Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Mahmoud Hassan
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Fatwa chaos deepens Gaza's suffering
Despite the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip — now surpassing 560 days and resulting in over 51,000 martyrs and 116,000 injured — the conflicting fatwas issued by religious authorities across the Arab and Islamic worlds regarding the course of the war continue unabated. This controversy, both complex and...
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Anaemia is ravaging the people of Egypt
The official announcement that 40 per cent of Egyptians are afflicted with anaemia paints a stark picture of the nation’s suffering due to malnutrition, a result of rising inflation, a dire economy and deteriorating living conditions. More than one-third of Egypt’s population — approximately 110 million people — suffer...
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Is Netanyahu harming Egypt’s economy?
The ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas was short-lived, once again depriving Egypt of the opportunity to revive its strained, debt-laden economy, which has been under pressure for the past decade. Egypt is among the most affected by Israel’s violation of the ceasefire agreement on 18 March,...
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Complex dynamics hinder Egypt-Syria rapprochement
The relations between Egypt and Syria remain stalled amid caution and anticipation, despite the participation of interim Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in the emergency Arab summit hosted by Cairo earlier this month. The Egyptians have yet to come to terms fully with the sudden shift in the Syrian political...
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Solitary confinement can last for years in Egypt’s prisons
The words of an Egyptian child whose father endures the anguish of imprisonment tell us a lot about the current state of Egypt. “For the first time, my father is fasting Ramadan in solitary confinement,” said Amjad Ali. I have changed the child’s name for his protection. Perhaps he...
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How do the Egyptian authorities seize business and personal assets?
For over 11 years, the Egyptian authorities have tightened their grip on businessmen, seizing private companies in a manner that makes the future of investment in the most populous Arab country uncertain. Initially, they specifically targeted Islamists following the coup of July, 2013, but repressive practices expanded to include...
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Marriage for people with disabilities is an often forbidden right in Egypt
A woman in her fifties reflected the struggles faced by people with disabilities in Egypt when it comes to realising their dream of getting marriage. “I suffer from polio and am deprived of marriage,” she said. This forbidden right is evident when looking at the world of the visually impaired,...
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Who will govern Gaza the day after the war?
The governance of the Gaza Strip on the day after the war remains a major concern for Tel Aviv, Washington and several Arab capitals, amid regional and international anticipation regarding the sustainability of the ceasefire agreement and the prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Palestinian resistance factions, mainly Hamas. The...
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Love and marriage are expensive in Egypt
You may have to pay as much as a million Egyptian pounds (about $20,000) to get married in Egypt — and some pay twice as much — even though the country has a growing number of unmarried men and women. The most populous Arab country, with a population in...
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Why the great escape from Egypt?
Businessmen, athletes, influencers on social media and others are the protagonists of a dramatic wave of departures from Egypt. The stars of the “Great Escape” series, who are leaving Egypt in search of a safe haven for their investments and activities abroad, are raising many questions about the future of...
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Egypt’s options for the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza
US President Donald Trump’s insistence that Egypt and Jordan will accept displaced Palestinians from the Gaza Strip raises significant concerns about a potential deal being negotiated behind closed doors to facilitate their forced displacement. In other words: ethnic cleansing. The final details of such a deal may not yet...
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Egypt faces a tough test
The Egyptian government faces a critical test on Tuesday, 28 January, when it will appear before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) amid allegations of increasing human rights violations and oppressive practices against political opponents. The administration of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi seeks to showcase steps it has taken...
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When will Egyptians reclaim the January Revolution?
Next Saturday, Egyptians will mark the 14th anniversary of the 25 January Revolution of 2011, amidst a nostalgic longing for the unfulfilled promises of the uprising and ongoing questions about how to rekindle the popular momentum that toppled the regime of late President Hosni Mubarak after 30 years in...
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Al-Sisi expands the military's economic share
A new network of commercial outlets affiliated with Egypt’s Ministry of Defence has spread widely across the country’s governorates. These outlets specialise in selling dairy products, meat, food items and essential goods, marking the latest public economic activity of the Egyptian military. The organisation, Future of Egypt for Sustainable Development,...
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Egypt and the new Syria: Concerns about the spread of revolution
Extreme fear and caution dominate Egypt’s ruling circles regarding the new Syria in the post-Assad era. This comes amid a campaign to discredit Syria’s new leadership, cast doubt on their intentions and spread fear among Syrians about an uncertain future. Cairo appears to be one of the most hard-line Arab...
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New asylum law raises concerns of violations in Egypt
Egypt’s first asylum law raises concerns of violations being committed against refugees and asylum seekers, especially after responsibility for registering asylum seekers and determining their refugee status is transferred from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to the Egyptian government. A few days ago, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi...
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Does Egypt have its own Sednaya Prison?
The horrific Sednaya Prison in Syria has thrown the spotlight on the reality of Egypt’s prisons, the files of those forgotten behind bars, and the fate of the victims of torture and forced disappearance during the rule of current Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. Thousands of Egyptian families fear a...
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What does Assad's downfall mean for Sisi's regime?
The fall of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime last week has triggered contrasting reactions in Egypt. While the Egyptian public has welcomed the development with joy and hope, the ruling circles are visibly anxious and fearful. This dichotomy reflects Egyptian aspirations for potential change from the iron grip that’s...
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Egypt’s judges are facing three crises
Egypt’s judges are facing three crises which have sparked open discontent and anger within the judiciary. The country has around 22,000 judges, of which 11,000 serve in civil and criminal courts; 2,500 serve in the State Council; and the rest are in the State Litigation Authority and Administrative Prosecution. They...
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Is Sisi moving towards reconciliation with the Muslim Brotherhood?
The Egyptian authorities’ decision to remove 716 people from the terrorist list is surrounded by mystery. The list includes Muslim Brotherhood leaders, businessmen, journalists and human rights activists, and it raises many questions about the significance of the decision and whether it is a prelude to resolving the crisis...
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Cheating is ruining Egypt's education quality indicators
There are more than 25 million students across all levels of the Egyptian education system, which is the largest in the Arab region. Egypt, however, scores low on education quality indicators in the Arab world and globally. This is caused by the spread of cheating, exam leaks, the growing...
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Why doesn't Egypt host the Hamas Political Bureau?
As US President-elect Donald Trump gets ready to return to the White House in January, regional and international matters are getting shuffled and mixed. Arguably the most prominent of these matters on the Arab and international agendas is the future of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas. Washington has...
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The truth about Egypt’s entanglement in supporting Israel
The MV Kathrin incident has heavy political and strategic implications for the Egyptian regime, which is accused of allowing a German-owned ship transporting military arms to the Israeli army to dock at its ports at a time when Israel continues its war against the Gaza Strip for the second...
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Why a Trump win will suit Egypt’s Al-Sisi
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s eyes are on the White House. A Trump win will suit him very nicely. Indeed, not just Cairo, but other Arab and Gulf capitals also have high hopes for a Trump victory, because he is regarded as being more pragmatic than outgoing US President...