I love seeing Muslims and/or Arabs in the film industry. Here are some films that have come out or will soon. Both look interesting:
1- Shahada: Film explores Muslims struggling with life in West Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_8O5RWiJfQ
2- My Name Is Khan:
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Because Muslims are always the bad guys ...
two scenarios:
1- Muslim flies plane into building.
2- American white guy flies plane into building.
Hmm they seem pretty similar to me. innocent people die/injured in both scenarios. there's certainly a 'bad guy' involved in both scenarios.
But. Guess who makes it on all national news, with his religion's name plastered in every direction? Guess who will be labeled a terrorist?
Take a wild guess.
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/82387-muslim-group-wants-government-to-call-austin-plane-attack-terrorism
Muslim group wants government to call plane attack terrorism
By Jordy Yager - 02/19/10 04:40 PM ET
A leading Muslim advocacy group is pushing government officials to call the suicide plane crash in Texas “an act of terror,” saying that if a Muslim had been flying the plane there would be no hesitancy to call it terrorism.
On Thursday, Andrew Joseph Stack III flew a small plane into the IRS's four-story office building in Austin, killing himself and at least one federal employee. Before the incident, Stack allegedly left a series of messages on a website expressing his disgust with the IRS, saying at one point that “violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer.”
“Whenever an individual or group attacks civilians in order to make a political statement, that is an act of terror,” said Nihad Awad, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
“Terrorism is terrorism, regardless of the faith, race or ethnicity of the perpetrator or the victims,” said Awad, adding in a statement that “if a Muslim had carried out the IRS attack, it would have surely been labeled an act of terrorism.”
In the hours after the crash, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters that the incident looked to be “a criminal act by a lone individual.” And while Acevedo refrained from calling it an act of terror, he said the FBI, which is heading the investigation, would make the judgment call on how to categorize the crash.
A spokesman with the FBI’s San Antonio office on Friday said that the FBI was handling the case “as a criminal matter of an assault on a federal officer” and that it was not being considered as an act of terror at this time.
The White House had yet to make a public statement about how it viewed Thursday’s incident, other than to say that both President Barack Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano had been notified and had asked to be kept apprised of the situation.
But two lawmakers from the area were quick to call the plane crash, which resulted in two seriously injured people and 13 people with minor injuries, an act of terror.
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/82387-muslim-group-wants-government-to-call-austin-plane-attack-terrorism
1- Muslim flies plane into building.
2- American white guy flies plane into building.
Hmm they seem pretty similar to me. innocent people die/injured in both scenarios. there's certainly a 'bad guy' involved in both scenarios.
But. Guess who makes it on all national news, with his religion's name plastered in every direction? Guess who will be labeled a terrorist?
Take a wild guess.
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/82387-muslim-group-wants-government-to-call-austin-plane-attack-terrorism
Muslim group wants government to call plane attack terrorism
By Jordy Yager - 02/19/10 04:40 PM ET
A leading Muslim advocacy group is pushing government officials to call the suicide plane crash in Texas “an act of terror,” saying that if a Muslim had been flying the plane there would be no hesitancy to call it terrorism.
On Thursday, Andrew Joseph Stack III flew a small plane into the IRS's four-story office building in Austin, killing himself and at least one federal employee. Before the incident, Stack allegedly left a series of messages on a website expressing his disgust with the IRS, saying at one point that “violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer.”
“Whenever an individual or group attacks civilians in order to make a political statement, that is an act of terror,” said Nihad Awad, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
“Terrorism is terrorism, regardless of the faith, race or ethnicity of the perpetrator or the victims,” said Awad, adding in a statement that “if a Muslim had carried out the IRS attack, it would have surely been labeled an act of terrorism.”
In the hours after the crash, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters that the incident looked to be “a criminal act by a lone individual.” And while Acevedo refrained from calling it an act of terror, he said the FBI, which is heading the investigation, would make the judgment call on how to categorize the crash.
A spokesman with the FBI’s San Antonio office on Friday said that the FBI was handling the case “as a criminal matter of an assault on a federal officer” and that it was not being considered as an act of terror at this time.
