Events and spotlights

[Niledaughter]

Christmas in Bethlehem 2010- 2011

http://www.abc27.com/Global/story.asp...

http://mideastnews-danmike.blogspot.c...

[Niledaughter]

Before Coptic Christmas in Egypt

http://wn.com/Egypt_Muslims_to_act_as...

http://english.aljazeera.net/video/mi...

Christmas eve :Egypt's Muslims support Coptic Christians on religious holiday

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/3365...

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/mea...

[Marieke, Former moderator]

this is really heartening...thank you for sharing these!

[Niledaughter]

Thank you Marieke :)
I am Muslim and feel so bad about what is happening !
Now I do not know what to post : From Egypt and Sudan to Algeria and Tunisia !!

But is an open topic for any one who wants to share his thoughts ...

[Niledaughter]

Tunisians have sent a message to the world

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/...

[Laurie]

It is fascinating to me, that as we in this discussion group, are focusing on this region of Northern Africa, that such momentous events are occurring there...especially Tunisia, Algeria and now Egypt....I feel such compassion for these people, and certainly have the characters in our books, and the authors in my mind, and all of the people in my heart....I keep watching the events on the news feeds in Twitter...and now the people in Egypt have no access....but somehow the news gets out....It is an increasingly "small world"...and I feel very connected to the current events....Best wishes to each of you, my new friends.....Laurie

[Marieke, Former moderator]

Laurie, i've been thinking the same thing. And i feel very frustrated right now that our Egyptian friends do not have internet access. i hope everyone is safe and sound. and i hope all of this leads to good things.

please friends who are living in Egypt, let us know as soon as you can if you and your families are okay!

i'll go out on a limb and speak for the group that we are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. i realize some of us may not be religious, but good thoughts are something anyone can send to those experiencing crises. thoughts and prayers...please be safe.

[Catherine]

I'll second or third, rather, the thoughts of Laurie and Marieke. Our thoughts are with you Nile Daughter, and everyone else in a place of crisis.

[Laurie]

I keep thinking of all of you... Best wishes Nile Daughter... Please write when you are able...

[Niledaughter]

Thank you all
No internet access was stuped and very hard sitiuation , now we have more voice , but to speak to each other more than to the outside world , that is why I cn not be around here much .

[Laurie]

Oh, Nile Daughter...thank you for writing....I am praying for you....write when you can...I keep you and your family and nation in my heart...Laurie

[Niledaughter]

Thank you Laurie ....I hope today things get to an end ..
May God bless our youth and protect them , protect Egypt

[Laurie]

Bless you Nile Daughter... I am praying for all your youth and you country and YOU... Write when you can or when you feel like it... With a hug... Laurie

[Niledaughter]

Thanks dear , soon in shaa alah
check this:
http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/...

[Marieke, Former moderator]

i love that photo Nile Daughter!

[Laurie]

Oh, it is so good that you have access to the internet more frequently....but I know all must be confusion and concern.....I hold hope for all of you and your country.....bless you...Laurie

[Bernadette]

Nile daughter wrote: "Thanks dear , soon in shaa alah
check this:
http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/..."

Glad you are safe, Nile Daughter! Thanks for posting such a beautiful, inspiring image.

[Niledaughter]

Thank you all , I hope I can be more around here in the next few days ..

This image is the real face of Egypt :)

Bernadette :
Are you still in Egypt ?

[DubaiReader]

@14: fantastic picture Nile Daughter, (Christians surrounding Muslims in prayer) it gave me goosebumps!

Things like that give me hope for the future of the ME.

Even in UAE a recent poll suggested that Emiratis would prefer democracy to autocracy, even one as benevolent as this.

My husband worries for the future of Saudi in the light of recent events.

[Laurie]

From the Mountains of Idaho...I continue to pray for you all....Best wishes, Nile Daughter....Laurie

[Bernadette]

Nile daughter wrote:
"Bernadette :
Are you still in Egypt ?"

Yes, we are still in Dahab - on the sidelines, where the streets have remained quiet. Only a handful of tourists left here now, but February is our quietest month anyway.

Stay strong! Stay safe!

[Laurie]

Bless you both...

