The Economist From Pharaoh to Phoenix The television images of Egypt's ex-dictator, Hosni Mubarak, being wheeled into a courtroom cell on a hospital gurney in August 2011 represented, for many Egyptians, the culmination of their revolution: the Pharoah was being put behind bars. More than three years on, though, Mr Mubarak seems on the point of being released. Egypt is set for its first post-Morsi parliamentary elections in March and April. There has been a return of officials closely aligned with Mr Mubarak's regime and the National Democratic Party (NDP) that dominated parliament under his rule. The suppression of opposition groups, including the outlawing of the Muslim Brotherhood, means few think the elections are a fair contest. Many figures within the judiciary, something of law unto itself, are understood to be loyal to Mr Mubarak. Releasing Mr Mubarak would be a symbolic victory for former NDP figures, with whom the army has often been at odds over political and business questions. Young political activists, in particular, see Mr Mubarak's release as defeat. Many of the activists of 2011 are now behind bars or have been issued with travel bans. The latest was issued against Esraa Abdel Fattah, who was prevented this week from travelling to Germany. Read more: http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21639297-overthrown-egypts-2011-revolution-hosni-mubarak-almost-out-jail-pharaoh-phoenix The Wall Street Journal Egypt Urges West to Provide Military Support to Tackle Islamic Extremists Western powers should give military support to Egypt to help it combat the Islamic extremism that led to the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo newspaper and a kosher supermarket in Paris, the Egyptian foreign minister said Tuesday. Along with other foreign leaders, Sameh Shoukry attended a rally Sunday in the French capital in honor of the 17 people who were killed in last week's attacks. On Tuesday, Mr. Shoukry said his government deserves the weapons it needs to help fight the terrorist groups who carry out such assaults. "We expect that our partners to whom we have continued to lend our support...will reinforce our ability to be an active participant in the fight against terrorism, whether indigenously or internationally," he said in an interview at U.N. offices in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. Read more: http://www.wsj.com/articles/egypt-urges-west-to-provide-military-support-to-tackle-islamic-extremists-1421149957 The Globe and Mail Canada's foreign minister on way to Egypt to push for journalist's release The fate of imprisoned Egyptian-Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy could be decided on Thursday when Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird arrives in Cairo. That's the day Baird meets with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry after travelling to the tourist city of Luxor on Wednesday to meet with young Egyptians to discuss the country's future. A Foreign Affairs news release doesn't mention Fahmy by name, but says Baird will raise "important consular issues" with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo on Thursday. Baird's office is treading lightly in what could be the final hours of Fahmy's controversial incarceration, in what appears to be an attempt to avoid scuttling any plans for his possible release. Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadian-foreign-minister-on-way-to-egypt-to-push-for-journalists-release/article22425268/ ABC News Egypt Clerics Warn French Journal Over Planned Cartoon One of Egypt's top Islamic authorities on Tuesday warned the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo against publishing a new cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad on the cover of its first issue since Islamic extremists killed 12 people at its offices, saying the image would only provoke Muslims. Egypt's Dar al-Ifta, which is in charge of issuing religious edicts, called the planned cover an "unjustified provocation" for millions of Muslims who respect and love their prophet. It said the cartoon is likely to cause a new wave of hatred in French and Western societies. It called on French authorities and political parties to denounce the publication of the new cartoon, calling it a "racist act" by a magazine that seeks to "ignite religious sedition and sectarianism and deepen hatred." Most Muslims consider it forbidden to depict Muhammad or other prophets. Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/egypt-clerics-warn-french-journal-planned-cartoon-28189644 Al Monitor Is Egypt verdict a victory for LGBT rights? On Jan. 12, the judge acquitted all defendants. The heavily guarded courtroom erupted in celebration and the defendants and their families started smiling to the cameras. Was it a victory for LGBT rights? To begin with, there is no evidence that any of the defendants is gay. The bathhouse is featured in a lecherous recommendation on gayscout.com, but a couple of shop owners on the same street denied such activity. No one in court argued that homosexuality is not a crime and the verdict doesn't address this. Defendants covered their faces every time they were led handcuffed into the courtroom. For them and their families, homosexuality remains a disgraceful scandal. "Where is the press, the men are here," joyous relatives chanted outside the courtroom after the verdict. "You have to correct everything that was said about them, ... things like perversion," said Azza, a sister of one of the defendants. "These reports defame Egypt. There's nothing wrong with Egypt's men," said Omar. Yet, the verdict is unprecedented. According to Long, the judiciary has a history of issuing convictions in similar cases despite the lack of evidence. "Homosexuality is not an obvious issue for liberal activists to take up. It has never been. I think Mona was banking on that. She assumed people would side with her rather than against her," he told Al-Monitor before the verdict was read. Labels such as "den of perversion" didn't prevent journalists from condemning Iraqi's practices and didn't overshadow the details of the case and the inconsistencies in the police report, as has happened before. In that sense, the verdict could be a small victory. Families, lawyers and gender and LGBT activists present in the courtroom were in tears, hugging each other in disbelief. Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/01/egypt-court-decision-lgbt-rights.html##ixzz3On31MNEj
