interviews - Katholisches Jugendsozialwerk in Landshut

GRAFFITI
The walls can speak
Cairo’s Mohamed Mahmoud Street Graffiti
Page 20-21
CAIRO EXCHANGE
“It was my first journey to a different
culture and I really enjoyed it.”
Lorena Meier
Page 7
INTERVIEWS
The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, German Evangelical Grammar
School, The Democratic Front Party, El Salam Theater and more.
Page 8-17
EDITORIAL
The Foreign Office has increased significantly the funds for youth exchanges with North Africa. The Catholic Social Association for Youthwork leads a project with partners from Africa for the first time. With
the training “Youth debates” the vocational high schools Landshut
and Schoenbrunn “Youth Debates” make a valuable contribution to
the project.
I
HEINRICH KREFT
ULF-ARNE VON TROTHA
Ambassador and Director at
the Federal Foreign Office
Head of Catholic Social Association for
Youthwork in Landshut
t was above all young people in Egypt and Tunisia
who took to the streets two
years ago, thus paving the way
for a new dawn in the Arab
world. I still vividly remember the touching pictures of
the many people protesting
in Tahrir Square. To this day
I remain fascinated by their
courage and determination.
However, some of this fascination has given way to concern
about the direction in which
things are moving. In Tunisia and Egypt, casting off the
old regimes has been a largely peaceful process so far, but
anchoring democracy is still
proving difficult. This is why
2 CairoLA 012
the Federal Government offered these countries transformation partnerships at an early stage to support the process
of transition. Youth exchange
programmes such as the one
between Cairo and Landshut
open the door for dialogue
and play a key role in opening
up new perspectives for young
people on how to participate
in society and politics.
Heinrich Kreft, Ambassador
and Director for Public
Diplomacy and Dialogue
among Civilizations at the
Federal Foreign Office
I
n Egypt, young people are
fighting for democracy and
human rights. In Germany,
these achievements are usually perceived as a matter of
course by young people and
many of them are not interested particularly in politics.
found each other. Thereby the
young people made the surprising experience, how similar they are in their needs,
desires and fears, and how the
world is getting smaller and
growing together through the
new media.
While in Egypt more than half
of the population is under 25
years and dreams of a better
future, in Germany the youth
is due to demographic changes a social minority that has
no major policy objectives for
which it is fighting. Thanks
to the project, young people
from these two worlds have
listened to each other and
My express thanks go to over
250 people involved in this
project, in particular to the
Federal Foreign Office, which
promotes this project.
Ulf-Arne von Trotha, Head of
Catholic Social Association for
Youthwork in Landshut
JOSEF OBERMAIER
JOSEF WESTENTHANNER
Headmaster of Berufsoberschule
Landshut
Headmaster of Berufsoberschule
Schönbrunn
S
eeing Egypt with your own
eyes. Currently there is a
lot of media coverage of the
political situation in Egypt.
We can see the President and
demonstrators; we can hear
moderate and radical voices.
The “Arab Spring” has created great expectations for
freedom and democracy.
As our students were able to
meet young Egyptians personally they gained firsthand experience of the hopes,
wishes and desires young
people in Egypt have.
Their ideas about the future
may not be all that clear.
However, they are absolutely
sure about what they do not
want: Being dictated to and
patronized by the state and
its institutions.
Apart from gaining political
awareness, the German and
Egyptian youths involved in
the project became personal
friends. And that is far more
than any media coverage can
deliver.
Josef Obermaier, Headmaster
of Berufsschule I Landshut
and Berufsoberschule
F
rom theory to reality.
When Carina Münzfeld and
Nessie Sel, students in the 12th
Class, selected seminar topics for the Arab Spring, they
were not aware that the consequence of their choice is a
study trip to Cairo for them
and two other classmates.
Thus they had the opportunity to question their theoretical findings, hypotheses
and predictions, as well as
their personal opinions at the
meeting with young Egyptians. At the same time they
became aware of the big picture: That we take the democratic achievements and the
human rights in our everyday lives for granted and that
waste separation and traffic
rules are the result of a long
political process.
The school is glad to have
been project partner and to
have contributed to the success of this youth exchange.
Josef Westenthanner
Headmaster of
Berufsoberschule Schönbrunn
CairoLA 012
3
At both vocational high schools the Arab Spring is a school topic. Students from both
schools participated in the project. Two teachers joined and supported the project. The
Catholic Social Association for Youthwork is experienced in the organization of European
youth exchanges. Two employees were responsible for the project management.
IRMGARD SIXT
GEORG WILD
CLAUS SIXT
JOHANNA STREIT
Teacher of
BOS Schönbrunn
Teacher of
BOS I
Project manager of
the Foyer of Youth
Housing
Project manager of
the Foyer of Youth
Housing
For me, this project was a
chance to talk to political activists about the Arab spring
and to get first-hand information. I can use this information very well in history and
social studies, which is a real
asset to my teaching.
Even though it was only a
week, our trip to Egypt allowed me some of the most
interesting and inspiring experiences of my life. Meeting
local people and discussing
political issues with members
of different interest groups
seemed a unique combination
to me. Our stay helped me realize how diverse the “land of
the pyramids” really is, something media coverage in Germany could never have delivered. It was an educational
journey in the truest sense.
Previously the Arab Spring
was only a message for me.
Now it got individual faces
and I myself have got emphathie for the people there.
I noticed a very different side
of Cairo, as alleged in the media and as a group leader I
made experiences for which I
am very grateful. I’m looking
forward to our next project.
Irmgard Sixt
Teacher of BOS Schönbrunn
Georg Wild
Teacher of BOS I
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Claus Sixt
Project manager of the Foyer of
Youth Housing
Johanna Streit
Project manager of the Foyer of
Youth Housing
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We like to give very special thanks to the participants and to our partners whose engagement and commitment made a decisive contribution to the great success of CairoLandshut.
Participants
Teachers
Project managers
Carina Münzfeld
BOS Schönbrunn
Funda Sel
BOS Schönbrunn
Alexander Stadlbauer
BOS Schönbrunn
Katharina Egenhofer
BOS Schönbrunn
Valerie Holzner - BOS I
Marie-Theres Hadersbeck
BOS I
Sabrina Schneider - BOS I
Susanne Stix - BOS I
Johanna Wunderlich - Student
Lorena Meier - Student
Alexandra Gleich - KJSW
Elena Ziegelmeier - KJSW
Rabab Ibrahim Kamal Elsayed
Mohamed Ahmed Eltayeb
Madonna Magdy Gaballah
Yosab Wagdy Rashed Bebawy
Amal Mohamed Hessen
Nada AbdElhady Ahmed Fathy
Heba Yassin Mohamed Yassin
Ashraf George Mellek Mokllad
Andrew Emad Mounir Zaki
Mohamed Ahmed Hassan
Islam Mohamed Talaat
Ahmed AbdRabo Elboraai
Andrew Abd Elmalak Mosa
Irmgard Sixt
BOS Schönbrunn
Georg Wild
BOS I
They accompanied and guided
voluntarily the group in Cairo
and Landshut and hold the
workshops “Youth debates”
together with their colleagues:
Martin Weirauch and
Martin Hohenester
BOS I
Claus Sixt and Johanna Streit,
the project managers of the
Foyer of Youth Housing.
Ehab Aziz Dipl. Designer and
Dipl.- Interior Designer (FH),
who brought together the
stakeholders in Cairo and
Landshut, significantly designed the program and created a large part of this booklet
in volunteer work.
Emad Magdy Mounir Yoanas
who organised and accompanied significantly the project in
Cairo, prepared and supported
the participants for and during
the stay in Landshut.
Stakeholders and
managers
Ulf-Arne von Trotha
Head of the Foyer of Youth
Housing, who took over the
overall responsibility for the
project.
