And this is how You mix religion with politics my dear

It was a fact that Constitution 2012 edition was enforcing the engagement of Religion in the state.Another fact the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies from Islamists including Nour party then used religion to promote for that constitution just
Myth says that 30 June uprising/revolution/wave/protests was/were against the Muslim Brotherhood and against the use of religion in politics and here I say it is a myth because I see the current ruling regime and its supporters shamelessly use religion in promoting for the Constitution 2013 edition.
Just yesterday Sheikh Ali Goma’a , our former Mufti said that those who would go to vote in the constitution referendum were supported by God !! He also added that we should all mobilize and say yes in order to astonish the world !!

New Old Nour Party's Constitution ad !!

He also added that the Constitution 2013 edition was against corruption and was against atheism !!!!!!! Yes against atheism so believers who want to fight that wave of atheism should vote for the constitution !!
Tell me what is the difference between Ali Goma’a and all the other MB sheikhs that said similar stuff about Constitution 2012 edition and the Constitution 1971 edition amendments referendum !? Of course this is not the first time Goma’a mix religion with politics , he has not stopped since July 26.
Even Nour Party is repeating the same old ads it used in 2012 claiming that Constitution 2013 in order to keep the Islamic identity and reference of the State. Its founder and famous Salafist preacher Yasser El Borhamy says that Constitution 2013 edition is better than Constitution 2012 edition !! 
Anyhow I hate to break the news to all of you , nobody for real knows what God thinks of this constitution or whether the Almighty is standing with this group or that group. Do not use the Lord in your useless endless disgusting earthly power fights.
And I remember Sheikh Emad Effet May Allah bless his soul and wonder why we are stuck in this world with sheikhs like El Borhmay , Goma’a and of course the MB’s religious band of Sheikhs !! The Lord only knows !! 
We hoped that after June 30 that mix of religion with politics to be stopped but we were naive as it seems. 

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Happy new Hagri Year from Egyptian Chronicles

Happy new Hagri 1435 from Egyptian Chronicles to all Muslims around the globe.

Hopefully that this new year beginning today will be better than last year hopefully.

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Pilgrimage in #Mecca Decades ago

Very happy and blissful Eid Adha for all the readers of the Egyptian Chronicles. Now today I share with you this video clip I found online showing the pilgrimage in Mecca many decades ago.

Rare footage for pilgrimage

It is very beautiful and rare footage in Arabic.
The creator the video says that the material he got in the video was hundred years ago and that its source was pilgrims from South East Asia. Well I believe that the material was from an old Egyptian newsreel film based on the accent of the narrator and his style of reading. It is the same as the one used in the old Egyptian newsreel.
By the way,Saudi News Channel announced that it was found out that the oldest photograph for the Holy Kaaba in Mecca was taken by an Egyptian army officer and geographer Mohamed Sadek  in 1880. The army officer who was fond by geography and photography wrote books about Saudi Arabia and the trip of Pilgrimage during then. He took about 18 photos then.

Photo for the Kaaba in 1880 by Mohamed Sade

A photo for Al Masid Nabawi in Medina in 1880

Amazingly the photos of Mohamed Sadek Beh were not found in Cairo in the forgotten Geographic Society but rather in the archives of King Abdel Aziz Al Soud. It turned out that a German explorer and geographer bought the photos from Sadek in 1883 during a trip in Tunisia. The photos since then disappeared then resurfaced again in 1989 in some auction where some collector bought the 18 photos for $ 2,900,000. I guess the collector was a Saudi Royal figure. I respect their efforts to collect this history and heritage.

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Happy Eid Adha 2013 From Egyptian Chronicles

Today Egypt and Muslim world are celebrating Eid Adha , may it be full of happiness, joy and peace all over the globe.

