The sign reads: “A Living Egypt is Not a Play”
(In Arabic the two expressions, “living Egypt” and “theatre play,” differ by just one letter.)
Not all the world is a stage…
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Tahrir graffiti
Among many, many, graffiti in Tahrir today. Most were in Arabic and were much more specific. But still, here’s the “to be or not to be” thing. Look at the very top in the center.
At a crossroads
In a discussion of an al-Jazeera segment on “religion and politics” today, it finally came home to me what it means for a country to have an opportunity to write itself a constitution from scratch. Yes, I had known it before, but realizing it was huge. Imagine what would erupt if the U.S. were facing a moment like that, now, today, not in 1783? What kind of gruesome compromises would we come up with this time? (Assuming they were compromises at all and not fast-forward to the Civil War.) What an amazing crossroads to be at.
Midan Tahrir, Sept 5, 2011
This doesn’t happen so often in history. Unlike Iraq a few years ago, Egyptians have a relatively clean crack at a constitution, with no occupying army breathing down their neck.
Or at least, only occupied by their own army. The military presence is far more obtrusive than before January 25. Look at the “Siniyya” (tray, or bowl) in the center of the Tahrir traffic circle in the photo above: ringed with state security guys even on an ordinary day. The next big demo (“miliyoniyya”) isn’t planned till Friday. I’ve heard several people use the word “qishra,” like a thin skin or vegetable peel or facade, to describe what this “revolution” has peeled off from the reality of praetorian rule — apparently this is enough of a cliche to have merited a whole Marxist analysis on Facebook months ago.
Let’s get together (and feel all right)
Two posters pasted on walls, one from Zamalek and the other downtown. These are part of a secularist-driven campaign for social unity and civil discourse, and specifically for tolerance of non-religious people by religious people. (Though the reverse might be even more a propos…)
The top sign says Ma Takaffarneesh — “Don’t declare me an infidel!”
Click on the one below (which doesn’t display, for some reason) to see another sign that says Ma Takhdhilneesh, loosely, “don’t abandon me” or “don’t let me down.” The sticker pasted over it is advertising a “maktab zawaag” (“marriage office,” aka dating service) with the tagline “Life partner offered” and a phone number. Life goes on, I guess.
A Tunisian-themed Macbeth
Thanks to my friend Scott Newstock for alerting me to this Tunisian-themed Macbeth added to the roster of the global Shakespeare festival on the occasion of the 2012 Olympics:
Macbeth: Leila and Ben – A Bloody History – Artistes, Producteurs, Associes from Tunisia combine Shakespeare with film and reportage (LIFT at London’s Riverside Studios, Northern Stage – in Arabic with English surtitles).
There are not a lot of Arabic productions of Macbeth, for whatever reason, and even fewer adaptations. (Low prestige? High censorship?) But the time may be ripe for a production keyed to ousted Tunisian president Zine el Abdine Ben Ali and his widely reviled wife Leila.
Shop and sightsee for the revolution
Wanted: your tourism dollars. Of course, if you are seeing this sign under the 26th July Bridge in Zamalek, you are already here. So I guess the message is: spend even more money!
I must say, we’re doing our best.
Mubarak’s trial resumes
Mubarak’s trial resumed today. Issandr El Amrani has a good breakdown here of what happened and what’s at stake. Just reading the newspapers this morning, it’s interesting to see how easily and offhandedly irreverent several papers (Tahrir, Dostur, Al-Masry al-Youm) manage to be toward the Mubaraks. E.g., calling his sons Alaa and Gamal by their first names, referring to him as “the deposed” (or, “thrown-off” president).
Egypt’s feisty press, somewhat liberated even since 2005, has prepared this political overhaul and seems to be thriving under it. There is actual news to read, and people are reading it! (Rather than turning directly to the sports section.)
Happy Eid, y’all!
Forgive the primitiveness and textiness of this site for now; I am still figuring out WordPress. Also need to learn how to upload photos properly through my uncooperative Vodaphone portable connection.
So, stay tuned for proper blogging.
Meanwhile, may I just rhapsodize for a bit about the Azhar Park, built by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture? We got to Cairo just before the Eid and went to visit the park on the first holiday evening. I had seen a BBC Earth special on it before, but never experienced the place for myself.
A daytime view here - imagine how much more beautiful it is at night
Amazing! One of those projects that transforms the possibilities of life in a city. Clean, beautifully designed public green space, in an area (Masr el-Adima or Islamic Cairo) that one previously visited in the August heat only when it was really necessary. The Eid celebration included a family-friendly traditional music troupe, dressed-up families, couples, groups of boys, groups of girls. (I was especially impressed by one woman standing in front of me in the crowd gathered around the musicians: she was dressed all in pink, holding up in the palm of one hand her five-month-old baby, also dressed all in pink, bobbing her up and down in time to the music while her husband looked on with trepidation.) It was quite crowded but not overwhelming or threatening the way crowds can be, e.g., at holiday times in Hussein Square; really magical. The park frames the monuments of Islamic Cairo just right, and something about the layout seems to encourage people to treat each other nicely.
Bismillah… (in which our narrator celebrates her birthday by launching her blog)
Friends! The Cairo sky is graying,
The ‘azzan proclaims the dawn
“Write!,” the silent square is saying
“While the honking cars are gone!”
That’s the Cairo I remember.
Now we’re back here, through December,
Ten years older, kids in tow,
Learning what Egyptians know.
Much has happened! Demonstrations,
Hope and fear and pride and rage,
Tyrants’ faces in a cage,
Constitutions, conversations,
Facebook, Twitter, blogs galore.
How to process? Write one more!
"Shakespeare After 9/11" issue of Shakespeare Yearbook finally out
A lot of events, some very sad, intervened to delay this issue. But at least the heroic editors got it out in time for the tenth anniversary!
http://www.mellenpress.com/mellenpress.cfm?bookid=8357&pc=9
I have an article in here about Sulayman Al-Bassam, complete critical history of his work up to and including the Richard III project.
http://www.mellenpress.com/mellenpress.cfm?bookid=8357&pc=9
I have an article in here about Sulayman Al-Bassam, complete critical history of his work up to and including the Richard III project.
Send Down the Basket! 