President Amal Jendoub, General Director Bahey El-Din Hassan and projectmanager Nader
Wagdy From the Cairo Institute
for Human Rights Studies for
the excellent cooperation.
Ruediger Kappes and Katharina Petrisson, Federal Foreign
Office who recommended the
project and supported us during the lifetime of the project.
Annett Werner, Federal Administrative Office, who supported
and accompanied us in all our
finance questions.
Support
Father Deuscoros El-Antony, St.
Mina Church, who guided us
through his Church in Munich
Ingy Aziz Aryan - Egyptologist,
who gives us a short summary
of ancient Egyptian civilization.
Matthias Treiber and Kathrin
Weinzierl who provided the exhibition rooms in their house.
Sibylle Galter, head of
Fremdsprachenschule
Landshut - Financial support
Norbert Hoffmann, EuroArab
Centre for Education OHG Financial support
Workshops and
Invitations
Emma Kellner, who gave valuable suggestions for the political
education and led voluntarily
the political workshops.
Ramesh de Silva
Head of Culture and Education
of the German Embassy in
Cairo, who was speaking at the
closing ceremony in Cairo
Prof. Murad Wahba and Prof.
Mona Abousenna - The secularism party
Bothaina Kamel - Egyptian
television anchor, activist, and
politician
Lord mayor Hans Rampf for the
overall support of the town of
Landshut
Mayor Gerd Steinberger, who
welcomed us at the City Hall on
behalf of the town of Landshut
Anke Humpeneder-Graf, Communitiy Foundation of Landshut, for the insights regarding
the political role of Community
foundations
The young members of parties
who presented their political
views and spoke openly about
their political motivation.
These young members came
from the Egyptian parties Democratic Front Party, El Dostour
(Constitution Party), El-Tayar
El Shaaby, Secularist’s Movement and the German parties
Social Democratic Party (SPD),
hristian Social Union (CSU),
Ecological democratic party
(ÖDP). PIRATENPARTEI, FDP und
Bündnis 90/DIE GRÜNEN
CairoLA 012
5
G
erman Evangelical High
School
Cairo
(DEO)
“A comprehensive school
from the 1970s” - That was
my first impression. Lots of
orange, lots of green colours, instead of a block school
building divided into wings,
surrounded by a large sports
complex. Everything was very
neat and at the entrance the
photovoltaic system displayed
the current performance. A
mini Germany on the outskirts of Cairo. After the bell
scuttling, noisy children and
adolescents. The Headmaster
Thomas Schröder-Klementa,
who had previously managed
the high school of Berchtesgaden, is pleased to receive
guests from Bavaria and leads
us into the auditorium, where
we expect the students of his
11th Class to conduct the interviews. We are surprised by
the almost perfect German of
the students. Apparently they
have German in kindergarten,
visit Germany regularly and
do internships during their
holidays there. German as the
medium of instruction will
enable the students to make
the Thuringian baccalaureate which is - according to
Schröder –Klemantas - a bit
easier than the Bavarian one.
Schröder-Klemanta reports
proudly of its highly motivated students who learn two
other foreign languages in addition to German and classical
Arabic. His students are involved in numerous projects
and they are also very active
in sports. These students often have a very long walk to
school because the school has
no boarding accommodation.
There were however some
students who don’t meet such
advanced challenges and alternatives must be found for
them. Parents who themselves were previously students of this school expect
that their children will be optimally supported.
6 CairoLA 012
MINI GERMANY
IN CAIRO
The German Evangelical High School in Cairo
is famous for its high quality of education. The
school promotes mutual respect and tolerance in order to assess its quality.
Written by Irmgard Sixt
Unlikeparents of English or
American schools, they appreciate the DEO performance-based approach and
the broad general education.
The students don’t seem elitist. However most of their parents are members of the upper middle or upper class. The
students are very open-minded and like to talk about their
lives and their school. Certainly this openness is a result
of their school.
As a matter of course girls
attend the lessons together
with boys, Germans together
with Egyptians, Muslims with
Catholics, Protestants and
Coptic Christians. In the secondary school, students are
taught together in religion
with the aim to accept and
tolerate each other.
Unfortunately, just over 1000
young Egyptians have the
chance to visit the school and
to develop themselves in this
optimally equipped habitat,
while on the other hand, hundreds of thousands of children
neither learn to read nor to
write and in spite of government’s compulsory education
policy.
Photo: Mr. Schröder-Klemanta,
Headmaster of the German Evangelical High School in Cairo
CAIRO EXCHANGE
Lorena Meier: A quick summary of my Cairo exchange would be it was wonderful. It was my
first journey to a different culture and I really enjoyed it. I have never experienced so foreigner friendly people like I have there. I think that when the Egyptians come to Landshut
we will really have to look after them well so they feel welcome.
Photo: German Evangelical Grammar School - Cairo
S
ometimes I could hardly
tell the difference between
the actual mean of the journey and the program because
everything we did was fun
and full of new information.
I would have looked at the
graffities on the walls of the
Tahrir square if I had travelled
there myself just like I would
have looked at the pyramids.
We were able to make lots
of new friends and I hope to
meet the same people again
back in Landshut.
It was interesting to get to
know the real Egyptian life
which we can´t really through
the media. We got to know
real intellectuals and how
they imagined a democratic country. Sadly they only
spoke about theoretical models rather than real life changes. They don´t really take part
in the present happenings.
I thought the discussions were
very interesting and informative. Because the discussions happened so naturally
it wasn´t like having an actual
interview but more of a conversation about personal interests. The people we talked
with liked to talk about their
everyday life and how the
constitution influenced them.
For example they were debating whether the state and religion should be strictly divided
or not. More topics of interest
were about the sexual harassment of women and what was
happening to the price for
bread. Some of these conversations were quite scary especially when they were talking
about the revolution.
The Human Rights Institute
was especially interesting because it already existed before the revolution. My personal view is that their way of
thinking is the right way to go
but the contemporary situation makes it difficult for the
staff to effectively substantiate their goals.
Ehab Aziz made it possible for
us to get a better insight into
Egypt in comparison to what
tourist usually experience.
He enabled us to go into the
theatre, New Cairo and to the
countryside.
I wouldn´t want to have
missed a single day I spent in
Egypt. The packed program
would have been enough to
fill for at least two weeks. We
got to know a lot of Egypt in
a very short amount of time.
Additionally we didn´t exclusively talk to the Egyptians
but also exchanged knowledge within our group.
fore. I had completely forgotten how important politics
are for us. When I came back
to Germany the lack of interest in politics made me quite
pessimistic.
In future I would like to take
part in politics more although
I don´t quite know to what
extent. It is nice to know that
a single person can change
something in the world of
politics. This might sound a
bit pathetic but my friends
say the trip seems to have
changed me. I feel like I have,
too.
Written by Lorena Meier
Now I am definitely more interested in politics than beCairoLA 012
7
CAIRO INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
-INTERVIEWThe Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) is an independent regional non-governmental
organization founded in 1993. Interview with Farida Makar.
How did you experience the
Arab spring?
During the Arab spring I was
abroad. My Egyptian professor sent me a text message on
the 25th January from the Tahiri Square. That was the first
time I realised something was
happening. Days went by with
the phone networks and internet not working. This was
extremely traumatic for me
because I didn´t know how
my family and friends in Egypt
were coping. I made sure I
didn´t miss anything on the
news by keeping an eye on
the western media like The
Guardian and also the Arabic
Media like Al Jazeera. Additionally my family and friends
were letting me know what
was going on. I think I had a
good overview of the situation. During the first chaotic
18 days especially private stories completed the picture. It
was very dangerous for the
people then, but it is even
worse now.
Why?
I think we might lose our
recently gained rights and
freedom. Now we have got
the freedom of press even in
NGOs. I don´t care whether
the military or the Moslem
confraternity is trying to take
away these rights because either way the consequences
will be the same.
When was the first time you
went to Egypt after the revolution?
