Egyptian broadcasters have been engaged in a ruthless competition for the attention of this year’s Ramadan audience, with 30 different new series on offer. They range from social dramas, historical series, and comedy shows, but most also tackle politics – either directly or indirectly. “The estimated production costs of L.E. 1 billion (US $209 million) […]

“We have become neglected and hunted down by a government whose only concern is to serve shopkeepers and businessmen who offer it money,” said Ahmed Abdulaziz, a 34-year-old pedlar. “As for us, to hell with our degrees so long as the shop owners are satisfied.” “We have become neglected and hunted down by a government […]

Egypt isn’t Syria, Iraq or Libya, where a foreign correspondent’s job is fringed with death, but nor is it risk free. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists ten journalists have been killed covering events in Egypt between January 25, 2011 and the present day, with no less than six of these deaths taking place […]

Following a bloody academic year in which 26 students were killed in clashes with police at Egyptian universities, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi issued a decree that from now on he would appoint rectors. The decree stated that he would choose one of three professors nominated by a committee comprised of senior professors. Following a bloody academic […]

Some of the new penalties recently enacted in Egypt, such as the one against sexual harassment, have long been demanded by political forces across. Others, like one that clamps down on demonstrations, are clearly reactionary. Meanwhile, still others, like one regulating dumping garbage in streets, have attracted controversy all of their own. Flawed anti-harassment law […]

On April 6, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab‘s government announced its intention to import and rely on coal as Egypt’s primary source of energy. Though there was no official decision, the announcement caused a storm of criticism because it went contrary to environment laws and carried health risks. The Egyptian judiciary is still examining a lawsuit […]

After the enactment of the new Oratory Law, Mahmud Metwally, a simple school worker in the village of El-Idwa in the Minya governorate, lost his second job as the imam of his village’s mosque. He lost a source of income that used to help him support his eight-member family. After the enactment of the new […]

Every morning at 10, Subhyieh Bint Abdussalam, 45, walks near the Mssayeed neighborhood in Arish in North Sinai Governorate with a herd of sheep. Her face is fully covered and she wears a black gown long enough to cover her feet, with a band around her forehead to signify that she is married. Only her […]

With the Rabaa Square massacre emblazoned as a symbol of a desperate resistance project and a means of blackmailing us through bloodshed by an oppressive regime in favor of a no less oppressive one, the brouhaha surrounding the poster campaign ‘Have you prayed for Prophet Muhammad today?’ shows the state’s utter madness. Launched two months […]

Saqqara – south of Giza – is famous for its palm trees as well as its manufacture of palm leaf cages, traditionally used for transporting groceries. “I inherited this profession from my ancestors and have been working at it since I was six years old,” said 65-year-old Ali who runs a palm leaf cage workshop. […]