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#Saving_History : Destroying our History by our hands

When the tragedy of Mallawi museum took place last August , some people blamed foreign parties and enemies of standing behind the looting and destruction that took place in the Upper Egyptian museum just like what happened in Iraq.
Unlike Iraq , I believe we do not need foreign enemies and parties because so far I am afraid to say we are own worst enemy when it come to how we destroy our history and heritage.
After all the looting happened to the ancient Egyptian archaeological sites and the attack against old Christian churches and monasteries , we continue our attack on the Islamic heritage of Egypt.
From couple of weeks ago I was surprised and shocked like many “I Believe” to know that part of the 17th century Youssef Agha mosque was turned in to a Shoes shop o!! Oh yes a Shoes shop !!

Shoes shop in 17th century mosque !!

First of all I will be lying to say that I even knew that this beautiful mosque existed in Egypt. It is in old Cairo and it was built by a Mamluk Amir Youssef Agha Al-Hinn in 1625. It was a mosque and a school. This beautiful mosque is besides the Islamic museum and the Cairo security directorate.

The Mosque before the shop "Mohamed Msobeih"

It is very beautiful mosque. Here is a photo gallery in the old days. “Most of the photos are from researcher Mohamed Msobieh’s forum.

I am sorry but from what I see that the Cairo governorate , the local council and the police are all involved in this crime because you can not open a shop like that without licenses and permits from the government !!
FYI the mosque is registered as a monument. It was also renovated after the 1992 earthquake.  You can also read more about the history and architecture of that mosque from this informative e-book.
I do not know why TV channels launch a true campaign to save the heritage and the  history of this nation for real instead of that campaign to fight terrorism full of racism and hatred.
Archeologists are demanding the government to change the minister of antiquities Mohamed Ibrahim as soon as possible. It was their demand from the start.
I think we need make more noise about this unaccepted attack. If you are okay that a Shoes shop opens a branch in a mosque that is regarded , tomorrow do not be sad when you some foul and falafal sandwiches in some ancient Egyptian site.
We are indeed our own worst enemy !!
The nation that sells its history for wealth , deserves none!!

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Happy Eid Fitr From Egyptian Chronicles

Happy Eid from Egyptian Chronicles to all the readers celebrating Eid El Fitr around the globe.
Of course this year the Eid comes in very intense time in Egypt.I do not know this post to be serious, but I can not keep politics out of it.

The MB pro-Morsi protesters are keeping their spirits high in Raba'a sit in , the housewives there even baked Eid cookies there at the sit in. The cookies they baked had a political message. 

From Raba'a : Cookies say "Morsi is my president", "Islamic"&"anti-coup"

Not so surprisingly the Pro-military supporters from housewives had to fire back too.

Counter MB Cookies : Egypt El Sisi aka Egypt CC Cookies

Happy Eid El Fitr 2013 

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#Ramadan Karim From Egyptian Chronicles

And today is Ramadan’s eve. Yes just couple of hours and we will start the holy month of Ramadan for 30 days.

I wish that Ramadan this year would save Egypt and Egyptians from that destructive hate spreading all over the nation. 
I am praying to God this month to bring peace and stability as well mercy to this country.
May Allah bless the souls of our martyrs and all those fallen victims in the past few weeks. May Allah bring patience to their families. May Allah bring back their rights.
It is just strange because it does not feel like Ramadan this year. Of course I am praying that people forget their political differences and pay attention to TV soap operas for the first time so politicians can do their job for real.
It is just strange because since 2011 Ramadan in Egypt was different. In 2011 we were under SCAF rule and we remember what happened when a group of activists tried to have a breakfast in Tahrir square. Then in 2012 we had a new president but Ramadan changed completely when our soldiers were slaughtered in cold blood in North Sinai. Up till now we do not know officially from the Egyptian state who killed them despite the unofficial news about Hamas’ involvement.
FYI the Morsi supporters will complete their sit in in Raba’a Al Adaawaya square in Ramadan.
Anyhow I will stop and I will Ramadan Karim for all the world from the talkative Chronicler.
P.S Ramadan Karim means Ramadan is generous in Arabic ;)

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Mosireen Interviews Hazem Barakat And People Began to React Somehow "Graphic +18"

Mosireen went to Abu Muslam and interviewed citizen journalist Hazem Barakat who witnessed the horrifying massacre of Shiites last yesterday.It has not been translated yet to Arabic.