I went back to Egypt in April
2011. The change was imme8 CairoLA 012
diately noticeable. After that
visit I went to Egypt more frequently to stay in touch with
what was going on. As soon as
I finished my studies I moved
back to Egypt to take part in
the countries changes.
A lot of communication was
happening through social
media devices. Do you think
that there was also a freedom of press in the papers?
Sometimes, but mostly there
wasn´t. The news was mostly
on Mubarak’s side and is now
controlled by the Moslem
confraternity. Since the revolution a few new newspapers
were founded but they are
mostly small and don´t have
much impact. The independent newspapers obtain their
news through social media or
news from abroad.
Do Moslems see the revolution as a religious liberation?
Yes! The Salafists definitely
do. But a slow development
has proven that religion is
not enough to lead a country.
When a parliament was elected the Moslem confraternity had about 73% of the votes
and half a year later when the
president was elected they
only had 20% of the votes. I
hope that this number will
decrease even more.
Where there any changes in
Human rights?
A majority of the population
is in favour of a religious Moslem constitution. That is neither liberal nor progressive.
This is why NGOs and Human
-The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)-
Rights Organisations have
tried to take action but sadly
they didn´t have any success.
Our old constitution wouldn´t
have been as bad if it had been
carried out properly in reality.
I hope that the people won´t
give up even if we do get a
conservative constitution.
If the Moslem confraternity
shouldn´t be elected again
do you think they will hand
their power in? Are you
scared of riots?
No not really. I am more
scared of the Salafists. The
Moslem confraternity have
to be pragmatic. Additionally
they don´t have any problems
with blatantly lying in public
and are by far not as ideological as the Salafists. Those are
more likely to cause problems
in future.
Written by Lorena Meier
-1-
-2-
-3-
Aims at promoting respect for
the principles of human rights
and democracy, analyzing the
difficulties facing the application of International Human
Rights Law and disseminating
Human Rights Culture in the
Arab Region as well as engaging in dialogue between cultures in respect to the various
International Human Rights
treaties and Declarations.
CIHRS seeks to attain this objective through the developing, proposing and promoting policies, legislations and
Constitutional amendments.
CIHRS works on human rights
advocacy in national, regional and international human
rights mechanisms, research
and human rights education
-both for youth and ongoing
professional
development
for Human Rights Defenders.
CIHRS is a major publisher
of information, a magazine,
an academic quarterly, and
scores of books concerning
human rights.
A key part of CIHRS‘ mandate
is to help shape the understanding of the most pressing
human rights issues within
the region and then to coordinate and mobilize the key
players and NGOs from across
the Arab world to work together to raise the public
awareness about these issues
and to reach solutions in line
with the international human
rights law.
CIHRS enjoys consultative
status with the United Nations
ECOSOC, and observer status
in the African Commission on
Human and Peoples’ Rights.
CIHRS is also a member of the
Euro-Mediterranean Human
Rights Network (EMHRN) and
the International Freedom of
Expression Exchange (IFEX).
CIHRS has its main offices in
Cairo . CIHRS was awarded
the French Republic Award
for Human Rights in December 2007.
CairoLA 012
9
DEO - CLASS 11 C
Class 11 c- German Evangelical Grammar School
Interview with two students: Luise and the Head boy
Written by Johanna Merthan
How did you preserve the
demonstrations during and
after the revolution?
Luise:
I’ve only lived in Cairo for two
months because my mother
works here. Before that we
used to live in Munich. In these
days everyone is talking about
politics and the revolution but
I cannot really contribute towards that. This is because
I was not there in first place
and secondly the debates are
mostly held in Arabic which I
do not understand. Because I
am German I do get to feel the
consequences of the revolution. The most noticeable for
me was the change in young
Egyptian men’s behaviour.
The ones that took part in the
demonstrations think they
are better than the rest of the
people and often pester me in
the streets.
Head boy:
I think that by now the
demonstrations have become
a waste of time. The Egyptians have misunderstood
their newly gained freedom
and rights and now think they
are able to say and do whatever they please. I live close
to the Tahiri square with my
family so we observed many
demonstrations. We were one
of the few families that were
against a revolution from the
very beginning. That caused
a lot of trouble and I was
called pessimistic when I told
my friends that a revolution
was not the right way to go.
Instead I thought that if the
Moslem confraternity would
10 CairoLA 012
become the new leading
power then everything would
become worse. And that is
exactly what happened: Absolutely nothing developed in
a positive way. I too used to
be against Mubarak but have
now changed my mind. Most
of us start to appreciate the
good things once we have experienced worse.
Are you interested in politics?
Student:
In the meantime everyone
claims to be interested in
politics. But I am convinced
that a democracy can only be
achieved if politics are separated from religions. The
problem is that here a separation doesn’t seem possible.
Personally I think of myself as
liberal although I am against
the Moslem confraternity. Up
until now they have always
been oppressed- also by the
Mubarak regime. Despite of
that they managed to construct networks in the subsurface. After the revolution
this began to show and they
were organised better than
anyone else. The Moslem confraternity has probably been
underestimated by most of us.
A majority of the population
are on their side because they
were the ones that looked after the people during the revolution.
ARE YOU REALLY SO
POLITICAL?
Written by Alexandra Gleich and Elena Ziegelmeier
Interview with Mina Kamel
Are you very interested in
politics?
I am very interested in politics, especially in Egyptian
politics. My interest arose two
years ago when the revolution began.
What are your political
views?
I haven´t taken a side yet and
therefore don´t belong to a
particular party. I do consider
myself as liberal though.
Why are you interest in politics?
When I was 12 years old, I
began to become interested
in politics. In the first year of
university I was party of the
group Mokawmd, which stand
for resistance. This group
organised activities such as
protests. Once we even protested against our university
because policemen on campus had forbidden us to speak
up about certain topics.
Are you politically active?
Yes, I am currently politically active. When I have lots of
things on my mind I sometimes take a break but since
the Revolution I try to be
more active. I take part in
demonstrations and protests,
write articles on Facebook
and in daily life. Additionally I
tell friends about the political
situation in Egypt because the
media does not seem to inform everyone enough.
How did you realise that being active in politics is important?
As I mentioned before it all
began in my first year at university. I watched the media
and read many books in order
to obtain necessary information.
What do you think about the
Arab Spring?
Because I was a part of it I
had my hopes up high. Unfortunately the result isn´t as
most of us had wished for. I
personally think the current
situation is worse than before.
Hardly anything has changed.
We have still the same regime
and the same religious views.
The Muslim Brothers say „If
want to be allowed into heaven, you have to vote us”. They
are not tolerant of other religious views. As an orthodox
Christian this sometimes can
cause difficulties. Nevertheless although my friends and
I don´t always share the same
religious views we are still
friends.
What do you think Egypt’s
future will look like?
I think it will be a hard time
for a while and it might even
take years until we are all free.
But that day will definitely
come!
Interview with Amir Amer
Do you talk about politics in
school?
We hardly ever talk about
politics in school. By watching the news and checking
official websites I keep myself
informed. In general I don´t
think the internet is a very reliable source because anyone
can publish their thoughts.
How did you experience the
revolution and demonstrations in Cairo?
I live in New Cairo where only
a few people live because it is
a remote place. This made it
quite dangerous for us. Cars
and guns were stolen and
shops were plundered. At one
point I was hiding in the loft
with a metal pole to defend
myself if necessary. The people were anxious and scared.
CairoLA 012
11
The Origin of the
Name, EGYPT
Written by Lorena Meier
OUR IDENTITY
Interview with Ehab Aziz, Designer and Visual Artist
In Germany since 1991
Which problems do you have
concerning the exchange?
Basically we had two problems. We tried really hard
to meet young people of all
Egyptian parties, but neither
the Freedom and Justice party (Muslim Brotherhood) nor
the Light Party (Salafi political
party) followed our invitation.
