By Mohamed Abdel-Baky The issue is veiled Having a veiled woman anchoring the news in Egypt's state TV was enough to make thousands of Egyptians debate the issue on social networks. On Monday, Fatma Nabil, wearing the Muslim veil, appeared on Channel One reading the news along with a colleague who welcomed her as the first veiled woman to present the news on Egyptian state TV. "At last the revolution has reached Maspero [the Egyptian TV building]," wrote Nabil in a tweet. "This decision is not a grant, but a legal right, for all veiled women," she added. Nabil is one of four veiled women presenters picked for the job on state television. She joined Egyptian radio as a translator in 1999. Four years later, she moved to the news desk of state television. In July 2011, she was auditioned for a TV news presenter. Although she came first, she was not allowed to appear on the screen because of her wearing the hijab. Egyptians on twitter and Facebook either hailed the decision or perceived it as another step by the Muslim Brotherhood to control the Egyptian state media and impose their ideology. According to Emma Morshada (@em_ess), lifting the ban on veiled anchors on Egyptian state-owned TV should have been delayed. "Theoretically putting a ban on wearing a veil on Egyptian TV is discrimination, however, allowing the veil would impose a certain religious belief on viewers," Morshada tweeted. Morshada's tweet was provocative for some women like Agharid Amin (@AgharidAmin) who replied saying that wearing the veil is a personal choice like wearing the bikini. "Wearing the veil does not impose Islam on anybody. We do have rights like any other ethnic and religious group," Amin added. The ban on veiled anchors was issued in 2002 by the then information minister Safwat El-Sherif who is currently in jail facing charges of corruption. Other Egyptians saw the move as a victory for human rights in Egypt and an end to Hosni Mubarak's regime of repression on personal rights. For Samih Toukan (@samihtoukan) the decision "is a step forward to protect Egyptian human rights, and a fresh start that indicates that no Egyptian will face discrimination on the basis of gender or colour or clothes, etc. Ibrahim Elgarhi (@Ibrahim_Elgarhi) agreed, noting the BBC allowed veiled anchors to present the news years ago. Some people were pessimistic like Ahmed Awadallah, who said on his Facebook page "a few years from now, and we will see protests in Tahrir Square from presenters who will be banned from appearing on Egyptian TV with their hair." He added that the Muslim Brotherhood "and their information minister Salah Abdel-Maqsoud plan to turn Egyptian TV into Iranian and Hizbullah TV channels, which only have veiled anchors." Taking care of the Nubian issue This week Ahmed Awadallah visited in his blog "Rebel With A Cause" the rights of the Nubian ethnic group in the south of Egypt, an issue expected to take high priority on President Mohamed Mursi's agenda the year ahead. He said Nubian rights is an often neglected and poorly understood issue in public opinion and noted that Egyptian Nubians have not received any education in that part of their country but that this shortcoming hardly ever surfaces as part of a political discussion. Despite the active participation of Nubians before and after the revolution and their efforts to highlight their cause and their history of discrimination, little attention is given to them. Nubians were also excluded from participating in shaping their country's future as none of them was selected for the constituent assembly that is responsible for drafting the new constitution. Nubians are the inhabitants of a historical part in the south of Egypt and Northern Sudan but, says Awadallah, have suffered from political, economic and cultural marginalisation. School curricula exclude their cultural heritage and their language is not taught in schools or even in areas where they live. He argues that ignoring the Nubian problem shows a growing racism and intolerance against different ethnic and religious groups in Egypt. Until now, Nubians are accused of being separatist, Awadallah said, when they speak up for their rights, and more often than not they're told it's not the right time to bring it up. "It's time for us to realise that values of democracy and diversity must be respected and should never be taken away under any ideological guise or notion. Discrimination cannot be condoned or downplayed. We can't even afford it anymore." tweets "If Mursi is looking for cash to reform the Egyptian economy he should call the Brits, they know where Mubarak's money is." @Petra Stienen "Mursi accepted money from China, the biggest supporters of Al-Assad regime, and violation against Muslims, is it easy to believe him when he speaks against the Al-Assad regime?" @btnafas 7oria "How is President Mursi expecting #Iran to be part of the solution when Tehran announces they're 'fighting a war in Syria?'" @Khalaf AlHabtoor "Egypt's first veiled news anchor. Don't freak out people. They should have always been allowed on the air." �è@Ashraf Khalil "Funerals in Cairo have become a social outing, where women dress in their finest jewellery and clothes and they chat and catch up. Have some respect." @Cairo Girl "Okasha announces running for presidency in the next round. A good candidate for president of duck land. What a mug." @Mohamed Gade
