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Articles by Walaa Hussein
Egypt lays plans, tallies costs as rising seas threaten Nile River Delta
CAIRO — Egypt held its first Cairo Water Week Oct. 14 -18 to discuss Cairo’s concerns over the effects of climate change. The meeting closely follows the Egyptian government's acceptance of a $31.5 million grant from the Green Climate Fund Oct. 2 to protect the areas that are most affected by climate change, which threatens to flood the Nile Delta, increase desertification and impede investment for decades in coastal areas.
Egypt's horse exports growing now that most bans are lifted
CAIRO — Egypt is overcoming the harm from numerous nations' longstanding bans on its horses and is once again turning into a major area for investment in purebred Arabian horses. The Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture announced Sept. 6 that Jordan has become the most recent country to lift its ban. That announcement comes a year after Egypt resumed horse exports to the European Union, shipping eight horses Aug. 7, 2017.
False rumor reignites row over Egypt’s mixed-gender classes
CAIRO — Prior to the scheduled Sept. 22 start of the new academic year in Egypt, the controversy over mixed-gender universities has resurfaced. Sameh Abdel Hamid, a prominent Salafist preacher in Egypt, criticized in an Aug. 17 statement the mixed-gender system in Egypt's public universities. He called on the government to segregate male and female students, claiming mixed educational facilities lead to "customary marriages" and increased harassment of women.
Will public opposition stop proposed Egypt-Israel railway dead in its tracks?
CAIRO — Egypt witnessed a new political storm following reports of a recent meeting between Israel's ambassador to Cairo, David Govrin, and prominent Egyptian sociologist and director of the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, at the latter’s house.
As polls open, election rumors plague Egyptians
CAIRO — A wave of rumors captivated Egyptians on March 26 as presidential elections began as scheduled in a race between incumbent Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and challenger Moussa Mostafa Moussa, the president of El Ghad Party. On March 20, the Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center denied seven rumors that have been circulating, raising controversy in the media and confusing citizens. The most prominent rumor is that commodity prices will surge in May during Ramadan.
Cairo looks to Sufi sheikhs to counter extremism
CAIRO — Al-Shadhiliya Al-Uliya is a new Sufi order in Egypt that will be launched officially during the holy month of Ramadan (May-June), according to a source belonging to this new order, who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. The Supreme Council of Sufi Orders in Egypt and the Ministry of Awqaf approved Feb. 21 the official registration of the new order and for it to be added to the 77 other Sufi orders that are officially recognized in Egypt.
Egypt invests to curb sports 'game drain' to other states
CAIRO — Egypt is gearing up for a different kind of sports rivalry, one in which it will compete to keep its own athletes from "defecting" to other countries. Under the auspices of the Egyptian government, Banque Misr launched Feb. 18 the Egyptian Sports Fund to support athletes in Egypt and help them reach the forefront of international competitions. The fund will help build modern facilities and finance sports workshops for 70 athletes in the first three years.
Egypt accuses Congress of raining on Sisi's parade
CAIRO — Egypt celebrated the seventh anniversary of the January 25 Revolution amid strong anger against what the government, parliamentary and political circles see as US interference in Egyptian affairs. In an official statement Jan. 24, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry accused Sen. John McCain of spoiling the January 25 celebrations for Egyptians.
Upholding car import customs does not benefit Egypt's local industry
CAIRO — As the Egyptian government prepares to issue a special incentive strategy to boost the local automotive industry in mid-2018, its Dec. 28 decision to suspend the reduction of customs duties on imported European cars — which was due to be implemented at the beginning of 2018 — made the headlines and came as a shock to Egyptians wishing to buy cars. Egypt had agreed to reduce customs tariffs as per the 2001 Euro-Egyptian Partnership Agreement that has been in force since 2004.
Egyptian women’s groups unite behind domestic violence bill
CAIRO — Women’s organizations in Egypt are fighting violence against women in the framework of the UN campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.” The events kicked off on Nov. 25, coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and ended Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day.
