority of her family’s expenses and became the first monarch to pay income taxes since the 1930s. She also decided to open her home at Buckingham Palace to the public for the first time in order to generate extra funds from admission fees.
In 1997, after the death of King Charles’s ex-wife Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris, the Queen came under public pressure to demonstrate her grief, and made an unprecedented television broadcast in tribute to Diana’s memory.
Although Queen Elizabeth often gave the impression of being so serious, those who knew her said she had a mischievous sense of humor. Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has said the Queen could be “extremely funny in private — and not eve rybody appreciates how funny she can be.”
couragement and hope.”
Since her coronation, she has been an ‘anchor in the storm,’ guiding the country steadfastly through upheaval both personal and political.
The 96-year-old matriarch needed her words and ac tions to be perceived as neutral and impartial in the fractured Britain of the 1970s.
In 1974, the year of the three-day week, raging in flation, two general elections, and an IRA bombing campaign on the British mainland, the Queen saw herself as comforter-in-chief once more.
been a time of relative peace, there were dark days where she stood firm in support of Britons.
“We hear a great deal about our troubles, about dis cord and dissension and about the uncertainty of our future,” she said. “My message today is one of en
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- The late Queen gave birth to four children, eight grand children and 12 great-grandchildren.
- She also sent more than 300,000 cards to people cel ebrating their 100th birthdays, and more than 900,000 messages to couples on their 60th wedding anniversary.
- Last June, 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth II celebrated the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, mak ing her the longest-reigning queen in her country’s his
Elizabeth II has visited more than 100 countries. In 2016, Buckingham Palace said she traveled 2,661.668 million kilometers to 117 countries.
-tory.Queen
- She appointed 15 prime ministers, starting from Win ston Churchill to Liz Truss, and during this period 14 presidents came to power in the United States and 7
- The late Queen was a dog lover and had more than 30 corgis and Dorgies in her reign, most of them descended from her first corgi, Susan, who was introduced to Eliza beth when she was 18 years old in 1944.
popes succeeded in the papal seat in the Vatican.
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a banner raised by many parties to wash their hands of crimes committed by Iran-backed terrorist groups in the Meanwhile,region.negotiations are held between Tehran, US and some European countries in hopes of reviv ing the stillborn nuclear deal. The Democratic admin istration in the White House is insisting on proving that it is right in dealing with a regional actor that is
Houthi Prisons: Graves for Yemenis
By Ahmed Taher
CInternational Action is Required to Hold Houthi Movement Accountable
Talk of violations committed by the Houthi coup mi litias is not new. Each morning we read about new violation of the rights of Yemeni people amid an embarrassing world silence which proves that selfinterests are the dominant factor in international rela tions and that the protection of human rights is only
The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor published a 40page detailed report entitled “I Wished to Die”. It documented severe violations committed against detainees in Houthi prisons in Yemen. (Reuters)
Numerous advocacy reports issued by interna tional, regional and local organizations accurately observed the suffering of the Yemeni people who are held in Houthi prisons.
Most prominent of these are:
1- In early January 2021, The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor published a 40-page detailed report entitled “I Wished to Die.” The report documented severe violations committed against detainees in Houthi prisons in Yemen, pointing out that Houthi assaults, acts of humiliation, and threats to prison ers’ families were a main part of torture methods. The report also explained the methods of abduc tion and illegal torture which were practiced by Houthis, and uncovered secret locations used by the group to detain and torture civilians in the re gions it controls in a number of Yemeni provinces.
expanding its influence and power and is interven ing in the domestic affairs of regional countries, threatening their security and stability. According to facts on the ground, the American approach has failed and peoples of the region are paying the price of such unwarranted American insistence. All of this reveals that the US is looking after its immediate interests without any consideration of the geostrategic interests it has with its traditional Apartallies. from the outcomes of the ongoing attempts to restart the nuclear deal, which will conclude in a new disappointment, the record of Houthis as Iran’s arm in Yemen is full of rights violations that range from sabotaging Yemen’s institutions, daily assaults and terrorist attacks that kill inno cent Yemenis, to the international, regional and local reports that reveal the suffering of Yemenis inside the prisons of the coup militia. Highlighting the magnitude of Yemeni people’s suffering under the hegemony of Houthis, this report is focusing on two pivotal points.
3- The March 8 Bloc for Yemeni Women, in cooperation with many international and local rights groups, released a report entitled: “Houthi Prisons Graveyards for Women” in February 2021. The report documents the Houthi viola tions against women from December 2017 to December 2020, stating that there were 1181 women detainees including: 274 cases of forced disappearance, 292 of human rights activists and staff from the education sector, and 246 of re lief and humanitarian workers. The report also mentions 71 rape cases and 4 suicides. As for age groups, there were more than 293 detainees below 18 years old. In addition, the report docu mented dozens of young boys and girls who were detained with their mothers.
Numerous advocacy reports issued by international, regional and observedorganizationslocalaccuratelythesufferingof the Yemeni people who are held in Houthi prisons.
2- The Security Council’s Panel of Experts on Yemen published a report on Houthi militias, which was submitted to the Council on January 25, 2022. It documented abduction, rape and false ac cusations against Yemenis. It cited nine cases in which Houthis abducted and detained female polit ical and professional activists over their ideologi cal opposition and political orientation.
gion, the militia’s first mission is to build new pris ons. The report estimated that the total number of Houthi prisons is over 200 prisons, cells, detention and torture centers in the Houthi-controlled prov inces. The most dangerous of these prisons are: the Political Prison, Habra Prison and the Central Pris on, which are unfit to be used as detention centers as they do not meet the lowest and legal standards for prisons.
SUFFERING INSIDE HOUTHI PRISONS
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The documents also showed some Houthi torture methods that caused permanent disabilities and devastating health consequences for some of the detainees and led to the death of dozens who were hit on the head and burned with acid, according to interviews with some prisoners released from Houthi Accordingprisons.tothe report, upon taking over any re
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5- The Musawah Organization for Rights and Freedom also issued a statement in July 2022, in which it condemned the killing of Hussein Ajeelat, a former detainee by Houthis, who died after a three-year torture in the militia’s prison in Amran. The statement indicated that 293 civilian detainees were tortured to death in Houthi prisons and deten
tion centers in all provinces controlled by Houthis since the militia’s September 2014 coup against the legitimate government until June 2022.
for Rights and Liberties uncovered in its
The detainees were subjected to physical and psychological abuse that resulted in quadriplegia or hemiplegia for some of them, while others suffered chronic conditions, loss of memory, or visual or hearing impairment. over story
4- Yemen’s Ministry of Human Rights also ob served in late 2021 the torture of 1635 people and more than 350 cases of torture to death, 33 of which were abducted women who were tortured to death in Houthi prisons.
In September 2121, Houthis executed 9 people after years of detention and torture. (AFP)
6- The Yemeni Coalition for Monitoring Human Rights Violations, which is a broad advocacy coalition comprising many non-governmental or ganizations, stated in its June 2022 report that its team documented the torture of 1635 detainees in Houthi prisons, the number included 109 chil dren, 33 women and 78 elderly persons from 17 Yemeni provinces. The detainees were subjected to physical and psychological abuse that resulted in quadriplegia or hemiplegia for some of them, while others suffered chronic conditions, loss of memory, or visual or hearing impairment. In ad dition, more 208 detainees were severely tortured to death, including 8 children, 9 women and 15 elderly persons. Some of them died in their cells due to excessive torture by electricity, beating and strangulation. Others died due to negligence, de teriorating health conditions and lack of medical treatment. Moreover, a number of detainees were either physically liquidated inside the militia’s prisons or forced to commit suicide due to brutal 7-abuse.SAM
One report estimated that the total number of Houthi prisons is over 200 prisons, cells, detention and torture centers in the Houthi-controlled provinces.
issued by Women for Peace in Yemen in June 2022 highlighted severe violations against hundreds of Yemeni women in Houthi prisons. It pointed out that the number of female prisoners has reached 1421, 504 of whom are detained in the Central Prison of Sanaa, while 291 others were forced to disappear into secret prisons, in addition to 193 cases who were illegally sentenced over charges of espionage among other accusations. The report emphasized that the detained women were faced with the worst forms of physical tor ture: they were beaten by batons and electric cords, shocked by electric power, strangled, waterboard ed, forced to stand over open cans for hours, pre vented from eating or drinking for long hours, and denied access to sunlight and ventilation. Above that, they were psychologically abused by humilia tion, verbal abuse, degradation, face slapping, and forced confession to crimes they didn’t commit as well as other disgraceful immoral charges. They
8-pulling.Areport
9- A rights advocacy report by the Red Sea Center for Political and Security Studies, published in Au gust 2022, mentioned that the number of women detained in Houthi prisons exceeded 1800. 311 forced disappearance cases were reported and 614 detainees were human rights activists and educa tion workers. 96 rape cases were also documented. All the aforementioned are just examples of relia ble reports that documented the suffering of Yeme ni people inside Houthi prisons. Their plight is not only observed by human rights organizations, but also inspired poets, writers and artists who shared the pain of the Yemeni people.
June 2022 report that female detainees in Houthi prisons were subjected to unethical treatment and physical and psychological abuse, including dep rivation of sunlight, and denial of access to toilets except for once or twice a day. They were also subjected to long interrogation late at night, elec tric shocks, cold water showers, and fingernail
In May 2022, the US Department of State con firmed the death of one of its employees inside a Houthi prison, after he was kidnapped with his colleagues when the US embassy in Sanaa was stormed. (AP)
Yemeni poet Mohammed Qaderi wrote a poem about the time he was held inside Houthi prisons,
were also denied their rights to family visits.