They were undecided whether they should send someone
to the meeting in our Egyptian hotel or not. Finally they
didn’t send someone.
Our second problem is the
Egyptian bureaucracy. It is
very difficult for young people to get out of the country.
They need an invitation, proof
of income, fingerprint of the
German government and so
on.
How did you get around doing this project?
There’s a long friendship between me and Claus Sixt (note:
the organizator of the project
at Katholisches Jugendsozialwerk). As an Egyptian Immigrant in Germany I am also
politically involved in the advisory board for Arab countries in Landshut’s municipal.
Claus asked me if I would like
to lead a group to my home
state Egypt. Claus and I organize the project in Germany
and my cousin Emad helps me
in Egypt.
12 CairoLA 012
How did you experience the
Egyptian revolution? And
how did you experience the
constituent assembly in 30th
November 2012?
I was for a short time in Egypt
during the revolution and
I demonstrated on Tahrir
Square. I demonstrated for
many reasons, but mainly
because of the really bad educational system. If you go to
a state school there, you can
leave school nearly illiterate.
It is a catastrophe for economy and society and I think
many problems lie in there.
In history and regional studies the pupils are taught the
Arab history and identity.
More and more people think
of themselves mainly as Arabs
or Muslims and not as Egyp-
tians. In the long run, we will
lose our national identity this
way. This is a huge problem
for making policy and for the
Copts who are out of this system.
As a Copt I told my thoughts
to my Muslim friends, but they
didn’t understand my fears
concerning Morsi and religion.
The constitution is not a good
document, the government
did it without any concept.
What do you expect for
Egypt’s future?
I really hope the military
won’t take part in future unrests. If the military fights the
Muslim Brotherhood there
will be a civil war, because the
Brotherhood has many weapons itself. The Muslim Brotherhood won’t skip the power
freely like Mubarak did. I hope
in future the change will come
by the parliament. The liberal
parties need to be allies.
What do you want to emphasize?
My hopes lie upon the youth
of the country. They think in
a different way than the older
people and that will change
the country. After every revolution there is a time of unrest
and this is now. But I am optimistic for the future.
HET KA PTAH
The word “Egypt” comes from an
ancient Egyptian name for the
country: “het-ka-ptah” which
means The House of the Ka of
Ptah. The Ka in ancient Egypt is
the source, or essence of spirit –
comparative to Chi or Qi in ancient
Eastern teachings. Ptah was one of
the ancient deities of Egypt.
When the Greeks came to Egypt,
the name “het-ka-ptah” took on a
more Greek-friendly pronunciation
and became “Aegyptos”, with the
Egyptians being called “Aegypti”.
Names and words tend to reflect
the pronunciation of the speaker’s native tongue of the origins
of these names and words. And so
with time and further invasions,
the name Aegyptos became Egypt,
and Aegypti became Copti. In fact,
in Upper Egypt, some people pronounce this word “Gupti” which
seems closer to the original Greek
word. Copti was the word that describes the natives of Egypt, and
now has become Coptic – which
nowadays refers to the Christians
of Egypt.
In Arabic, the language of modern Egypt, Egypt is actually called
“Misr”.
“I was there, I was happy,
I was sad, I was in love, I
was scared, I was hopeful,
I had a lot of information, I
had a vision and I followed
my way, and why I became
an artist.” Ehab Aziz
MORSI DOESN’T
REPRESENT THE
WHOLE COUNTRY!
Interview with Emad Magdy, by Lorena Meier
How did you know of the exchange?
Ehab Aziz asked me, he is my
cousin. He said that he needed
someone who organizes the
exchange in Egypt too.
What were your impressions
of the Germans when they
were in Egypt?
They seemed very excited and
interested to me. They understood the political main ideas
very fast, I was very pleased
with that. You were a very
smart group.
As one of the organizators,
do you think you taught the
Germans adolescents something?
Yes, I really think so. It was my
idea to show them the countryside and many of them
told me that it was one of
the most amazing moments
during their time in Egypt.
It was also my idea to go to
the DEO (Deutsch Evangelische Oberschule). I wanted to
show the huge differences in
my country: the difficult life at
the countryside and the German-Egyptian mixture of cultures at the DEO.
What do you think of Egypt’s
political future?
First of all we need to solve
our political problems. Morsi
doesn’t represent the whole
country, we have a strong
democratic movement. I hope
we will be a secularist country in the future.
Which expectations do you
have for your stay in Landshut?
I am very excited to meet the
youth of the German parties. I
also want to see the political
strategies how to rule a country, for example how new laws
are passed.
Photo: From left, Mohamed
Ahmed, Emad Magdy and
Johanna Streit
CairoLA 012
13
What are you practicing at
the moment?
Rashed: I wrote a storyline
about a national hero. He is
called Taha Hussein and was
born 1904 in the region of
Minia. When he was a toddler
he became blind. It is a quite
bibliographic storyline with
a few exceptions. I wanted to
show everyone that he had a
more modern way of thinking
than a few people have now.
The story should give the
public something to think and
talk about.
Were there any performances during the revolution?
El Hesch (laughs): Definitely
not in our theatre. But I would
say that what happened in the
Tahir square was a huge performance. But there were real
theatre productions during
the revolution, too.
What kind of theatre productions were there during
the Mubarak regime?
El Hesch: We were obviously
only allowed to produce controlled productions. Sometimes the regime even allowed a liberal production!
Rashed: It was a difficult time
for us because we weren´t allowed any contact to foreign
theatres. We lost important
contact and are now trying to
build new connections.
Do a lot of people go to the
theatre?
It depends on the storyline
really.
Which ones seem to be particularly attractive?
Definitely comedies. Since the
revolution political comedies
have become quite popular
although the comedy is mostly hidden. The public is very
analytical and interested in
the politics.
Are there any actresses with
headscarves?
Only a few. If they do wear
14 CairoLA 012
THEATER
El Salam Theater: Group discussion with Salach
El Hesch (director), Wagdy Rashed (author) and
Ehab Mabrouk (actor)
To start with El Hesch and Rashed are keeping
each other company
Written by Lorena Meier
one they don´t get given any
roles where they have to play
a role of someone without a
headscarf.
Both of them leave and Mabrouk introduces himself:
Mabrouk: I have been part of
the revolution since the 29th
January 2011. The feeling during it was amazing but now I
think it was a mistake.
Why?
Mabrouk: Because we didn´t
have a plan. Theoretically the
revolutionaries should have
the power now. The whole
system should have been
changed but up until now
only Mubarak has lost his influence. The Moslem confraternity is continuing the politics.
Does Egypt need another
revolution?
Mabrouk: Of course.
What do you think the future
holds for Egypt?
Mabrouk: A lot of brutality.
The Moslem confraternity will
not lose their power without
fighting back. Them having
the power will be worse than
before particularly for the art
and theatre departments.
What do you think about the
contemporary situation of
females?
Mabrouk: I think it is good
that women are fighting for
their rights. I also fear they
might lose the freedom they
have at the moment.
Why?
Mabrouk: Because an Islamic
state could take away all their
rights.
Is a certain event the reason
for your interest in politics?
Actually I am more interested
in Arts and Theatre. But because the politics control the
culture I felt I had to take part
in politics. We should always
be aware of social politics especially when choosing a new
theatre production.
Is there any hope for Egypt
in future?
Mabrouk: There definitely is.
Although the liberal parties
will have to work together in
order to get rid of the Moslem
confraternity.
Do you think of yourself as a
Moslem, Arab or Egyptian?
I think of myself as an Egyptian because anything else
isn´t a subject of interest to
me.
