8 - 14 November 2001
Issue No.559
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 8 - 14 November 2001 Issue No.559 |
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Arab women solidarity
THE FIRST ladies of nine Arab countries have accepted invitations to attend an extraordinary Arab summit for women, to be held in Cairo next Monday under the auspices of Mrs Suzanne Mubarak. The conference will focus on Arab women in a changing world, their political rights and role in human development. The conference is also expected to focus on the plight of Palestinian women under Israeli occupation.
Mrs Mubarak will give the inaugural address, followed by the first ladies of Bahrain, Tunisia and Jordan. A new charter will be released by the Arab Women's Organisation and several papers will be presented during the two-day event. Country reports from Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain, Tunisia and Jordan will also be reviewed.
11 September fallout
EGYPT'S expected economic losses following the 11 September terror attacks in the US may soon be felt, reports Niveen Wahish.
A report prepared by the ministers of economy and planning and reviewed by the cabinet late last week put the losses at an estimated $2.4 billion. In part, $1.6 billion are losses sustained from the tourism sector alone, $433 million from marine and air transport sectors and $184 million from Suez Canal revenues. The report also expected the export of ready-made garments to drop by 25 per cent.
The figures were presented to the US administration by Youssef Boutros Ghali, minister of economy, who was in Washington last week. According to Ghali, American officials were surprised by the affects the terrorist attacks had on Egypt and expressed their concern. Ways in which the United States will assist Egypt remain under discussion but Ghali said the major goal of any assistance would be to ease the financial burden of low-income groups and reduce unemployment. Reports say US help will come in the form of direct financial assistance as well as increasing Egyptian exports. On a similar note, Ghali said that Canadian and European Union officials are also looking into the possibility of granting Egyptian exports preferential treatment for entry into their markets.
Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Ahmed El-Darsh also said that development agencies, including USAID, the World Bank and the African Development Bank, are willing to make available to Egypt an additional $2 billion if the government is in need of new sources of foreign currency to offset the effects of the September attacks.
Remanded in custody
THE SUPREME State Security Court ordered on Monday that Mohieddin El- Gharib, a 64-year-old former finance minister, be remanded in custody while he stands trial on charges of profiteering, misappropriation of public funds and depriving the state treasury of LE28 million in custom duties. Presiding judge Gamaleddin Safwat said the court was empowered by the Penal Code to take defendants into custody pending their trial or release them on bail. The court's order, however, is believed to have been taken following objections raised by El-Gharib's lawyer that hearings are moving too quickly which could prove to be at the expense of justice.
The court's order also covered two former officials with the Customs Authority and three businessmen.
El-Gharib, along with five former Customs Authority officials, are accused of allowing a group of importers to evade payment of custom duties in return for personal gains during his tenure as finance minister. El-Gharib's trial began on 13 October and will be resumed on 11 November.
Defining jihad
AFTER a series of meetings, Al Azhar's Islamic Research Academy released a statement on Sunday giving an authorised definition of jihad (holy struggle). The concept of jihad, read the statement, refers "to the defence of the nation against occupation and the plunder of its resources." But it does not cover the killing of innocent people, including the elderly, women and children and prisoners of war, which is prohibited by Islam. The teachings of Islam also forbid the destruction of buildings and establishments not connected with a specific battle. The statement also emphasised that the co- existence of, and dialogue between, religions, peoples and cultures is a sunna (the ways of the Prophet Mohamed).
The statement drew a distinction between violence perpetrated by oppressors who have no respect for what is sacred and violence as a legitimate defence launched by the weak to win their rights. The statement also condemned the violence of Israeli occupation forces in Palestinian territories. It also said that fighting terrorism does not justify aggression on the people of Afghanistan.
Discovering the unexpected
Two major archaeological discoveries were made in Alexandria this week, reports Nevine El-Aref.
A large catacomb was unearthed while the foundation of a primary school was being laid in the district of Kom Al-Shokafa. Underground was a rock-hewn tomb with limestone steps leading to a burial shaft dating back to the Ptolemaic era. According to Mohamed Mansour, director of the Nile Delta antiquities, construction work has been stopped and the area declared an archaeological protectorate. Next week, excavators will open the shaft to try to identify the tomb's owner.
The second discovery was made in Abu Sir, 45 kilometres north of Alexandria, where an Egyptian excavation team found a unique collection of pottery dating back to the Ptolemaic era. The collection was found during the course of restoration work on a temple and was taken to the Graeco-Roman Museum in the centre of Alexandria.
Compiled by Mariz Tadros
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