23 09/09/22
Poet Bardis Al-Sayaghi starred in the documentary “Women Detainees in Houthi Prisons” which nar rates a real story of heroines who suffered the bit terness of detention and torture. The film features a group of women who faced violations and violent abuse inside Houthi prisons. The documentary was
Police officers are carry ing the body of a cleric, who was convicted of being involved in the killing of Houthi leader Saleh Al-Samad in 2018, after he was executed in Tahrir Square in Sanaa, Yemen. (Reuters)
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECT ING YEMENIS IN HOUTHI PRISONS?
“O political and security forces, your actions in jail are disgraceful
screened for the first time at the Swiss Press Club on March 21, 2021. It was also screened in the UK Parliament, aiming to reveal the reality of Houthi crimes and violations against Yemeni women.
By Allah, O my solitary cell, send my greetings to free people in Ibb”
C
24 09/09/22
in which he said:
over story
Amid such shameful scenes, there is a kind of re sponsibility that world and Arab human conscience should bear, which is to swiftly take effective ac tions to save Yemeni victims from imminent death under the control of the terrorist group which does not care for Yemeni citizens or their right to live. Action should be taken by relevant international parties, ahead of whom are the UN Special Rap porteur on Torture and the General Prosecutor of the International Court of Justice. How can they keep silent in face of these crimes against human ity that make up the black record of the Houthi Heregroup?are some suggested approaches for action: 1- Forming a UN fact-finding committee to visit Yemen and prepare a detailed report to be submit ted to relevant authorities that includes violations inside Houthi-run prisons. This would pave the way to launch a serious investigation into the doc
There is a kind of responsibility that world and Arab human conscience should bear, which is to swiftly take effective actions to save Yemeni victims from imminent death under the control of Houthis.
According to March 8 Bloc, there were more than 293 detainees below 18 years old, in addition to dozens of young boys and girls who were detained with their mothers.
umented violations, particularly cases of forced disappearance, torture and extrajudicial killings which are all within the ICC jurisdiction.
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4- Strengthening the role of the humanitarian me dia, whose coverage should highlight two aspects of any crisis. In Yemen, the first aspect is the size of Houthi violations and transgressions commit ted against Yemeni citizens, whether these viola tions are inside prisons or are represented by the landmines that kill innocent people. The second is the humanitarian support provided by international
3- Launching an international humanitarian cam paign to save Yemenis inside Houthi prisons, un der the slogan of “freedom and right of life for Yemenis.” The campaign should be held under the auspices of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
2- Increasing pressure on Houthis to immediately and unconditionally release all detainees, based on Stockholm Agreement that was signed by all Yemeni parties in December 2018. The agreement required the release of all people who were ab ducted, forcedly disappeared, and imprisoned by all of the parties. The agreement also required all parties to return these people back to their families without any restrictions or further threats, and to stop the use of torture or any form of inhumane treatment of prisoners.
and regional organizations to alleviate the plight of Yemeni people, such as the efforts of King Sal man Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center which is concerned with clearing landmines and explosive devices planted by Houthis.
Yemeni mothers of abductees carry banners protesting Houthi deten tion and torture of their children.
In conclusion, international and Arab silence to Houthi crimes against Yemeni people sends an im plicit message to the militias that their violations amounting to war crimes are acceptable. Thus, it is necessary that we shed further light on the vio lations against humanity in general and practices against prisoners and forcedly disappeared citizens in particular.
The emergence of communism in the early twentieth century led to a brief coexistence between them. Af ter the end of World War II, and a few years after the
26 09/09/22
From the Korean War (1950) to the first phase of the Vietnam War (1955), the two superpowers together aided their Asian allies against Western forces. Soon after Joseph Stalin’s death, the two Eastern powers retreated into a new era of ideological and strategic
Paradoxes of Sino-Russian Alliance: Forbidden Desire
By Sama Mamdouh Sheikh
Enemy of My Enemy Is Not Necessarily My Friend Politics
Chinese Communist Party’s victory in the Chinese Civil War, the Stalinist regime in Moscow became the main source of strategic sponsorship, ideological emulation, foreign aid, and technological support for Mao Zedong’s emerging regime in Beijing.
Throughout most of modern history, beginning with Peter the Great’s eastward expansion in the seven teenth century, Russia and China in the imperial pe riods of their history had controversial relations.
He added that although the establishment of a Rus sian-Chinese alliance may seem a logical counter balance to their common opponent, it remains just an illusion. It is at best an alliance “on paper,” (Al-Ghad Al-Jordan, November 20, 2018).
One of the paradoxes of this discourse is that it never put “a united Europe” on the list of poles, which means: Either accept that united Europe is already part of a Western alliance led by America, or it will remain a “hostage” for the two conflict ing poles to wage their battles on its soil, as was the case during the Cold War years.
Dr. Sarah Kirchberger, a researcher at the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University in Germany, charts a path for the development of the West’s vision of the potential of the Russian-Chinese al Untilliance.a
crisis in Washington’s relations with Beijing and Moscow, many expected the emergence of a Sino-Russian alliance that would return the world to a state of bipolarity or establish a new multipolar world order.
The idea that the Moscow-Beijing alliance can only confront a “common enemy” means that the alliance is an alliance motivated by fear, not hope, and whose basis is the difference from the com mon enemy and not the partnership in values and Russiaperceptions.and
China have a long history of mu tual mistrust and competed for influence in Asia throughout the Cold War. Until 2017, America absorbed 19% of China’s exports, and Russia ab sorbed only 2% of it.
few years ago, Western analysts often tended to underestimate the importance of the emergence of a Russian-Chinese alliance, and this perception began to change before the growth of the Russian-Chinese alliance.
Russia and China have a long history of mutual mistrust and competed for influence in Asia throughout the Cold War.
Withimagination.everymajor
Under the title of “The Illusion of the RussianChinese Alliance, Geopolitical Futures,” the wellknown American thinker George Friedman wrote an article that provides an apparently objective assessment of Beijing-Moscow relations and the possibilities for their future development.
Credit: PresidentialRussianPress and Information Office
During the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Rus sia strengthened their military cooperation and increased synergies emerged. According to Kirch berger, Russia and China have similar goals and threat perceptions.
tion of Russia and China in the face of a com mon and strong adversary should be the basis for establishing a strong alliance between them, but appearances may be deceptive.
DISPEL ILLUSION OF ALLIANCE
competition, culminating in violent border clashes as well as proxy wars across India, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Latin American na Intions.the
One of these areas is military security, where the political rapprochement has reduced the burden of protecting their long-shared land borders, enabling
While America was restructuring its future stra tegic vision after the demise of the bipolar inter national system, China was moving at a steady pace towards the status of a “potential competitor” with growing economic capabilities that quickly reflected on the military capabilities and the am bitions it began to raise in the Chinese political
27 09/09/22
relations of the two countries, there is a bleak page referred to by the expression“the Si no-Soviet split,” insofar as the Chinese leader, Mao Zedong, changed the rules of the game with America, which helped isolate Moscow and, ulti mately, turned the global strategic landscape up side down at the end of the twentieth century.
Friedman comes to the most important issue in his analysis, saying that on the surface, the participa
Since Russia began to rebuild its international position during the era of Vladimir Putin and has been searching for a path for this position as part of the possibilities of international relations, Putin was realistic to the extent of declaring his readi ness for Russia to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Both reject the leadership of America and its al lies in the international system as “imperialism,” and reject the universality of the concept of hu man rights and, in this sense, they stand in the same position of opposition to the system based on Western rules and work towards the so-called “democratization of international relations.”
It will be interesting to see the impact of the Ukraine war on the changing perception of Rus sia in China, as “the failed conduct of the military campaign and the strategic miscalculation of the Kremlin may somewhat reduce Russia’s status as a valuable partner in the eyes of the Chinese,” while before the war Russia’s view of China was remarkably positive.
discrepancies hidden by the language that only considers the two countries’ fears of the “American danger,” because Russia, after all, suf fers from economic failure and a bad international reputation, especially in its behavior in Europe.
28 09/09/22
believes that the strategic partner ship of coordination between them reflects the in security and weakness of the global order led by America, and their partnership is an explicit com mitment of support in the face of common security
While the risk of simultaneous Chinese aggres sion against Taiwan (a scenario that could chal lenge the West’s ability) is no longer on the table, it has become less likely in the medium term, as a result of this shock.
By contrast, China prides itself on its thriving economy, being pragmatic and moderate, and en gaging in long-term cooperation with advanced Fordemocracies.decades,
(Yegor Aleyev/TASS Host Photo Agency/Handout via REUTERS)’
Thereconcerns.are
However, a study by researcher Marcin Kach marsky notes that Russia has influential groups of stakeholders close to the Kremlin who have de veloped a “positive view of close rapprochement with China.”
Meanwhile, the Beijing-Moscow relationship has historically been burdened with mutual prejudices and mutual negative stereotypes as a result of a history riddled with conflict.
Politics The ofdemocracytheirpartnershipRussian-Chinesehasonlydeepenedjointcampaignagainstandtheuniversalityhumanrights.
the growth of social and economic relations between China and Russia has been very difficult. Trade statistics show that as of 2022, China’s trade with Russia accounted for only 2.7% of the total trade, and it is concentrated in raw materials and energy resources. At the same time the social and cultural differences between them are still profound.
The Russian-Chinese joint statement (February 4, 2022) reflected limited possibilities, most notably synergy in the face of what they consider “Ameri can hegemony,” and they defend the United Na tions system, the absolute sovereignty of the state and non-interference, and the two countries feel that they are “victims” of the behavior of the West.
WHAT IF IT WAS POSSIBLE?