THE DEMOCRATIC
FRONT PARTY
Interview with Lobna Wassim and
Menna Refaant
Al-Gabha al-Dimuqrati (The Democratic Front Party)
he Democratic Front Party is part of the liberal spectrum. It
defines itself as a civil party, which is secular in orientation
but not hostile to Islam and recognizes that Islam is part of the
fabric of the Egyptian state. The party was a founding member of the Egypt Bloc until it was denied representation on the
Bloc’s lists as of the October 24 deadline for candidate registration. It is now running on an unaffiliated independent list.
T
The experience of the girls on the 25th January revolution:
• Girls tried to stay in safe places
• They watched the news on TV
What ist the current situation of politics:
• Most people are interested in politics
• More people should go and vote
• People speak about politics everywhere
The girls views of politics:
• They are liberal
Before the revolution:
• They weren´t allowed to express their opinion
After the revolution:
• They could speak about everything
They said:
„Religion should have nothing to do with the government!“
Written by Alexandra Gleich and Elena Ziegelmeier
CairoLA 012
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COPTS
Interview with Father Deuscoros El-Antony by Johanna Merthan
-
Why do so many Copts move
away?
First of all many Egyptians
aren´t free. For example many
Egyptians have difficulties
with studying. Secondly a
lot of Copts find it difficult to
find jobs after studying because many companies don´t
employ Copts. Although the
employers don´t directly ask
which religion people have
they can mostly identify people’s religious backgrounds by
the name of potential employees. Also there isn´t the possibility for everyone to study. It
is more likely to find a place
to study in a foreign country.
What is your opinion on politics?
Mubarak didn´t help the Egyptians. Especially not the Copts.
That is why I am especially
grateful for the revolution. In
16 CairoLA 012
spite of that it would be best
if Egyptians and Copts would
cooperate. I would be happy
to help in order for Copts and
Egyptians to work together
instead of being competitors.
I hope that equality will be a
party of their Human Rights
sooner rather than later. Men
and women should be treated in the same way as well as
people with different believes.
That has to be the base of the
democracy.
How did you experience the
Arab spring?
I spent the most intense time
of the revolution in Germany.
My family as well as the news
helped me to be up to date.
When I went to Egypt with a
group of Germans in November 2011 I realised that the
revolution wasn´t over yet.
We still need some time.
to were headscarves are bullied by Muslim girls. That is
why young female Copts often
stay together and spend a lot
of their spare time in church.
Do Egyptians talk about the
different religions?
Yes but so far the possibilities
to do so are limited. Although
the Copts are tolerant towards
other religions other religions
aren´t. Muslims call us impure
and faithless because we eat
pork and drink wine. Sadly
they aren´t very open minded
and that is why conversations
with them haven´t been as
productive as they could have
been.
Are Copts part of the parliament?
We would like to be a part of
the parliament but this isn´t
possible at the moment. It is
especially difficult to convince
the illiterates of the parliament to vote for Copts because they make decisions
based on people’s names
without informing themselves
about these people.
Do special schools for Copts
exist?
We would like to have special
schools for Copts but the government is against this. They
are scared that we could misuse the schools for missionary
purposes.
What happens in a Coptic
service?
The difference to other religions is that Coptic families
stay in church after service
and chat to each other. We celebrate; the children play and
sometimes interesting discussions take place. The content
of this is not solely religion.
Why did you become a
priest?
Because of a miracle. I didn´t
study religion but Science.
After a few years of studying
and military service I wanted to give something back to
god. I decided to experience
the holy Antonius and set out
to look for him. When I visited
one monastery in particular
I realised that that was the
place I belonged to. In 1984
I then decided to become a
priest and have been their
priest ever since.
The Catholic Church has
trouble getting youngsters
to take part in church. Do
you have the same issues in
Munich?
No, we don´t. A lot of youngsters come to us but we are
currently lacking the space
for them. Not only in church
but also in the monastery it
is completely different. The
majority of the priests are
between 25 and 30 years
old. The youngsters seem to
enjoy going to service and
there is even a youth-bishop,
who takes special care of our
youngsters. It is obvious that
church doesn´t have a future
without youngsters.
What do you think will happen to Egypt in the future?
Currently a lot of youngsters
speak up about their feelings
they have towards politics.
The question is if the youth
even stands a chance because
they aren´t part of the contemporary politics. In spite of that
the youth is still optimistic.
What is the situation like in
Egypt?
The same. The difference is
that youngsters often meet up
in church because this isn´t
possible elsewhere. Especially
the Coptic girls that don´t like
Which requirements do you
have to have to become a
pope?
Basically anyone who is over
40 years old and has been a
monk for at least 15 years can
become a pope.
What does your headdress
stand for?
There are six crosses each
side which stands for the 12
apostles. On the back of my
head there is an additional
one for Jesus.
CairoLA 012
17
PHOTO BY EHAB AZIZ
CAIRO
Salah Jaheen (December 25, 1930 – April 21, 1986)
has had a singular effect on development of colloquial Arabic poetry in Egypt.
I was first something,
then something else became...
Strange are God’s ways who Alone can take
and give...
The trees lose their leaves and
whispered my name.
“Something must die for something else to live.”
18 CairoLA 012
CairoLA 012
19
-GRAFFITIThe walls can speak – Cairo’s Mohamed Mahmoud Street Graffiti
Mohamed Mahmoud Street was the site of protests in November 2011 which were suppressed by the Central Security Forces,
leaving around 50 dead.
O
n September 2012 the authorities in Cairo whitewashed a mural that had become an international shrine
to anti-establishment street
art, raising the question of
whether graffiti should be
protected on the grounds of
free speech.
The wall in Muhammad
Mahmoud Street paid tribute
to the martyrs of the revolution, a memorial to hatred
of the army and police, and
to the rebellious spirit unleashed during and after the
uprising. The day after the
clean-up, graffiti artists of
all persuasions gathered to
restore the memorial. They
wondered why the authorities
were in such a hurry to efface
images which for months had
attracted tourists and analysts
from all over the world. Some
20 CairoLA 012
suspected that overzealous
officials, encouraged by the
new Islamist regime, might
be tempted to censor pictures
supposedly banned by Islam.
But it seems that the motives
of the newly appointed authorities are much more prosaic. In the past few weeks
the new governors appointed
by President Mohamed Morsi
have been busily cleaning up
the streets of Cairo and Alexandria with an enthusiasm
only equalled by the widespread disrespect for the authorities that developed under former President Hosni
Mubarak.
Mubarak kept social unrest
under control by allowing
whole swaths of the population to work and find housing
with total disregard for the
rules. At best such policies fostered indifference to the law,
but in many case they fuelled
outright hatred of the authorities. How is Egypt’s new-found
democracy to put down roots
with such a legacy?
In the absence of any
far-reaching reforms the public space has become, since
Morsi’s election, the focus of a
wild drive to patch up appearances. Apparently inspired by
some unrealistic desire to
turn over a completely new
leaf, the Muslim Brotherhood
is determined to clean up the
streets of Egypt, before even
beginning to purge the rotten
apparatus of state.
Any hopes of graffiti being
legalised seem extremely unlikely, even if on the day after
the destruction of the Mu-
hammad Mahmoud mural the
prime minister, Hisham Qandil, expressed reservations,
condemning the whitewash
and encouraging street artists to produce new graffiti
on Tahrir Square “true to the
spirit of the revolution”.
The response was almost immediate. “If you change your
trousers without having a
wash you get a rash”, read the
message on a wall in Talaat
Harb Street. And in Muhammad Mahmoud Street itself
there was a face poking out
its tongue in defiance and
saying: “Erase it again, you
cowardly regime.”
© This article appeared in the
Guardian Weekly, which incorporates material from Le Monde.
- Revolution and Revolt: Understanding the Forms and Causes of Change -
A
rt has always been one
of the most powerful
means of communication
utilized by human beings for
expressing their feelings, desires, dreams, and concerns.
