Greek temple discovered in Alexandria
Archaeologists have unearthed a Greek temple in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria, dating back to 2,500 years. The discovery shows evidence that Egyptian Greeks worshipped the holy trinity of Isis, Osiris and the child Horus.
Egypt State Information Service
Tit for Tat
Egypt will search British personalities going through its airports after Pope Shenouda III, Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, was made to go through a metal detector at Heathrow Airport in London.
http://www.ameinfo.com/153226.html
UNESCO to place Qatarani Mountain on the Natural Heritage List
Qatarani Mountain is a rocky area in the Fayoum which contains many marine fossils and river excavations dating back to more than 40 million years. The area includes the oldest monkey excavation called “Egyptopetex” and also the old Fayyoum animal which resembles the rhinoceros in its shape but have 4 horns. The mountain also includes unique types of sea horses, dolphins, sharks and birds in addition to the historical and scientific geological formations.
UNESCO will make advertising campaigns for this as an international natural heritage area and environmental tourism destination.
It is expected that Qatarani Mountain in el-Fayyoum will be placed on the International Natural Heritage list in August 2008 to become the 2nd Egyptian area after the Whales’ Valley.
Egypt State Information Service
Hatshepsut’s Punt Expedition recreated on film
Florida State University’s Cheryl Ward has been studying ancient ships for 25 years. She spent last week in Egypt as boat-builders laid the keel for a 70 feet long and 18 feet wide ship she and a documentary crew will sail 1,000 miles on the Red Sea in December.
The project is the work of French documentary producer Valerie Abita, whose “Hatshepsut and the Land of Punt” is scheduled for broadcast next spring. The trip will trace a journey made 4,000 years ago by Egyptians under Queen Hatshepsut to Punt (modern-day Ethiopia), to bring back gold, ivory, exotic animals, myrrh and live frankincense trees.
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080405/NEWS01/804050301
Racing the Egyptian desert
Rallying in Egypt has matured into a recognized sport, with full-fledged federations that set the rules and organize the calendar.
The Rally School is an out-of-the-box type initiative founded by four young Egyptian rally drivers: Abdel Hamid Abou Youssef, Azam El Farouky, Hossam Moustafa and Ahmed El-Sirgany.
The first course attracted a considerable number of participants — of both genders — and the four are looking forward to setting up another round of the Rally School. So, if the idea of participating in a rally ever intrigued you, now you can find a personal tutor.
With the upcoming Rally des Pyramides (April 25) followed by the Pharaohs Rally (Oct. 5) it’s time to discover the world of rallying.
http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=12896
Child Workers in Egypt a Growing Problem
As Egypt struggles with rising food prices and inflation, the plight of poverty-stricken child workers and the lack of protections for them has gained new attention.
The country’s parliament is looking into measures to comply with international conventions to protect children from ill-treatment and hazardous employment, such as with chemicals and pesticides. But as food prices grow, the incidence of children working is almost certain to grow as large and poor families struggle to cope, aid groups and experts say.
More than 20 percent of Egypt’s 76 million people live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. The government subsidizes some food and other staples but has struggled to keep up with demand for subsidized bread and other foods as world wheat and other food prices have skyrocketed.
The government has no official statistics on how many children work at factories or other jobs nationwide. But its latest statistics set the number of street children between ages 6 and 17 at about 1.5 million.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j-9qUic7ijfq4t5I5XZzcnWr33hwD8VQTC280
Consumer spending boom attracts foreign investors to Egypt
Betting that this is just the beginning of a spending boom, multinational consumer-goods companies are pouring money into Egypt, the most populous Arab country, despite a global credit crisis and a slowdown in Europe, its main export market.
But analysts warn that rising inflation (12.1%) could eventually curb consumer spending, as well as stall changes that have excited investors and anger the majority of Egyptians who have not yet seen the benefits of buoyant growth.
Spending on consumer goods is still limited to a small but growing middle class in Egypt. According to United Nations data, about one-fifth of the population of roughly 80 million lives on less than $1 per day. Most Egyptians do not have bank accounts. Thousands of workers have gone on strike in the past year, usually demanding wage increases and in some cases protesting against possible job cuts from privatization.
Government officials have said Egypt’s economy is on track to match last year’s growth of 7.1 percent, the fastest rate in at least two decades, with foreign investment outweighing any negative effects from a global slowdown. The stock market jumped 51 percent last year and is up about 8 percent this year. Foreign investment surged to a record $11.1 billion in the last fiscal year.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/02/business/spend.php?page=1
Egyptian women embrace Curves
Phoenix, Ariz. resident Debra Alcala had just joined Curves, and was well on her way to losing 70 pounds, when she lost her job. She decided to purchase a franchise with her severance package.
With most of the new U.S. franchises taken, Alcala looked further afield. Brainstorming with her sister, who is married to an Egyptian, they decided that Curves made sense in the context of Egyptian society.
In May 2007, the first Curves in Egypt opened in Cairo. Alcala’s franchise now has 281 members and she hopes to double that number by the end of her second year with four more franchises already opened and another three in the planning stage.
Only a few gyms in Cairo, a metropolis of 18 million, offer facilities for women. But many Egyptian women are uncomfortable working out in a co-ed environment. So in many ways, Curves trademark “women-only” policy is tailor-made for the Arab world.
For the most part, men in Cairo have welcomed the Curves concept.
http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/04/02/851104.aspx
A battle over female circumcision
Islamists and conservative clerics are fighting proposed legislation in the Egyptian parliament that would criminalize female circumcision and raise the minimum age of when a girl can marry. The Islamists view the bill as an affront to Sharia law.
Opponents say the new restrictions are an attempt by the government to impose a Western agenda on an Islamic society. Some clerics, in opposing the bill, state that Islamic Sharia law condones female circumcision and imposes no minimum age of marriage.
Islamic scholars have been divided over the religious validity of female circumcision. One camp holds that Islam opposes it, while the other argues that this procedure is necessary to tame a woman’s sexual desires and ensure decency.
Female circumcision remains a widespread practice in Egypt, despite having been illegal for years. About 70% of Egyptian girls are believed to be victims of the practice.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/03/egypt-a-battle.html
