tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43315378560595494932012-02-12T19:32:13.306-08:00River NaelAnalysis of the Politics, Society and Culture of Egypt and the Middle EastRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.comBlogger531100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-47321738763506050702012-02-12T19:27:00.000-08:002012-02-12T19:32:13.321-08:00The Dominance of MubarakismOne year after the dramatic ouster of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, many Egyptians now look retrospectively at the jubilation that followed his resignation with ache and bitterness. "We made a big mistake by leaving Tahrir Square," they say, admitting that the removal of Mubarak did not connote the triumph of the revolution as they then, quite naively, thought. Mubarak is gone, but hisRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-63954010145242148462012-01-15T15:40:00.000-08:002012-01-26T18:13:55.725-08:00المجلس العسكري ومستقبل الديمقراطية في مصر* Photo: Nael Shama, Tahrir Square, February 2011.جرت في نهر العلاقة بين المجلس الأعلى للقوات المسلحة والشعب المصري مياه كثيرة منذ توافق الطرفان في فبراير الماضي على ضرورة إقصاء الرئيس مبارك عن المشهد السياسي، بعدما اتضح بجلاء أن مجرد وجوده صار عبئاً على الجميع. لقد مرت أشهر عدة على نجاح الثورة، زادت فيها شقة الخلاف بين قطاعات واسعة من الشعب والمجلس العسكري، وتزايدت الشكوك، وتقلصت مساحة الثقة River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-12404540206079646252011-11-19T18:20:00.000-08:002011-11-19T18:23:44.086-08:00السياسة الخارجية المصرية والعتق من أغلال الشخصنةفي مذكرات وزير الخارجية الأسبق الدكتور مراد غالب قصة جديرة بالتأمل. أحداث القصة تعود إلى عام 1972م عندما قدمت الحكومة الهندية لمصر عرضاً سخياً – من خلال الدكتور غالب – تطلب فيه منها الاعتراف بدولة بنجلاديش التي كانت قد حصلت على استقلالها تواً، في مقابل أن تفتح الهند للجانب المصري مراكز أبحاثها في مجالات الطبيعة النووية، والأبحاث الإلكترونية، والأبحاث الصاروخية والتوجيه. كانت مصر قد حاولت مراراً River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-70475638145720552102011-08-10T19:31:00.000-07:002011-08-10T19:34:29.242-07:00Egypt and Israel: Can Deep Contradictions be Settled?"In reading a text, one must open it out both to what went into it and to what its author excluded."
Edward Said
On May 30, Daily News (Egypt) printed an article in its commentaries page entitled "In Defense of Reason," in which commentator Amr Yossef aimed at refuting three myths about Israel that "appear to continue dominating Egyptian public opinion," namely, that Israel works to weaken River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-81301546822679628812011-06-17T18:44:00.000-07:002011-06-17T19:12:49.370-07:00الحداثة الرثة: وزارة الخارجية نموذجاًمبنى وزارة الخارجية الشاهق المكون من أربع وثلاثين طابقاً، والمطل على كورنيش النيل، وبالقرب من وسط المدينة، صار لأناقته علماً من أعلام العاصمة المصرية، ومظهراً من مظاهر المدنية والحداثة في مصر القرن الحادي والعشرين. والمبنى من الداخل لا يقل بهاء وأناقة عن صورته من الخارج، خاصة لو تمت مقارنته بمباني باقي الوزارات والمؤسسات العامة المصرية، والتي نرزح في الأغلب تحت وطأة القبح والإهمال. وفي داخل River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-74759137423697404182011-04-27T19:19:00.000-07:002011-04-27T19:27:24.221-07:00How Mubarak's Mindset Contributed to his DownfallIf political regimes can be compared to movies, then Mubarak's Egypt was like an uneventful long one whose unanticipated thrilling end offered a delayed consolation to its disgruntled audience. After three decades of lifeless politics, the final, dramatic 18 days of Mubarak's rule was a breathtaking saga of hope, fear, tears and jubilation.Mubarak's poor performance during the crisis that toppledRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-37688050036180214162011-03-13T19:11:00.000-07:002011-03-14T16:11:31.748-07:00الثورة وقوة مصر الناعمةإذا كانت الثورة المصرية قد أثمرت حتى الآن العديد من الإنجازات، كإسقاط نظام مستبد وفاسد شاخ في مواقعه، وتمهيد الطريق لقيام نظام جديد تشير الشواهد إلى أنه سيكون مدنياً وديمقراطياً، وأنه سيكون أرفع خلقاً وأكثر عدالة وأقل فساداً، فإن أحد أهم ما أنجزته الثورة هو إعادة بعث قوة مصر الناعمة إقليمياً وعالمياً، ربما بشكل غير مسبوق في تاريخ مصر المعاصر.