It possesses an inner force,
a force that has allowed artists all over the world to raise
and spread awareness among
people of different societies
and also to criticize rulers and
regimes. In this regard, graffiti
is a paradigmatic case. Due to
its status of borderline art, its
ability to speak the language
of the street, and, above all,
due to its iconoclastic nature,
since its first appearance on
the social arena, graffiti has
always represented an important channel and opportunity
for the unheard voices of society to express their claims.
According to the intrinsic features of this form of art, an
analysis of the street art of
Cairo may represent a useful
way to observe the Egyptian
revolution from a different
perspective and in so doing
trying to achieve, not only, a
deeper understanding of its
social effects upon the Egyptian society, but also to discover the cluster of meanings,
symbols, and ideas brought by
the revolution.
The End of Egypt’s Revolution, or the Start of
Its Second?
Women activists attacked by military with
particular ferocity
This graffiti depicts Mina Danial as victim of the uprising and
protests under the rule of Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
Egyptian man walk past a mural inspired by a widely circulated photo of Egyptian military beating and stripping a veiled
female protester, on a recently whitewashed wall with Arabic
that says, “We will not forget you, our lady”.
Mina, 25, was killed on 9/10/2011 outside Maspero, the headquarters of Egyptian state television and the symbol of the dictatorship’s propaganda leviathan. According to his autopsy, one
bullet smashed the back of Mina’s head while another entered
his shoulder, ripped through his lungs, and exited his back. He
died within moments, but has fast become the symbol of what
Egyptian activists hopefully call “the second revolution.”
Local human rights watchdogs on 18/12/2011 accused the
Egyptian military of systematically targeting female political
activists, and demanded that Egypt’s military rulers admit to
violations committed against demonstrators.
Article covered by Ehab Aziz
CairoLA 012
21
-Amal DonkolAmal Abul-Qassem Donqol (1940–1983) was an Egyptian poet
whose poems were influenced by Greek mythology.
A
mal Donkol One of Egypt’s great poets was a rebel and was
taken as a political prisoner many times in the 60s for his
views, and was let out by Sadat in the mid 70s. He died of cancer at the age of 43. The translation is not as professional as it
should, but it reflects the true meanings of the Arabic original.
SAY NO - DIGITAL ARTWORK
By Ehab Aziz
THE LAST WORDS OF SPARTACUS
Glory to Lucifer … worshiped by the wind
Who said No to the face of those who said Yes
Who taught Man to tear down the evanescence
Who said No … so he did not die
And remained a soul eternally in pain
I am hanging from the morning gallows
My forehead is bowing to death
Because it did not bow while I was living
O’ brothers and sisters passing through the main square with your
heads bent low
Gliding towards the end of evening hours, down ‘Alexander the Great
avenue’
Do not be ashamed
Do not be ashamed and raise your eyes toward me
Because you are hanging there beside me
Hanging next to me on Caesar’s gallows
Raise your eyes to me
For maybe if you do, and your eyes meet the death in my eyesThe
extinction within me might smile
Because you raised your heads up if only once
Sisyphus
The rock is no longer on his shoulders
It is now carried by those who are born in the dorms of the slaves
While the sea
The sea is like the desert, does not quench the thirst
22 CairoLA 012
For only tears quench the thirst of those who dare to say No
So raise your eyes up to the hanging rebel
For you will end up like him tomorrow
And kiss your wives
Kiss your wives right here in the middle of the road
For tomorrow it is in this very place that you will perish
Bowing is bitter
And the spider on the necks of men is knitting their fall
So kiss your wives
For I have not kissed mine goodbye
And if you see my child whom I left behind in her arms
Missing an arm
Teach him to bow
God did not forgive Lucifer when he said No
And the gentle hearted and the kind are the ones destined to inherit
the earth at the end
Because they do not get hanged
So teach him to bow
There is no escape
And do not dream of a world full of happiness
For after every Caesar that dies
Is born another Caesar
And behind every rebel that dies
Is pointless sadness and wasted tears.
Article covered by Ehab Aziz
“IT WAS THE FIRST TIME FOR ME TO
COOPERATE WITH EUROPEAN PEOPLE
ESPECIALLY THE GERMANS”
Yosab Wagdy, 22, Faculty of Engineering - Helwan University
W
hen I was selected to
be one of the Egyptian
participants to meet the German group in Egypt I was impressed and shocked at the
same time because I knew
that some of the German participants don’t know anything
about Egypt, as one of them
said to me “Egypt is a black
box for me”.
At the first meeting with the
German participants I was
afraid because I expected that
there were be a big cultural
difference between us, but I
found that I was wrong, we are
all in the same age and have
nearly the same thoughts so
we didn’t find any problem to
deal with each other.
And I was admire by the way
that they were use to present the presentation of their
Country “Landshut”, It was
specific, clear and very impressive.
We also talk about the political situation in Egypt after
and before Morsi, the revolution, and economics also
about the Arab Spring. This
conversations made all of us
happy because we realized
that most of the people of the
foreign countries especially
the Germans were interested
about us and support our political movement to achieve
our dream of making a new
country full of “Good living,
Freedom and Social Justice”.
W
hat I really expect from
the workshop in Germany is to know:
• Which level of freedom
and democracy in Germany, how the German constitution save the rights of the
minors and women.
• How many opposition
party to the government
and how they are effect on
the political decisions, and
what is the advantage and
disadvantages of the federal
regime.
CairoLA 012
23
IMPRESSIONS
- CAIRO -
- PEOPLE 24 CairoLA 012
- WORKSHOPS -
- VISITS CairoLA 012
25
-EGYPTTimeline of key events 3100 B.C. - 1250
3100-900 B.C.
925 B.C.
Sheshonq, king of Egypt, marches into Palestine, defeats kingdoms of Judah and Israel.
750
Abbasid rule
B.C. Ancient Egypt is established when a king named Narmer
unifies the Upper and Lower kingdoms. Egyptians develop hieroglyphic writing. The pyramids and the Sphinx are built.
664 B.C.
Assyrians take over Memphis and practice an overlord ship of
Egypt.
996
Fatimid Caliph Al-Aziz dies, succeeded by his 11-year old son,
Al-Hakim, the so-called Mad Caliph.
332 B.C.
Alexander the Great, of Macedonia, conquers Egypt and found
Alexandria.
1005
Ancient Egypt
Al-Hakim founds the Wisdom House (Beit Al-Hekma), as a
center for learning science and theology.
305 B.C.
Ptolemy I becomes Egypt’s line to become the first of the Ptolemies family line.
1007
A severe famine that hit Egypt.
30 B.C.
1017
Anthony and Cleopatra VII commit suicide by a cobra snakebite, Egypt falls to Roman Empire.
Diocletian becomes emperor of Rome. His era saw one of
greatest persecutions of Christians. Many Egyptian martyrs
fall.
Al-Hakim is claimed to be an incarnation of god by his vizier
Darazi.
1021
Fatimid caliphate
284
Mohamed ibn Toghg Al-Ikhshid founds the Ikhshidid rule.
Fatimids found the great mosque of Al-Azhar.
Egypt falls to the second Persian invasion. The last Pharaoh,
Nect Anebo II, falls.
Birth of Saint Anthony, the founder of monasticism.
935
970
343 B.C.
251
Ahmed ibn Tulun founds Tulunid dynasty.
General Gawhar Al-Sekelli commands the Fatimid invasion of
Egypt and founds Cairo after defeating the Ikhshidids.
Persian King Cambyses conquers Egypt.
Saint Mark, the evangelist who brought Christianity to Egypt,
martyrs in Alexandria.
868
969
525 B.C.
67 A.D.
Abbasid General Saleh seizes city of Al-Fustat, then capital of
Egypt, ending the control of Ummayad dynasty.
Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim disappears.
1118
Crusaders launch their first yet unsuccessful attack on Egypt.
1171
Saladdin; An Islamic hero - End of Shi’ite Fatimid rule by the
death of the last Caliph. Few years later Saladin takes control
and restores the Sunni faith.