The Georgetown Journal of International Affairs published an analysis by Boston University Pro fessor of International Relations Min Ye, fellow at Princeton-Harvard and the National Committee on US-China Relations, entitled: “The Rationale behind the Sino-Russia Strategic Alliance-Like ThePartnership.”researcher
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Li Zhanshu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China during a meeting on the sidelines of the 2022 Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Russia September 2022 ,7.
This is a great advantage at the present time, and perhaps Russia would not have been able to in vade Ukraine without this factor. A systemic di mension in Russian-Chinese cooperation is the shared interests of two authoritarian governments that feel the threat of “color revolutions.”
both of them to deploy more forces elsewhere.
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Before 2019, the relationship of the two countries was a relationship of rapprochement, not an alli ance, while now the relationship is described as a Two“semi-alliance.”recentdevelopments, the simultaneous de terioration in China’s relations with the countries of the Indo-Pacific region and Europe, have ac celerated Beijing’s readiness to upgrade SinoRussian relations, especially with the outcome of the Quartet Security Dialogue between America, Japan, Australia and India, and the integration of economic and technological aspects into this quadripartite cooperation.
These are long-term common interests and under line the possibility of deepening Sino-Russian re lations since 2001 when the two countries signed an agreement of friendship and cooperation
While sustainable alliances require broad, consistent consensus on values and interests, the Russian and Chinese leaders have personalized their relationship.
Meanwhile, multilateral nuclear submarine devel opment plans of Australia, Britain and the U.S. pose a threat to China. Eventually, the EU devel oped an openly public semi-hostile official stance toward China and intensified its criticism of Chi na’s policies in Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang.
Based on the priority of economic criteria, China would take the driving seat in determining the fu ture course of the relationship, which Russia does not Whilewant.sustainable
In September 2021, the European Parliament pub lished the new Strategic Report for Europe and China, including the announcement of a “more confident, comprehensive and coordinated strat egy toward China.”
In June 2022, the Center for Strategic and Inter national Studies published an important assess ment by Jude Blanchett, researcher on China, and Hal Brands, Henry Kissinger Professor of Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins School of International Studies, which concluded that the Ukraine war was an ideal opportunity for the emergence of the prospective alliance to last for decades.
The only “great power” that shares China’s po litical preferences is Russia. In June 2021, Beijing and Moscow jointly announced that some coun tries are using ideology to interfere in the internal affairs of others.
Apparently, there are restrictions on what some imagine as a “borderless” partnership.
In fact, there is support for this hypothesis, as Chinese companies and banks retreated from de veloping their work in Russia to avoid Western sanctions, and Chinese state media recently gave Ukraine free space to criticize the Kremlin.
30 09/09/22
The Russian-Chinese joint statement (February ,4 2022) reflected limited possibilities, most notably synergy in the face of what they consider “American hegemony.”
In a form of unorthodox tweeting, analysts as sumed that the war would halt the path of deepen ing Russian-Chinese relations, weakening the two countries’ partnership.
The Russian-Chinese partnership has only deep ened their joint campaign against democracy and the universality of human rights.
Politics
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Denpasar on July 2022 ,7. AFP
In March 2021, the European Union adopted its first sanctions against China in thirty years, prompting more anti-China backlash in Europe.
This European alignment exacerbated China’s fear of a strategic blockade. In short, as Min Ye sees it, at the end of 2021, China was besieged, insecure, unable to split NATO and unable to pre vent potential barriers to trade with the European Union, threatening its aspirations to modernize its economy and expand its global trade.
value of mankind, not the intellectual property of a few countries,” and therefore, no country should use democracy to pressure others or interfere with in their internal affairs. The statement noted that Beijing and Moscow formed this special relation ship to balance the US-led coalition system.
On February 4, 2022, Xi and Putin declared in the lengthy joint statement on “International Relations in the New Era” that “democracy is a common
The two researchers decided that the Sino-Russian partnership has become one of the features of the contemporary strategic relationship. The Ukraine war created economic and diplomatic dilemmas for China, but it did not change the fundamental alignment of interests and authoritarian values that drive that relationship.
THE ABSENCE OF THE WILL OF THE ALLIANCE
As America strengthened its alliances against Chi na, Beijing pursued the so-called: “relationships of a new type with the great powers,” stressing sov ereignty, cooperation and respect for the United Nations system, describing this type of relation ship as “a partnership without an alliance!”
alliances require broad, consist
31 09/09/22
The course of the war in Ukraine will determine the course of the relationship between Russia and China. On the one hand, it provided a his toric opportunity for the inauguration of the alli ance, but at the same time revealed that the two parties - so far - do not have the “will to build the alliance.”
Accordingly, one of the drivers of the relation
will view the potential collapse of Pu tin’s regime as a direct threat to his rule, and “the people of China should not witness the popular overthrow of Putin,” China’s partner in promoting an alternative vision of democracy through “effec tive authoritarian rule.”
ent consensus on values and interests, the Russian and Chinese leaders have personalized their rela Indeed,tionship.their
personal relationship has been a ma jor driver of deepening partnership. Since 2012, when Xi took the helm and Putin returned to the presidency, both leaders have made an effort to fend off what they see as US tactics to overthrow “enemy regimes” as a priority.
ship’s sustainability for the foreseeable future is that the Chinese leader is likely to seek to prevent Putin, his closest friend and partner, from being Indeed,deposed.Xi
For both, confronting the so-called “color revolu tions” were critical, not only to respond to what they saw as unacceptable by America’s unilateral policies, but also to protect what they assumed was the ultimate goal: changing the political sys tems in Moscow and Beijing.
National Strategy to Develop Spinning, Weaving Industry
In the 1960s and 70s, Egypt was one of the most impor tant and powerful countries in the cultivation of longstaple cotton when many countries all over the world
By Salwa Samir
32 09/09/22
Economy
imported it due to its high quality which distinguished it from any other cotton.
In recent years, Egypt is seeking to return to the golden cotton era as it was before. Following directives from
Egypt Seeks to Regain Cotton’s Golden Era
AbdullahREUTERS/AmrDalsh
The latest of these efforts is establishing the largest spinning factory in the world in Mahalla, a city known for its textile industry, located in the middle of the Nile Delta.
The area of cotton cultivation diminished from 2 million acres to 130,000 acres in all Egyptian gov
The latest of these efforts is establishing the larg est spinning factory in the world in Mahalla, a city known for its textile industry, located in the middle of the Nile Delta.
33 09/09/22
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the State’s current strategy to develop the cotton system and the spin ning and weaving industry is paving the way to re store the country’s leadership in the cotton cultiva tion and spinning and weaving sector.
conditions in Egypt deteriorated further with Egypt’s joining the General Agree ment on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which meant more involvement in economic globalization. This required Egypt to lift and remove customs barriers on imported goods and products, including agri cultural ones, which quickly led to a deterioration of the local agricultural production and related in dustries as well as opening the door to imported American cotton, regardless of the economic losses and
Covering an area of 62,000 sq. meters, the mega project is due to be opened next year. It includes the latest equipment and machinery that can pro cess all types of cotton, especially long-staple and extra-long cotton, which contributes to exploiting Egypt’s competitive advantages in cotton produc tion.
The deterioration in cultivating cotton started dur ing the openness policy pursued during the Sadat era which had a severe impact on the ownership rates of agricultural lands.
made the farmers depend on cul tivating crops required for export such as: fruits, certain vegetables, and aromatic plants at the ex pense of basic materials like wheat, barley, rice, corn, legumes, and cotton, which the State was forced to import to meet its needs,” Hussein Abu Saddam, Head of the Farmers’ Syndicate, told Ma jalla.
Cotton grows in a field of San El Hagar village in the province of Al-Shark ia northeast of Cairo, Egypt on October 18, 2016.
rule in the beginning of 1980s, the policies of economic liberalization escalated, mainly as a result of pressure from the Internation al Monetary Fund and the World Bank, especially after the two loans that Egypt obtained in the early
Duringernorates.Mubarak’s
“Thesedamages.conditions
The1990s.agricultural
In 2020, the Cotton Egypt Association, which is re sponsible for managing and promoting the “Egypt Cotton” logo, announced the official launch of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) program in coopera
34 09/09/22
“Under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s leadership, cotton started to regain its fame,” he said, pointing out that there are a number of successful initiatives begun in recent years to encourage farmers to grow
- Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images
The BCI aims to implement the Egyptian cotton sustainability system in all its stages, starting from cultivation and harvesting to all stages of industrialization, in order to advance the Egyptian cotton industry in a sustainable manner.
“Increasing the cultivated areas of cotton is a very
farmers to grow cotton is the most important step that must be taken during the com ing period, especially since there are a large num ber of farmers who have tended to grow other crops to achieve the largest financial profit because the cotton crop was valueless in the past, so there must be new incentives for farmers to increase the areas of cultivated cotton during the coming pe riod,” he said.
Economy
Khalil al-Maliki, an agricultural expert, said that the most important step to increase production of cotton during the coming period is to work on increasing the number of spinning and weav ing factories in the governorates, and this in turn would greatly increase the cultivated areas of
An Egyptian farmer works in a cotton field in the Nile Delta town of Kafr el-Sheikh, Egypt, Sept. 13, 2018.
the area of cotton cultivation increased to 370,000 acres, which is an increase of 100,000 acres compared to last year.
Thiscotton.year,
“Encouragingcotton.
important step for the return of the era of white gold,” Abu Saddam said, adding that this step will greatly increase exports and reduce imports of cot ton in the coming period, in addition to working to increase the yield of the cotton crop.
tion with the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture, the United Nations Industrial Development Organiza tion and international partners.
Inconsumption.anotherdevelopment in the cotton field, Egypt last year succeeded in cultivating colored cotton, such as green, pink red, violet and light brown, in line with the global expansion of this type of cotton that contributes to reducing pollutants by not rely ing on industrial dyes.