فعندما تظهر مقالة بجريدة النيويورك تايمز تحمل عنواناً River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-46421230014524939152011-02-14T18:13:00.000-08:002011-02-14T18:26:49.076-08:00A Vindication of the Right to Revolt"When dictatorship is a fact, revolution becomes a right."Victor HugoIn politics, industry, trade, sports and even fashion, a "revolution" is loosely defined as sudden or dramatic change. In the popular consciousness, there are two common ways of looking at the notion of political revolution. First, a revolution could be seen as representative of the popular will, a noble action against the River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-55079809629023927632011-02-14T18:02:00.000-08:002011-02-14T18:09:57.492-08:00السياسة الخارجية المصرية في 2010م: كثير من التحديات، قليل من النجاحفي معرض حديثه أمام لجنة "مصر والعالم" في المؤتمر السنوي السابع للحزب الوطني في ديسمبر الماضي، أكد وزير الخارجية أحمد أبو الغيط أن هناك ست تحديات رئيسية تواجه السياسة الخارجية المصرية، وهي المتعلقة بالأزمات السياسية في السودان، والعراق، ولبنان، وفلسطين، إضافة إلى التحديات التي يفرضها الملف النووي الإيراني، وأهمية تطوير العلاقات المصرية مع القوى الرئيسية في عالم اليوم، وتلك التي سيتعاظم دورها في River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-77258962452083307342011-01-04T15:41:00.000-08:002011-01-04T15:55:32.330-08:00Mubarak's Regime against the Washington PostEgyptians feel so bitter today as they see their country, an ancient civilization and a political powerhouse in the Middle East, sink into poverty and underdevelopment at home and nearly recede into irrelevance regionally and internationally. After decades of authoritarian rule, the ambitions of Mubarak's regime are now limited to maintaining its grip on power and polishing its image abroad.WhileRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-46638424634463685332010-11-11T18:02:00.000-08:002010-11-13T18:56:24.434-08:00مصر: أصنامٌ سقطت، وأصنامٌ تأبى أن تسقطقبل أكثر من نصف قرن، أعرب المفكر والروائي البريطاني جورج أورويل عن قلقه من أن الرقابة على الإنتاج الأدبي في انجلترا بات أغلبها ذاتياً وتطوعياً، وبذلك بقيت الكثير من الحقائق والأفكار غير الشعبية طي الكتمان، دونما الحاجة لأي تدخل حكومي مباشر.ثمة مثالان حديثان من مصر يستدعيان إلى الذاكرة حديث أورويل، وقلقه.يتعلق المثال الأول بقيام وزير الإعلام أنس الفقي بالتطوع بوقف برنامج "ظلال وأضواء" الذي يذاع River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-71995612760857998072010-10-21T18:07:00.000-07:002010-10-26T18:14:47.646-07:00Forty Years Later: Why is Nasser still remembered in the Arab World?The elder son of former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel-Nasser (ruled 1954-1970), Khaled, has an interesting story to tell. One day in the 1960s, the then teenage Khaled joined his father on a private car ride. Unintentionally, a crowd of people noticed Nasser's presence in the car, and they waved to the revolutionary leader whose speeches and decisions had electrified them for years. And Nasser River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-16177253907999538092010-09-17T17:45:00.000-07:002010-09-17T18:05:16.348-07:00To Be a Fan of Gamal MubarakReferring to Gamal Mubarak earlier this year, a senior editor at the distinguished London Review of Books wrote that "he may be the only person who is more widely disliked in Egypt than his father." After ten years in the spot light, the banker-turned-hotshot-politician could not bond with the majority of Egyptians. His competence as an astute politician, let alone his eligibility for the River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-28461987335479808522010-08-20T18:23:00.000-07:002010-08-20T18:26:20.683-07:001967, 2010: The Annals of DefeatIt was the summer of 1967, immediately following the Six Day War when an Egyptian PhD student was having coffee with a friend, also Egyptian, at a café in Kurfurstendamm, Berlin's main boulevard. The tightly packed café allowed for casual chitchats among strangers, and so the Egyptian friend was caught in a conversation with a German man sitting at a neighboring table. Noticing his heavy German River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-30450728820487667572010-07-29T14:48:00.000-07:002010-07-29T15:11:00.530-07:00Norman Finkelstein (Interviewed by Nael Shama)Einstein once said: "Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth." Among the few scholars who dared to question the authority of the biased US intellectual community's vision of Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict is political scientist and writer Norman Finkelstein. Norman Finkelstein was born in 1953 to Jewish parents who survived the holocaust. His mother's memories of theRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-50700906019457393082010-07-15T14:45:00.000-07:002010-07-15T14:55:14.054-07:00Mr. El-Baradei: Are you Losing the Momentum?The return of Mohamed El-Baradei to Egypt and his readiness to challenge President Hosni Mubarak in the upcoming presidential elections was like throwing a pebble in the stagnant waters of Egyptian politics. It stirred political debate, mobilized many hitherto apolitical and raised hopes for the possibility of change towards democracy and the rule of law in the country that has been weighed down River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-53384101349697940382010-07-02T15:53:00.000-07:002010-07-03T16:10:42.176-07:00Thank God South Africa is Hosting the World Cup!Press coverage of South Africa has been boosted to an all-time high, thanks to the country's hosting of the 19th FIFA World Cup. Documentaries and media reports broadcast round the clock on the world's major TV network do not only refer to the intense soccer competitions that will conquer the hearts and minds of football fans for one whole month, but also to the booming South African economy, itsRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-31551939839210060352010-06-23T04:44:00.000-07:002010-06-24T04:54:14.267-07:00In the Footsteps of Fascists: The Mubaraks and Egyptian FootballFootball and politics are not two mutually exclusive realms as many may think. To gain legitimacy, bolster their rule and spread their ideology, various political leaders have turned football into a political and ideological battlefield. In the heyday of Fascism, for example, Mussolini, Hitler and Franco used football to achieve multiple political ends. Though the Italian leader Benito Mussolini River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-75093578888846889052010-02-09T12:21:00.000-08:002010-02-09T12:24:20.082-08:00The High Dam and the Underground BarrierThe Egyptian regime is a master at exposing its own weaknesses and vulnerabilities. It commemorated the 50th anniversary of the construction launch of the High Dam in Aswan by erecting an underground metal wall along Egypt's border with Gaza. By doing that, it gave commentators a golden chance to ponder the drastic changes that have engulfed Egyptian politics in 50 years.The story of the High DamRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-60300670854249857612010-01-02T19:22:00.000-08:002010-01-04T16:16:58.707-08:00The Retreat from Civilization in EgyptI often wonder why any Egyptian would condone the sickening torture inflicted on suspects in police stations. Such condoning usually takes place when these suspects are charged with disgraceful crimes, such as child molestation or rape. How do these people, I often ask myself, so readily overlook the fact that a suspect remains innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, after a fair trial? River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-343567063888828862009-12-20T13:38:00.000-08:002009-12-22T13:22:00.558-08:00Do Algerians Hate Us?The football-mania that preceded and followed the Egypt-Algeria match in Sudan for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers started with hostile internet and media campaigns, and developed into rioting and stone-throwing of players and fans, then morphed into a social and political battle that included harsh diplomatic statements and demands for cutting diplomatic ties.Egyptians have been particularly River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-50385716837291875782009-10-29T18:42:00.000-07:002009-12-22T13:23:06.493-08:00Niqab and the Boundaries of DebateThe worst thing about the current debate over niqab (face veil) is that it gives the impression of a "healthy" and "free" society that openly discusses all contending views of its most pressing problems.This is an illusion. Neither is Niqab a pressing problem in today's poverty-stricken, underdeveloped Egypt, nor is the arena of debate open to all issues. Mental coercion has narrowed down the River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-56768073864798147892009-10-03T18:34:00.000-07:002009-12-22T13:24:25.942-08:00In