Egypt ups political steps to counter Ethiopia over water crisis
CAIRO — Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit transmitted a warning from the league to Ethiopia during the opening session of the fourth Arab Water Forum Nov. 26, saying, “Water security for Egypt — the biggest Arab country in terms of population — is part and parcel of the Arab national security.” After announcing, on Nov.
Sisi's land cultivation plan ignores worsening water crisis
CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s four-year mandate includes a plan to reclaim and cultivate an additional 4 million acres of agricultural space in Egypt, despite the country's struggle with a dwindling water supply and an increasing population that is forced to share the stagnant water from the Nile River, estimated at 55 billion cubic meters yearly. Egypt is experiencing a crisis with the Nile’s headwater states, following the signing of the Nile Basin Initiative in 2010.
Egyptian women’s groups unite behind domestic violence bill
CAIRO — Women’s organizations in Egypt are fighting violence against women in the framework of the UN campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.” The events kicked off on Nov. 25, coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and ended Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day.
Arabs campaign to keep Israel from gaining foothold in Africa
CAIRO — Arab efforts to foil the African-Israel Summit that had been scheduled for Oct. 23-27 in Togo's capital, Lome, have met with some success and are multiplying. The summit's theme is “Israel is coming back to Africa, and Africa is coming back to Israel,” but currently no one is going anywhere. The effort against the event had been underway for months when Togo President Faure Gnassingbe told Israel in September the summit would be postponed so organizers could make better preparations.
Is Egypt's parliament going after beauty queens?
CAIRO — Miss Egypt 2017 was crowned Oct. 2 amid wide controversy over the legality of the contest being held without government supervision and accusations of indecency that spread in the media. Solaf Darwish, a member of the parliamentary Human Rights Committee, said that leaked videos and pictures of the beauty contestants taken by cameras installed in the rooms showed the immoral behavior of contestants, which goes against the customs of Egyptian society.
Egypt, Sudan stray further apart over Gulf crisis
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (R) is pictured during a meeting with his Sudanese counterpart, Ibrahim Ghandour, in Cairo, Egypt, June 3, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany) CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi started his tour in Africa Aug. 14 and is scheduled to visit four countries, including Chad, Gabon, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Egypt cuts cultivation of water-intensive crops
A laborer transplants rice seedlings in a paddy field in Qalyub, northeast of Cairo, Egypt, June 1, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh) CAIRO — Egypt’s Cabinet completed July 5 the drafting of the new water resources and irrigation bill, which calls for penalizing farmers who grow water-intensive crops, especially rice, outside the land plots authorized by the government on an annual basis.
Water pictured around Renaissance Dam alarms Egyptians
Construction workers are seen in a section of Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam during a media tour along the Nile in Benishangul Gumuz Region, Guba Woreda, Ethiopia, March 31, 2015. (photo by REUTER/Tiksa Negeri) CAIRO — Satellite images taken July 10 and showing around 200 million cubic meters (almost 53 billion gallons) of water pooled at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) reservoir site have sparked controversy in Egypt amid fears that Ethiopia has started filling the reservoir.
Egypt fails to make headway as it navigates Nile River talks
Heads of state meet at the first Nile Basin States Summit held June 22 in Entebbe, Uganda, June 22, 2017. (photo by Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) CAIRO — At the first Nile Basin States Summit held June 22 in Entebbe, Uganda, Cairo failed to amend the three clauses it rejects in the Entebbe Agreement.
How a pyramids photoshoot enflamed Egypt-Sudan media war
Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser, the mother of the emir of Qatar, visits pyramids in Sudan that were restored through a Qatari grant, uploaded March 14, 2017. (photo by YOUTUBE/Aghani Sudania) CAIRO — Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour and his visiting Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry agreed to work together April 20 to control the ongoing exchange of hostility in the news media caused by the mounting political tensions between the two neighbors.
