democrati.net
Freedom of Speech
Exploring the Muslim veil in Western art
Mona el Tahawy caused quite an uproar with her article on misogyny in the Middle East. One of the most unsettling things about the article was a series of photos depicting what appeared to be a nude model with black body paint representing a niquab. One of my co-authors on this democrati.net wrote a critique … Continue reading
Case in point: Mona el Tahawy’s FP article
This article, like many others, is a response to Mona El Tahawy’s FP piece Needless to say that women in Egypt have a problem. There’s also a problem for Arab women in general. That’s also true for women in the third world. And its true of women even in the US, Mona admits that when … Continue reading
Dictatorship by Liberalism
It is counter-intuitive at first to read that title. Some may even say you can’t put those two sentences together in the sentence. Liberalism is after-all antithetical to dictatorship. It is about the individual and his power and his rights. The hallmarks of liberalism include Voltaire, Locke and a whole bunch of others. The United … Continue reading
Engaging discourse: Between Patriarchy and Anarchy
Tamer’s article in the Guardian (Old attitudes stand in the way of a new Egypt) recently got me thinking about how the revolution was one against patriarchy and by association misogynist attitudes. The larger premise in the article is that Egyptians yearn for a fatherly figure, a leader if so to speak of the revolution. Yet this … Continue reading
Muslim Brotherhood online, interpreting the mixed messages
I originally published this article in The Los Angeles Professional Express. Several months ago, the Muslim Brotherhood’s English website, IkhwanWeb, published an article I wrote calling for the release of an Egyptian activist, named Maikel Nabil. The imprisoned blogger is not only an ardent defender of Israel’s right to exist but also a self-proclaimed atheist born … Continue reading
Egyptian Blogger Aliaa Elmahdy: Rebel with a Cause?
By now if you have been keeping up with the ‘Arab Awakening,’ you have probably heard of Aliaa Magda Elmahdy, the 20-year-old Egyptian blogger who posted a nude photo of herself. For those of you not familiar with the story, Elmahdy posted the photo as an act of expression against the ‘norm’ found in the … Continue reading
Natural Rights, Human Rights, Legal Rights, Civil Rights – Differences
As Egypt transitions towards self-rule, Egyptians need to know their rights. Rights come in many forms, so I thought I would write this article to outline the differences. If you think it’s useful, or would like to translate this article into Arabic just send me a note. Natural Rights (حقوق طبیعیة) Natural Rights, also known … Continue reading
Religious slogans between freedom of expression and social responsibility
As I write this article, news has surfaced that the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing, will not use the Brotherhood’s famous motto “Islam is the Solution” in their political campaigns. Last week, the High Elections Commission issued a ban against the use of religious chants, symbols or slogans in the … Continue reading
Michael Nabil’s father summoned to meet with head of Egypt’s military court
After Michael Nabil’s father went on air with Reem Maged of Arabic satellite TV channel ONTV with a letter to Marshall Tantawi head of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Armed Forces, Nabil’s father was summoned to meet with head of military court tomorrow. Previous requests over the past 5 months had been denied.
Michael Nabil’s release is essential for Egyptian democracy & rule of law
Dr. Michael Nabil Sanad, a 25 year old Egyptian veterinarian, has been sentenced to three years behind bars by a military tribunal. Today marks the 42nd day the blogger and pacifist has been on hunger strike for what his family says is the “ill-treatment” he has received at Al-Marg military prison, in Quliubia. Michael’s health … Continue reading
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