The White House had yet to make a public statement about how it viewed Thursday’s incident, other than to say that both President Barack Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano had been notified and had asked to be kept apprised of the situation.
But two lawmakers from the area were quick to call the plane crash, which resulted in two seriously injured people and 13 people with minor injuries, an act of terror.
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/82387-muslim-group-wants-government-to-call-austin-plane-attack-terrorism
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Being denied health care ...
I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who checks and reads my blog but what the heck. Maybe one day other people will read it. Anyway, check out this article. It's really sad. What I find so strange though is that people complain about health care in America but in Egypt (and in a lot of other countries) health care is so much worse. I know of so many people who were diagnosed and treated incorrectly in Egypt. I mean sure it happens in the u.s. also, but in Egypt, if you were misdiagnosed at least you will get an apology and you can even sue the hospital/doctor. But in Egypt ... wazza hell? Yeah that doesn't work. Come one Egypt, you can do it. Just be fair in your treatments, doctors, and hospitals, don't deny people who can't afford health care. Imagine if you or one of your family members didn't have enough money to get treated, wouldn't it be nice if someone treated you for free?
2.2 million poor Egyptians were given free treatment in 2009
End of free health care hits Egypt’s poor hardest
Millions of poor Egyptians with no health insurance bear brunt of government’s empty coffers.
CAIRO - Hesham Gohary says he has been coming to the Health Ministry in central Cairo for weeks in the hope of getting free kidney dialysis treatment, but always leaves empty-handed.
The 54-year-old farmer is one of 35,000 low-income kidney failure patients whose collective US$118 million health bill used to be footed by the government, until it recently declared its coffers empty.
“I badly need the dialysis,” Gohary told IRIN. “But it seems so difficult to get free treatment in this country these days.”
Around 35 million of the country’s 80 million people are in the state health insurance system, according to the Health Ministry, and most of the rest are supposed to get free health care.
Those seeking free treatment must make their case at a Health Ministry office and, if successful, receive an official letter authorizing public hospitals to treat them for free. The hospitals then reclaim payment from the ministry.
Last year, the government gave free treatment to 2.2 million poor Egyptians, including kidney failure, cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure patients, according to Mohamed Abdeen, chairman of the Specialized Medical Councils, the part of the Health Ministry which determines whether a patient qualifies for free treatment or not.
This is a problem of money. The hospitals can’t do anything else. If they don’t get money, they won’t be able to offer treatment or medicine for these people.
“A problem of money”
But the government has incurred debts of US$219 million to hospitals and is no longer able to pay its health bills, and since mid-December 2009 hospitals have stopped treating the patients it sends to them.
“This is a problem of money,” Abdeen told IRIN. “The hospitals can’t do anything else. If they don’t get money, they won’t be able to offer treatment or medicine for these people.”
Gohary used to receive kidney dialysis treatment 12 hours a week at a cost to the government of $3,302 a year - a small fortune for him.
“I really can’t pay for my treatment. And it’s hard for me to work because repeated dialyses have made my body frail,” he said.
The Health Ministry says around 700,000 high blood pressure and diabetes patients used to receive free health care at an annual cost of $183 million; and around 25,000 cancer patients cost the government $51 million annually.
Egypt's economy grew by 7.1 percent in 2007, 7.2 percent in 2008 but just 4 percent in 2009, according to the government. Independent analysts say the loss to the economy because of the global financial crisis is bigger than the government is willing to admit.
Meanwhile, individuals like Gohary are facing the consequences: “I suffer bleeding every time I undergo the dialysis… This costs me 300 pounds [$55] in medication every month. This money and the cost of the dialysis are too big for my sons to be able to pay.”
2.2 million poor Egyptians were given free treatment in 2009
End of free health care hits Egypt’s poor hardest
Millions of poor Egyptians with no health insurance bear brunt of government’s empty coffers.
CAIRO - Hesham Gohary says he has been coming to the Health Ministry in central Cairo for weeks in the hope of getting free kidney dialysis treatment, but always leaves empty-handed.