[Niledaughter]

DubaiReader wrote: "@14: fantastic picture Nile Daughter, (Christians surrounding Muslims in prayer) it gave me goosebumps!

Things like that give me hope for the future of the ME.

Even in UAE a recent poll suggested..."

Thank you dear :) I hope so
I am not sure about Saudi , I need to read more

[Niledaughter]

Bernadette wrote: "Nile daughter wrote:
"Bernadette :
Are you still in Egypt ?"

Yes, we are still in Dahab - on the sidelines, where the streets have remained quiet. Only a handful of tourists left here now, but Fe..."

Thank you dear , you stayed !..I guess you are turning Egyptian now ;)
I hpe things turn to be better soon

[Niledaughter]

Lauri
You are so thoughtful , thank you :)

[Terje]

Hi, Bernadette,
I am also hiding in the palms beachside from The Big Mosque. Everything is ok here, just som bankingproblems.
I hope they have come to real negotiations now.
This revolt has been discussed in tea and coffeshop these eight yars we have been here, not by students, but
'mainstreampeople'.
Terje

[Catherine]

So glad to hear from you again, Nile Daughter, and others too. I've been collecting a list of books dealing with Egypt that have been "recommended" in the press and such here. Some are from the New York Times and others from a book supplier (?) Saqi Books. Anyway, I added them to my To Read Blog if anyone's interested. Here's the link. I haven't actually looked up information on any of them yet -- still busy reading about Algeria.

Nile Daughter, I know you have other priorities now, and we all understand that, but I'm certainly glad you started this group so we can discuss such things. Thinking of you.

[Marieke, Former moderator]

Catherine, keep that list at the ready! March and April will feature Egypt on our cruise! :D

[Bernadette]

Yes, ana masreyya! ;-)
I have many friends that have stayed in Cairo, too - mostly teachers and professors - so not all the foreigners have left!

Terje - glad you are still here! We need to meet. By the way, the cash machine at the CIB is working if you need to change money.

Here is Marcia's take on the NYT's recommended reading on Egypt, if you haven't seen it:
http://arablit.wordpress.com/2011/02/...

[Marieke, Former moderator]

i'm wondering if anybody has read Cairo: City of Sand?

it's funny...i enjoyed the Looming Tower and felt i learned a lot more than i was expecting to. but i wasn't learning much about Egypt when i read it.

[Catherine]

Bernadette wrote: "Here is Marcia's take on the NYT's recommended reading on Egypt..."
Thanks, Bernadette, I hadn't seen Marcia's take on the NYT list AND I didn't know she had that blog. Appreciate your sharing the link to What Does the NYT think you should read about Egypt?. Thanks!

[Terje]

Bernadette wrote: "Yes, ana masreyya! ;-)
I have many friends that have stayed in Cairo, too - mostly teachers and professors - so not all the foreigners have left!

Terje - glad you are still here! We need to meet..."

Certainly. Will you suggest some spot where we can have a cup of coffe or tea?
For a start.

Terje

[Marcia, Arabic Literature (in English)]

Catherine wrote: "Bernadette wrote: "Here is Marcia's take on the NYT's recommended reading on Egypt..."
Thanks, Bernadette, I hadn't seen Marcia's take on the NYT list AND I didn't know she had that blog. Apprec..."

Thanks Bernie. I was going to say that I thought the NYTimes list was a little...uh... Hm.

I also made another list from books written by prominent Sixties Generation authors, led off by the brave anti-regimist Sonallah Ibrahim:
http://arablit.wordpress.com/2011/02/...

Also note that, for anyone in Jordan (?), 7iber.com is launching a book group, and the first thing they'll be discussing is Sonallah Ibrahim's /The Committee/:

http://arablit.wordpress.com/2011/02/...

[Niledaughter]

Terje
First , Nice to meet you and I am glad you did not leave either :D , secondly you are absolutely right , this revolution may began with good educated cultured youth from (upper middle) layer in our society , but it turned to reflect all Egyptians anger and pains .

Catharine, Thank you so much for your sweet words , they meant much to me , I will check your links later , as Marieke said , our next step will be Egypt ;)

I am so glad you are still reading about Algeria , I lost time , but I will try to catch up before time out .