35 09/09/22
These gins were developed with modern technolo gy and operate automatically to achieve high qual ity ginned cotton completely free of pollutants and impurities.
The BCI aims to implement the Egyptian cotton sustainability system in all its stages, starting from cultivation and harvesting to all stages of industri alization, in order to advance the Egyptian cotton industry in a sustainable manner.
A farmer shows cot ton in a field of San el-Hagar village, in the province of Al-Sharqia, Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 18, 2016. - REUTERS/ Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Earlier this month, Minister of Public Business Sector Mahmoud Esmat held a meeting to follow up on the implementation of projects related to developing the cotton and spinning and weaving companies affiliated with the Ministry.
Developing cotton gins was reviewed and a total of 6 gins was determined, 4 of which were developed at a cost of about LE600 million, with the remain ing two gins to be developed next year.
In addition to an advanced laboratory equipped with the latest devices to measure the specifications of ginned cotton, the data is recorded on an elec tronic label placed on the bale to keep pace with the requirements of modernizing the global industry.
The new gins have a production capacity of 5 tons per hour, which is about 3 times the capacity of the old gins, and enough to gin all the Egyptian cot ton using fewer machines while reducing energy
The area of cotton cultivation diminished from 2 million acres to 130,000 acres in all Egyptian governorates.
Experts believe that Egypt’s joining the BCI is a good first step on the ground to market Egyptian cotton abroad.
With the advent of September of each year, Syrian families face a new crisis in a country that has been exhausted by a war which followed popular protests that erupted across the country in mid-March of 2011. What is the crisis that severely burdens Syrian fami lies which can barely secure a living?
Schools and educational institutions opened in Sep tember 4,which means that Syrian families with lim ited income are facing a new crisis of securing school supplies such as clothes, stationery and other neces sities that are required for their children to attend schools in various regions, whether in elementary, preparatory or secondary stages.
He added: “The amount of $35 per month does not seem like a large amount, but in Syria we cannot get it, as it is more than my salary in fact, and for this reason I depend on my brother who has lived in Bul garia for years and who takes care of the costs of my child’s transportation, while I am content with pro viding clothes and stationery for them.
This Syrian father is one of thousands who can hard ly pay for his children’s schooling. The Syrian war, which entered its second decade a few months ago, has led to high rates of inflation and a lack of job op portunities in the country.
Soz
TRANSPORTATION IS BIGGEST CHALLENGE
ocietyBySJiwan
Low Quality, Understaffed Public Schools vs. Costly Private Alternatives
36 09/09/22
He also said: “The cost of each of my children’s trans port to school is 75,000 Syrian pounds per month, and therefore I need 150,000 pounds per month to se cure transportation for my child, which is equivalent to about 35 dollars today.”
In addition, immigration has negatively affected schools and the educational process causing a short age of teaching staff.
The father of the two children also said that “Syrian government schools were much better than private schools, whose number was very limited in the period before the Syrian war, but the military operations that
Syrian Families Suffer from Decline of Educational System
PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE EMER GENCY CHOICE
The father of two Syrian children who live with their family in the city of Damascus revealed that “the re cent decline of the Syrian pound against foreign cur rencies has led to an increase in the prices of various commodities in the city, but this is a problem that we can overcome, especially since the purchase of school clothes and stationery will often be done only once during the school year.”
He stressed to Majalla that “the biggest challenge for me lies in securing transportation so that my children
can reach their school.”
“The requirements of remote learning were not avail able to a large number of families, as it needed an electronic device such as a telephone or a laptop, in addition to electricity, the hours of which did not co incide with the hours of remote learning, which led to
He added: “These public schools, I mean, have be come an option for every family that cannot afford the expenses of enrolling their children in private schools. Thus, public schools have become an im perative option but they do not provide the required educational service, especially in the field of lan Inguages.”addition to the major repercussions of the war on educational facilities, whether in terms of the destruction they sustained or the migration of their staff, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the conditions that accompanied it nearly two years ago were additional factors for the further decline in public schools in Syria.
led to the large displacement and refugees inside and outside the country, ultimately contributed to the de cline of education against the background of a lack of staff and the destruction that occurred in educa tional facilities.”
The father of the two children and the mother of an other child confirmed to Majalla that, “the closure of schools and remote education has led to a decline in the level of education in Syrian schools.
37 09/09/22
“The military operations ultimately contributed to the decline of education against the background of a lack of staff and the destruction that occurred in educational facilities.”
A Syrian child poses with a book in the Hussien Zein school in the Damascus suburb of Sahnaya September 14, 2014.
a decline in our children’s education process.”
SICK LEAVES LED TO FURTHER DECLINE
Although the Ministry of Health has canceled all restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic, the “sick leaves” requested by the teaching staff have so far led to a further decline in the capabilities of public schools, as schoolteachers are requesting sick leaves to take advantage of the time off for the practice of other work such as private tutoring at homes and in stitutes, or to join another job in the private sector, given their low wages.
Majalla obtained information that the reliance on pub lic schools in Syria has reached its lowest levels. Private tutoring in homes or institutes for students in public schools appears to be “necessary,” especially in the transitional phases against the background of the lack of teaching staff, and it is a way for teachers whose salaries do not exceed 117,000 Syrian pounds (about 30 US dollars) to earn additional income.
ocietyS
Majalla contacted more than one family who reg istered their children in private schools. They con firmed that the registration fee for each student is no less than one million Syrian pounds (equivalent to about 220 US dollars).
He added: “It is true that government schools do not ask for registration fees like private schools and what I pay today in exchange for enrolling my son in a private school means more financial burdens for me.”
KhalilREUTERS/Ashawi
38 09/09/22
Another teacher said: “My salary is not enough to se
He explained that “any student, even if he is in a pri vate school, may need a private teacher, but the dif ference between public and private schools is that the student in private schools will not need a tutor in all subjects, while in public schools, sometimes there are no teachers throughout the year.”
During the pandemic-induced “closure of schools, the requirements of remote learning were not available to a large number of families, which led to a decline in our children’s education process.”
The father of two children, one of whom is in the third preparatory and the other in the third second ary, said that “the low wages of teachers made most of them deal with schools as a means to secure cli ents in private lessons to obtain additional income.”
The father of a child who joined a private school in Homs two years ago said that “the fees of any private
Children attend a class during the first day of school in Idlib countryside September 11, 2014.
He also stressed that “my child was studying in a pub lic school, but the decline in its educational services forced me to enroll him in a private school.”
TEACHERS COMPLAIN TOO
school are not less than $200, even if it is in a dense ly-populated area,” noting that “private schools are the best option because of the lack of teaching staff and other problems that public schools suffer from.”
On the other side, several teachers to whom Majalla spoke denied this and said that “private tutoring in the two preparatory and secondary stages was popu lar in Syria before the Syrian war, and this means continuing an old mechanism that helps students achieve success.”
In addition to the lack of teaching staff, the students’ families stress that the educational facilities are not well-equipped, as they are sometimes partially de stroyed and do not have the requirements of adequate ventilation and air conditioning, which leads to the spread of diseases among students, especially in the primary Accordingstage.toseveral families that Majalla spoke to, the lack of teaching staff led to an increase in the number of students per class to more than 50 students in some public schools. This is another factor that contribute to the decline of the educational service provided to their children.]
MORE REASONS TO ENROLL IN PRI VATE SCHOOLS
These families also complained about the lack of sci entific laboratories in government schools and the dif ficulty of accessing the Internet and using computers, not to mention the power outages in those schools. Other families are encouraged to enroll their children in private schools.
He added that “the future of my child is closely re lated to his level of education, especially in learn ing foreign languages. This means that he must be registered in a private school in order to get a good Heeducation.”added:“The school fees, which amount to more than $200, do not include the cost of transportation, which is about $40 per month.”
cure transportation to get to my job, so I had to work as a private tutor and spend a long time at work.”
by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The number increased significantly after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, according to what a number of school administrators reported to Majal la. They are located in the cities of Damascus and AccordingAleppo. to Syrian government sources, the percent age of children who did not attend school in some governorates of the country exceeded 12 percent.
The number of those children who did not attend school reached about half a million children, about %40 of whom are girls, according to statistics issued by the UNICEF.
The number of those children who did not attend school reached about half a million children, about 40% of whom are girls, according to statistics issued
39 09/09/22
He added to Majalla: “The option of private tutor ing was a necessity for me, after my monthly salary became insufficient to secure my living needs for a Heweek.”further explained: “My monthly salary, in addi tion to what I get from private lessons, hardly pro vides me with the minimum standard of living,” call ing on the Ministry of Education to raise the salaries of teachers and workers in educational institutions to limit the deterioration of the education sector in the Whilecountry.some families complain about education in public schools and the difficulties in securing school supplies for their children, such as clothes, stationery and transportation, other families have forced their children to drop out of school to help them secure their daily bread.
2 A Weekly Political News Magazine www.majalla.com Issue 1921- September- 09/09/2022 Serena Williams: The Superstar Athlete and Businesswoman Bids Tennis Farewell
The initiative to revive Beit Yakan was taken on by Dr. Alaa El-Habashi, Head of the Ar chitecture Department at Menoufia University and a consultant for the restoration and main tenance of ancient buildings, who restored several buildings in Al-Darb Al-Ahmar area in which Beit Yakan is located. The most prominent of these was the Razzaz House de velopment project.
Beit BackYakan:toOld Glory
NEW ERA
and some of these houses were destroyed, but Yakan house remained. The house’s owner ship was transferred from one owner to anoth er until recent years. However, the factors of time and neglect affected it to a large extent, deteriorating the condition of the building, which needed an initiative to revive it so that it could return to its former glory.