It is extremely important.Hazem says that the police was there two hours before the people were killed and they did not nothing. This clip including new sad scene like how the women of village were also participating in the mob attacking cheering against the Shiites.
There are more shocking and graphic clips surfacing. The villagers turned in to monsters. It is as if they were demonic creatures attacking human beings. They are even happy and do not think that they did anything wrong.
Now below a video showing Hassan Shehata before his tragic death along his relatives shortly. He did not come with women like the villagers claim. 

Now below the video showing the attack on the same home. It is extremely graphic.

That cartoon made by Andeel summarizes the whole thing.

Do You like it dear God ?

 Here is a quick storify report with reactions in Egypt.

I want to say something Al Nour Party is trying to distance itself as I hinted on Storify. There are posters against Shia all over Egypt with the party´s logo.

Together Against Shia

In Aswan by Kristen Chick

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Unjust village "Graphic+18"

I do not know what to say or what to write. Let´s start with facts. This afternoon in a small village in Giza called Abu Muslam a mob of angry locals , 3000 attacked the houses of the Shiites killing not less than 4 and injuring dozens. Not less than 5 houses owned by other Egyptians who happened to be Shiites were also torched. 

Today was the 15th night of Shabaan ,a holy night for all Muslims and one of the most famous Egyptian Shiite sheiks Hassan Shehata was visiting one of the families there. As soon as Shehata was known to be there the angry mob attacked the house he was staying at throwing Molotov cocktails and then attacking th house itself. 

The house when the mob showed up

Shehata was stabbed and killed as well dragged in the streets. 

Shehata was accused by Sunni clerics in Egypt of spreading Shiism in Egypt. They

According to the villagers who did not hide their pride with what they did in front of the media they prevented those bad Shiites from debauchery and urfi marriage orgy !!!!!!

This is the true unjust village. Unjust village is the name of a novel I once read about Jerusalem after the trial of Jesus.

This is a simple thing to summarize things but it is more than that. People attacked the Shiites stabbed them and dragged them through the narrow the streets of the village in front of the police force that came late and yet did not stop the on going public lynching. Amazingly the police did not try to disperse that mob not with a singly tear gas bomb !! It could have saved lives.

The CSF was there but did not stop anything

One of the victims who were killed in front of police

By the way the locals dragged the bodies and threw to the CSF vehicles and policemen that piled the bodies with no respect at all. Here is our great police disrespecting the dead Egyptians as usual.

AFP

According to Hazem Barakat , the young citizen journalist who witnessed the whole affair what happened tonight was actually the result of incitement that started by the Salafist Sheikhs in the village from 3 weeks ago against the Shiites families. 

I am sorry I will not be able to show all the photos or videos taken by citizen journalist Hazem Barakat who broke the story to the whole world through twitter.I chose the least graphic. I apologized in advance and I warn you that it is graphic. 

There are 40 Shiite families in the small village according to Shiite activist Bahaa Anwar who holds president Morsi the responsibility of that attack after the huge sectarian incitement rhetoric used against Shiites  the Salafist and Jihadist sheiks in the Pro-Syria conference. Morsi , the president of all Egyptians including Egyptian Shiites was attending the conference and did not reject that sectarian talk. Well I am not surprised because the same language has been always used against the Christians and Shiites in Misr 25 , the official TV channel of the Muslim Brotherhood as well the other Salafist channels like Al Nas channel.