How Egypt hopes to protect, educate street children
CAIRO — In an effort to address the worsening plight of Egypt’s street children, the Egyptian government launched the "Homeless Children" initiative on April 8 to accommodate 10,000 street children. The government, represented by the Ministry of Social Solidarity, also announced that it is working on a program called “Takaful and Karama” ("Solidarity and Dignity"), which gives cash payments to families in order to help them take their runaway children back in.
Will Saudi agricultural investments in Sudan leave Egypt high and dry?
A Sudanese farmer works on his corn farm on the banks of the Nile River in Khartoum, Nov. 11, 2009. (photo by REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah) CAIRO — Saudi Arabia has been steadily boosting its agricultural investments in Sudan in recent years, raising concerns in Cairo that any increase in Sudan’s use of Nile River water will come at the expense of Egypt’s share.
Sights, tastes of India charm Egypt in popular festival
People take part in a yoga session in Al-Azhar Park in Cairo in this undated photo. (photo by Indian Embassy in Cairo) CAIRO — “India by the Nile” is the biggest foreign cultural festival in Egypt in its fifth year. The Indian Embassy in Cairo and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism kicked off the festival March 7, and it is set to end April 27.
Cairo takes urgent measures to combat terrorism after church bombings
Relatives mourn the victims of the Palm Sunday bombings during a funeral at the Monastery of Saint Mina "Deir Mar Mina" in Alexandria, Egypt, April 10, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh) CAIRO — Terrorism struck Egypt once again on April 9, on Palm Sunday, when two bombings targeted St. George’s Church in Tanta and Saint Mark’s Church in Alexandria, killing 48 people and injuring dozens. In the aftermath, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took a series of urgent measures.
How Egypt's government plans to save sea turtles
Members of the Alexandria Turtles Rescue Team pose with some of the turtles they have saved in this undated photograph. (photo by Mai Hamada/Alexandria Turtles Rescue Team) CAIRO — The Egyptian Ministry of Environment is preparing to launch the National Plan for the Protection of Turtles in mid-summer, according to Mohammed Issawi, the director of the reserves in the northern coastal area at the ministry.
Egypt sees progress in settling Nile issues
Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam seen under construction during a media tour in Benishangul Gumuz Region, Guba Woreda, Ethiopia, March 31, 2015. (photo by REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri) CAIRO — Egypt is working to restore a cooperative flow of water-sharing solutions with members of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI). On March 13, the NBI Ministerial Committee held talks in Khartoum, Sudan, among the water ministers of Egypt, Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda, in addition to representatives from Kenya and Ethiopia.
Will families with 2 children become the norm in Egypt?
A couple and their children sit together at Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, June 17, 2012. (photo by REUTERS/Steve Crisp) CAIRO — Egypt is considering an incentive plan to curb its population's growth spurt. The country’s total population in January 2016 was 90 million, according to Egypt’s Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). This week, CAPMAS said the figure has reached 92.5 million.
Nile River project seeks 'Africa without borders'
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is received on his arrival at the Bole International Airport ahead of the 28th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and the Government of the African Union in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Jan. 29, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri) CAIRO — A 2,500-mile navigational shipping line connecting Lake Victoria and the Mediterranean Sea via the Nile River should be up and flowing in 2024, 11 years after it was first approved.
Egypt set to invest in crocodile industry
CAIRO — The Egyptian government has embarked on a national project aimed at creating Nile crocodile farms and terrariums. Al-Monitor received a copy of the program memorandum that the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, which is affiliated with the Egyptian Ministry of Environment, prepared and sent to parliament in December 2016.
Are Cairo, Riyadh in a messy ‘political divorce’?
A delegation from Saudi Arabia visits the Renaissance Dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, Ethiopia, Dec. 16, 2016. (photo by Twitter/@mfaethiopia) CAIRO — It's clear that Egyptian-Saudi relations have moved past mere tension, and the growing animosity could affect the balance of power in the Middle East. A Dec. 16 high-level Saudi delegation's visit to the Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia angered Cairo officials and worsened the Egyptian-Saudi status, which has been strained for months.