El-Habashi was honored by the Head of the National Organization for Urban Coordination on World Heritage Day for his efforts in devel oping the Beit Yakan and Souq El Silah areas.
CultureByMaryamRaafat
the word “Yajn” of Turkish origin, and it means “the sister’s son,” as the house was owned by the nephew of Muham mad Ali Pasha, who gave his sister’s sons sev eral homes in this area, so that it was known at that time by the name of Al-Yakiniah.
Old houses with a unique architecture adorn the historical area of Cairo and its ancient streets, bearing tales of people who inhabited them since ages ago and features of the cultur al and civilizational heritage of previous eras. However, the factors of time and negligence inflicted severe damage on some of them and left these houses in need of integrated rescue operations to return to their previous glory and play a societal role in their surrounding Amongcommunity.the
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houses of Old Cairo, Beit Yakan is located on Souk El-Silah Street in the AlDarb Al-Ahmar area. It has now become one of the most beautiful houses in the area after being renovated with a comprehensive resto ration Yakanprocess.camefrom
As time went by, the area’s features changed,
This was actually achieved by its last owner, who not only restored it, but also turned it into a cultural center in the heart of Old Cairo.
“During my work at El Razzaz house, Yakan house at the time was owned by a butcher, it caught my attention, until I knew that the owner of the house wanted to sell it, and that there was an intention from one of the con tractors to buy it and demolish it to create a group of residential buildings in its place, so I along with my wife decided to buy the house,” El-Habashi recalled.
For years, Alaa El Habashi and his wife Ola
Said, both architects, dreamed of buying and restoring a house in Islamic Cairo to bring it back to life and convert it into a cultural hub. They achieved the first step of their monumen tal undertaking in 2009 when they purchased the dilapidated 17th century Yakan house.
“My main motive for seeking to buy the house was that I felt protective of a house with the value of Yakan house, and my complete belief was that heritage is a living thing and not just solid stones,” El-Habashi added to Majalla.
One of the events organized in Beit Yakan for Al-Darb El-Ahmar families. Credit: Beit Yakan’s official Facebook page
Among the houses of Old Cairo, Beit Yakan is located on Souk El-Silah Street in the Al-Darb Al-Ahmar area.
Ever since, bit by bit, the two architects worked hard on restoring the once palatial home while at the same time rescuing archi tectural salvage from nearby historic houses that have been falling under the bulldozer over the years and incorporating them into various parts of the house and courtyard.
Yakan house is much more valuable than be ing a mere building as Cairo is full of houses similar to this style. Some of them have be come registered as antiquities and are already exploited in various activities such as Al-Su haimi House, Al-Harawi House and Zainab Khatoun House. Many of them need initia tives to revive them as part of the cultural her itage for the area, according to El-Habashi.
After being graduated from Alexandria Uni versity, El-Habashi got a PhD in Heritage Preservation, and has worked on various pro jects to restore antiquities in Old Cairo, spe cifically in the Darb al-Ahmar area where Ya kan house is located.
El-Habashi and his wife faced many challeng es through their journey of the house’s resto ration after many years of negligence. “Our vision was to open this house to the commu nity to play a developmental role for people in the surrounding environment and others. That is the role that these houses played in the past,” El-Habashi explained.
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CHALLENGES
and his wife were keen in choos ing the events held in Beit Yakan to reflect the character of the place and its history, and the traditional crafts that distinguished it over time, and to work on reviving them as well, through workshops and exhibitions.
Credit: Beit Yakan’s official Facebook page
A unique architectural style has distinguished the houses of old Cairo, not only as an aes thetic form, but as a functional nature of these houses. “Architecture is not just stone, but a philosophy of the nature and form of life in a particular society,” explained El-Habashi.
“We hold events concerned with traditional crafts, such as tents, carpentry and many oth
A file photo showing Beit Yakan’s state before the restoration process.
“This is the concept that we wanted to revive and have worked on while restoring the house, so the courtyard is prepared in a way to re ceive the general public and the people of the region in particular to attend various cultural and development activities,” El-Habashi ex El-Habashiplained.
Over time, El-Habashi and his wife succeeded in becoming part of the place, and people re alized the importance of what they are doing, from transforming a neglected place into one of the ancient houses in Cairo, after it regained its glory, and then the people of the area called the house “The Palace.”
houses was based on the fact that the house for its owners and the courtyard is for the commu nity, where gatherings and meetings are held, and it was similar to the concept of the club in our modern age,” El-Habashi said to Majalla.
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A few months ago, the Beit Yakan family reached a new milestone as they inaugurated the freshly restored hall that has been converted into the “Alaa El Habashi Rare Books Library” with the support of the Barakat Trust. The library contains around 20,000 books.
“This style of old houses with wide court yards has always been closely related to the surrounding community. The concept of these
“We faced difficulties while starting the resto ration process because people did not under stand what we were doing and what we aimed to reach, especially since such areas consti tute a closed society whose members know each other well, and therefore any new person needs to gain the trust of the people around him,” he elaborated.
During my work at El Razzaz house, Yakan house at the time was owned by a butcher. It caught my attention.
Old Cairo is replete with this type of building, and they can be exploited in a way that reflects and opens up to society positively, in addition to preserving their historical value, and turn ing them into a magnet for cultural tourism in
A few months ago, the Beit Yakan family reached a new milestone as they inaugurated the freshly restored hall that has been con verted into the “Alaa El Habashi Rare Books Library” with the support of the Barakat Trust. The library contains around 20,000 El-Habashibooks. and his wife hope that the experi ence of Beit Yakan will motivate and inspire others to do the same with other houses.
“Architectsbuilding,”must be qualified for this, whether in terms of technical aspects, or in terms of their awareness of the value of the place, its historical and heritage dimensions, and its im portance to society as a whole,” El-Habashi added to Majalla.
Alaa withduringfounderEl-Habashi,ofBeitYakan,hisinterviewMajalla.
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the region, according to El-Habashi. “I hope that there is a specialization that takes care of the architect’s dealing with historical buildings, as the restoration of these ancient buildings is completely different from any or dinary
ers, and we are always keen to have the artists of Al-Darb Al-Ahmar participate in various events and showcase their works and produc tions. We are also organizing many work shops for adults and children alike.”
Sea Film Festival Art
during the years of that war (1939-1945) was hit by crises, but the production wheel did not actually stop.
By Mohammed RoudaRed
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One of the first and most important reasons is the lack of political and economic stability in many Arab countries. How can Sudan, Syria or Iraq, for example, continue what they started at different stages and stopped doing more than once? What about Algerian cinema, which we hear about more than we see? And how will the Lebanese crisis affect its effective contri butions? Is it inevitable that cinema in Libya will not exist?
When it comes to talking about grants to be distributed to future projects, it is certain that, in turn, they are among the highest in the histo ry of international festivals, if not the highest.
Status of Arab Cinema Still Stagnant
This does not mean at all that Arab cinema, with all its countries and productions, has achieved its goals. The Saudi festival is pre sented to put a spotlight on these talents and achieve their ambitions, but the quality of most Arab cinemas cannot rise to the requisite level of opportunity except with a limited percent age of works.
As the Red Sea Film Festival gears up for its second round in December of this year in Jed dah, an important share of its agenda will focus on Saudi and other Arab productions.
The festival highlights Saudi Arabia’s seri ous quest to give talent in the Kingdom the opportunity to realize their films and dreams, and present them on one of the world’s cinema screens, and perhaps explore other ambitions outside the homeland.
When Italy entered the turmoil of World War II, its cinema was very active. The momentum
The Arab festival reveals innovations from the Arab environment with several films compet ing for moral and material prizes that are the highest among all Arab events and in many non-Arab countries.
The crossroads were simple: to return to the same genre of early Italian films that relied on stories and dramatic themes as social entertain
Red Sea Film Festival May Be Its Lifeline
Exemplary experience
When the guns fell silent and a new Europe was created, Italian cinema returned to activ ity, and it was so perceptive that only a lim ited percentage of its productions after 1945 revolved around the war itself.
Some of what that meant was either bringing in unknown actors or bringing in non-profession al actors who had never appeared on screen.
ment (even if tragic) or to a new cinema stem ming from the necessities of the new reality.
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The bright side is that some films that dealt with the issue of the Arab Spring in Egypt, such as Clash by Mohamed Diab and Curfew by Amir Ramses, presented social and political themes without being attached to the scenes of the demonstrations that took place in 2010 and later.
Transfer experience
Theabout.impact
Neorealist cinema was born in that space, with Luchino Visconti’s Ossessione and Bellisima, Rome Open City and Stromboli by Roberto Rossellini, Shoeshine and Bicycle Thieves by Vittorio De Sica.
One of the reasons prompting these directors to provide an alternative cinema that takes place in streets and homes instead of studios, as was the case previously, is that the Italian studios had stopped working during the last years of the war. This imposed new techniques for films that wanted to convey social images of the situation after the war and pursue the ap proach of treating the stories in a different way.
Thisitself.is
nese civil war) were valuable incidents to talk
With the exception of a large number of Arab films, the cinema that took over the history of the aforementioned stormy security events received little attention. Basically, only a few were shown to the public, which deprived the films and the public of any mutual benefit in this regard.
Clash
It is an experience that distinguished Italian cinema and left its impact on others, includ ing Egyptian cinema. But what we should note here is that most of these films revolved around an Italy far from the frontlines or post-war Italy
of realistic cinema on Egyptian cinema was limited to two decades (the fif ties and sixties). However, it did not account for all types and methods of work, but rather participated in the exceptionality and vitality of that era.
in contrast to what many Arab films have said, and political events (such as the Spring Revolutions, the Iraqi war, or the Leba
Today, the Egyptian films being produced are mostly mass-oriented and without artistic standards, even within their desire to be purely artistic. Much of the Egyptian work follows, if not copies, the style of American films, rather than sticking to an actual Egyptian identity.
