An alternative sound of the real Egypt
While crowds of shiny happy people rushed to the Queen tribute concert at the air conditioned Wisdom Hall of Sawy Culture Center last Wednesday, a handful made their way to…
A bleak view from an Egyptian Dystopia
The Utopia, the ideal society, in Ahmed Khaled Tawfiq s new best-selling novel Utopia is, in fact, a dystopia: the most imperfect state. Tawfiq portrays a near-future Egypt divided in…
It's not just about lines: The shadow of geometry
Geometry is "not just about lines, says architect Yahia Shawkat. Besides "anchoring the building to the land, these same lines could form "a cosmic link with the angles of the…
New film union aims to support filmmakers in the Muslim world
The Union for Short Filmmakers of Muslim Countries aims to overcome problems that moviemakers face and help them gain access to international film festivals. Speaking from Pakistan, Maheen Zia, founding…
Voice of power threatens voice of dialogue
Kaunas, Lithuania: They always come at night, George Orwell told us. You wake up to find people holding flashlights and surrounding your bed. This image always reappears during times of…
Four decades after Sayyid Qutb's execution
This week marks the 42nd anniversary of the execution of Sayyed Qutb, one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Islamism. Over four decades after his death, Qutb remains controversial,…
Syria and Iran: an alliance of convenience
Syria's relationship with Iran, though largely asymmetrical, tends to be viewed as a robust alliance that many political observers believe is only getting stronger. Underneath the showmanship, Iran's ties to…
AUC welcomes 54 scholarship students
CAIRO: The 54 recipients of the academic scholarship to study at the American University in Cairo celebrated their achievement at the university's downtown campus on Wednesday. On its fifth year,…
Septuplets stir debate on fertility drugs
ALEXANDRIA: The 27-year-old woman and her husband already had three children - all girls. They badly wanted a boy, and she had not conceived in five years, so doctors gave…
Peace activist Abie Nathan dies at 81
CAIRO: Renowned Israeli peace activist Abie Nathan, whose actions constantly put him at odds with Israeli authorities, died Wednesday at the age of 81.Nathan, who founded the Voice of Peace…