Egyptian bill seeks gender equality for adultery
A bride and groom have their photos taken in front of the tomb of late Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat and the Unknown Soldier monument, in Rabaa Adawiya Square in Nasr City, east of Cairo, Egypt, Aug. 11, 2013. (photo by REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh) CAIRO — A controversial bill in Egypt that would make the penalties for adultery the same for men and women faces many hurdles.
How this invasive flower is taking over the Nile
Egyptians take a dip in one of the branches of the Nile in the Menufiya district, north of Cairo, May 2, 2016. (photo by MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP/Getty Images) CAIRO — The water hyacinth is spreading, and Cairo is worried. Most measures taken to eliminate this plant have failed, and it threatens Egypt with an annual loss of 10% of its share of Nile waters.
Cairo in hot water over alleged Nile flooding coverup
An aerial view of farmland on Egypt's Nile River Delta is seen through a plane window, Feb. 15, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh) CAIRO — A controversy has erupted between Egypt’s Water Ministry and the country’s media outlets over this year’s Nile flood forecasting. The ministry had declared a state of emergency from May to August of this year due to drought, the worst to hit the Nile Basin in the past 100 years.
Will this Egyptian diplomat be UNESCO's next leader?
Moushira Khattab speaks during an interview with AlMasry AlYoum, July 23, 2016. (photo by YOUTUBE/AlMasry AlYoum) CAIRO — Ambassador Moushira Khattab, Egypt’s candidate for the post of UNESCO director-general in the elections scheduled for 2017, said she is hoping an agreement on a single Arab candidate can be reached, following reports of a face-off between Cairo and Doha over leadership of the UN agency.
Egyptians ditch daylight saving time
People sit in a boat on the Nile River in Cairo, June 15, 2012. (photo by REUTERS/Suhaib Salem) CAIRO — After a long tug of war, the Egyptian government has finally relented to parliament and given up daylight saving time, based on a number of studies concluding daylight saving time is, well, pointless. Daylight saving time is the practice of setting clocks ahead one hour during summer months so that it seems to be light outside for an extra hour each evening.
Inheritance plan could be game-changer for Egyptian women
Egypt's then-Prime Minister Hisham Qandil (R) talks during a session of the upper house of the parliament in Cairo, June 10, 2013. (photo by REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany) CAIRO — The Egyptian parliament is considering a move to ensure rightful heirs — including women — get their inheritances. Six months after Egypt’s government amended the inheritance law to punish anyone who deliberately denies an inheritance to those entitled to it, parliament is discussing additional amendments.
Will reviving old parliament bring Egypt-Sudan relations back to life?
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri (L) shakes the hand of Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour (C) next to Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom (R) after signing an agreement following a round of talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project in Khartoum, Sudan, Dec. 29, 2015.
How Egypt plans to address its growing water crisis
An Egyptian farmer squats down on cracked soil to show the dryness of the land due to drought at a farm formerly irrigated by the Nile River, in Al-Dakahlya, June 4, 2013. (photo by REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany) Amidst the worst drought to hit the Horn of Africa in the past 100 years, the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation declared a state of extreme emergency in early May to last until next August in preparation for the summer crop season.
In battle for rights, Egypt's journalists face off with parliament
Journalists gesture in protest against the arrests of fellow journalists during a news conference at the Egyptian Press Syndicate's headquarters in downtown Cairo, May 3, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh) CAIRO — Thousands of Egypt's journalists are calling for the interior minister to resign after ordering a May 1 raid on the Press Syndicate building in Cairo.
This big-mouthed puppet has enraged Egypt’s parliament
CAIRO — Anger spread through the ranks of Egyptian parliamentarians over criticism leveled against them by Abla Fahita, the puppet star of a CBC channel program. In the program, Abla Fahita described the parliament members using terms that they considered inappropriate, leading them to submit urgent motions April 17 for the government to discipline the program.