Bicycle Thieves
But the fatal thing is that many of the films that Arab cinema produced about these events (such as The Square, My Name is Tahrir Square and Epic from Tahrir Square) did not add much to what was broadcast by news agencies and tel evision stations on every radio.
Barrier
There are films that have undoubtedly done this, such as Capernaum by Nadine Labaki,
Butyears.all
After the war itself, films produced about it and its aftermath multiplied, such as The Ring of Fire by BahijHojeij (2004), I am not a Martyr by Sameh Al-Qadi (2015), One Day in Beirut by Jocelyn Saab (1995), It is Time by Jean-
Maroun
Claude Qudsi (1994), The Flower House by Joanna Hajitoma and Khalil Joreige (1999) and Case 32 by ZiadDouiri, up to recent films such as Miguel’s War by Eliane Raheb and many other films by George Hashem, Dima Al Hur, Philip Aractingi and GhassanSalhab, along with other films of the above-mentioned (Saab Hajjaj, Qudsi, etc...).
Of course, not all Arab cinema is films of wars, problems and revolutions. This needs a sepa rate study as it reflects many issues, political, economic and social, and several classifica tions can be extracted from them under the names of the city, generations, memory, immi gration, return from immigration, etc...
ArtBaghdadi
Although there are documentaries that deserve attention, it is the narrative films (like these two aforementioned films) that add to these events the desired goals and dimensions.
The first four films were in themselves distin guished for their importance, albeit at different levels, namely, Beirut Encounter by Burhan Alawia (presented at the 1976 Venice Film Festival as part of the competition), Beirut ya Beirut and Little Wars by Maroun Baghdadi, The Refuge by Rafik Hajjar and Lebanon… why? by George Shamshoum.
One of the primary reasons is that there are few Arab films that can cross the barrier between local and international cultures. The situation of Arab cinema in this context is no different from that of Finnish, Mexican, Indian or Nige rian Thesecinema.areactive cinemas at home, but the ma terial they have to show to the eyes of other serious cinema enthusiasts or the issues drama tized with an art and a craft that are suitable to pave the way outside the local map, are almost completely absent from international festivals
Case 32 by Ziad Douiri, Clash by Muham mad Diab, Omar and Paradise Now by Hani Abu Asaad, Wadjda by Haifaa Al-Mansour, and The Man Who Sold His Back by Kawthar bin Haniyeh, among others, in the last twenty
these endeavors did not form a steady stream, nor did they dig a groove that could not be bridged. It is very surprising that many Arab countries do not have a permanent pres ence in international festivals, nor in those for eign markets that have theaters specializing in foreign films.
But the dilemma that Arab cinema is going through raises the question - how can Arab films can leave essential (and not transitory) marks in the world of international shows, commercially and on the screens of interna tional festivals?
The luck of Lebanese cinema from the civil war that extended for about two decades (1975-1990) was that it was more numerous and better in production. There was no You Tube and Internet during the war or immedi ately after it, which enabled Lebanese film, both documentary and fiction, to preserve its identity and vision.
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Fortunately, the history of Arab cinema wit nessed many remarkable achievements in this field. Many of them are forgotten today, but if they were collected in a list, the fact would become clear that talent and skill do not know one country, but rather move freely between everyone who has ambition and after that the financial ability to achieve it.
Our problems in this context require the atten tion of officials on an equal basis with many other cultural and social issues. The experi ence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, despite its modernity, is pioneering and serious, and suitable for investment in other Western or non-Arab countries.
It is the clear goal that Saudi officials put into practice without delay or doubt, realizing that cinema is the primary indicator of the devel opment that the Kingdom is undergoing today and a reflection of talents that will in turn re flect their achievements on the Kingdom and its distinguished and large presence around the world. A weekly roundup of screenings at
At the core is also the fact that the method of artistic narration and treatment of tales circu lated in any direction may be exciting for Arab critics and intellectuals, but they are not easy to accept for others.
shown at international festivals are visited by two types of viewers: the first is curi ous and the second is sympathetic. Both make up no more than 20 percent of the festival au Thedience.rest
individual or collective behavior is not difficult without control over the subject, and few Arab directors are good at it.
The Man Who Sold his Back
dividual director to deviate from the prevailing pattern and accomplish a great work.
By this, I mean that many Arab films could not penetrate their artistic and narrative methods into other capitals. The use and selection of shots varies and the scenes to which they be long vary accordingly. The cultural source and
Those that are ready to produce “artistic” films (in parentheses to facilitate the indication) do not have the funding that would allow the in
Ambitious Start
The criticism does not suggest that Arab cin ema should imitate an American narrative for ease of access, but so many of our directors work within a box of their own cultural pref erences. They work on their material as they think it is right and appropriate for everyone. Among them are those who never think outside the box. They lack creativity and talent in the search for maximum importance and presence.
The gesture of the Red Sea Film Festival and its features stand out here. This is because commercial production companies in the Arab world are not interested in achieving works with goals higher than the general desire of viewers (and even in this direction there are shortcomings and many films that did not achieve their commercial targets).
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because popular interest outside the countries of origin is non-existent, as well as any cultural Arabinterest.films
flock to the upcoming films from the United States, France and Italy, respectively, and then to the brilliant directors who have pre viously achieved a remarkable and large pres ence, even if they came from different parts of the world.
with each other.
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The director’s selection of some of his cast is troubling, given that Waltz has a style of acting that is not American and thus lacks proportionality. Even his accent is not correct. Dafoe is better but he provides his own interpretation of the character he performs. Other than that, a movie that admires the rest of the genre’s aficionados.
[Films from the Venice Film Festival]
By Mohammed Rouda
Final word: Good, though Hill directed better movies
Dead for a Dollar ★★★
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Tilda Swinton plays two roles in this movie. She is the mother and she is the daughter and they both travel to the Menzo Hotel in Wales on a journey of self-discovery. Both are tired and both have issues
Art
“Every movie I’ve made is a West ern,” director Wal ter Hill says of all his films, even non-Western ones like 48 Hours and Streets of Fire. This is undoubtedly true in his new Western movie which is the story of a bounty hunter who is asked to recover a woman who ran away from her husband with a black man. He discovers that he was used to find the wife and the man so that the husband could kill them. At the same time, there is a Mexican gang intending to kill him and his assistant. It’s not hard to expect it all to end with interlaced fight scenes.
Despite this, there is a difference in treating the subject here and adapt ing it before the end, to the extent that it begins to resemble horror films, although it does not fully engage in this genre. The film resembles some fictional and film works, but in the end it is independent in itself by calmly approaching the characters and the events alike.
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◆ Directed by: Joanna Hogg Genre: Drama [UK] Lead role: Tilda Swinton
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The Eternal Daughter ★★★
This is the third part of director Hogg’s trilogy, with the previous two films following a single vein of research and reflection on the lives of others. The two earlier films are The Souvenir and The Souvenir Part II.
A weekly roundup of screenings at movie theaters around the world
◆ Directed by: Walter Hill Genre: Western [US] Lead role: Willem Dafoe
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Athena ★★ Directed by: RomainGavras Genre: Thriller [France] Lead role: Sami Slimane
Final word: Swinton makes a good impression on her fans.
◆ Final word: Despite the above, watch it on “Netflix” soon.
It’s about three siblings standing apart when an area in the southern Paris suburbs catches fire after the murder of an eleven-year-old boy. The film seduces its viewers with the desire to leave a surprising impact behind every scene. This does not serve him as a plot or an issue dealing with the social and racial situation in which the film depicts the Parisian Definitelysuburbs.
◆ Genre: Horror [Italian-English speaking]
Final word: Not suitable for entertainment or serious viewing.
◆ Final word: Today brings us more information about how we got here
◆ Genre: Drama [US]
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a hard-to-make movie (the Crowd Management second unit directors do their job well), but what’s right in front of the camera is repetitive and doesn’t give the viewer a chance to dig deeper.
This film was entered in the competition of the Venice Film Festival and defames it, especially since it was chosen to open the current session. The film is based on a successful 1985 novel written by Don DeLillo, and Hollywood - as we wrote previously - sought to turn it into a film twice before the project fell into the hands of Bambak.
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The film leaves its mark from the beginning: this is the story of the American spy Ted Hall who leaked to the Soviet Union in the mid-fifties secret and very essential information about the United States’ develop ment of its nuclear weapons, which allowed the Russians to keep pace with this progress. For Hall (with whom the film conducts a lengthy interview), he still believes he did the right thing because “one country’s possession of a nuclear weapon is a major catastrophe.” The movie (which also includes scenes that are acted out) brings up more ideas. It is about the cold war between East and West at the time and how the United States bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nucle ar bombs knowing that Japan had decided to surrender and – most likely that it wanted the bombing of Japan to terrorize the Soviet Union before finding out that this had obtained that precious information.
◆ Directed by: Noah Baumback
Compassionate Spy ★★★★
It is about a young girl (Taylor Russell) who meets her classmates for a soiree. She listens to one of them and leans her head on her shoulder. When her colleague raises her hand to point to her wedding ring, the girl pounces on her finger in order to amputate and eat it. From here and later the movie, as its first scene, is more disgusting than frightening. She meets another cannibal (Mark Rylance) and takes him to his house. She tells him that she is trying to get away from this habit (of eating human flesh), but he assures her that this is not possible, but that her need for food will gradually increase.
Bones and All ★★
Final word: Watching it is a waste of valuable time.
White Noise ★★
The irony is that the majority of book critics found that the novel was distinguished by its ability to address its idea in a style that suggests iro ny while presenting a serious situation. It’s the situation when a family tries to avoid the possibility of death. Thus, it lives in a state of caution, embracing it as a protector from dangers, without seeing the effect on its own life. The film adopts the language of dialogue, trying to capture the art of irony, to no avail.