Bernaditte , Yes I believe you are Masreya (Egyptian ) :D ! thanks for the link !

Marieke , we have a lot of work to do !! I forgot to ask you about the last Egyptian books you read !

Marcia , How are you ? mid February is getting closer
Thanks for the list , we will open a thread for recommendation soon , we will use it there in shaa alah .

** Thank you all for posting , I am sorry I am not around much , I hope we will be able to make up for that later :)

[Marieke, Former moderator]

I think I could spend a year reading about Egypt! I just finished Cairo Modern: An Arabic Novel and بائع الفستق (the pistachio seller). I'm thinking I might start The White Nile this week because I need to return it to work and it's history I really want to know more about.

[Marieke, Former moderator]

i don't want to excite Marcia too much, but the new yorker has a remarkably similar list as The New York Times and interestingly, includes books that are not even Egyptian. huh???

[Marcia, Arabic Literature (in English)]

Marieke wrote: "i don't want to excite Marcia too much, but the new yorker has a remarkably similar list as The New York Times and interestingly, includes books that are not even Egyptian. huh???"

Marieke, I think you should stress me out as much as possible, because doesn't that make the baby come out? :-)

Read Marjane's /Persepolis/ to learn about Egypt?? So wacky! Why don't they ever ask an Arab or Arab lit professor or something to make these lists.

[Marieke, Former moderator]

right! totally crazy!! i don't know if they are lazy or ignorant. two of five books were not even about egypt. at the bottom of that new yorker blurb, there is a link to their non-fiction "suggestions." not much better than the Times' "suggestions."

how about i stress you out by telling you i was two weeks late when i was born? hahaha. and then i came really fast. like, i made up my mind to come out and ta-da!

[Marieke, Former moderator]

i just had a thought...maybe the New Yorker got Persepolis mixed up with Heliopolis. LOL!!!

[Marcia, Arabic Literature (in English)]

:-)

Good news! I'm two more centimeters dilated and Rafael Tahrir is fully engaged. (Yes, I know Tahrir's not a real name, but who cares!)

Keep pushing, Marieke!

[Bernadette]

Marcia wrote: ":-)

Good news! I'm two more centimeters dilated and Rafael Tahrir is fully engaged. (Yes, I know Tahrir's not a real name, but who cares!)"

Rafael? Is that the name the boys decided on?

[Marieke, Former moderator]

Did he arrive yet?? i actually like how Tahrir sounds as a name but i guess people might think that is weird if your child was named that...could be a nickname, though. or Thawra if Rafael turns out to be Rafaela. :D

[Niledaughter]

Good one Marieke :)
BTW ,for those who do not speak Arabic Tahrir means liberation , even the square name is symbolic !

[Laurie]

I am sooooo grateful, and uplifted and inspired by the news earlier this morning....Yesterday was so de-spiriting....and today so beautiful.....I know there is alot of work for the people of Egypt to work out a new system, but it may now begin....Cheers!!! Bless you all!!! Laurie

[Niledaughter]

Thanks Laurie :D I can not believe it myself.
Ahdaf Souif wrote :

Hosni Mubarak resigns: 'Look at the streets … This is what hope looks like'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/...

[Niledaughter]

Please pray for Libya...

[Niledaughter]

I know ..I am a bad moderator ! :p, so :4 Egypt women ‘Shake the World’

[Niledaughter]

With Ramadan approach , speaking of fasting and food , I had to remember that Somalia crisis one of 'largest in decades'...
I do not know much about Somalia , I found the following article difficult to digest at one step , but I thought may be if someone knows more can help by posting his thoughts .

"Why famine now?"
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/...

[Kit]

Nile daughter wrote: "I know ..I am a bad moderator ! :p, so :4 Egypt women ‘Shake the World’"

Liked this article-I have read several of the works of these women. I noticed years ago that most of the writers were Egyptian! :D

I've had problems with my computer-and finally am able to upload these articles! :D

[Niledaughter]

Kit wrote: "Nile daughter wrote: "I know ..I am a bad moderator ! :p, so :4 Egypt women ‘Shake the World’"

Liked this article-I have read several of the works of these women. I noticed years ago that most of..."

:)