Search of a Political Abu-TreikaThe current weakness and fragmentation of opposition parties and the nonchalance of public opinion suggest that perhaps nothing can disrupt the plan to groom Gamal Mubarak to the presidency in Egypt but a charismatic figure whose exemplary character can awaken people and mobilize them in defiance of the state. Egypt, one can argue, is in need of a political Mohamed Abu Treika. The 30-year old River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-59863955099426753042009-08-30T18:49:00.000-07:002009-08-30T18:58:17.210-07:002011Egypt is today in a transitional phase. Presidential elections are scheduled for 2011, but Egyptians are still uncertain about whether incumbent Hosni Mubarak is intending to run for a sixth term, or if he is willing to witness, or indeed oversee, a transition of power to another president.Hosni Mubarak is in the eyes of one group of analysts a replica of power-hungry Third World authoritarian River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-57236076251159098372009-07-20T17:08:00.000-07:002009-07-20T17:20:43.392-07:00On Effectiveness and EfficiencyA frequent question they ask at business schools is about the difference between "effectiveness" and "efficiency." The model answer is "effectiveness is doing the right things, and efficiency is doing things right." In other words, effectiveness is about taking the right decision, while efficiency is about implementing that decision, competently and precisely. In terms of human resources, Egypt'sRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-85515643701912394752009-07-19T18:38:00.000-07:002009-07-19T18:40:34.671-07:00A Cultural Renaissance in Egypt?There is much talk within Cairo's cultural circles of an existing, or imminent, cultural renaissance in Egypt. The increase in the number of new bookstores and new publishers over the past few years gave the impression that Egypt is about to revive its long dead cultural life. A number of factors, however, suggest just the opposite. To start with, much of the ongoing cultural activity is closer River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-77851694326928520492009-06-25T17:53:00.000-07:002009-06-30T17:19:54.972-07:00Investing in TragediesFollowing the failed assassination attempt on President Mubarak's life in Addis Ababa in 1995, the Egyptian regime quickly used the occasion to serve its own interests. Just like opportunists who appear at the corner of every disaster in search for hidden opportunities, the Egyptian regime decided to use the unpleasant incident to bolster Mubarak's legitimacy at home. Representative of different River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-57937103498396467172009-04-12T17:47:00.000-07:002009-04-12T17:49:02.479-07:00It’s a Shame Culture, Stamp Sexual HarassersSociologists consider Egyptian society a 'shame culture,' in which the status of people as perceived by others counts for almost everything. In contrast to a 'guilt society,' where people feel guilty about their wrongdoings even if they are undetected by the society, in the 'shame culture,' the opinion of the group is very relevant. Because of the widespread belief that "there is no smoke withoutRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-65601611618627054802009-03-26T18:04:00.000-07:002009-03-27T13:35:52.890-07:00Sex at First SightThe unprecedented court verdict that handed ten rapists the death penalty for kidnapping and gang raping a woman in the governorate of Kafr El-Sheikh revived once again the debate over sexual harassment in Egypt, the reasons behind it and the best means to combat it. A plethora of explanations are provided to account for the rise of sexual harassment rates in Egypt. Sexual frustration, economic River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-42048497438619299622009-03-13T14:00:00.000-07:002009-03-27T13:37:17.177-07:00In Defense of Terrorists!Tolerance among the contending ideologies that dominate Egypt's political and cultural milieu is scarce. The major ideologies that battle for Egypt's mind and soul are marred by their tendency not only to claim that their version of truth is overriding, but also to rule out altogether the validity of 'different' interpretations than their own. For instance, many factions within radical Islamic