https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:16:33 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-rights-group-accuses-egypt-of-disappearing-2-men-detained-in-bahrain/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:33:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658671 Their Right, a human rights organisation which specialises in defending prisoners of conscience in Egypt, yesterday accused the Egyptian authorities of disappearing two citizens who were detained in Bahrain and deported. The organisation posted on Facebook that Al-Sayyed Al-Ajez and Muhammad Al-Iraqi, both Egyptian citizens, were detained in Bahrain and forcibly deported to Egypt, but were not presented to the public prosecution, and their current whereabouts are unknown. Earlier, Egyptian human rights organisations said the Bahraini authorities had arrested the two Egyptian citizens on political grounds, although they had been legally residing in the country for eight years. Fifty-nine-year-old Al-Sayyed Al-Ajez, a father of eight who hails from Dakahlia Governorate, was arrested on 2 August over a 2014 judicial order […]]]> 658671 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-football-star-mohamed-salah-isnt-heading-for-saudi/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:50:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658622 Liverpool football player Mohamed Salah will not be transferred to the Saudi club Al-Ittihad, according to the Egyptian player's agent Rami Abbas. "If we considered leaving LFC this year, we wouldn't have renewed the contract last summer. Mohamed remains committed to LFC," Abbas wrote on Twitter yesterday after recent reports in the Saudi press that Al-Ittihad had offered the Egyptian international €180 million ($198 million) for two seasons, in addition to the £60 million ($77 million) that his club, Liverpool, would receive. The Egyptian football star has a contract with Liverpool that is valid until 2025; and is currently preparing for the start of the English Premier League season. Liverpool will not participate in the Champions League this season because it […]]]> 658622 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-egypt-hotel-asks-israel-model-to-leave-over-nationality/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:40:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658289 An Israeli model and influencer was expelled from a hotel in Egypt after management discovered her nationality, according to Israeli media. Yesterday, the Jerusalem Post reported that Shay Zanco "arguably one of Israel's most successful models," was kicked out of the hotel in Cairo having arrived in the country as part of the entourage of US rapper Travis Scott whose planned concert at the Pyramids in Giza was cancelled by Egypt's Musicians Syndicate over the show being at odds "with the societal values, customs, and traditions of Egypt and the Arab world." The Post reported that despite the show being called off, Zanco decided that she would visit tourist sites and make the most of her stay, "However, within about a day of her arrival, her hotel discovered […]]]> 658289 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-will-saudi-arabia-make-friday-a-working-day/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 15:45:33 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658192 In a thought-provoking op-ed published on Friday by Saudi Arabian daily newspaper Okaz, entitled "Friday is a working day," writer Mona Al-Otaibi questions whether the Kingdom's traditional Friday-Saturday weekend needs an overhaul, igniting a debate on social media. The piece highlighted the potential financial losses incurred due to Friday being an important workday in the financial world, and it has sparked discussions about whether Saudi Arabia should consider shifting its weekend to Saturday-Sunday, following in the footsteps of neighbouring UAE which made the controversial change last year, after plans were announced in 2021. At the time, the Emirati the government said it would "ensure smooth financial, trade and economic transactions with countries that follow a Saturday-Sunday weekend, facilitating stronger international […]]]> 658192 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-egyptian-uae-presidents-discuss-bilateral-relations-regional-issues/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 10:28:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658153 Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is on an official visit to Egypt, Anadolu reports. According to a statement from the Egyptian presidency, the two leaders met in the city of Al-Alamain and discussed regional and international issues. The meeting discussed ways to strengthen the frameworks and mechanisms of joint cooperation between the two countries. The two also underlined the 'importance of intensifying joint Arab action to confront the growing regional and global challenges.' READ: US senators call for withholding of military aid to Egypt over human rights record]]> 658153 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-us-senators-call-for-withholding-of-military-aid-to-egypt-over-human-rights-record/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 07:54:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658140 A group of senators in the United States have urged the government to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Egypt, citing the country's increasingly poor human rights record. In a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week, 11 senators – including ten high-profile Democratic senators such as Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Tim Kaine, and the independent Bernie Sanders – highlighted the Egyptian government's failure to improve its human rights violations as a cause to withhold up to $320 million of the overall $1.3 billion allocated for military aid to the country if it continues to not address the issue. The senators cited a provision in the 2022 fiscal year State Department funding bill […]]]> 658140 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-denmark-studying-legal-measures-to-prevent-quran-burning-egyptian-foreign-ministry/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 13:29:54 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658102 Denmark is studying several measures and legislation to prevent the recurrence of Quran burning incidents, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Friday, Anadolu reports. