Despite prophecies of doom and gloom, the latest Egyptian newspaper is an instant hit and the tipping point for a print media revolution, writes Gamal Nkrumah The scuttlebutt buzzing around Cairo was that the alter ego of Egypt's latest daily Al-Shorouk, or Dawn, is known for endlessly musing on the country's big questions. Well, you'll expect that of any reputable newspaper. And, the first few issues of the paper did not disappoint. Like it or not, many of Egypt's most celebrated pundits demonstrated in sophisticated style the finer skills of journalism. The cultural juggernaut of Al-Shorouk inspired by gender and race was novel in its application. "Black woman in the White House" might sound like something of a cliché in the West, but here in Egypt it is a most innovative topic to tackle and spotlight. A full- page spread on United States First Lady Michelle Obama was presented by Hadeel Ghoneim, who apparently accompanied the new madam of the White House during her journey from Chicago to Washington. This was, to my knowledge, the first time a black woman was celebrated with such panache in an Egyptian Arabic language publication. "Her detractors said that she was the archetypal angry black woman, bitter about past injustices inflicted on her race in sharp contrast to her positive and optimistic husband," the writer lamented. "But what her admirers, especially among women, most cherish is the depth of the relationship between President Barack Obama and his wife. They are inspired by the mutual respect and love so perceptibly palpable in public exchanges between the couple." Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's bold rebuttal of Israeli President Shimon Peres spawned a new era in Muslim leadership's self- esteem. This show of bravado once again was the prickly topic tackled by Al-Shorouk. In a thought- provoking and eloquently argued column, Fahmy Howeidy applauded Erdogan for his outspoken courage. "Erdogan turned the tables," Howeidy concluded. "I was not in the least surprised by Erdogan's stance. What perturbed me and still puzzles me is that Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa did not show sufficient solidarity with the Turkish premier. I do not want to believe the rumours flying about these days that Moussa has joined the dubious club of Arab moderates," Howeidy concluded. Erdogan told the dignitaries at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that Israel is "killing children on the beach" of Gaza. Several newspapers picked up this sentence and all of them reiterated that what enraged Erdogan was that Peres fiercely defended the Israeli onslaught on the hapless Palestinian population of Gaza, Howeidy reflected. "I will not come to Davos again," Erdogan vowed. This disclosure, Howeidy summed up, would have serious repercussions both politically and as far as the Turkish economy is concerned. Another Muslim leader who was granted extensive coverage in Al-Shorouk was the newly elected Somali President Sheikh Sherif Ahmed. In an exclusive interview, the Somali president disclosed that even though there were intractable problems and differences in political perspectives between the current Islamist-oriented ruling clique in Somalia on the one hand and Washington on the other, under the Obama administration there is much reason for optimism. "America is a positive force supporting the peace and reconciliation process in Somalia," President Ahmed told Al-Shorouk. Salama Ahmed Salama, one of the most highly respected columnists in contemporary Egypt declared that with Al-Shorouk now in print, readers would find an entirely new style of journalism in Egypt today. In flowery language he heaped praise on the new daily. " Al-Shorouk will dawn everyday just as the sun shines, heralding a comprehensive and liberal perspective. On the question of religion, we defend religious freedoms and the values of society. As far as politics is concerned we believe in freedom of expression and political pluralism. We believe that every citizen has the inalienable right to freedom of choice and accountable participation." The paper was peppered with tidbits about top policymakers and business leaders including the likes of tycoon-turned-politician Ahmed Ezz and superstar Adel Imam playing the part of a victim of the global economic meltdown. Al-Shorouk is not the only paper to plunge into prickly topics. Nahdat Misr spotlighted the controversial subject of the future of the Arabic language. The front-page headline quoted the Dean of the Department of Literature at Cairo University Ahmed Zayed as warning that the Arabic language faces extinction. "Among the 200,000 bloggers in Egypt, most use the English language as a means of communication, while those who use the Arabic language are few in number and display an embarrassingly poor command of their native tongue." He also noted that most bloggers are primarily interested in celebrities (41 per cent), with politicians trailing behind in second place (19 per cent) and that women constitute only 24 per cent of bloggers. In a most controversial column Ahmed El-Masri wrote about "The man who lost our respect". The man in question happens to be Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant Shia Hizbullah. "What does Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah want of Egypt? Who are the Egyptians who have so enraged him that he speaks against Egypt with such bitterness and venom? Please reconsider your stance and be fair to Egypt," El-Masri pleaded with the leader of Hizbullah in a most jingoistic and self-congratulatory tone. Editor-in-Chief of the official daily Al-Ahram Osama Saraya, weighing up the merits of the dispatching of President Obama's chief envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell, wrote in his column of the Obama administration's prompt tackling of the Middle East crisis. "The Obama administration doesn't surprise us by its prompt action in spite of the serious challenges it faces on the domestic front and especially the financial crisis that is threatening an economic meltdown in the US," Saraya pointed out in Al-Ahram. "President Obama appears to be moving in the right direction. He is attempting to rescue the US and the world, and we are part of this world. Obama addresses the Muslim world with a new tone. He pledged to close down Guantanamo Bay. The previous administration did not fully understand that Muslims were the primary victims of terrorists and extremists, and suffered at their hands long before the West did," Saraya explained. "Obama promises a refreshingly new perspective." Saraya's views sharply contrast with the more general cynicism towards America that had sharpened in the past eight years of the administration of former US president George W Bush. Expectations among Arabs and Muslims are high as far as Obama is concerned. On a different note, Abdel-Moneim Said, director of the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Research, asked a pertinent question: "How can a territory be both occupied and victorious simultaneously?" He was referring, of course, to the Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied territories.
