 'I will continue with you on the path of crossing into the future, bearing the responsibility and burdens of it, as long as there is in my chest a heart that beats and I draw breath' -- President Mubarak in his keynote speech before a combined session of the People's Assembly and Shura Council  'I am neither seeking, nor do I wish, to nominate myself' -- Gamal Mubarak, during his first ever live interview on prime time TV, speaks about running for president  'I will never give up' -- Noaman Gomaa after being dismissed as Wafd Party chairman  'Moving the magnificent statue of Ramses II from the chaos that usually defines Ramses Square is the best decision that could have been taken to protect the statue' -- Secretary-Gene ral of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass  'Throughout its long history, there has never been discrimination in Egypt between Muslims and Christians' -- President Hosni Mubarak after Alexandria sectarian strife  'The display by Al-Azhar students was a historic opportunity for sectors of the Egyptian intelligentsia which are hostile to the Islamic movement' -- Diaa Rashwan, expert at the Al-Ahram Political and Strategic Studies  'Adopting a policy against the hijab would be crazy. Let me clearly state that I respect Egyptian women whether or not they wear the hijab' -- Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni in parliament after he was quoted as saying that the growing number of women wearing the headscarf in Egypt was 'a sign of regression'  They claim they do not interfere in our business, yet they beat judges and refer others to trial' -- Judge Hesham Bastawisi expresses concern over the beating of a colleague during a sit-in staged by the Judges Club  'We did not misinterpret or misunderstand the pope's statement as he likes to claim. Our dispute with the pope is a scientific one, and definitely not just anger or hyper-sensitivity' -- Mohamed Selim El-Awa, secretary-general of the International Union for Muslim Scholars after Pope Benedict XVI said that Prophet Mohamed had brought the world only evil  'Those found to be responsible would be punished... and new regulations to safeguard passengers at sea would be implemented' -- Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif following Al-Salam ferry disaster in which more than 1,000 passengers died  'If political parties were allowed full freedom the young would have an outlet for their anger other than militant underground organisations espousing violence' -- Ammar Ali Hassan, director of the Centre for Middle East Studies and Research, in the wake of the terrorist attack in the Sinai town of Dahab which killed 24 people  'We could see the train coming from behind and we were expecting it to stop, but it just got closer and people started screaming' -- Survivor of the train crash outside Qalyoub, which claimed the lives of 58 people  'The public should know that the virus is likely to remain in Egypt for many years, and as a consequence should not be surprised by more reports of human infection' -- Health Minister Hatem El-Gabali commenting on Avian Flu  'It is better for a judge to err in a pardon than punish the innocent' -- Minya Felonies Court Judge Mohamed Abdel-Rahman Ismail as he pronounced the innocence of Mohamed Ali, the man accused of the Beni Mazar massacre parent page (28 December 2006 - 3 January 2007, issue #826) |