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen affirmed this in a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement. Rasmussen told Shoukry that the recent incidents involving the burning and desecration of the Quran in Denmark were "regrettable and contradicted Denmark's societal values," the statement added. Reiterating Egypt's strong condemnation of Quran burning, Shoukry said that such incidents provoke Muslims worldwide. READ: Iran-born Swedish woman burns Quran in Stockholm He also affirmed that these incidents violate human rights, threaten peaceful coexistence and fuel extremism. On Tuesday, despite wide-ranging condemnation, members […]]]> 658102 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-egypt-man-kills-woman-puts-body-in-refrigerator/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 09:55:20 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658079 The city of Alexandria, north of Cairo, witnessed a horrific crime after a young man killed a woman and stored her body in the refrigerator. According to investigations by the Public Prosecution, the officers of the Criminal Investigation Department arrested the suspect who confessed to committing the crime, sharing that the other suspects helped cover up his crime. The security services arrested two other suspects who participated in the crime. It was established from the investigations that the suspect's accomplice assisted by supplying a plastic bag, placing the body in the refrigerator, providing a fan to eliminate the smell and disposing of the victim's belongings, according to Sky News Arabia. Residents notified the police of an unpleasant smell coming from […]]]> 658079 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-palestinians-incite-against-gaza-once-again/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 13:00:38 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657978 Early this week, hundreds of people in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis took to the streets calling for the Administrative Committee in the besieged enclave to provide them with a better quality of life. They also called for lifting alleged restrictions imposed on freedom of expression in Gaza. These people responded to calls made by a number of Palestinian youths who left Gaza after being released from prison. They live in Egypt or Europe and have repeatedly incited against Gaza and the Palestinian resistance. Calling for or organising demonstrations in protest against certain issues is a human right, but demonstrations should target the parties which cause crises or stand behind problems in order to put pressure on them […]]]> 657978 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-has-the-muslim-brotherhood-turned-from-friend-to-foe-as-turkiye-restore-ties-with-egypt/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 10:30:52 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657976 After almost a decade of diplomatic deadlock, Egypt and Turkiye have agreed to restore diplomatic ties and high-level visits have already taken place between two countries. Recently, Egypt's commerce minister was in Turkiye and it was agreed the two sides would raise trade levels to $15 billion by 2030. This rapprochement began in early 2021 but the major breakthrough came during the inaugural ceremony of 2022 Qatar World Cup when both President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel fattah Al-Sisi shook hands in the presence of Qatari ruler Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. The relationship between the two had soured after Turkiye denounced the removal of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in a coup in July 2013. Erdogan […]]]> 657976 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-saudi-jails-egypt-psychiatrist-on-terror-charges-following-salary-dispute-hrw-reveals/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 08:19:24 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657968 Saudi Arabia jailed an Egyptian psychiatrist on charges of terrorism last year in an "unfair trial" due to a salary dispute that he won in the kingdom, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has revealed. According to the rights group, 66-year-old Egyptian psychiatrist Sabri Shalabi – who was employed by the Saudi Ministry of Health between 2006 and 2019 – had won a court case against the kingdom's authorities to receive years of unpaid compensation that he was owed, after he discovered that he was paid far less than other colleagues. In January 2020, however, days before an appeals court decision in his civil case, plainclothes police officers – without a warrant – took him from his home in the north-west of the […]]]> 657968 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-no-ban-as-egypt-releases-barbie-film/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 15:02:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657920 READ: Egypt court lifts order to seize funds of 146 Muslim Brotherhood members]]> 657920 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-brazil-president-supports-accession-of-saudi-arabia-uae-to-brics/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 11:41:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657845 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has expressed his support for more countries joining the BRICS group. Lula said in the capital, Brasilia, yesterday that he supports countries such as Argentina, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joining the group. BRICS, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is due to hold a summit in Johannesburg from 22-24 August. He also described the seven leading industrialised countries as a "club" that should not exist, considering that its form in terms of geopolitical affairs is outdated. The UK, US, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and