Tonight Al Nas Channel TV host justified the attack of the Shiite citizens including Hassan Shehata claiming that the famous Shiite cleric used to insult Prophet Mohamed's wife and so on !! I do not think Prophet Mohamed "PBUH" will approve what happened by all measures.
By the way Salafist Facebooks are bragging and even are claiming responsibility , here is screen capture below. "Life has become Salafist" is happy that Hassan Shehata and bunch of his friends were killed by their brothers "I do not see Salafists in the videos" who threw their bodies to the CSF !! 

A Salafist Facebook Page announces the operation !!

This is the worst and loudest sectarian incident involving Shiite in Egypt.

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Leave Cairo's Saint Patron Alone For God sake !!

I am getting tired of hearing that sort of news everyday.Yesterday I found photos showing horrible agression on Sayeda Zeinab Mosque in Old cairo. First you can read more about the history of that mosque and shrine in Cairobserver blog. You will be shocked to know that this mosque is not listed as Islamic monument !!
Now It seems that either the ministry of endowment or some people decided to paint the old mosque as they want. They began to color the roof white the minaret was painted by pink !!
Here is a photo gallery for what happened exactly in the mosque from Historic Cairo Facebook Page.

 It is unclear who is behind this cultural agression. Some say that it is the ministry of endowment while others say that they are some El Sayeda fantatics trying to get rid to celebrate the birth of Cairo's Saint patron in their own way !!
Either ways the ministry of culture and its Urban harmony sector are extremely angry and they demand that nonsense to stop right way.
The head of the Sayeda Zeinab district claimed that he did not do anything about the painting of the mosque !! 
The district stopped the painting thank goodness but one must wonder what if those photos above did not make it online.
By the way I think the ministry of culture and ministry of antiquities should pay attention to what is happening to the old mosques related to Islamic saints. I wrote before about Sultan Abu Ela Mosque and nothing happened. By the doom of Sultan Abu Ela mosque is painted white. 

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#Aleppo : The Minaret is gone

This is just sad , extremely sad in a way you can not ever imagine. Yes the human souls are precious but seeing the famous Umayyad Mosque without its famous minaret today was a huge shock. The minaret was destroyed after the mosque was shelled by Al Assad security forces.

The mosque without its minaret "AMC and AP"

After and before "AMC and AP"

Ironically some Muslims , mainly from Arabs believed that Prophet Jesus will descend from heavens on this minaret in particular to start his war against the anti-Christ in the end of days. 

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My Two Cents about #Femen and Their #Jihad !!

This twitter message summarizes what I want to say about Femen and their Topless Jihad.

#Femen #muslimahpride #toplessjihadday "I do not need patriarchal states or eurocentric feminists to dictate to me!" twitter.com/sofiaahmed1/st…
— Sofia Ahmed (@sofiaahmed1) April 4, 2013

By the way Aliaa El Mahdy is the not the biggest symbol of freedom for the Arab women and she does not represent me. 

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Torture in the house of God !!

Now I wonder what the prosecution office will do concerning this disturbing accusation supported by testimonies and hard evidence.  

The Muslim brotherhood is accused of torturing other Egyptian citizens in the house of God , in Belal Ibn Rabah Mosque in Mokattam during the clashes last Friday. Here is a video made by Mosireen translated to English “I think it is working now on the blog” showing the victims speaking on what happened to them.

Those who were tortured there were mainly from the earthquake houses area near Mokattam. The earthquake houses area is a lower working class area. The victims were Muslims and Christians from the people there. Of course the MB is insisting that they are hired thugs based on how they look and so on ignoring the facts that we are dealing with an area surrounded by Cairo’s infamous slums and shanty towns suffering from extreme poverty. 
The MB does not want to recognize that the next wave in the revolution will be the hunger uprising from these areas who are fed from the castles in the air. For years actually observers and analysts during the Mubarak era expected that the revolution in Egypt would be a hunger one and not a political middle class one like 25 January revolution for God sake.
Here is another testimony from Ramy El Kholy about the torture inside the complex that he witnessed himself at the ceremonies hall last Friday 
El Kholy said that he witnessed not less than 15 men in their underwear being tortured and whipped to the level that most of them are unconscious. 

