Mosaab El Shamy

In the early morning hours of Monday 16th, 2011, Egyptian activist Mosaab El Shamy was arrested.

5 hours earlier, a group of protesters had gathered in front of the #IsraeliEmbassy to mark the Nakba commemoration day. 

Despite some reports that protestors attempted trespassing and illegal entry, many protestors there were simultaneously tweeting the events as they developed, supporting none of the above allegations. 

Mosaab El Shamy was there, and his tweeting was evident of what it was he was doing exactly. 

Every tweet that Mosaab sent out since his arrival was of him reporting of what he was seeing and hearing around him, proof of which, was Mosaab's return to the embassy after hearing that protestors were engaging in clashes with the riot police.

@Mosaaberizing: @ghada_egypt I left it hours ago before things went crazy :( Heading back now to check.

@Mosaaberizing: "Stop asking me ridiculous questions. I'm reporting what I'm seeing."

He did not attempt to enter the embassy, he did not pick up a single stone, he did not partake in the burning of the flag he watched burn, and took pictures of and tweeted about.

Mosaab is a photographer. I have known him since a little before the January 25 revolution, and shared with him a love of photography. Through out the revolution, Mosaab's tweets made news networks around the world, as he tweeted, took pictures, and uploaded albums upon albums of the truth as he captured it with his lens.

In a live-streaming video provided by Tarek Shalaby, another activist detained on the same night, it is clearly audible that a camera is confiscated by one of the officers over looking the arrest, proving Mosaab was there taking pictures rather than engaging in illegal activity.

Tarek managed to live stream his and Mosaab's arrest, the abusive language used, the accusations made, and the horrifying setting they found themselves in evident by the occasional shudderingly loud gun shot heard on the video.

Mosaab is not a thug. Nor did he destroy public property. Nor did he attempt trespassing. Nor did he insult or assault an officer.

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I am not an investigative reporter nor am I a human rights activist. I am Mosaab's friend and I believe and know and am confident that he has not broken the law.  Mosaab has shown great courage and determination since the first days of the revolution. He risked his life several times during the worst days of Tahrir to protect those who needed it, and travelled to Benghazi to support the Libyan revolution as it unfolded.

Mosaab, who is a 21 year old Pharmacy undergrad, was arrested and taken to a military prison, and is scheduled to stand before a military court, where he could be facing up to 5 years in jail. If referred to a civil court, Mosaab stands a chance at real justice, the right to an attorney, and a chance to present evidence of his innocence.  

Whatever Happened to Egyptian Antiquities?

Ms. Sarah Marai wrote to me exactly 10 days ago with a detailed account of what has been happening in regards to the looting and theft of Egyptian Antiquities. Sarah Marai is an antiquities inspector in Ministry of Antiquities based in Giza. Working in stolen storages. Here is her report:

Antiquities have been badly hit since the beginning of the revolution and sadly did not receive much media coverage. I've been working for the past month writing articles and spreading the message. Not enough awareness had been raised let alone methods to protect them. 

As you will find on Dr. Zahi's website many site storages were looted and some tombs had the wall reliefs hacked out in Abu Sir. In Ismailia the only example of a 19th Dynasty tomb in the Delta was reduced to dust by a bulldozer trying to loot at night. 

There are three main attacks on antiquities:

1- Looting storages and sites

2- Illegal excavations on sites

3- Illegal building on antiquity sites

The looting was really bad at first escalating into large numbers of armed attackers. Two guards were shot in Kafr El Sheikh protecting the main storage facility when attacked by 40 armed men. But recently this type of looting has almost stopped (Aside from an armed attack yesterday in Luxor on the storage of the German expedition. 

Two statues were stolen and found this morning with the looters arrested). Problem is as I said in twitter is that site guards (el ghaffar) are unarmed and unwilling to stand and guard against armed looters and police are terrified and generally remaining hiding within offices. I'm worried this might lead to an escalation again in armed attacks. 

The illegal excavation is catastrophic. Not only are they permanently damaging the sites but whatever objects they find we can never track. This took place in great concentration in the site of Abydos in Upper Egypt, an unimaginably significant and rich site in the history of ancient Egypt. 

Finally some people are taking the opportunity to build whatever structures they want wherever. Many places had large portions of land appropriated for the Supreme Council of Antiquities and they are now being damaged and taken by force by these illegal constructions. A massive 3 year project in Luxor to re-link the avenue of rams from the Luxor temple to the Karnak temple has been built over. 

This is a summary of the situation at the moment. 

We are largely being ignored by the army. The police exist on some sites but in very small numbers. The media does not find this to be headline news. 

We need to call for the army to closely monitor all exits from Egypt (airports, ports and borders) to make sure objects do not leave the country. 

We need protection from whomever and wherever on the sites fast. 

Also I want to make it clear to everyone. If you are being sold an object that is supposedly an original check for any numbers written onto the object. As Egyptologists we immediately give an object a number when we first find it. Then its given more numbers as it enters storages and museums. Numbers may be in pencil or pen in any colour. 

1241 الشيخ أسامة القوصي - الخطبة - التجارة بالدين

البابا شنودة يطالب «الجمل» بإضافة فقرة للمادة الثانية من الدستور تخص غير المسلمين

التقى البابا شنودة الثالث، بابا الإسكندرية وبطريرك الكرازة المرقسية، مساء الأحد، بالدكتور يحيي الجمل، نائب رئيس الوزراء، بالمقر البابوي بالكاتدرائية المرقسية بالعباسية بحضور بعض أساقفة المجمع المقدس وبعض الشخصيات القبطية العامة.

وطالب البابا فى حواره مع الجمل بإضافة فقرة للمادة الثانية من الدستور التي تنص على أن الشريعة الإسلامية هي المصدر الرئيسي للتشريع، وذلك بأن تكون الفقرة تخص غير المسلمين من أبناء الطوائف الأخرى، كما طالب البابا نائب رئيس الوزراء بالإفراج عن الشباب الأقباط الذين تم اعتقالهم على خلفية أحداث ماسبيرو، وإقرار قانون دور العبادة الموحد بما يتيح بناء الكنائس دون اشتراطات التصريح من المحافظين، فضلاً على سرعة إتمام قانون الأحوال الشخصية الموحد، وتنقية المناهج الدراسية.

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Detailed:

Table Courtesy of Essam Maged

Table: Courtesy of @ramyyaacoub

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