Germany make up the group of Western industrialised countries, known as the G7. Some 22 countries have "formally" asked to join the BRICS group, while […]]]> 657845 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-egypt-court-lifts-order-to-seize-funds-of-146-muslim-brotherhood-members/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 11:35:00 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657842 The Cairo Court for Urgent Matters has ordered the removal of seizure of funds orders issued against 146 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, the Mada Masr news site reported. The site quoted lawyers Khaled Ali and Ahmed Abu El-Ela as saying that the court's ruling, which is the first of its kind since 2013, came at the request of the judicial Inventory, Seizure and Management Committee of Muslim Brotherhood Funds, citing the negation of the reasons that instigated the reservations. A judicial source close to the committee confirmed to Mada Masr that the ruling was preceded by security recommendations to start resolving the group's property file. A source close to the group said none of the 146 people are from the group's first […]]]> 657842 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-egypt-students-attempt-suicide-over-concerns-about-exam-results/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 11:20:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657836 A number of Egyptian high school students have attempted to commit suicide over the past week due to concerns about their exam results, according to a report yesterday by The National. Egypt's secondary school examinations, Thanaweya Amma, are notorious for the immense pressure that they place on students. The exams, which take place during the final year of high school, carry significant weight as they play a pivotal role in determining which university students can attend and their subsequent career paths. The report noted that on Monday, an 18-year-old pupil in Cairo's Nasr City district was admitted to hospital following a failed attempt on her own life. She had apparently not yet received her results but was under a lot […]]]> 657836 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-will-egypts-coup-leader-escape-scrutiny-in-south-africa/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 18:09:42 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657515 Has South Africa overlooked Egypt's problematic participation at the forthcoming BRICS summit? Dignifying its military leader Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi with the expected red-carpet treatment will in effect be an endorsement of regime change via military coup, which is how Cairo's despot overthrew the democratically elected Morsi government to gain power. This month marks a decade since Al-Sisi appeared on TV in a military beret to announce the constitution's suspension and the end of Morsi's presidency. RSF (Reporters Without Borders) documents that as he spoke, security forces were preparing to storm the Cairo bureaus of the Qatari TV channels Al-Jazeera and Al-Jazeera Mubasher and arrest their journalists. That same evening, Al-Sisi's military goons led a purge against many more media outlets and shut them down for allegedly supporting Mohamed Morsi's party, […]]]> 657515 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-egypt-to-establish-underwater-military-museum-in-red-sea/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 14:44:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657504 Egypt's Red Sea Governorate has announced plans to establish the country's first underwater military museum, reported local media outlets. The announcement was made during a meeting on Monday held by Secretary-General of the Red Sea Governorate, Major General Mohamed El-Bandary, on behalf of the Governor of the Red Sea, Major General Amr Hanafi. According to Egypt Independent, the project aims to establish the first museum of its kind in Egypt and Africa to combine three alternative diving sites in Hurghada, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Red Sea Reserves and civil society organisations. The project will see the sinking of 15 pieces of military equipment in the Red Sea's waters "each of which has a unique story and special […]]]> 657504 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-minister-turkiye-egypt-to-raise-trade-exchange-to-15bn/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:49:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657181 Turkiye and Egypt have agreed to boost bilateral trade from $10 billion to $15 billion over the next five years, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat said yesterday. This came after a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Samir Saleh, and the accompanying delegation in Ankara. Speaking to reporters after the closed meeting, Bolat said there is great potential for cooperation between the two countries, noting that Egypt is Turkiye's leading trading partner in Africa. Bolat explained that the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries entered into force in 2007 with bilateral trade volumes of $1.6 billion and reached $10 billion after 15 years. READ: Elevation of Turkiye-Egypt diplomatic ties wins Arab plaudits Bolat said the FTA Joint Committee will meet […]]]> 657181 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-sudan-meeting-in-cairo-to-discuss-end-to-fighting/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:37:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657166 Sudanese political forces met in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the formation of a "civilian front" to stop the fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces. Representatives of the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, which is the former ruling coalition, met the Arab League's Assistant Secretary, Hossam Zaki, at the League's headquarters in Cairo. They also held a separate meeting in Cairo with the US ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey. The Sudanese group said afterwards that its delegation met Zaki in the context of mobilising and coordinating international and regional efforts