Ahmed Ragab, the journalist also wrote a very sad unbiased testimony and how he and other journalists witnessed extreme violence and brutality against the protesters at the mosque.
Both El Kholy and Ragab recorded in their testimonies what they witnessed fairly and before you speak they mentioned the violations and inhuman beating from the protesters' side too.

If you do not want to believe those people because they look thugs in your eyes then I urge you to red what the administration of Belal Ibn Rabah Mosque and Community service complex said in its statement. This statement was published from couple of days ago. You can see it after the break.

The administration board of Belal Ibn Rabah announces its full denouncement to what happened on Friday “22/3/2013” inside the mosque’s hall and the ceremonies hall after they were stormed by groups affiliated to religious trends “Islamists” after the Friday prayers and their complete control on the mosque and its facilities.

Belal Ibn Rabah community center was founded by the residents of Mokattam and their complete support to the center is the reason of its success. It is not funded by any party or group.

Thus we are very sorry to the people of Mokattam for what happened despite we did not lost control on that day thanks to the use of violence.

The administration announces its rejection and denouncement for the actions of violence and thuggery as well using mosques in the political conflicts.

The administration has filed a report about happened in Mokattam Police station and the report no. is “2787” on 23/3/2013 and it has been referred to the prosecution office on 25/3/2012

Now according to the administration of the community center and Mosque after the Friday prayer flocks of the MB members from other governorates occupied the mosque and took control of the whole complex.
The complex found itself under fire when the families of the tortured from the popular areas came angrily demanding an explanation. It was worth to mention that the complex and the mosque are regarded from the five star mosque where TV preachers go and give lessons and so on.
The MB is claiming to have high morals and that the protesters were the bad guys in last Friday’s clashes. Well I have got bad news to the MB , both the MB members and the protesters were the bad guys. I do not know how they justify the use of House of God in such thing. This is another sign of their downfall. Yes downfall because when I read history , I think how the downfall of mighty groups claiming righteousness start.
By the way the MB members detained in the Mosque  at El Nafoora square were not touched till they were released by the security forces. In fact according to Nawara Negm a Egyptian Christian protester urged the other protesters to leave those MB members in the mosque and not to touch them because this is the house of God.

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No wonder how police treats people so bad in #Egypt

These horrifying images were posted today in a Facebook Page from Suez that covers the governorate’s news and events.

Executing dogs in Suez

Police and the Veterinary department in Suez started a campaign to get rid from stray dogs in some area. As you can see they executed the dogs in this inhuman way “Shooting them” and piled them in some truck thinking that it is a big achievement.
First of all what kind of veterinary department is that in Suez that does not know the merciful methods to execute wild sick animals like that !??
Second of all no wonder police treats people like that when the policemen do not have any feelings towards God’s creature.
Third here is an official fatwa from 2003 prohibiting the torture of animals and executing them cruelly but rather to use merciful and scientific modern methods.

The copy of the fatwa

The fatwa uses an example from Prophet Mohamed “PBUH” Life and how the prophet saw a donkey with tortured by someone and told his companions that whoever tortured that animal will be cursed. “You do not torture it or you hit it” Prophet Mohamed “PBUH”
That fatwa shared by animals rights activists Dina Zulfikar on Facebook was signed by Sheikh Mohamed Abbas and late Sheikh Emad Effat. {May Allah bless his soul} “Yes the Emad Effat , you can not imagine how I felt when I found his name on that fatwa”
Do you know you that annually the Egyptian government spends more than LE 30 million to get rid from the stray dogs through poison and birdshots !? Do you know that they are ignoring an economic solution that will save a lot of money which is animal sterilization !?
This is not luxury , this is basic thing for real.

