Al-Ahram Weekly | Egypt

		Al-Ahram Weekly Online 13 - 19 September 2001 Issue No.551
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Current issue \| Previous issue \| Site map

Military Manoeuvres
DEFENCE Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi held talks on Monday with US Assistant Secretary for International Security Affairs Peter Rodman and Director of the Defence Cooperation Agency Tom H Waters. Part of an annual series of meetings of the Egyptian-US military cooperation committee held alternately between the two countries, the two-day military consultations were presided over by Chief of Staff Magdi Hatata.
The two sides exchanged views on military cooperation and joint exercises, which have been conducted regularly since 1981. The biannual military exercise Bright Star -- the largest cooperative military exercise worldwide -- takes place in Egypt's north coast. In 1999, 11 countries, including Egypt and the US, took part in Bright Star and more participants are expected this year.
Also this week, President Hosni Mubarak promoted Navy Chief of Staff Tamer Abdel-Alim to the position of Navy commander. Abdel-Alim replaces Ahmed Saber Selim, who was re-assigned to a maritime transport post.
Life and death

IS A person dead when his brain stops functioning? Most of the Shura Council's health committee members say no. The question is a bone of contention in the debate over an organ transplant legislation drafted by the Health Ministry. The legislation forbids organ transplants before verifying a potential organ donor's death -- i.e., confirmation that the soul has departed the body. The draft law does not define death, however, leaving doctors to decide if and when a person has died.
Most doctors say clinically dead persons -- patients with a beating heart but whose brain functions have ceased -- will never recover and can only live through artificial means. But others claim that a person whose organs are still functioning is not yet dead. Once the heart has stopped, however, only a donor's skin, cornea and heart valve can be used for transplants.
The Shura Council's health committee began debating the bill several weeks ago and later, it will be subject to plenary discussions. Fakhri Saleh, an adviser to the minister of justice for forensic medicine, told the committee that "clinically dead patients are living persons and cannot be considered dead."
He explained that despite the notion that clinically dead patients have no hope of recovery, this could change in the future and a cure may be found. Most of the committee members agreed.
Maher Mahran, chief of the health committee, said that the sheikh of Al-Azhar, Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, and the grand mufti, Nasr Farid Wassel, will be invited to speak to the committee about the religious perspective. Both religious scholars have already spoken in favour of the draft law.
According to the draft law, death would be ascertained by a three-member committee of specialised doctors, formed with the consent of the minister of health. If the committee approves the transplant operation, it will submit a report stating its reasons. Copies of the report would be made available to relatives and to the hospital where the operation will take place.
Looking for a loophole

TWO lawyers have filed a lawsuit with the State Security Court demanding the release of several hundred Islamist militants on the grounds that the law used to convict them was invalid. Muntasser El-Zayyat, lawyer for the underground Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiya, and Tharwat El-Khabarawi, lawyer for the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, expect the court to set a date this week for the opening of hearings.
In May, the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that Article 48 of the Penal Code, which deals with criminal complicity, was unconstitutional. The law incriminates any two or more people who agree to commit a felony or misdemeanour -- whether or not the crime was carried out. Most cases of imprisoned Islamists invoke the charge of criminal complicity. However, Mohamed El-Guindi, chairman of the Permanent Penal Legislation Committee at the Ministry of Justice, told Al-Ahram Weekly that the Constitutional Court ruling will have "no serious consequences, as there are other articles in the Penal Code covering criminal complicity."
Khufu's secrets

JAPANESE archaeologists have uncovered a 2,500-year-old tomb that sheds new light on the extent to which one of Egypt's well- known pharaohs was honoured. The tomb, uncovered Saturday in Saqqara, south of Cairo, is believed to date to Egypt's 26th dynasty (664-625 BC).
Zahi Hawass, director of the Giza plateau, explained that a cartouche had been found with the name of Khufu, an Old Kingdom pharaoh who reigned more than 1,500 years before the Saqqara tomb was built and who is best known as the king for whom the Great Pyramid was built. "His name was preceded by the title 'King of Upper and Lower Egypt'," said Hawass. This is the first evidence of Khufu's name being found outside of Giza, where the Pyramids and the Sphinx are located, proving that the pharaoh was worshipped further afield and for a long period, Hawass said.
The uncovered tomb consists of three chambers and contains many statues, including a poorly preserved statue of the lion- headed goddess Sekhmet. The Japanese team working in northern Saqqara expect to discover other Old Kingdom tombs.
Compiled by Shaden Shehab

Recommend this page

© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved

Send a letter to the Editor

ARCHIVES
Letter from the Editor
Editorial Board
Subscription
Advertise!

WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly
Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time
weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg

Al-Ahram Organisation