to end the war in Sudan. The group added that the meeting covered developments in Sudan and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. The meeting […]]]> 657166 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-natural-gas-exports-to-egypt-europe-cause-tensions-in-israel/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:25:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657163 Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Yisrael Katz sent a scathing letter to the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, criticising the latter's failure to promote natural gas exports to Egypt and Europe, Sama news agency reported citing Israeli media reports. Within the next two weeks, Energy Minister Katz is expected to approve an increase in gas exports to Europe, Egypt and Jordan. Finance Ministry officials have no authority in this matter, and it is appropriate that they deal with the areas they are responsible for, Katz wrote. A source at the Ministry of Finance said that without a new policy and without a professional committee to discuss the issue of increasing natural gas exports and its repercussions on the economy, the economy may be damaged. […]]]> 657163 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-egypt-citizen-tortured-to-death-after-police-shocked-wife-with-stun-gun/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 18:23:46 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657146 The Geneva-based NGO, Committee for Justice (CFJ), has said that Egyptian citizen, Mahmoud Abdel Jawad, has been tortured to death at Nabaruh police station. Mahmoud was on his way to the hospital in Nabaruh, in Egypt's Dakahlia governorate, with his wife and daughter when he was arrested. He was beaten and his wife was shocked multiple times with a stun gun in the middle of the street, according to the human rights organisation. Mahmoud was then taken to Nabaruh police station where he was tortured for three days by electric shock and brutally beaten until he died on 25 July. "CFJ classifies Abdel Jawad's death as an extrajudicial killing, which is a crime punishable by international law," the NGO said […]]]> 657146 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-egyptian-love-and-marriage-behind-bars/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 14:02:03 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657096 A look of admiration from behind bars, accompanied by hope for a better tomorrow that brings her and her life partner together. A life partner in whose cause she believes and has pride in his steadfastness in the face of his jailer, awaiting his release to that she can complete her happiness by wearing her white gown and marrying her groom who has been released from the cells of injustice, pain and death. This is the situation for many girls in Egypt, who have accepted marriage to political detainees who may have received severe prison sentences. They are waiting for the day of their release in order to crown their journey of admiration, love and steadfastness with marriage. Dozens and […]]]> 657096 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-arab-monetary-fund-lends-over-615m-to-egypt-to-support-banking-reforms/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 07:10:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656902 The Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) has agreed to extend a new loan of $615.8 million to Egypt, making it the latest such loan to the North African country. Signed last week Tuesday by the Central Bank of Egypt's Governor, Hassan Abdalla, and the AMF Director-General Chairman, Abdulrahman Al-Hamidy, the agreement for the new loan reportedly aims to support Egypt's reforms in its banking sector. According to the AMF, the agreement focuses on improving the efficiency of Egypt's payment system, the enhancement of economic inclusion and the strengthening of the regulatory framework in the country's financial and banking sectors. The loan also aims to expand the scope of financial technologies and strengthen consumer protection. READ: Creditors are standing on Egypt's doorstep […]]]> 656902 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-egypt-4-police-officers-killed-in-attack-at-sinai-security-facility/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 14:35:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656723 At least four Egyptian police officers were killed in a shooting attack yesterday at a heavily fortified security facility in the restive Sinai Peninsula, according to AP, citing two local security and health officials. One of the victims was a senior officer. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources also disclosed that at least 21 other forces were wounded in the attack at the National Security Agency (NSA) headquarters in El-Arish, the provincial capital of North Sinai. A list of casualties obtained by news agency showed that some forces suffered from gunshots while others faced breathing difficulties from tear gas that was fired inside the facility. There were eight officers among the wounded, the list showed. READ: Egypt announces emergency moves to […]]]> 656723 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-egypts-wadi-al-natroun-prison-is-five-star-hotel-head-of-council-for-human-rights-says/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 10:06:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656655 The head of Egypt's National Council for Human Rights has compared the new prison complex in Wadi Al-Natroun to a five-star hotel. Ambassador Moushira Khattab told journalist Ahmed Moussa last night that prisoners at Wadi Al-Natroun work to reform, rehabilitate and learn how to be good citizens. Khattab also said that journalists abroad have exaggerated when writing about what happens inside Egyptian prisons and that Egypt has made major improvements in the field of human rights. In October 2021 Egypt launched the new Wadi Al-Natroun prison, which, according to the interior ministry, contains swimming pools, sports halls, schools and a hospital. A video of the new complex showcased inmates in brand new classrooms wearing clean uniforms and rooms full of […]]]> 656655 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-coups-in-the-middle-east-generally-have-americas-blessing/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 07:29:33 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656616 With the end of World War Two and the victory of the allies led by the US, it was only natural for it to assume the leadership of the "free world", inherit the mantle of the British Empire and dominate Britain's former colonies in the Middle East. It managed to do this in a number of ways, including military coups to bring about regime change to create a new world order in its own image. The new regimes owed allegiance to the US, including those in the Arab world whose role is to protect US interests and colonial ambitions, and strengthen the American Empire. The Prime Minister of Egypt during the rule of King Farouk was the leader of the […]]]> 656616 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230730-unrwas-western-donors-carry-out-the-mission-of-david-ben-gurion/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 11:02:27 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656465 In July 1949, upon the complete destruction of Palestine and the expulsion of its people, David Ben Gurion addressed his officers, who were not sure that the emptiness of Palestine was permanent. He quipped, "the old will die and the young will forget". He failed for most of 75 years to achieve his wish about the young. Now the time seems to be right.  In a twist of history, UNRWA Western donors are doing the job for him. Well, the young did not forget or tried to. They became the leaders of the resistance movement which created the Palestine National Council and PLO. After the fiasco of Oslo, Palestine nominal leaders failed to follow the national path. Western colonial powers […]]]> 656465 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230730-resistance-strategy-on-agenda-at-cairo-meeting-of-palestinian-groups/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 10:35:20 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656462 'Resistance strategy' will be the top priority among three main topics discussed by Palestinian groups during a meeting Sunday, an official said on Saturday. The meeting will be held in the Egyptian capital of Cairo at the invitation of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss developments after Israeli attacks on Jenin on July 3, Political Bureau of the Palestinian People's Party, Fehmi Sahin, told Anadolu. Sahin said the topics will be about "strengthening and expanding the role of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), the functional role of the Palestinian Authority, and the strategy of resistance to be developed against Israel and its crimes." He expressed hope for all parties to find common ground. Attendees should put aside disagreements and focus […]]]> 656462 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230729-turkiye-urges-denmark-to-take-urgent-action-to-prevent-quran-burnings-source/ Sat, 29 Jul 2023 15:37:02 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656430 Turkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday urged Denmark to take urgent action to prevent burnings of the Qur'an, a Turkish foreign ministry source said, Reuters reports. In a phone call with his Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Fidan condemned the "continuous vile attacks against the Qur'an". He told Rasmussen it was unacceptable to allow such actions under the guise of freedom of expression, the source said. Rasmussen on Saturday wrote on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter: "Turkiye and Denmark are close allies. Important to not let these acts succeed in creating division." He also reiterated Denmark's "strong condemnation of these provocative acts by few individuals." The comments came after a small group of anti-Islam activists set fire to […]]]> 656430 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-muslims-decry-repeated-quran-burnings-desecration-in-western-countries/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:43:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656066 Muslims, worldwide, have condemned the desecration and burning of the Quran in Denmark and Sweden, asserting that these attacks cannot be justified by freedom of expression, Anadolu Agency reports. In response to the rising incidents of Quran desecration in Western countries, Anadolu spoke with locals from Iran, Iraq, Algeria, Lebanon and Palestine who took to the streets condemning the act. Yusuf Abu Sunayne, a preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied East Jerusalem, said: "The Book of Allah has been preserved in the hearts of Muslims; no matter what they do, no matter how much they hate, no matter how many opportunities they look to attack, the Book of Allah will guide Muslims in the East and West." He went on […]]]> 656066 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-egypt-warns-of-dangerous-consequences-of-right-wing-israel-minister-storming-al-aqsa/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:55:18 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655991 The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli government officials and hundreds of extremists and the prevention of Muslim worshippers from exercising their "inherent right to access and worship" at the holy site. "The repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and attempts to divide it temporally and spatially will not diminish its established legal and historical status as a purely Islamic endowment and a place of worship for Muslims," the ministry said in its statement. It called on Israel to immediately end these "provocative and escalatory acts" that only ignite anger and increase the existing state of tension in the occupied Palestinian territories. Moreover, the statement warned of the "dangerous consequences of such irresponsible practices" for […]]]> 655991 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-egypt-announces-emergency-moves-to-tackle-power-shortages/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 20:21:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655979 