The 54-year-old farmer is one of 35,000 low-income kidney failure patients whose collective US$118 million health bill used to be footed by the government, until it recently declared its coffers empty.
“I badly need the dialysis,” Gohary told IRIN. “But it seems so difficult to get free treatment in this country these days.”
Around 35 million of the country’s 80 million people are in the state health insurance system, according to the Health Ministry, and most of the rest are supposed to get free health care.
Those seeking free treatment must make their case at a Health Ministry office and, if successful, receive an official letter authorizing public hospitals to treat them for free. The hospitals then reclaim payment from the ministry.
Last year, the government gave free treatment to 2.2 million poor Egyptians, including kidney failure, cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure patients, according to Mohamed Abdeen, chairman of the Specialized Medical Councils, the part of the Health Ministry which determines whether a patient qualifies for free treatment or not.
This is a problem of money. The hospitals can’t do anything else. If they don’t get money, they won’t be able to offer treatment or medicine for these people.
“A problem of money”
But the government has incurred debts of US$219 million to hospitals and is no longer able to pay its health bills, and since mid-December 2009 hospitals have stopped treating the patients it sends to them.
“This is a problem of money,” Abdeen told IRIN. “The hospitals can’t do anything else. If they don’t get money, they won’t be able to offer treatment or medicine for these people.”
Gohary used to receive kidney dialysis treatment 12 hours a week at a cost to the government of $3,302 a year - a small fortune for him.
“I really can’t pay for my treatment. And it’s hard for me to work because repeated dialyses have made my body frail,” he said.
The Health Ministry says around 700,000 high blood pressure and diabetes patients used to receive free health care at an annual cost of $183 million; and around 25,000 cancer patients cost the government $51 million annually.
Egypt's economy grew by 7.1 percent in 2007, 7.2 percent in 2008 but just 4 percent in 2009, according to the government. Independent analysts say the loss to the economy because of the global financial crisis is bigger than the government is willing to admit.
Meanwhile, individuals like Gohary are facing the consequences: “I suffer bleeding every time I undergo the dialysis… This costs me 300 pounds [$55] in medication every month. This money and the cost of the dialysis are too big for my sons to be able to pay.”
It's about time!
It's about time! Sexual harassment in Egypt is crazy. It's especially embarrassing when foreign females are there and they're harassed-- do they think that these tourists are going to like Egypt more? It happens to everyone-- veiled, not-veiled, and niqab (burqa) and abaya (long, loose dress) wearing people also. It's disgusting to walk around the street in Egypt, minding your own business and you're forced to look down because if you make contact with a guy, it's a 'bad' thing and they'll assume you want to be harassed. I mean, it happens everywhere, but in Egypt, other people just watch as you're being harassed and if you tell the police near by, they don't do anything. Heck, policeman and guards even harass you! I hope this law works, come on Egypt, you can do this!
Egypt moves closer to passing sexual harassment law
Dina Zayed
CAIRO
Wed Feb 17, 2010 12:55pm EST
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt, under pressure from activists, has moved closer to passing laws to crack down on sexual harassment after overcoming initial legislative hurdles, members of parliament said on Wednesday.
World
Activists said sexual harassment has been an obstacle to women having a full economic and political role in Egypt, where a 2008 study found 83 percent of those surveyed had been sexually harassed and half said it happened daily.
The push for a change in the law gained prominence in 2008 when a truck driver was jailed for sexually harassing a woman, in the country's first case to be brought to court.
Members of parliament backing draft bills said that without a specific definition in law, penalties can be arbitrary. Activists say a law would curb harassment, an issue that can harm the image of tourism-reliant Egypt.
One bill was presented to parliament's legislative affairs committee this week and another was approved by the Justice Ministry so it can be presented to the committee in days.
MPs behind the drafts say they differ on details, such as the level of fines to be imposed, but would welcome either.
STATE RESPONDING
"It shows the state is responding and changing ... They are now understanding the significance of the issue," said Nihad Abu Al-Qumsan, head of the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights.
