September 2014

3 Political activist and former presidential candidate Abul Ezz El-Hariri dies at age 68. The former member of parliament, who was one of the youngest MPs in his hometown of Alexandria, was exiled during the Sadat era. The outspoken labor and social rights activist ran for president in 2012. 12 Former prime minister Atef Ebeid dies at age 82. Ebeid, who served as prime minister from October 1999 to July 2004, was born in Tanta in 1932. The Administrative Control Authority, an independent watchdog claimed his tenure in parliament witnessed the largest wave of corruption in recent history, with an estimated LE 100 billion in unlawful earnings, over 80,000 reports of corruption and bribes to the tune of LE 500 million. Corroborating the report were the International Transparency Agency’s own findings, which identified the highest incidences of corruption in the housing and development sector. 12 Renowned writer and journalist Ahmed Ragab dies at age 86. Dubbed Egypt’s “king of satire,” Ragab was known for his satirical column in Akhbar Al-Youm and Al-Shorouk. Ragab had recently won Personality of the Year (2013) at the Arab Journalism Awards in Dubai. Egypt’s Journalists Syndicate called Ragab a “gentleman knight and a fierce fighter with his satirical style, and his pen mocked to defend the rights of Egyptians, especially those unable to express their everyday suffering.” [caption id="attachment_86417" align="alignright" width="200" class=" "] Hanging Church[/caption] 13 Egypt says goodbye to acclaimed director Saeed Marzouk, who dies at age 74. Although he never studied cinema, Marzouk was an avid reader and was self-trained in cinema arts. His first experiement was a video to the song “Onshoudat Salam” (Ode to Peace) which won him best TV production in 1965. Among his iconic works are Aadaa El-Horreya (Opponents of Freedom), El-Khof (Fear), Oreed Halan (I Want a Solution) and the 1970 biopic Demou El-Salam (Tears of Peace) about President Gamal Abdel-Nasser. 14 Google Maps adds Egyptian tourism sites, including the Pyramids of Giza, Hanging Church, Sakkara and Qaitbay Citadel, its 360-degree viewing database. Google Maps, which allows users to visit the corners of the globe, can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play. 15 Political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah and two other defendants are released on LE 5,000 bail while they await a retrial for allegedly breaking the Protest Law. Following a request by the defense lawyers, the judge in charge of Abdel Fattah’s case steps down. Abdel Fattah faces a 15-year prison sentence for organizing an unauthorized protest. Two days later, Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat orders the release of 116 students imprisoned for protesting the Protest Law. Another prominent activist, Mahienour El-Massry, is released on September 22 after a court in Alexandria suspends her prison sentence. 15 A boat carrying at least 500 refugees and migrants sinks off the coast of Malta. According to some survivors’ accounts, the boat, which departed from Egypt’s North Coast on September 9, was deliberately sunk. The International Organization for Migration, a Geneva-based group that works with the displaced, says it is unable to independently verify survivor accounts. 18 Reports surface that Egypt is working with the sister company of a US-based security firm as it ramps up online surveillance of social media platforms, including Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. 19 Ahmed Gabr successfully breaks the Guinness World Record for Deepest Scuba Dive. The professional dive instructor reaches a maximum depth of 332.35 meters for the new record. 22 Egyptian comedian Youssef Eid passes away on September 22 at age 66. The renowned theater and film actor was best known for supporting roles alongside big-name stars such as Adel Imam, Ahmed Zaki and many others. 25 Star actor Khaled Saleh dies in Aswan following complications from an open-heart surgery. Born on January 23, 1964, the 50-year-old Saleh, a lawyer by practice, was known for iconic roles as a corrupt policeman in Heyya Fawda (Chaos) and a minister in The Yacoubian Building. He also portrayed pyramid schemer Mohamed El-Rayyan in the TV serial Al-Rayyan and played the lead role in Sultan el-Gharam (Sultan of Love). 21 An explosion at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs kills two police officers and injures at least five others. Initial reports claim the blast was the result of a car bomb but later reports reveal that the bomb was thrown at the security guards at the building’s 26th of July Street entrance. Militant group Ajnad Misr claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a statement posted on their official twitter account, arguing that the ministry acts as a tool for “foreign enemies.” 30 Yasmine Raees wins the Best Actress award at the Swedish Malmö Arab Film Festival for her performance in Factory Girl. The film, directed by Mohamed Khan, is also submitted by the Egypt Cinema Syndicate as Egypt’s official entry for the Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film for 2015. Nine films will be selected from the nominees by the Oscar’s Foreign Language Film Award Committee to compete in the 87th Academy Awards.