Egypt's government will implement emergency moves, including rationing electricity and increasing fuel oil imports, as it bids to tackle a summer power shortage, the country's Prime Minister said on Thursday, Reuters reports. Egypt will import between $250 million and $300 million worth of mazut fuel oil to manage the power cuts, and will announce a plan to ration electricity in public spaces, Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, said on Thursday. Further directives include a decision to compel some government employees to work from home on some days in August. Earlier this month, Egypt's government announced regular power cuts as it tried to limit consumption during a heat wave. Residents have reported power cuts in several areas in Egypt this month, as […]]]> 655979 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-foreign-meddling-and-competing-interests-hinder-any-solution-in-libya/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 08:00:06 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655172 If you ask any Libyan citizen about the biggest obstacles hindering political solutions in the country, the most likely answer is: external interferences and the disputes of local de-facto politicians. Since the country fell victim to the so called "Arab Spring" in 2011, it became an open arena for all sorts of external meddling in its internal affairs – usually individual foreign countries' pursuit of their own interests, regardless of what the impact could be on Libya's stability, security and economic prosperity. Worse still, most of such interests are competing with each other at the expense of the country. The internal conflict, since erupting in 2011, has turned into a regional and international conflict in which various countries are competing […]]]> 655172 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-putin-tells-sisi-dabaa-nuclear-power-plant-project-on-track/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 07:35:42 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655544 Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday told his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, that the Dabaa nuclear power plant project is being implemented as planned. This came during a meeting that was held between the two presidents on the sidelines of the second Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg. According to Russia Today, Putin said that his country has big projects in the field of energy and especially the construction of the nuclear power plant. The nuclear power plant will be made up of four reactors, which will all be in the construction phase by the end of this year and are due to be complete by 2030. READ: Russia 'repeatedly' asked Ethiopia to consider Egypt's concerns over dam]]> 655544 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-muhammad-ali-pasha-the-man-who-made-egypt-memo-in-conversation-with-khaled-fahmy/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 15:00:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654352 In 1805, an illiterate Turkish-speaking Greek-born military officer, Muhammad Ali Pasha, became governor of Egypt. He reigned for 43-years and by the time of his death in 1848 Egypt was a profoundly different place. Hospitals, schools, law courts, factories and many new institutions sprang up. Muhammad Ali Pasha, who often likened himself to Napoleon and Alexander the Great, was also brutal. In 1811, he invited the heads of Egypt's military aristocratic elite, the Mamluks, to celebrations at the Cairo Citadel, where Ali's troops gunned them down. MEMO speaks to historian Khaled Fahmy to help us understand this violent, controversial and enigmatic man and his impact on Egypt. Fahmy is Edward Keller Professor of North Africa and the Middle East at Tufts University. Educated […]]]> 654352 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-egypt-citizens-warned-against-using-elevators-amid-power-cuts/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 14:17:22 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655197 The Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) has issued a warning to citizens, urging them to avoid using elevators at specific times due to power outages, amid an ongoing heat wave in the country and the wider region. In a statement on Saturday, the EEHC said that power cuts would be implemented in 20 minute windows, "taking into account that the outages begin at a period of 10 minutes before the top of the hour and 10 minutes after it." For safety reasons, the EEHC requested people not to use elevators during the 20-minute intervals during the power cuts. On Monday, Egypt Independent reported that the Minister of Electricity, Mohamed Shaker, said in remarks that there is a "temporary" crisis in […]]]> 655197 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-italys-pm-criticises-predecessors-approach-towards-egypt/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 14:15:27 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655193 Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticised the strategy adopted by her predecessors in dealing with Egypt over the murder of Giulio Regeni in Cairo in early 2016. According to Russia Today's Arabic news website, Meloni said in radio statements yesterday that the strategy previously adopted by left-wing governments was wrong, as condescending attitudes towards the Egyptian government makes it difficult to obtain results. "The difference is that the [current] government's approach is not condescending at all. We treat each other as equals with mutual respect. This new approach has resulted in an opening with Egypt," she said in a possible hint at the reasons for the release of human rights researcher Patrick George Zaki. A presidential pardon issued by Egyptian […]]]> 655193 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-arab-leaders-use-palestine-to-boost-their-popularity/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 13:58:26 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655191 Early this week, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said that his country's independence would never be complete