River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-86629907554362357702009-02-13T12:53:00.000-08:002009-03-27T13:36:31.621-07:00Justice and the New Traffic LawIn an attempt to invigorate Egypt's new Traffic Law that went into effect last August, hundreds of drivers were arrested last month in various cities for driving in the wrong direction. According to the new law, driving in the wrong direction is penalized by up to three years in jail.Laws, theoretically speaking, are devised, passed and enforced to serve justice and create order. But this new lawRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-71079502583425052832009-01-18T17:34:00.000-08:002009-02-01T17:31:41.951-08:00The Broken Wings of Egypt's Propaganda MachineSince the beginning of Israel's war on Gaza, the official Egyptian propaganda machine has been working at full capacity, but what it has produced is a mixture of sheer lies and half-truths. There is a political and moral imperative to evaluate the basic arguments of that machine. 1- Hamas is responsible for the war.Hamas was the result of the lingering Palestinian-Israeli conflict, not the cause River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-22433160505801764722009-01-04T13:12:00.000-08:002009-02-01T17:34:19.842-08:00Egypt's Pathetic Foreign PolicyThree years ago, an expert on Egyptian politics argued that Egyptian foreign policy "sometimes seems like an aging movie star." Last month, Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, confirmed this argument by emulating aging celebrities who blame others for their loss of glamor and attention. The Iranians, he said, are trying "to impose and spread their own ideology in the region" by using River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-25680056123600233502008-12-26T17:31:00.000-08:002009-02-01T17:35:56.407-08:00Beyond Al-Nada MurderThe recent murder of two college girls at Al-Nada Compound, Sheikh Zeyed City could be seen as an ordinary killing that only merits sorrow and sympathy, but, from a social perspective, it highlighted so vividly three basic aspects of the Egyptian society and its present mindset. First, it was a reminder of the distressing reality that women in Egypt are besieged dead and alive. The tabloids that River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-3831092120519908502008-11-12T13:30:00.000-08:002008-11-12T17:38:26.963-08:00The Future: When?So overwhelming and enduring have been the hardships of life in Egypt that many Egyptians endorsed the notion that their country is destined to live in misery and agony forever.That’s not true, however. History is entertaining because of its volatility and dynamism. Some empires wither away, others rise and the theatre of history is constantly in a state of flux. "All is flux, nothing is River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-82204575330654590992008-10-20T17:38:00.000-07:002009-02-01T17:43:54.399-08:00Why Do They Hate Businessmen?"Why do they hate us?" is not only George W. Bush's favorite question. Apparently, many Egyptian businessmen ask the same question, lamenting about the lack of appreciation of the 'constructive' role they play in the Egyptian economy and the ' valuable ' services they provide to their fellow countrymen. Their bewilderment invites equal bewilderment because the conduct and roles of businessmen in River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-28879786108183369432008-09-11T18:01:00.000-07:002009-03-27T13:39:32.800-07:00The Beauty of Garbage!For the past few months, the eyes of TV viewers in Egypt and the Arab World have been glued to the dubbed-into-Arabic Turkish soap opera 'Noor.' The series, premised on the legendary love story between Noor and Mohannad (the drama's central couple), has taken the Arab World by storm. "I sell more than 500 photos of the stars of 'Noor' each day," a street vendor in Damascus told the Agence River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-42382674356918680332008-08-28T14:47:00.000-07:002008-08-28T15:04:08.628-07:00The Chinese SyndromeAlong with the straitened heat and humidity of the month of August, watching the Olympic Games added a sense of disgrace and bitterness to summer in Egypt, for the disparity between Egypt and the advanced world was all too vivid in Beijing. Egyptians apprehended how weak their nation