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The Shiites are coming , The Shiites Are Coming

Ahmedinajed

I had enough of that new hysteria of media in the middle of the daily madness we face in Egypt nowadays. That hysteria simply revolves about the visit of the minister of tourism Hisham Zaazou to Iran.
The man went to open new market for Egypt in Iran , it is a great opportunity especially in those extreme bad economic and tourism times. We should be thankful  but instead there are hysteria and fear from those future Iranian tourists.
The Islamists are extremely angry from Zaazou’s visit and believe the Iranian tourists will spread Shiism in Egypt and the Salafists are screaming to Morsi “The Shiites are coming , the Shiites are coming” ordering him literality to stop that Shiite touristic invasion in Egypt otherwise they will stand against him till death !!
The liberals too are hysterical about these Iranian tourists as well. They think that brining the Iranian tourists will enforce the religious state in Egypt and that these tourists will be members of the Iranian regime in disguise who came to teach their Egyptian counterparts who control the state.. etc.
I do not know what kind of liberals they are to be honest.I feel that we are dealing here not with liberals but rather with Nationalists. No wonder the Egyptian liberals have failed the test and are not defending the rights of those fellow Egyptian Shiites as they do with the Christians and even the Baha’is.
Already Turkey , the role model of the Muslim brotherhood and its biggest alley after Qatar receives not less than 2 million Iranian tourist annually. I do not see that Turkey has turned in to a Shiite state or even Iranian follower in the region !!
The Iranian tourists will not transfer the Iranian Islamic republic experience but they will bring money. You need money now. For God sake Israeli tourists come and go freely in South Sinai for decades and people are hysterical about future Iranian tourists.
If we are speaking about true Religious tourism in Egypt : Two main target segments should be reached and they are the Christians and the Muslim Shiites. The trip of the Holy family in Egypt and the Holy sites of Ahl El Bayt in Cairo are the main attractions. Of course this can be achieved if you are tolerant enough as a society which is not the case especially now with all that sick polarization and hate.
Needless to say to see this hysteria from those Iranian tourists who have not shown yet in Cairo , I can not stop thinking about Egyptian Shiites. Egypt’s forgotten and less popular Muslims who are destined to face hell whether in time of Mubarak or in time of Morsi. 
It was one of the most ironic moments last month when Sheikh of Al Azhar Ahmed El Tayib actually stood besides Ahmadinejad demanding him to give the Iranian Sunnis and Ahvaz their rights where as he himself , an Egyptian official does not recognize any rights for Egyptian Shiites at all !!
Sheikh Ahmed El Tayib already forgot that the current Constitution approved actually does not recognize Egyptian Muslim Shiites at all. It clearly states in article 219 which was highlighted by human rights organizations that only the Sunni Islamic doctrines are recognized by the Egyptian State as sources of legalization.¹
Yes we got Egyptian Shiite population in Egypt and they will not go any where or disappear as they are Egyptians like you and me. According to foreign estimations there are nearly 1% of Egyptian Muslim population and some think that it is more than that as some Sunni Egyptian Muslims do convert from time to time.
I have done some extensive research about Egyptian Shiites and I found out that like any other group you will find the liberal , the religious extremist and the nationalists among them.They are not monsters who are serving some hidden Iranian agenda. Some of them served in their country’s army including veterans who fought in 1973. They are everywhere from Alexandria to Aswan. Some of them if not most of them hide their true religious faith to avoid trouble. In the end they are Egyptians who are in desperate need to feel that they are not alien or dangerous clandestine society. They are Egyptians who are seeking the rights of full citizenship. 
Unfortunately only in times of moderation and enlightenment you will find attempts to bridge that gap between Sunni and Shiite and unfortunately we live in times of radicalizations whether in Egypt or Iran or in general. People forget that for centuries Egypt had been ruled by Shiite dynasty that founded our Capital “Cairo” and our great mosque “Al Azhar” in some of history’s biggest ironies if you think about it.
The Egyptian Shiites file is extremely big and sad as it does not deal only with regional politics but with sad sectarian religious wrong ideas.
Anyhow I will end my short post with something I heard from one of the top and controversial Shiite figures in Egypt : We have faith in the Egyptians , the real Egyptians who are not radical but moderate non Sectarian Egyptians”
Notes
1. Explanatory article for the second in the Egyptian constitution.