Roman rule
292
1187
306
1192
Famous battle of Hittin. Saladin seizes Jerusalem and many
provinces from Crusaders.
Birth of Saint Pachomious, the founder of cenobitic monasticism
Constantine the Great, the first Roman Christian emperor, ascends throne granting religious rights to citizens of the empire, including Egypt, at 313.
Peace treaty between Saladin and Crusaders recognizes his
gains and leave some a coastal strip of land for crusaders.
451
1250
619
Persians invade Egypt for a short period of 10 years.
641
Egypt falls to the Arabs led by commander Amr Ibn El-Ãs, ending the Byzantine presence in Egypt.
26 CairoLA 012
Saladin dies of fever at 55 years old.
Ayyubid sultanate
Byzantine rule
The Church of Alexandria proclaimed heretic by the Council of
Chalcedon, dividing Christianity in the Mediterranean.
1193
After the death of Ayyubid Sultan Al-Saleh, his wife Shagaret
Al-Dorr succeeds to defeat the invading troops of crusaders.
1250
Shagaret El-Dorr ascends power to be the first and only female
ruler in Egypt’s Islamic history for only 80 days before she marries a Mamluk. Her rule marks the beginning of a new era of
Mamluk rule.
Timeline of key events 1257 - 1922
1257
1811
1258
1818
Shagaret El-Dorr has her husband Aybak killed. She, herself,
gets killed by Aybak’s fellow Mamluks.
Mohamed Ali eliminates threat of Mamluks, slaughtering 470
in the Citadel.
Monguls led by Hulegu destroy Baghdad, kill the caliph and
end the Abbasid caliphate on their way to fight Mamluks of
Egypt.
Ibrahim Pacha, son of Mohamed Ali, defeats Wahhabi movement in the Arabian Peninsula and seizes most of Arabia.
1831
1260
Modernizer of Egypt - Mohamed Ali begins military campaign
directed against the Ottoman Porte.
Mamluk Sultan Qutuz defeats Monguls in the famous battle of
Ain Galout. Qutuz killed the same year by Baybars.
1841
1272
Baybars engage in a peace treaty with Crusaders.
“Treaty of London” clinched between Western powers, provinces taken away from Mohamed Ali control.
1279
1848
Abbas succeeds his grandfather, Mohamed Ali, as ruler, and
one year later Mohamed Ali dies.
Death of Baybars, one of the greatest Mamluk fighters.
1291
Sultan Al-Ashraf Khalil attacks Acre, ending the presence of
Crusaders in the Holy Land.
1863
1348
1867
Said Pacha who ruled since 1854 dies, succeeded by Ismail.
Title of Egypt’s viceroy changes to “Khedive,” a Persian word
means ruler.
The Black Death hits Egypt, decimating much of the population.
1382
A Mamluk named Barquq seizes throne to inaugurate a new era
of rule shifting power from Bahari Mamluks to Burgi Mamluks.
1869
1488
1879, June
1516
1882, 11 July
Suez Canal inaugurated in a splendid ceremony.
Route of Cape of Good Hope discovered, Egypt start to loose
tolls levied on convoys passing through Egyptian lands.
Ottoman Sultan deposes Khedive Ismail, his son Tawfik replaces him in post.
Mamluk rule
British fleet bombards Alexandria.
Marj Dabek battle near Aleppo between Ottoman and Mamluk
armies, Mamluks gravely defeated and their commander Sutlan El-Gouri dies in the battle.
1882, 14 September
Cairo falls to the British occupation, one day after the defeat of
nationalist Ahmed Orabi in El-Tal El-Kebir battle.
1517
Ottoman Sultan Selim the Grim invades Egypt and hangs Mamluk Sultan Tuman Bey II, annexing Egypt to the Ottoman Empire.
1892
Khedive Tawfik dies, succeeded by his son Abbas II Helmy.
1906
1522
Khair Bey, a Mamluk traitor, appointed first governor of Egypt.
Dinshway incident happen, provokes anger of nationalists, especially Mustafa Kamel.
1768
1908
1798
1914
1801
1917
1805
1919, March
Mustafa Kamel, famous Egyptian nationalist, dies of tuberculosis, after forming the Nationalist Party a year earlier.
Attempt of independence from Ottoman control by Ali Bey the
Elder.
Britain overthrows Khedive Abbas Helmy and installs his uncle
Hussein Kamel in preparations for the World War I.
Napoleon Bonaparte invades Egypt, British Admiral Nelson
sinks the French fleet anchored in Abu Kir bay.
Mohamed Ali, father of modern Egypt, installed as wali of Egypt.
1807
Britain launches unsuccessful attack against Egypt.
Ottoman rule
Ottoman rule
King Fuad comes to power after the death of his brother Sultan
Hussein.
March - French troops evacuate from Egypt ending the French
expedition.
People revolt over deportation of famous nationalist Saad
Zagloul.
1922
Egypt gains independence from Britain.
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Timeline of key events 1936 - 2006
1997
1936, April
Ottoman rule
Fifty-eight tourists are killed by gunmen in front of the Temple of Hatshepsut near Luxor. It is alleged that Egypt’s Islamic
Group (Jemaa Islamiya) is responsible.
King Fuad dies and succeeded by his son Farouk.
1948
Arab countries led by Egypt attack newly born state of Israel,
suffering defeat.
1999, October
Mubarak begins his fourth term in office.
1952, July
2000, December
Coup d’état by Free Officers deposing King Farouk.
Egypt, Lebanon and Syria agree on a billion-dollar project for a
pipeline to carry Egyptian gas under the Mediterranean to the
Lebanese port of Tripoli.
1952, July
Coup d’état by Free Officers deposing King Farouk.
2002, February
1953, June
Egypt proclaimed republic.
Hundreds of passengers are killed after their train catches fire
south of Cairo.
1954
2004, October
Bomb attacks target Israeli tourists on Sinai peninsula; 34 people are killed.
British forces start to evacuate Egypt.
1956
Nasser becomes president and nationalizes Suez Canal to raise
funds for the High Dam.
2004, November
1956, October
2005, February-April
1967, 6 June
2005, May
1970, September
2005, July
Funeral of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is held in Cairo.
Pro-reform and opposition activists mount anti-government
demonstrations.
Britain, France and Israel launch the Tripartite invasion in retaliation over Nasser’s Suez Canal nationalization.
Referendum vote backs a constitutional amendment that will
allow multiple candidates to stand in presidential elections.
Israel launches the Six-Day war, seizing Sinai, West Bank, Gaza
and Golan Heights.
1973, 6 October
Scores of people are killed in bomb attacks in the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh.
1976, June
President Mubarak is re-elected for a fifth consecutive term.
1979, March
Parliamentary polls end with clashes between police and supporters of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood. The National
Democratic Party and its allies retain their large parliamentary majority. Muslim Brotherhood supporters, elected as independents, win a record 20% of seats.
1981, 6 October
2006, February
President Nasser dies, succeeded by Sadat.
2005, September
Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack against Israel.
2005, December
Formation of political party introduced.
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem begin signing the U.S.-sponsored Camp David Peace
Accords. Israel returns the Sinai to Egypt in exchange for a
promise of peace.
Up to 1,000 people die when a ferry carrying about 1,400 passengers from Saudi Arabia to Egypt sinks in the Red Sea.
Sadat assassinated by terrorists.
1981, October
2006, April
Mubarak elected president by a referendum.
Bomb attacks in the Red Sea resort of Dahab kill more than 20
people.
1987, October
Mubarak begins his second term.
Egypt rejoins the Arab League.
1993, October
Mubarak begins his third term in office.
1995, June
Mubarak escapes an assassination attempt by fundamentalists
in Addis Ababa.
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2006, August
Republic of Egypt
Republic of Egypt
1989
Egypt praises the way the guerrilla group Hezbollah held out
in the war with Israel in Lebanon after earlier questioning its
judgement.