★★:
◆ Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
◆ Lead role: Taylor Russel
★★★:
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◆ Lead role: Adam Driver
◆ Directed by: Steve James
A film of the kind that is eager to throw every scene in the face of its viewers, as if the director was standing behind a catapult machine in which he puts a pile of scenes screaming sound and sight and throws them towards the viewers.
Ratings: ★ Weak or average | Mediocre with merits| Good | ★★★★: Excellent | ★★★★★: A masterpiece
Every day, the two practiced tennis on Compton’s public Serena’scourts.family relocated to Palm Beach, Florida, when she was nine years old. Serena and Venus began competing against other junior tennis players there. They also began working with a new coach. Until that point, their father, Richard Williams, had coached them.
Williams, an American, has gone from learning tennis on public courts in a gang-controlled neighborhood to becoming a generation’s superstar and possibly the greatest player in history.
In 2008 and 2012, the Williams sisters won gold in the Olympic women’s tennis doubles. Serena also won gold in women’s singles in 2012. Despite inju ries in the early 2000s, she kept on winning.
Williams has won 856 matches and lost only 154 in her 27-year professional career. This includes 365 major match victories, the most of any player in his tory, and 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in the Open Era.
In her personal life, she married Reddit co-found er Alexis Ohanian in 2016. She and Alexis had a daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., in Septem ber 2017 and married in November 2017. She pre viously had a relationship with her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou.
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has ranked her as the world’s top singles player for 319 weeks, including a joint record of 186 consecutive weeks. She has also finished the year five times as the top player. She has the second-most Grand Slam singles titles of any player in the Open Era (after Margaret Court’s 24).
Serena Williams: The Superstar Athlete and Businesswoman Bids Tennis Farewell
on hard courts. She and Chris Evert share the Open Era record for most US Open titles won, and she holds the record for the most women’s singles titles won at the Australian Open, with seven.
Off the court, she has broken down barriers, battling racism and sexism, redefining beauty, and raising the bar for financial success, earning $95 million in career prize money, the most of any women’s ten nis player in history, as well as superstar big brand Serenaendorsements.Williams is a businesswoman in addition to her achievements on the court. She and Venus be came joint owners of the Miami Dolphins in 2009. They are the first African-American women to own a professional football team.
Serena has always been interested in fashion. In 2018, she debuted her own clothing line, S. In 2019, she launched a jewellery line. Williams also invests in companies that place a premium on diverse lead ership. Serena Ventures, her venture capital firm, is where she does it.
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In a White-dominated sport, the African American has become an icon. She has won 23 Grand Slam titles, broken records, and accomplished feats with the same zeal as her shots on the court. Serena and her sister Venus, who has seven major titles, were executive producers of “King Richard,” a film about their father, Richard Williams, who taught them tennis as they grew up in Compton, SerenaCalifornia.Williams said after winning the US Open in 2013, “I’m still that racquet girl who dreams and plays for Williams’it.”father began teaching her to play tennis when she was three years old. Serena, like her sister Venus, quickly demonstrated a talent for the sport.
Last Friday night Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia defeated Williams 7-5, 6-7 (7-4), 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The three-hour match featured a wild, lengthy comeback that ended with a heated tiebreak in the second set before Tomljanovic fi nally closed out the match in the third, capping off one of the tournament’s best and most-watched Thematches.icon, legend, and GOAT, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, lost her final match as a pro fessional tennis player in the third round of the US Open and bid tennis farewell after a timeless legacy. Williams, 40, admits that leaving tennis is a difficult decision, but she is satisfied with her accomplish Serenaments.
Williams has a record 13 Grand Slam singles titles
Po rt ra it
Serena Williams completed her 23rd Grand Slam in 2017. The tennis player later revealed that she was pregnant at the time she accomplished this feat. She gave birth to a daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr., in September of that year.
In terms of her political beliefs, after winning her fourth-round match at the 2016 Roland Garros, Ser ena Williams was asked about Donald Trump. She responded that she was “not involved at all [in poli tics],” and then added, “I don’t vote. It goes back to my religion.”
Serena began her career as a professional tennis player in 1995. She was immediately recognized as a rising star. She proved herself on the court, winning her first Grand Slam in singles in 1999. A Grand Slam in tennis occurs when a player wins all four major titles in the same year. This includes the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the United States Open.
By IllustratedMajallaby Jeannette Khouri
Serena Williams dominated women’s tennis for the next several years. She also collaborated with Venus, a top professional tennis player herself. At the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the two won gold in women’s tennis doubles.
In their long history, the Olympics have never been held in an African country. Cairo, Egypt, has the potential to become the first city on the continent to hold this prestigious distinction. The location of Cairo near the Nile River will be ideal for Olympic competitions. Egypt has been working hard in recent years to completely revamp its infrastructure and sports facilities at the national level in order to com pete for world championship venues. With over 5,000 years of culture and tradition, as well as magnificent sports enthusiasm, Egypt’s capital Cairo envisions hosting major sporting events
Egypt International Olympic City to Be Largest in Middle East portsBySarah
Gamal
Egypt International Olympic City is located east of Cairo, between Cairo-Suez Road and Cairo-Ain Al-Sukhna Road, on the outskirts of Badr City. It has a three-kilometer-long walk
The City, which Egyptian President Abdel Fat tah El-Sisi recently directed to be completed as soon as possible, is a massive sports complex built to the highest international standards.
Egypt Aims to Be At Top of Int’l Sports Pyramid by 2032
as part of a medium to long-term development Workstrategy.has recently begun on the infrastructure development process to complete the imple mentation of Egypt International Olympic City in the New Administrative Capital, which will be the largest in the Middle East.
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The arena is being built in the New Adminis trative Capital, a massive urban project that has been under construction since 2015 with the goal of creating a new metropolis from the ground up which is 45 kilometers east of the country’s capital, Cairo.
On the other hand, Ashraf Sobhi, Egypt’s Min ister of Youth and Sports, previously stated that: “Egypt International Olympic City is the larg est integrated Olympic sports city in the Middle East. It is set up in collaboration with all interna tional sports federations and in accordance with the most recent international technical standards and measurements for each sport.”
is surrounded by three-level oval stands. The stands’ reinforced concrete structure will be surrounded by a steel tendon structure with dis tinctive high masts which will be responsible for maintaining the membrane roofing that will cover the entire auditorium. The stadium’s exte rior will be crowned by a multi-colored blue and turquoise facade.
Construction of Egypt International City for Olympic Games is on a total area of 776,500 m2, including landscape and
The stadium will have an athletic track that
The venue’s construction began at the end of 2019 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. The arena’s main contractor is the Egyptian construction giant Orascom Construc tion PLC, and work appears to be moving quick ly and on Accordingschedule.totheofficial spokesperson for the Presidency of the Republic of Egypt, Sisi recent ly directed that: “ Egypt International Olympic City must be integrated with other sports and cultural components and edifices, such as the City of Horses (Mourabit) and the City of Arts and Culture, in order to form a comprehensive sports and cultural approach and format that is compatible with Egypt’s sports infrastructure.”
El Sisi tours Egypt International City for Olympic Games in New Capital. (Supplied).
ing and running course.
The multi-purpose venue, which has a capacity of 93,440 seats, is set to become Egypt’s new national stadium, taking the place of Cairo In ternational Stadium. It will be Africa’s second largest facility, after the FNB Stadium in Johan nesburg, South Africa.
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works.infrastructure(Supplied)PresidentAbdelFattah
Sports critic Ali El-Behairy described Egypt In ternational Olympic City in this regard: “Egypt
“Egypt has been working hard in recent years to completely revamp its infrastructure and sports facilities at the national level in order to compete for world championship venues.”
Egypt International Olympic City has one cov ered hall that can hold 15,000 spectators and another covered hall that can accommodate up to 8,000 spectators, as well as a squash com plex that can seat 1,000 spectators, a tennis complex that can hold 3,500 spectators, an Olympic swimming pool complex with a 5,000 spectator capacity, plus shooting ranges (car tridges, electronic and manual), in addition to a bow and arrow field, an equestrian complex, training fields, a sports medicine hospital, open playgrounds (10 five-a-side courts), volleyball, basketball, beach ball, hockey court, and other multi-purpose courts, a Roman open-air theater, hotels, chalets, banks, service areas, administra tive buildings, the ceremony building, and pub lic squares with giant screens.
The stadium will be Africa’s and the Middle East’s largest complex of its kind. Its establish ment should allow Egypt to compete for the hosting of major sporting events such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup.
“The City, which has a number of Olympicsized swimming pools, gyms, and second ary and main football stadiums, has become a popular destination for many federations in Egypt, the Arab region, and Africa to host vari ous competitions. We saw how it played a role in hosting the African Handball Cup of Na tions, and the goal was not only to add more sports facilities to Egypt’s already extensive list of constructions, but to give it a distinctive aesthetic shape that puts it on par with interna
Withtinued.regard
“The services available to all athletes in terms of easy transfers and accommodation, which contribute to the success of any sporting event, distinguish this Olympic city,” El-Behairy con
tional stadiums in terms of shape and design,” El-Behairy told Majalla.
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International Olympic City in the Administra tive Capital is Africa’s largest sports facility in terms of area. The goal of establishing this integrated sports city was to keep Egypt at the forefront of infrastructure and facilities that im prove organizational capabilities and logistical support for hosting various international and continental events and championships.”
The arena is being built in the New Administrative Capital, a massive urban project that has been under construction since 2015 with the goal of creating a new metropolis from the ground up but only 45 kilometers east of the country’s capital, Cairo. (Supplied) ports
to “sports medicine,” El-Behairy
“The venue’s construction began at the end of 2019 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.”