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#AlAzhar and #Mufti Elections : And we will hold our breath "Update"

Later today Al Azhar’s elderly clerics council will hold an urgent meeting to elect the grand Mufti of Egypt. Sheikh Ali Gomaa’s term will finish next March and thus a new Mufti should be elected from 25 candidates.
The good thing that the president does not appoint the Mufti anymore but the bad thing now is that the MB's official Mufti is applying for this position !!
MB Mufti Abdel Rahman El Bar  is one of the candidates and to be honest I am extremely worried to have another MB member in that critical position.
El Bar claims that he was surprised by his nomination "what you know !!" yet people should not be discriminated for their political affiliation according to him"which theoretically is true"
Despite he says that he does not seek the position , he will have one hour interview on the State TV today !!!
I am totally against having El Bar as Egypt's grand Mufti because  if he is elected , we will have fatwas based on the MB's conservative interpretation for Islam !! We will have fatwas upon the request of the guidance office.
Based on how the MB members and supporters act online and say regarding the candidacy of El Bar , I fear from the elections' results today.

Updated :

And the Clerics elected Shawky Ibrahim as Egypt's newest Mufti. We do not know much about him expect that he is a professor of Maliki Fiqh in the faculty of Sharia and Law , Al Azhar University in Tanta. Before the elections he used to work in Oman.
We do not know any thing about his political affiliation. Here is his picture.

Sheikh Ibrahim, the new Mufti.

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#Ahmadinejad in Al Azhar Mosque

Aside from his meeting with President Morsi , the visit of Iranian President Ahmadinejad to Al Azhar Mosque in Egypt is capturing all the attention in his important visit.
After all the leader of the main Shiite State nation in the world is visit Al Azhar Mosque , the biggest Sunni institution in the world. Again in any other time it can be great moment to celebrate it and even start a new page to bridge between the two main sects of Islam but it comes in extremely bad time.
Nevertheless the real star of the visit was not Ahmadinejad but rather Ahmed El Tayyib , the grand Sheikh of Al Azhar Mosque. The Upper Egyptian Sheikh began to play a bigger political role week after week !!
Today he hoped that Iran works to stop the war in Syria , to give rights to the Sunnis and Ahwaz in Iran and not to spread the Shiism in the Arab world plus to respect Bahrain and Gulf’s sovereignty and to make the Shiites stop their verbal attack against Prophet Mohamed’s companions.
Of course there is no word on the rights of Shiites in Egypt !!
Last week the man sponsored an initiative proposed by Pro-revolutionary youth to stop violence in Egypt attended by all political powers and parties and church representatives that boycott the president Morsi’s national dialogue.
Anyhow some Egyptians are pissed from Ahmadinejad and the victory signs he kept doing in Al Azhar for some reason I ignore !!

El Tayyib does not like it either !!

By the way for the record Ahmadinejad is not the first ruler of Iran to visit Al Azhar mosque and meets it sheikh. Shah Iran did it before when he was a crown prince during his engagement to Princess Fawzia , that later became his wife.

 Here is what the man from Tehran said at Al Azhar

Ahmadinajed speaks in Al Azhar Mosque

And in other news a Syrian citizen tried to throw a shoe at the Iranian President during his visit to Al Hussien Mosque.

