Published in Ahram Online on January 21, 2013 The Administrative Court’s decision that ‘In the Balance’ will be suspended for a month shows a worrying disregard for freedom of opinion, and a dangerous paternalism on the part of judges Last week, the Administrative Court issued a verdict suspending for one month the programme “In the Balance” which airs on Al-Hafez channel, and banning media figures Atef Abdel-Rashid and Sheikh Abdallah Badr from appearing in the media for a month. While the court ruling in its reasoning said that the aforementioned programme often broadcasts scenes and discusses issues that are indecent…
Leave a CommentMonth: January 2013
Published in Ahram Online on January 13, 2013 Could the exodus of Egyptian Jews in the 20th century be repeated now with other minority communities? Since Muslim Brotherhood leader Dr Esam El-Erian issued his call some two weeks ago to Israeli Jews of Egyptian origins to return to Egypt the social and print media have been abuzz with all kinds of speculation about the meaning, purpose and possible repercussions of this call. And while clear answers are yet to be found, the fact remains that this call has triggered public debate about a topic that has been taboo for decades.…
Leave a CommentPublished in Ahram Online on January 6, 2013 Close inspection of Essam El-Erian’s problematic statement calling Israelis of Egyptian ancestry to return to Egypt reveals Brotherhood leader’s true motives Besides being issued by a prominent leader of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), the significance of Essam El-Erian’s recent call for Egyptian Jews to return to Egypt can be found in what El-Erian actually said and what he meant by it. As far as one can judge from his tweets, press interviews and TV appearances, the offer appears to be founded on a moral principle and a sense of injustice for what…
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