Egypt’s water minister says country facing 'critical phase'
A cloud of dust rises from a dynamite blast that was part of construction work at Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam along the Nile River in Guba Woreda, Ethiopia, March 31, 2015. (photo by REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri) CAIRO — Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Ati, who took office March 23 as part of the Cabinet reshuffle by the government of Sherif Ismail, has told Al-Monitor that Cairo is studying various solutions to resolve the Renaissance Dam crisis with Ethiopia.
Is Israel key to solving Renaissance Dam crisis?
March 22, 2016 CAIRO — Some Egyptian water experts say ousted parliament member Tawfik Okasha endangered the country’s national security by meeting Feb. 24 with Israeli Ambassador Haim Koren in Cairo to discuss the construction of the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Parliament members voted overwhelmingly March 2 to revoke Okasha's membership for discussing the project with Israel.
Will Renaissance Dam flood Egypt's Mediterranean coast?
Water gushes out from pipes by the construction of Ethiopia's Great Renaissance Dam in Guba Woreda, Ethiopia, June 28, 2013. (photo by REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri) CAIRO — A global study of river dams predicts dire environmental consequences if the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam begins operating on the Nile River under current specifications.
Syrian endgame could begin with Aleppo
Residents inspect damage at a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo, Dec. 25, 2015.
Syrian Human Rights Activist: Damascus Will Not Fall
A crowd gathers in front of a building and car damaged after a bomb explosion in the Mezzeh 86 area in Damascus, in this photograph released by Syria's national news agency SANA, Nov. 5, 2012. (photo by REUTERS/Sana) In an interview with As-Safir, Syrian opponent Faeq Huwaijah introduces himself as a human rights activist. He says "his work requires him to stay away from political slogans" although he coordinates with the National Coordination Committee for the Forces of Democratic Change.
Helicopters, Scanners No Match for Egypt's Exam Cheats
CAIRO — High school exam seasons in Egypt are often accompanied by exam leaks — a phenomenon that has become a major challenge to the successive Egyptian governments, despite several attempts to confront it. The government transports exam questions in a military helicopter from the printers affiliated with the Ministry of Education, whose locations remain a secret. This procedure is done under the auspices of the Egyptian armed forces to prevent the leaking of the exams.
Helicopters, scanners no match for Egypt's exam cheats
Students talk after finishing an exam in one of the Al-Azhar institutes in Cairo, May 20, 2015. (photo by REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih) CAIRO — High school exam seasons in Egypt are often accompanied by exam leaks — a phenomenon that has become a major challenge to the successive Egyptian governments, despite several attempts to confront it. The government transports exam questions in a military helicopter from the printers affiliated with the Ministry of Education, whose locations remain a secret.
The Islamic State in Africa
A police officer stands guard in front of the Bardo Museum in Tunis, March 24, 2015. The national museum symbolically reopened Tuesday, almost a week after a militant attack that killed 20 foreign visitors.
Female genital mutilation persists in rural Egypt
A counselor talks to a group of women to try to convince them that they should not have female genital mutilation performed on their daughters, in Minia, June 13, 2006. (photo by REUTERS/Tara Todras-Whitehill) CAIRO — I vividly remember, when I was little, those collective ceremonies that our neighbors from rural areas — from Upper Egypt in particular — used to have for their daughters.
Al-Azhar, Salafist group spar over banking interest
People buy Suez Canal investment certificates at a bank in Cairo, Sept. 4, 2014. (photo by REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih) CAIRO — The Salafist Call in Egypt announced Jan. 24 that banking interest is forbidden by Sharia, reviving the controversy over prohibiting or legitimizing banking interest in Egypt. However, the Islamic Research Academy, Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah and Al-Azhar officially ruled that the practice is not forbidden.
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