was compared to other nations two centuries ago. The French invasion in 1798 was Egypt’s first encounter with River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-5164410863286145532008-08-15T16:15:00.000-07:002009-02-01T17:45:55.314-08:00Inside Tyrants' MindsDuring his recent visit to South Africa, President Hosni Mubarak was asked about Egypt's stance toward the International Criminal Court's indictment against Sudanese President Omar Al-bashir for war crimes. Mubarak affirmed his country's support of Sudan and solemnly added that "it is not appropriate to take a President to court." What can one, in the sincerest quest for fairness and objectivity,River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-27460685766285563912008-07-19T06:02:00.000-07:002008-08-15T16:20:45.257-07:00The Challenges of Tomorrow's EgyptA close look at the writings of Egyptian intellectuals shows that most of them are so immensely consumed by contemporary problems that they lose sight of the challenges of tomorrow's Egypt. The current transgressions of Mubarak's authoritarian regime are, indeed, onerous and hard to escape. However, Mubarak's phase in Egyptian politics is approaching its end, and the future of the political River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-68076059787500639692008-06-27T12:56:00.000-07:002008-07-01T05:44:19.988-07:00Hosni Mubarak: CEO of EgyptBecause the current Egyptian government is composed predominantly of technocrats who have no — or little — previous political experience, its members have been frequently charged with political incompetence. A number of political blunders provided the assailants with further fuel for indictment. That President Hosni Mubarak, however, is himself a technocrat has received little attention.The River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-90749876080769866592008-05-19T12:51:00.000-07:002008-06-27T13:01:17.582-07:00Egypt's 'Smart' Government: Language vs. RhetoricThroughout history, even the most dishonorable deeds have been supplemented with assertions of noble intent and devotion to humanity and freedom. Hitler. Pol Pot and George W. Bush propagated the nobility of their 'sacred missions' and 'services to civilization', against the backdrop of mass killings, misery and devastation.In Egypt, state propaganda is pervasive. Beautifying ugly realities, River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-5836591303771115672008-04-09T16:33:00.000-07:002008-04-10T13:26:43.457-07:00أمن العرب بين فكي إسرائيل وإيرانخصص الكاتب الكبير فهمي هويدي في الآونة الأخيرة عدداً من مقالاته للتعبير عن دهشته من مواقف بعض الدول العربية المتباينة تجاه كلٍّ من إيران وإسرائيل. فقد استرعى انتباه هويدي كيف أن بعض الدول العربية تنظر إلى إيران باعتبارها خطراً حقيقياً يهدد أمنها القومي، في ذات الوقت الذي تمد فيه جسور التعاون والصداقة مع إسرائيل. كما يعتقد هويدي أن التساؤل المطروح بين النخب الثقافية وفي وسائل الإعلام عن الخطر River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-82309945040655795432008-03-06T15:09:00.000-08:002008-03-28T14:14:51.317-07:00Gamal Abdel Nasser vs. Gamal MubarakTwo chapters in the chronicles of modern Egyptian leaders narrate the story of two men and the sea of change separating the nature of the country's political leadership in fifty years. Generations apart, both men are influential politicians with wide aspirations, a penchant for change and the spirit of youth. The first is Gamal Abdel-Nasser (ruled 1954-1970) and the second is Gamal Mubarak, River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-370679182722198262008-02-11T15:52:00.001-08:002008-03-28T14:16:31.907-07:00السياسة المصرية تجاه إيران: إسهامات المدرسة النفسيةإذا كان تحليل السياسة الخارجية لأي دولة يتطلب إخضاع عناصر عديدة للبحث والتحقيق، مثل الموقع الجغرافي لهذه الدولة، وقوتها العسكرية، وقدراتها الاقتصادية، ونوع النظام السياسي والاقتصادي السائد بها، والتجانس الاجتماعي والإثني لقاطنيها، فإن تحليل السياسة الخارجية لدول العالم الثالث قد ركز لعقود طويلة على دراسة قائد هذا البلد، رئيساً كان أو ملكاً أو أميراً، باعتباره العنصر الأهم - وفي بعض الأحيان الوحيدRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-74068235094262009582007-12-11T11:51:00.000-08:002008-03-07T12:52:09.053-08:00Times of Mistrust in EgyptIt is said that mutual trust, rather than mutual interest, is what keeps human associations together. Lack of trust among members of a community resembles cracks in an aged building; they reveal its vulnerability and forecast its collapse. Civil wars, for example, do not erupt suddenly. They are preceded by extended periods of animosity, taking the form of inflammatory speeches, instigation of River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-39486802778405535672007-10-20T16:35:00.000-07:002008-04-20T16:28:27.719-07:00لماذا تخلفت مصر وتقدمت اليابان؟