Kidnapped Soldiers appear in Video "Updated"

In a major development today a video surfaced online allegedly for the 7 kidnapped soldiers in Sinai. The kidnapped soldiers identified them and their ages. They demanded to President Morsi to release all Sinai's political detainees. They are blindfolded. They say that they are tortured. They are begging Morsi to release the detainees especially Sheikh Hamda Abu Sheita. "Updated : The video has been removed because it violates YouTube's policy regarding violence"

We are not less than Gilad Shilat whom Israel traded for 1000 Palestinian prisoners

Said the soldier Sobhi who directed his talk to both Morsi and El Sisi.
Hamda Abu Sheita was the one who was allegedly tortured till he lost his sight in Tora prison last week. Abu Sheita was one of the leading figures in the Salafist Jihadists trend in North Sinai. He was arrested last year.
It is just sad video. The average age of the poor soldiers is 20 years.
The video is uploaded by "SSAS SSAS" channel in YouTube. The user has joined the video uploading service only today. It was uploaded from 7 hours ago and strangely only now people are paying attention.There is no official reaction about it so far.
More to come.
Ok an official reaction :

Can We Save Mohamed Ali Palace in Shubra El Kheima ??

Culture activist Sally Soliman spoke on her twitter account about what happening and is happening to Mohamed Ali Palace in Shubra El Kheima and it is not good.
First of all Mohamed Ali Palace in Shubra is one of the most oldest and beautiful palaces remaining from Mohamed Ali Era itself. Mohamed Ali Pasha ordered its construction in 1808. The construction of that palace finished in 1812.

A painting showing the palace during the day of the Pasha

The Palace is built like the Palaces in Istanbul , extremely beautiful. 
It was neglected for years yet in 2000 the minister of culture then Farouk Hosni suddenly remembered. Not less than LE50 millions were allocated then for the restoration works in the neglect palace. About 14 experts in the restorations of palaces from Italy and France were brought in to help in its restoration.
In 2005 it was re-inaugurated by Mubarak in a very big celebration. Of course since then we knew that the palace was being rented for big galas , parties and weddings especially for the VIPs like former NDP leading member and policy maker Mohammed Kamel "He is still in the scene and last thing I know about him was being an adviser to Ahmed Shafik."
Now Soliman shocked us and told us online that part of the palace is collapsing.

After the Jews of Egypt , Watch The Italians of Egypt

Just like Jewish community in Egypt , there was big Italian community in Egypt prior 1952. The community found a place in Egypt since 19th century.Spot 1 and Al Jazeera Documentary decide to explore the history of this community.

The Italians of Egypt_trailer from SPOT1.TV on Vimeo.

When I think about it Egypt was much tolerant and open to the other with its cosmopolitan nature past more than today despite in the past we did not have many educated people like now.

I know that we are paying the price of the wrong nationalism policies adopted in 1960s and have been used since then by our presidents. These nationalism policies turned in to ugly chauvinism.

The documentary was already screened earlier this year and according to its official Facebook page its DVD in Italian is available in Europe. I would like to see the documentary so I will search if there are other versions translated in to English or Arabic.

And Our Soldiers Are Not Released Yet in #Sinai "Updated"

And 24 hours have passed and the soldiers that were kidnapped in Sinai earlier Yesterday have been released despite all the news reports , leaks and rumors claiming that they will be released soon.
First of all according to different 3 sources to close Sinai locals and tribes as military and security sources I know what happened earlier yesterday was as follows : Earlier Thursday families of Salafist prisoners in Tora prison protested against their alleged ill treatment and torture in the prison. Some say that one of the prisoners Hamed Abu Sheita was actually tortured till he lost his sight.
Younis Makhioun , the leader of Al Nour Party had already published a post about this prisoner in his official Facebook page condemning the prisoner’s torture.
Now the prisoners’ families and groups cut the highway vowing to kidnapping any official passing by searching the cars and taxis. The 7 conscripts were taking a taxi from their camps to spend their vacation back to Cairo. They were busted thanks to their haircuts and their uniform.
The prisoners are militants allegedly from Jihadist Salafists who were convicting of killing 5 security officers and one civilians during a series of attacks in summer 2011 on Al Arish city police station and Al Arish branch of Bank of Alexandria. 25 Individuals were charged in the case.
This is what happened.

Another Environmental Disaster in #Sinai "Exclusive Photo"

The vessel in Blue Hole by Elon Schutze 

Today Sinai is in the heart of the news and most of the news are not good. The latest news is not national security related but environment related , it is more of environmental disaster to be accurate.
Several coral reefs were devastated last Wednesday in South Sinai in famous diving in Blue Hole and Canyon areas to be accurate.
It turned out that a foreign vessel called "Sea Lord" swerved from its course and lowered its anchor in to the reef bed destroying the coral reefs !! The vessel is 120 meter long and I do not understand how it went there and nobody noticed it from coast guards and navy !!
Some sources that the ship was on drift in the international water so I do not understand how it did not receive help or why it came to our waters and did what it had done !! By the way we do not know the nationality of this vessel.
The photo above was sent to the Rescue and Environment protection society to a dear friend and I asked him if I can publish it. 