Egypt International Olympic City has a covered hall that can accommodate 15,000 spectators and another covered hall that can hold up to 8,000 spectators. (Supplied)
It is worth noting that President El-Sisi, Presi dent of the Arab Republic of Egypt, directed the construction of the City’s grand mural, which re flects the logo, Olympic principles, and Egypt’s sporting history from a high-level artistic per spective, and whose design was chosen through a competition held at the national level in which senior artists and academics participated.
Pool complex featuring an indoor pool and an outdoor pool, as well as an Olympic-size pool.
“We have doctors who specialize in this field, in addition to physical therapy, in which we ex cel,” he added, noting that this hospital “will be implemented in accordance with the highest in ternational standards and technologies.”
Sports critic El-BehairyAli
said: “Egypt International Olympic City, which is built on 450 acres, includes a hospital dedi cated to sports medicine, which will serve as an important gateway for the presence of a large number of athletes from around the world seek ing treatment in Egypt.”
“The arts are also very important in Egypt Inter national Olympic City, as it includes a number of open theaters in which international shows will be held on the land of Egypt. In addition we will organize major cultural events in these theaters, which will bring attract more tourists to enjoy these shows in ideal places and with an impressive organization,” El-Behairy concluded in his statement with Majalla.
“The arts are also very important in InternationalEgyptOlympic City.”
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Meta, with Horizon Worlds, risks going down the same path as Amazon and Google, attempting to build this new experi
For the past year or so, we’ve been told the future of the internet is in the metaverse: a persistent, immersive, multi player, interoperable world that blurs the lines between the physical and digital. In reality, this vision of the metaverse is likely a long way away. According to Intel, realizing its potential will require an overhaul of the “entire plumbing of the internet.”
While it’s uncertain to what extent we’ll achieve a metaverse akin to the world of Spielberg’s Ready Player One, it’s clear that the internet of the future will be far more immersive than that of the past. Two front-runners to define this vision of the future have emerged, with very different ideas of what it might look like: Meta and Micro
Who’s Got the Upper Hand in the Metaverse?TechnologyBySiddharthSeth
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soft. But who will come out on top?
This immersive vision of the internet—with whole new worlds to get lost in that continue to evolve even after you’ve quit—is not a novel concept. Gamers have been building, exploring, and playing in these worlds for dec ades. Big Tech’s attempts (and failures) to break into gam ing have been well documented, from Google Stadia to Am azon’s Amazon Game Studios. Such efforts have looked to apply best product-building practices to game development, without a deeper cultural and behavioral understanding of gamers and what it takes to make a game “fun,” according to a Wired report.
Microsoft vs. Meta
And for enterprises, trust, safety, and security are critical. Through Windows and Microsoft Office, Microsoft has built its business on enterprise sales. Most companies rely daily on its software for their operations, and it is a market leader in data privacy. In comparison, scandal after scan dal has left Meta reeling, with Facebook ranked as the least trusted social network in an Insider survey. There already have been safety issues in Horizon Worlds, with reports of a user being groped by a stranger. With its business built on selling its users’ data and whistleblower claims that the company prioritizes “profit over public good,” it’s hard to imagine many IT departments approving the use of Meta’s enterprise tools.
According to Kastle Systems, which tracks building access across the U.S., office attendance is at just 33% of its prepandemic average. Additionally, companies are beginning to use VR for meetings, product demonstrations, hiring, 3D modeling, training, virtual showrooms, and more—applica tions that provide a superior, efficient, and more cost-effec tive option to the real-world alternative. Therefore, the real opportunity for day-to-day virtuality in the future lies in the realm of B2B, not B2C.
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On the flip side, Meta currently has the edge on Micro soft when it comes to hardware sales. Almost 80% of VR headsets sold in 2021 were an Oculus Quest 2, while Microsoft has had limited success with sales of its Holo Lens. But headsets are expensive (the cheapest Oculus Quest 2 costs $400) and not a prerequisite to access a more immersive internet. Microsoft Mesh, the brand’s mixed-reality software, is already included with Micro
So far, all signs point to Microsoft dominating the metaverse. The largest obstacle in Microsoft’s path is perhaps itself. Effecting change in organizations the size of Microsoft re quires communication across all areas of the business to be efficient and streamlined. For example, will Activision truly be able to influence Microsoft’s operations, or will it con tinue to be embroiled in bureaucratic challenges that cause a lack of agility?
soft Teams, and is designed for use through a headset, computer, or smartphone. Thus, integration into their existing customers’ day-to-day functioning would be seamless. Meta has recognized this, and in April, an nounced the development of a web and mobile version of Horizon Worlds. Still, this gives the impression that currently, they’re behind.
Overall, success in the internet of the future will likely be better propelled for Microsoft, due to its existing founda tions. But regardless of the winners, it will be important to remain vigilant. The risks of misinformation, identity theft, harassment, and bullying are even further heightened in a 3D world. The potential of progress is limitless but so is the possibility of harm. So, Microsoft must not rest on its laurels, and instead learn from the mistakes of the past to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself.
This article was originally published by Fast Company.
ence without the pedigree to back it up. Microsoft, on the other hand, has built a legacy for itself among modern gam ers through Xbox and recent strategic acquisitions. From Halo to Minecraft to Age of Empires, they’ve created and supported some of the world’s most iconic games, and with the acquisition of Activision, the brand has placed itself in the driver’s seat to provide engaging and entertaining im mersive experiences in the future.
Realizing this, the future of the internet will require collabo ration with other organizations. Here, Microsoft will benefit from its long history with enterprise partnerships. Histori cally, the brand has provided the rails for other companies to build products and services and enabled new types of tools and technologies to grow. Meta has operated primarily in isolation, with Facebook and Instagram its only previous successes in integrating two distinct products. As a single platform, Meta, Horizon Quest, and its services are more easily replaceable.
Two front-runners to define this vision of the future have emerged, with very different ideas of what it might look like: Meta and Microsoft.
Credit: Images)
Meta believes that we’ll move more and more of our physi cal lives into the digital realm, and ultimately “live” in the virtual reality. We’ll begin to hang out with friends, go to the cinema, and even attend concerts virtually rather than physically. However, it’s unclear what problem this solves. Post-lockdown life has taught us that given the opportunity, people will always prefer to go out into the “real” world. (With one clear exception: the office.)
(Getty
Economists like to perceive themselves as deriving objective positive mathematical theories and that they are not involved in the messiness of politics. It all seems very well and good, but, for some reason, economic theory always tended to take sides and be used by contradictory political currents, from trade liberalization and de-regulation of markets to protectionist policy. The economic discipline has developed many tools to help understand the complex nature of economies – however, it is a far cry from the natural sciences. This article will discuss a peculiar form of the economic as politics scenario: the Kuznets curve.
Yet during a presidential press - notice the political setting- he generalized his data in his address entitled “Economic Growth and Income Inequality.” He suggests that as per capita income rises, income inequality follows, but then at an inevitable point, income inequality starts decreasing. The inverted U-Shape curve usually demonstrates this. He offers possible explanations, for example, as countries industrialize, the center of the economy becomes in the urban area, thus creating a “rural-urban income gap.” Later on, as economies grow, the institutions of democracy start becoming established, such as welfare. At this stage, society experiences a trickle-down effect and an increase in per capita income.
Simon Kuznets was an American economist and statistician who produced a monumental work labelled “Shares of Upper Income Groups in Income and Saving,» dealing with 35 years of data. The data he collated allowed him to derive the change in deciles over time. One of his conclusions was that the US upper decile share of national income had decreased by %10. As noted by Piketty, the time measured was of significant turbulence from the Great Depression to World War Two. As such, even Kuznets was extremely wary of generalizing and theorizing based on those results. He explicitly stated in his paper, “This is perhaps 5 per cent empirical information and 95 per cent speculation, some of it possibly tainted by wishful thinking.”
Economics As Politics
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This came about during a tide of economic thought predicting doomsday. Karl Marx›s predictions of the capital accumulation scenario states there is a tendency for capital to become concentrated in the hands of a few. He predicts either that the rate-ofreturn of capital would diminish to zero, which will lead to brutal conflict between capitalists, or that the capitalist share of income would increase to such a high amount that workers would revolt as their share of national income would have been cut tremendously. This followed another tide of Ricardian economics in which land is scarce. As such, the landowners› share of the national income will continuously rise, reducing the percentage of national income available for the rest of the population. Both predict the same result: a rise in inequality and a disruption of social equilibrium. The optimistic thought of Kuznets played a significant role during a time (the cold war) when a pessimistic outlook on capitalism was widespread, and the red revolts were rampant. Simply stating that everything is fine as long as economies grow was highly However,convenient.inequality is again on the rise. The share of national income of the top decile has significantly increased since 1970, reaching pre-WWII levels. The question of inequality is again back in question. This is often explained by referencing the managerial revolutions or the recent slow growth that puts an emphasis on inherited wealth.
oTheoptimisticthoughtofKuznetsplayedasignificantroleduringatime(thecoldwar)whenapessimisticoutlookoncapitalismwaswidespread,andtheredrevoltswererampantBySaifAl-Abri
For such an idea underlying the Kuznets curve to become mainstream clearly shows the dynamic of theories in economics and social sciences, which is heavily politicized. The doomsday scenario was used by the Marxist theorist and Kuznets curves by the capitalist, both to advocate their causes. The politics involved in social theory has not miraculously disappeared and is still a primary determinant of mainstream thought. We still see the Kuznets environmental curve in which solving the development issue miraculously solves the climate crisis. Individuals must understand the politics and motives behind the thought to gain a clearer view of economics.
pinion