as long as Palestine is occupied. Echoing the words of the late South African freedom fighter and President Nelson Mandela, he also pointed out that this has been the position of his predecessors as well. "Palestine's strength can only be achieved through its unity," he told CNN China. "The Palestinians know this very well." He added that some Arab states, and China, are striving to get Palestine accepted as a full UN member state "even if it is still occupied." In fact, most free people around the world appear to support the Palestinians and wish to see the Israeli occupation ended as soon as […]]]> 655191 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-al-jazeera-condemns-egypt-blacklisting-of-its-journalists-as-terrorists/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 13:02:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655176 Al Jazeera has condemned Egypt's blacklisting of some of its journalists as alleged terrorists, amid Cairo's continued crackdown on journalists within the country who do not conform to authorities and their narrative. In a statement yesterday, Al Jazeera announced that, following a ruling by the Cairo Criminal Court, some of its Egyptian journalists and presenters had been added to a list of alleged terrorists, published in an official Egyptian newspaper earlier this month. The media network stated that it "strongly denounces the recent move by the Egyptian authorities to reinstate a number of its journalists onto a newly crafted terrorism list", calling for the release of two reporters. Bahaa Al-Din Ibrahim was arrested in February 2020 and Rabee Al-Sheikh was […]]]> 655176 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-egypt-remittances-from-abroad-down-26-1/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 11:37:41 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655156 The Central Bank of Egypt announced yesterday that remittances from Egyptians working abroad have decreased by 26.1 per cent this fiscal year. During the first nine months of the 2022-2023 fiscal year, remittances were $17.5 billion, compared to $23.5 billion the previous year. Remittances from Egyptians abroad are the largest source of foreign currency in Egypt, and the North African country is the fifth largest recipient of remittances worldwide. Exports, tourism and Suez Canal revenue are the largest forms of currency after remittances.  Income from remittances was higher than revenues from the Suez Canal and tourism combined in the 2021-2022 year. Remittances from abroad plummeted in March 2022, after Egypt devalued the pound for the first time. The government has since devalued […]]]> 655156 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-envoy-russia-repeatedly-asked-ethiopia-to-consider-egypts-concerns-over-dam/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 09:32:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655142 The Russian Ambassador to Cairo, Georgy Borisenko, said his country has contacted Ethiopia "several times" and urged it to take into account Egypt's concerns regarding Addis Ababa's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). "Russia has addressed its Ethiopian partners several times in order for them to take into account the Egyptians' concerns about the dam, and we told them that they should remember the rightful concerns of our Egyptian friends, and it is necessary to find mutually beneficial solutions," Borisenko said during an interview on MBC Egypt 2 which aired yesterday. The Russian envoy said Moscow fully understands Egypt's position on the dam and knows that the Nile waters play an existential role in the lives of Egyptians. READ: Deadly real estate in Egypt: […]]]> 655142 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-egyptians-suffer-as-heat-wave-continues-across-the-middle-east-and-north-africa/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 18:18:35 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655052 Egypt has warned the population not to use lifts for 20 minutes, each hour, whilst it implements power cuts so that it can conserve energy as a gruelling heat wave continues to engulf North Africa and the Middle East. The Electricity Ministry has released a diagram to show the start and end times of the power outages every hour, and when to stay away from the lifts so that people do not get trapped inside them. وفقا لبيان وزارة الكهرباء ، دا رسم بيوضح مواعيد بدء انقطاع التيار الكهربائى كل ساعة، وهى التلت ساعة اللى باللون الأحمر، ويفضل البعد عن الاسانسير خلالها. ربنا يسترها على الجميع. pic.twitter.com/4Fidj9uMYA — Khaled Ali (@Khaledali251) July 23, 2023 The government has said that the […]]]> 655052 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-qurans-burnt-in-front-of-egypt-turkiye-embassies-in-denmark/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 15:26:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655020 A small group of anti-Islam activists set fire to Qurans in front of the Egyptian and Turkish embassies in Copenhagen on Tuesday, after similar protests in Denmark and Sweden over recent weeks that have enraged Muslims, Reuters reports. Denmark and Sweden have said they deplore the burning of Islam's Holy Book but cannot prevent it under rules protecting free speech. Last week, protesters in Iraq set the Swedish embassy in Baghdad ablaze. Tuesday's demonstration in Copenhagen by a group called "Danish Patriots" followed Quran burnings the group staged on Monday and last week in front of the Iraqi embassy. Two such incidents have taken place in Sweden over the past month. Iraq's Foreign Ministry on Monday called on authorities of EU […]]]> 655020 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-deadly-real-estate-in-egypt-corruption-bribery-and-more/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 13:39:11 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654940 From time to time, Egypt wakes up to the news of a collapsed building and the death of dozens of people. The news is usually accompanied with a government decision to examine the condition of the collapsed property, arrest its owner and the payment of a meagre compensation to the families of the dead and injured. This is a recurring