تأخر الأمة العربية عن ركب العصر، وطول انتظار شعوبها للنهضة التي لم تأت، في الوقت الذي قطعت فيه أمماً عديدة – شرقاً وغرباً – خطوات حثيثة نحو التقدم والرقي، مسألة ينبغي أن تكون في صدارة اهتمام مثقفيها، ولذلك فقد أصاب الكاتب غازي التوبة حين جعل من مقارنة مشروعي النهضة المصرية واليابانية موضوعاً لمقاله المنشور بجريدة الحياة (25 مارس) بعنوان "قراءة في نهضتي مصر واليابان في القرن التاسع عشر".رصد الكاتبRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-8804944241201479862007-09-13T17:17:00.000-07:002008-04-10T13:56:42.231-07:00The Death of the Reader: An EpitaphIn the late 1960s, the renowned French philosopher and literary critic Roland Barthes articulated his highly-praised theory: “The Death of the Author”. The theory credibly argued that writing, in essence, is that neutral and complex space where all identity is lost and every voice of origin destroyed. Critics have hitherto sought explaining literary production by focusing their mental energies onRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-5235902256017053632007-08-24T04:53:00.000-07:002008-04-20T16:31:00.481-07:00المصريون والحياة على الطريقة اللبنانيةيحار المرء كثيراً حين يتذكر المقولة الشهيرة التي راجت من أن المصريين- من فرط صلابة ثقافتهم وكونها ضاربة في أعماق التاريخ- يؤثرون فيمن احتلوهم، بدلاً من أن يتأثروا بهم على عكس ما حدث في أقطار شرقية أخرى عديدة . فالمصريون – كما تقول النكتة – علموا البريطانيين اللغة العربية، بدلاً من أن يتعلموا منهم الإنجليزية، ويبدو هذا في تناقض صارخ مع الحالة الجزائرية مثلاً التي بذل قادة ثورتها جهوداً مضنية من River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-35295046236737411502007-08-23T13:09:00.000-07:002008-03-07T13:11:07.933-08:00Defeated at the Stadium of the City VictoriousThe pleasure, thrill and confidence with which the fans of Al-Ahly club awaited their team’s much looked-for game against the legendary European champions stand in sharp contrast with the desolation, gloom and disappointment overwhelming them after losing by four goals. This contrast is, perhaps unexpectedly, reminiscent in some important aspects of the tale of modern Egypt. For Al-Ahly’s River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-6612731656886407592007-08-23T06:38:00.000-07:002008-04-09T07:50:18.122-07:00جمهورية الأمن......والخوفإذا هيأ الشطط في الإدراك والتفكير لأحد الأشخاص أن يجرب المشي فوق الماء ثم فشل فلابد أنه سيفكر ملياً قبل إعادة الكرة. وإذا كان هذا الشخص من الخبل بحيث يحاول إعادة المحاولة مرات أخرى فالمؤكد أنه سيدرك – ولو بعد حين – أن ما يرمي إليه غير قابل للتحقيق بقوانين الطبيعة ومنطق الأمور. الخلاصة أن الإنسان – ولو كان محدود الذكاء والتجربة – يتعلم من أخطائه، خاصة إن تكررت بشكل لا يدع مجالاً للشك في فشل River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-11590118069341057242007-08-21T11:05:00.000-07:002008-03-07T13:17:32.868-08:00Superpowers? Or Dinosaurs in Politicians’ Minds?Power, at a very general level, is defined as the ability to obtain the outcomes one desires. In international relations, power is the ability to affect the behavior of other parties, be they states, political movements, armed militias, international organizations or NGOs, in order to get the outcomes one demands. And since history is non-compromising in illustrating that the influence of any River Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331537856059549493.post-11774281362943289542007-07-30T16:40:00.000-07:002008-04-09T07:52:00.760-07:00مصر: الرقص على لحن جنائزيإذا كانت السياسة الأمريكية في منطقة الشرق الأوسط مسئولة بالأساس عن الغضب الذي يستعر في نفوس الشعوب العربية تجاه حكومة الولايات المتحدة، فإن تصريحات الساسة الأمريكيين - وكثير منها مستفز ومنفر ومتناقض مع الواقع - مسئولة أيضاً عن قدر غير قليل من تنامي هذا السخط. فحين تخرج كوندوليزا رايس أثناء الدمار الهائل الذي أحدثه العدوان الإسرائيلي على لبنان لتبشر بمولد "شرق أوسط جديد"، وعندما تصدر مصطلحات تفتقرRiver Naelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10793143672479205576noreply@blogger.com2