The Colonel Finds A Way To #Gaza

Life in Egypt is stranger than fiction without doubt !! On the same day we are speaking about our kidnapped soldiers and the tunnels in Al Arish to find a photo report about KFC delivery to Gaza through tunnels !!!!!! Xinhua published the report today and it is making headlines worldwide. Yes it turns out Gazans buy from KFC in Al Arish and smuggle the orders through the tunnels. It turns out that if you are in Gaza you can order KFC through Ymama Delivery service.

Now Order KFC from Ymama "Ymama FB"

You place the order and they will send its boys to cross the tunnels then go to KFC branch in Al Arish to get the order. The boys then return back through the tunnel with the orders.

KFC orders inside the tunnel "Xinhua"

Soldiers Kidnapped In #Sinai , Let’s Prayer They Will Return Back Alive

I just woke up to know the most annoying news ever , 7 soldiers in Sinai have been kidnapped near Al Arish. The soldiers from army central security forces were kidnapped earlier Thursday from Al Arish international highway. They are 6 CSF conscripts and one army conscript from the borders guards. They were heading back to Cairo on a vacation.

Officially we do not know who the kidnappers are but security sources told ONA that the kidnappers are the families of a group of locals arrested for storming Al Arish police station. The source added those arrested locals are facing death penalty and that a communication channel with the kidnappers.

News sources also say that the kidnappers have released one CSF conscript from short time ago.

There is news that Morsi has summoned both the ministers of defense and interior to meeting at the Presidential Palace. Of course some army sources deny this and is claiming that El Sisi of defense is following the rescue efforts from the ministry of defense. While other sources including Eman Abdel Moneim , the Presidency Correspondence in Anadolu news agency in Egypt says that the meeting was over.

Nevertheless it is logic that no the army , the police and intelligence are doing their best to save the soldiers because without doubt this reminds people including me with the fiasco of the army soldiers massacre in August 2012.

As it is main suspect in the August 2012 brutal army soldiers attack on the borders, Hamas has issued a quick statement denying any relation with the kidnap of the soldiers.

The Pro-Army and Anti-Muslim brotherhood people now on social media of course are speaking about a huge conspiracy taking place against El Sisi to kick him out of the army by the Muslim brotherhood. Well I do not know what conspiracies but there is a problem when soldiers are kidnapped like that in Sinai.

The story is developing , let’s hope that our army and police soldiers return safe and in one piece.

#Fadel_Island : Meet Palestine’s Forgotten Refugees in Nile Delta

The first time I heard about Fadel Island village for the first time in my life was only last week , exactly a week ago.
TV Journalist Kareem Farid told me about this forgotten hidden place in Sharkia where there is small village of Palestinian refugees who came to Egypt since 1948 from the Nakba staying there since then. He told me that the village with population of 3000 refugees at least is extremely poor and needs help. He also warned me that I will not find its place on the map and he was right as I could not find any official existence for the village in any Egyptian map or Google map or GPS.
My only geographical lead is that it is near Abu Kabeer town and it is known there as the Arabs village. I asked everybody about it in Sharkia from members of big families there to reporters of major Egyptian newspapers to labor activists who know everybody. No one knew that this village exist at all let alone there is a Palestinian refugee community there.
In online search there were very mentions for the place and its history. There was a report for Al Monitor about Palestinian refugees in Egypt that led me to a documentary produced earlier this year by Al Mayadeen TV channel that featured that place with no existence on the map. The documentary “The forgotten ones” was the first media exposure to this small community. Other than that the only mentions I could find were couple of mentions in the official website of the Palestinian embassy in Cairo about how the embassy is helping the village as much as it can.
Of course now you will find its name mentioned frequently during this week thanks to ONTV show last Friday about it “Thanks to Kareem Farid and Ahmed Baqawi” and hopefully it will gain more and more attention as it should.
Last Friday I went there with my friend Maya from Ahram Online and Palestinian activist Ahmed Baqawi. He already told the people there would be guests visiting the small village. It would take three hours in Friday morning to reach our destination from Downtown Cairo.

Israeli Police Attack on Egyptian Orthodox Priest Caught on Tape

Maariv has published a video clip showing the assault of the Israeli police in Jerusalem against Bishop Anthansius of the Egyptian Orthodox Church in Ramallah last week. It is just disgusting

In an interview to the Israeli newspaper , the 84 years old Bishop said that he was treated like a dog. Of course this attack was not against the Egyptians last week in the Holy city by Israeli Police. Egyptian diplomats were attacked as well.
Of course Egypt demanded an official apology and it got one from Israel for both the Bishop and the diplomats.
Despite all these attacks and despite the action taking place in Holy Aqsa Mosque from radical Zionists' attack , Egypt seemed so tamed compared to the fact that we are being ruled by an administration whose members were more vocal against Israel and Zionism for the past 80 years. I am not speaking about crazy actions but Jordan and its king who is more friendly to Israel than our rulers altogether had better action last week when it comes to Al Aqsa.

It started as A revolution then It became like this in #Syria

It started as a revolution in Syria then it became as you can see in this cartoon unfortunately.

Over the weekend the Syrian Observatory for human rights issued a new death toll estimating that more than 80,000 Syrians have been killed , half of them are civilians.