issue across the country, yet no official is ever held to account. Egypt is becoming one of the countries whose quality of construction cannot be trusted, according to a study by the College of Engineering and Construction at the University of Florida, USA. The number of deadly property collapses in Egypt reveal a clear crack in the structure of the […]]]> 654940 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-egypts-1952-coup-changed-the-shape-of-the-arab-world/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 10:09:21 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654919 Egypt has just celebrated the 71st anniversary of the coup of 23 July, 1952; or revolution, call it what you will. It is generally agreed that this changed the shape of the Arab world as well as the shape of the regime in Egypt, for the better or for the worse, depending on where you are sitting. It was the first of the real military coups in the Arab region, if we exclude the coup staged by Hosni Al-Zaim in Syria in 1949, who was overthrown after less than four months with another coup led by Sami Al-Hinnawi, and was executed. This was followed by a third coup in the same year. The first statement by the Egyptian army in […]]]> 654919 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-hamas-holds-bilateral-meetings-with-palestinian-factions/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 08:51:54 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654923 Hamas has held bilateral meetings with Palestinian factions and discussed ways to ensure the success of the summit of secretaries-general of Palestinian factions to be held in Cairo. Deputy Hamas leader Sheikh Saleh Arouri and members of the Hamas political bureau Husam Badran, Zaheer Jabarin and Ali Baraka met with the Secretary-General of Islamic Jihad Ziyad Al-Nakhala, a delegation from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). They carried out discussions on the telephone with many other Palestinian factions and independent figures. According to a statement issued by Hamas, the discussions concentrated on mechanisms to ensure the success of the meeting of the secretaries-general of the Palestinian factions […]]]> 654923 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-sudan-100-days-of-conflict/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 15:46:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654870 The conflict in Sudan, caused by power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), marked its 100th day on Tuesday, inflicting severe damage to infrastructure, healthcare, education, economy and society, Anadolu Agency reports. The conflict erupted on 15 April in the capital, Khartoum, and swiftly spread to southern and western cities. The situation evolved in the vacuum created following the ousting of former President Omar Al-Bashir after 30 years of rule in April 2019. According to the Sudanese Health Ministry, over 3,000 people have been killed in the clashes, and the number of casualties on both sides is estimated to be in the thousands, although no official statistics are available. UNICEF reported that at […]]]> 654870 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-qatar-appoints-its-first-ambassador-to-uae-since-2017/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 14:03:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654841 Qatar on Sunday announced the appointment of its first ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in more than six years after the UAE, along with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, severed ties with Doha in 2017. The Emir of Qatar appointed Dr Sultan Salmeen Saeed Al Mansouri as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Arab Emirates. Al Mansouri will be the first Qatari ambassador to the UAE since 2017. The decision was published in the official gazette. Last month, Qatar and the UAE agreed to restore their diplomatic representation and reopen embassies. READ: Turkiye, Qatar determined to boost bilateral ties: joint declaration]]> 654841 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-hamas-to-attend-palestinian-faction-meeting-in-cairo/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 10:20:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654737 The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement reiterated on Sunday that it is attending the meeting of the secretaries-general of the Palestinian factions slated to be held on 30 July in Cairo. According to Khalil Al-Hayya, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, the movement has accepted an invitation to participate in the meeting. During a meeting of the Palestinian factions in Gaza, Al-Hayya stressed the importance of adopting a unified vision to bring together all Palestinian factions and form a national leadership that has the capacity to confront the Zionist Israeli occupation. "The occupation's fascist government," he said, "works towards eradicating the Palestinian issue." The Hamas official called on the Arab and Muslim Ummah to boycott the Israeli occupation state and […]]]> 654737 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-will-gamal-mubarak-be-prevented-from-running-in-egypts-presidential-election/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:12:46 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654693 A lawsuit that is being heard before the Administrative Court of the State Council demanding that the family of former President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak be prevented from running for any state position, sparked widespread controversy and opened the door to many questions. The lawsuit was filed by the director of the National Centre for Supporting Citizenship and Human Rights, Abdel Salam Ibrahim Ismail, weeks before the announcement of the timeline for the upcoming presidential election. Social media was filled with posts about the legal position of the son of the late President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, Gamal Mubarak, in terms of running in the next Egyptian presidential election, especially after posts published by his brother, Alaa Mubarak, in the past weeks. […]]]> 654693