"There has to be a law criminalizing sexual harassment in Egypt," Abu Al-Qumsan told Reuters, referring to a need to address issues exposed in the 2008 study on harassment.
That study, conducted by Abu Al-Qumsan's independent NGO, was based on a sample of more than 2,000 Egyptian men and women and 109 foreign women. Ninety-eight percent of the foreign women said they had experienced harassment in Egypt.
Both draft bills define sexual harassment, specify its forms and assign punishments. Egypt has so far dealt with such cases under laws referring to lewd acts in public.
"I think the bill will pass, for the simple reason that it has been thoroughly studied by the government," said MP Georgette Kalini, who is sponsoring the bill that has been approved by the Justice Ministry.
The second bill, backed by MP Mohamed Khalil Qaweyta, had been derailed in a preliminary review but was now back in the legislative committee. Qaweyta said he aimed to have it on an agenda for MPs to discuss and vote on within a month.
In October 2008, Egyptian courts sentenced Sharif Gommaa to three years in prison and ordered him to pay about $950 (5,000 EGP) in compensation to Nuha Rushdi, a woman he sexually harassed. Gommaa's appeal was rejected earlier this week.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61G3ZS20100217
Egypt moves closer to passing sexual harassment law
Dina Zayed
CAIRO
Wed Feb 17, 2010 12:55pm EST
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt, under pressure from activists, has moved closer to passing laws to crack down on sexual harassment after overcoming initial legislative hurdles, members of parliament said on Wednesday.
World
Activists said sexual harassment has been an obstacle to women having a full economic and political role in Egypt, where a 2008 study found 83 percent of those surveyed had been sexually harassed and half said it happened daily.
The push for a change in the law gained prominence in 2008 when a truck driver was jailed for sexually harassing a woman, in the country's first case to be brought to court.
Members of parliament backing draft bills said that without a specific definition in law, penalties can be arbitrary. Activists say a law would curb harassment, an issue that can harm the image of tourism-reliant Egypt.
One bill was presented to parliament's legislative affairs committee this week and another was approved by the Justice Ministry so it can be presented to the committee in days.
MPs behind the drafts say they differ on details, such as the level of fines to be imposed, but would welcome either.
STATE RESPONDING
"It shows the state is responding and changing ... They are now understanding the significance of the issue," said Nihad Abu Al-Qumsan, head of the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights.
"There has to be a law criminalizing sexual harassment in Egypt," Abu Al-Qumsan told Reuters, referring to a need to address issues exposed in the 2008 study on harassment.
That study, conducted by Abu Al-Qumsan's independent NGO, was based on a sample of more than 2,000 Egyptian men and women and 109 foreign women. Ninety-eight percent of the foreign women said they had experienced harassment in Egypt.
Both draft bills define sexual harassment, specify its forms and assign punishments. Egypt has so far dealt with such cases under laws referring to lewd acts in public.
"I think the bill will pass, for the simple reason that it has been thoroughly studied by the government," said MP Georgette Kalini, who is sponsoring the bill that has been approved by the Justice Ministry.
The second bill, backed by MP Mohamed Khalil Qaweyta, had been derailed in a preliminary review but was now back in the legislative committee. Qaweyta said he aimed to have it on an agenda for MPs to discuss and vote on within a month.
In October 2008, Egyptian courts sentenced Sharif Gommaa to three years in prison and ordered him to pay about $950 (5,000 EGP) in compensation to Nuha Rushdi, a woman he sexually harassed. Gommaa's appeal was rejected earlier this week.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61G3ZS20100217
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Sad fact
17 million Egyptians live below the poverty line. I think the show that I was watching (El beit beitak) said that was 350 pounds which equals around 70 dollars ... a month. 17 MILLION! Yet the president continues to congratulate soccer players. Hosni Mubarak, it is time for you to go and never come back. And may your legacy never continue through.
Does anyone read this blog? I think I am the only one who does. I'll continue to write. Maybe one day it'll mean something.
Does anyone read this blog? I think I am the only one who does. I'll continue to write. Maybe one day it'll mean something.
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