Wednesday 14 February 2007
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The brighter faces of Egypt
I've grown into the habit of reading international newspapers and listening to radio channels from across the globe on a near-daily basis since I moved to Durham in the autumn of 2006. Naturally, I got my morning dose of distressing news from around the globe - specially Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, Palestine and others.
From torture in police stations to sexual harassment, repression to poverty, corruption and marginalisation, intolerance and sectarianism, ignorance, hatred, war, deprivation and homicide of all sorts.
Today however, Al-Masry Al-Youm treated me to an unusual 'cup of coffee'. This morning, Al-Masry Al-Youm dedicated its issue to report 'on the people' rather than 'about the people' - no more politics, no more grand issues... Just simple people and the stories behind them. The article stretched from this link till page 20 of today's edition of Al-Masry Al-Youm and is only available in Arabic.
Al-Masry Al-Youm featured articles about Egyptian men, women and children who retain what the newspaper calls "the Egyptian spirit". Simple, honourable people: some made it to Al-Masry Al-Youm's pages for refusing a bribe; others for being hardworking men and women refusing to give in to mass unemployment; stubborn children fighting poverty; and others with a simple and unbeatable smile on their faces.
One can only gaze with admiration at some of these stories and people's proud ability to remain alive and fight the hardships of Cairene life.
"Even though it would be a mixture of naivity, superficiality and ignorance to look at this and smile forgetting the stronger powers repressing this very pride, this very urge to live in dignity... It remains important to realise that Egypt remains alive in the eyes, smiles and hearts of these people. These Egyptians!"
Al-Masry Al-Youm asked its readers to "remmember this morning, remmember this issue and save it. Perhaps, Egypt shall one day become all about this optimism. It is impossible for the status quo to prevail."
Bad news started to grown onto me like my every-morning shower, or my cup of coffee - sometimes, bringing tears to my eyes.
From torture in police stations to sexual harassment, repression to poverty, corruption and marginalisation, intolerance and sectarianism, ignorance, hatred, war, deprivation and homicide of all sorts.
Today however, Al-Masry Al-Youm treated me to an unusual 'cup of coffee'. This morning, Al-Masry Al-Youm dedicated its issue to report 'on the people' rather than 'about the people' - no more politics, no more grand issues... Just simple people and the stories behind them. The article stretched from this link till page 20 of today's edition of Al-Masry Al-Youm and is only available in Arabic.
Al-Masry Al-Youm featured articles about Egyptian men, women and children who retain what the newspaper calls "the Egyptian spirit". Simple, honourable people: some made it to Al-Masry Al-Youm's pages for refusing a bribe; others for being hardworking men and women refusing to give in to mass unemployment; stubborn children fighting poverty; and others with a simple and unbeatable smile on their faces.
One can only gaze with admiration at some of these stories and people's proud ability to remain alive and fight the hardships of Cairene life.
"Even though it would be a mixture of naivity, superficiality and ignorance to look at this and smile forgetting the stronger powers repressing this very pride, this very urge to live in dignity... It remains important to realise that Egypt remains alive in the eyes, smiles and hearts of these people. These Egyptians!"
Al-Masry Al-Youm asked its readers to "remmember this morning, remmember this issue and save it. Perhaps, Egypt shall one day become all about this optimism. It is impossible for the status quo to prevail."
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