Attacking Ahmadinejad

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Happy Mawlid Nabawi #2013 : The Mawlid Bride

Mawlid Bride by Zeinab Ali

Today January 24 ,2013/Rabi' Al Awwal 12,1434 , today we celebrate in the Islamic world the Mawlid El Nabawi aka Prophet Mohamed "PBUH" birthday. 
A short break from politics and back to the old and beautiful celebration of Egyptian history, I will speak about  the Mawlid bride and Mawlid Horse.
As a typical feast in Egypt , it is associated with food. In this blessed occasion we got the famous set of Mawlid candies and sweets that include sugar coated bars of nuts , Hums , pistachio , sesame and almond as well the famous Turkish delights. This set of sweets and candies are known in Egypt as "Halwat El Mawlid". I do not know if that set came with the Fatimids or the Ottomans but I feel it came with the Ottomans thanks to the Turkish delights.
Now the Mawlid bride and Mawlid Horse are much older in the Egyptian 
Historical the Mawlid bride as well Mawlid Horse entered Egypt with the Fatimids. Some historians say that the Mawlid bride originated from the Fatima doll the Shiite Fatimids brought to Egypt from North Africa to commemorate their love to Lady Fatima , the daughter of Prophet Mohamed "PBUH". Sooner the Fatima doll evolved to the Mawlid bride for girls and Mawlid Horse or Knight for boys. A sculptured sugar doll of a girl decorated with very vivid colors became the symbol of the Mawlid after centuries and centuries.
Some folklorists say that our Fatima lady figure was soon mixed with the figure of Virgin Mary in the Egyptian folkloric mindset and the proof was in the decoration of the Mawlid Bride , these circles in the back of the Mawlid were actually the halo around saints.
Amazingly other folklorists and historians say that the shape of the doll whether the bride or the knight goes back to the famous legend of Isis and Horus.

 Amazingly the shape of the Mawlid Horse or knight looks so similar to an ancient Egyptian sculpture Horus over a horse killing Set as a crocodile.

ُ

The Horus sculpture and legend was soon to be imported by the way to become Saint George and the dragon.
The current shape of the Mawlid horse or knight reminds more with the legends of Bani Helal and how the knights of Bani Helal were portrayed in our folklore.

The current shape "Internet"

Egyptians used to have this woman figure throughout this history starting from Isis then the Virgin Mary then Lady Fatima and her daughter lady Zeinab so I will not be surprised or shocked if this goes back to Isis.
 Nowadays we import the Mawlid Bride with foreign Western features from China. In the past two years China exported to us a veiled bride.

Veiled Bride from Al Masry Al Youm

Some Egyptian Patisseries import the dolls from China and change the design of its dress annually. Watch this video report from Al Shorouk News.

Unfortunately due to health reasons , there is a less demand on the traditional sugar coated Mawlid bride. I was amazed when I saw Mrs. Ghada Shahbender posting a tweet photo for a traditional sugar coated bride from couple of days ago. The traditional one is still alive.

Shahbender's Mawlid bride

Here is a pictorial report  from Al Masry Al Youm showing the steps to create that Pink Mawlid Bride.
By the way some Patisseries in Cairo began to renovate in the shape of the Mawlid bride. Here is a photo of Mawlid bride by Dukes Patisserie in Heliopolis. I really love how it looks.

Modern Mawlid bride

All Egyptian Children I believe as students had to draw that Mawlid bride in the drawing classes. Who did not draw it for God sake !!?
In 1955 there was a film with the name of "Mawlid Bride" starring Tahia Carioca  where she were a Mawlid bride that suddenly becomes alive and began to enjoy life.
Here the Reda Folklore dancing troupe presenting a dancing sketch called Mawlid bride in 1962

By the way do you know that the Mufti of Libya El Gheriany issued a fatwa to prohibit the celebration of that joyful event and yet the Libyans celebrate it yesterday in crazy way with amazing fireworks in major Libyan cities in defiance !! 
Happy blessed Mawlid.
I had to write this post to have a short break from the upcoming 72 hours. God knows the amount of stress we are all having in Cairo from anticipation.

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