2006, November
Egypt is one of at least six Arab countries developing domestic
nuclear programmes to diversify energy sources, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports.
Timeline of key events 2006- 2011
2006, November
2009, November
Upsurge in arrests of Muslim Brotherhood members.
Row between Egypt and Algeria following violence at football
matches.
2007, March
Referendum on constitutional amendments. The authorities
say 76% of voters approve changes, opposition groups say the
poll was rigged.
2009, December
2007, April
2010, January
2007, June
2010, February
Foreign activists protest in Cairo against Egypt’s refusal to let
aid convoys into Gaza.
Amnesty International criticises Egypt’s record on torture and
illegal detention.
Coptic Christians clash with police after an apparently sectarian shooting outside a church.
Parliamentary elections. Governing National Democratic Party
wins most votes.
Former UN nuclear chief Mohammed El-Baradei returns to
Egypt and, together with opposition figures and activists,
forms a coalition for political change. El-Baradei says he might
run in presidential election scheduled for 2011.
2007, October
Independent, opposition newspapers protest against “government harassment” after seven journalists are imprisoned and
an editor is put on trial.
2010, March
President Mubarak undergoes gall-bladder surgery in Germany, returning to Egypt three weeks later.
2008, April
2008, November
The governing NDP says it will privatise some state firms and
distribute free shares to citizens. State will retain majority stakes in strategically important assets such as iron, steel,
transport and tourism.
2010, June
Republic of Egypt
Military courts sentence 25 leading Muslim Brotherhood
members to jail terms in crackdown targeting the organisation’s funding. More than 800 arrested over a month. Brotherhood boycotted municipal elections after only 20 candidates
allowed to stand.
2009, February
Muslim Brotherhood fails to win any seats in elections to the
Shura consultative upper house of parliament; alleges vote
was rigged.
2010, November
Coptic Christians clash with police in Giza over construction
of church.
2011, January
21 killed in bomb at church in Alexandria where Christians had
gathered to mark the New Year.
Leading opposition figure Ayman Nour freed after serving
three years of five-year sentence on forgery charges that he
said were politically motivated.
January 25, 2011
2009, April
January 28, 2011
2009, May
February 10, 2011
2009, June
February 11, 2011
Anti-government protests begin across Egypt.
Egyptian authorities say they arrested 49 people the previous
year on suspicion of helping Hezbollah send money and aid to
Hamas in Gaza.
President Hosni Mubarak orders troops and tanks into cities to
quell demonstrations. Protesters welcome the army, which is
widely seen as a neutral force.
Egyptian police clash with Coptic Christian pig farmers trying
to stop their animals being taken away for slaughter as a precaution against swine flu.
Republic of Egypt
2009, July
Egyptian officials say 25 militants suspected of having al-Qaeda
links were arrested for plotting attacks on ships in the Suez
Canal.
2009, August
26 members of an alleged cell of the Lebanese militant group
Hezbollah go on trial in Cairo on charges of plotting attacks in
Egypt and helping to send weapons to Hamas in Gaza.
Mubarak steps down and a military council is formed to run
the country’s affairs.
Egyptian Revolution
US President Barack Obama makes key speech in Cairo calling
for a new beginning between the United States and the Muslim
world.
Mubarak says national dialogue is under way and transfers
powers to vice president, but refuses to leave office immediately.
March 19, 2011
Big majority of Egyptians approve amendments to the constitution in referendum designed to pave way for parliamentary
and presidential elections.
August 3, 2011
Mubarak, wheeled into a courtroom cage on a bed to face trial
and denies the charges against him. His two sons, Gamal and
Alaa, also deny the charges.
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Timeline of key events 2011- 2013
October 9, 2011
November 22, 2012
Coptic Christians turn their fury against the army after at least
25 Christians are killed when troops break up a protest.
Egypt president takes new powers
November 23, 2012
November 21, 2011
State TV: Protesters storm Muslim Brotherhood
Cabinet tenders resignation and the next day the military
council promises a civilian president will be elected in June
2012, six months sooner than planned.
November 24, 2012
Top Egyptian judicial body rips Morsi
November 27, 2012
November 25, 2011
Crowd to Morsi: Ditch decree or leave
Tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to military
rule pack Tahrir Square in the biggest turnout of a week of
protests and violence that killed 42 people.
November 29, 2012
Assembly adopts new constitution
November 28, 2011
December 2, 2012
December 14-15, 2011
December 6, 2012
Egypt judges refuse to oversee Morsi referendum
First voting in staggered elections for the lower house.
Tanks deployed near presidential palace after protests
Polls open in the second round of elections. The Muslim Brotherhood’s FJP later say they have received about 40 per cent of
votes cast for party lists in the second round.
December 8, 2012
President Morsi ‘annuls’ powers decree
December 21,2012
December 24, 2011
Thousands rally in Tahrir Square in the first mass gathering
since five days of street battles between protesters and the
military left at least 17 dead.
Egypt votes in second referendum
February 1, 2012
December 25, 2012
Egypt’s vice-president resigns
Voters back Egyptian constitution
June 2, 2012
Egyptian Revolution
At least 74 people have been killed in clashes between rival fans
following a football match in the city of Port Said.
December 22, 2012
June 14, 2012
Timeline covered by Ehab Aziz
March 17, 2012
Pope Shenouda III has died at the age of 88. Coptic Christians
make up 10% of Egypt’s 90 million populations
April 17, 2012
Bans on Egypt candidates upheld
Mubarak jailed for protest deaths
Egypt’s highest court declares parliament invalid
June 24, 2012
Islamist Mohamed Morsi was declared the new president of
Egypt on Sunday, following the first democratic election in
Egypt’s history
August 5, 2012
Unidentified gunmen have attacked a checkpoint on the Egyptian-Israeli border, killing at least 15 Egyptian policemen
Egyptian Revolution
August 12, 2012
Egypt president ‘retires’ military figures
September 13, 2012
Anti-US protests spread in Arab world
November 4, 2012
Egypt’s Coptic Christians pick new pope
November 17, 2012
Egypt bus-train crash kills 50 children
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January, 2013
Court orders retrial for ex-president Hosni Mubarak after accepting an appeal against his life sentence over the deaths of
protesters in 2011.
February, 2013
More than 50 people are killed during days of violent street
protests. The army chief warns that political strife is pushing
the state to the brink of collapse.
EVALUATION
Youth meeting in Cairo from 28th October to 4th November 2012
Eleven young women and one young man took part. We asked them about their insights,
impressions and assessments.
KNOWLEDGE GAINED
regarding
English and
interview
techniques
regarding
religion
regarding
political parties
and
human rights
regarding
economic,
social and
environmental
regarding
Egyptian
history
Very high (13-14)
Very high (8-9)
Very high (1-4 and 12)
High to low (5-7)
low (5-7)
- Assessments Political interest of the dialog partner
Political Change
Very high: One met young people being members of political
parties and the organization Cairo Human Rights with an apparently very high political interest. One met no representatives of the ruling party. In the countryside, the participants
met people who seemingly had a low political interest.
Very high demand is seen for an improvement of the constitution, the democratic understanding and the human rights.
Satisfaction of the dialog partner with the
Political Development in Egypt
Very often it was expected that there will be a further revolution.
revolution
Low: Probably also because one met no young people of the
ruling party.
• Human encounters
• Political interest
• Political Change
Human encounters and sustained contacts with
dialog partners
Very positive / very high: One met young people in the same
age with seemingly similar interests. Almost all are still in contact through social media. A Facebook group called CairoLandshut has been set up.
Impressions
Very positive impressed by the high political interest of dialog
partners.
• Political
Development
• Satisfaction of the dialog
partner with the revolution
• women rights
• man-woman relationship
Very negative impressed by the lack of women rights and the
man-woman relationship.
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