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Shehata sends 'message' by visiting Ahli

Zamalek boss Hassan Shehata and his staff were present at Ahli training on Thursday morning, in what was labelled by The Master as a message to eliminate football fanaticism.

In a rare move between the arch-rivals, Shehata went to offer his condolences to Ahli after the league champions were rocked by the death of 77 supporters in Port-Said earlier this month.

The arrival of the former Egypt coach forced Ahli boss Manuel Jose to stop training and greet the visiting contingent, which also included Zamalek skipper Abdul-Wahed Al-Sayed.

Important message

“I came to offer my condolences to Ahli players and staff after the unimaginable incident in Port-Said,” Shehata told Ahli’s website.

“It is an important message to all Egyptian fans stressing that fanaticism and tension between clubs must be eliminated as the relationship between rival players and managers is excellent.

“I hope our visit improves the morale of Ahli players and I am looking forward to exchanging more visits with Ahli management and players in the future.”

Not uncommon

In response to the call, Ahli boss Jose was grateful to Shehata and his staff as he indicated that he is not surprised with the friendly manner of his Zamalek counterpart.

“I thank Shehata for his move and for backing our players that way,” the Portuguese said.

“I think it is not uncommon from Shehata who is a classy manager both technically and morally.”

Advantage

Ahli football director Sayed Abdul-Hafiz echoed Jose’s sentiments by thanking Shehata and hoping that the visit would bear fruit.

“Shehata has always been a very respectful person,” the former Egypt midfielder said.

“I will never forget when he called me while we were in the dressing room at the Port-Said Stadium that night and that he insisted on cancelling the match with Ismaili.

“I hope we can take advantage of the good relationship between players and managers to get rid of fanaticism between fans.”

FIFA’s regulations vs. Port-Said disaster

1-Weapons

FIFA: In the stadium, it is not allowed to possess any weapons and/or any other dangerous objects, including racist or aggressive banners and lasers.

What happened during the game was in stark contrast. According to several eyewitnesses including Ahli captain Hossam Ghaly, many home fans wielded bladed weapons and projectiles which they used to assault the opponent’s supporters following the final whistle.

It was also mentioned that an offensive banner against Port-Said, allegedly lifted from the Ahli stands, infuriated the Ultras Masrawy contingent at the other end of the stadium.

2-Flexible gates

FIFA: All access gates must be able to be opened or closed quickly without causing any danger. The gates shall be designed to withstand pressure from large crowds of people. When open, the gates must be firmly secured. The gates must also be equipped with fireproof locks.

A shock fact emerged after the disaster showing the exit gates of the visiting fans welded. It was a major frailty that fortified the suggestion of a premeditated conspiracy.

This particular deficiency resulted in a stampede that caused the death of tens of Ahli fans.

3-Emergency gates

FIFA: The gates may be opened by remote control or by hand. If a gate can only be opened by hand, it must be opened from the spectators’ side.

Apart from the factor that the Port-Said Stadium gates are not that highly equipped to be opened by a remote control, it was proven that the gates - which eventually collapsed by the crush of the panicking crowds - were closed from outside (against FIFA's regulation).

4-Checkpoints

FIFA: All entry points must be equipped with facilities for searching persons and examining objects, and for storing objects securely.

Absence of check-points proved to be a fiasco; fans possessing weapons and canisters were easily allowed to enter with no search being conducted on them.

According to the Fact-Finding Committee spokesman, match referee Fahim Omar said it was the first time for him to enter a stadium without being subjected to normal searching procedures.

5-Players and officials protection

FIFA: On entering and leaving the field of play, as well as during the match, players and officials must be protected against intrusions from spectators.

TV footage showed the disturbing scene of hundreds of vociferous home fans storming the pitch to attack Ahli players and staff before easily breaking into the visiting stands, with the Central Security Forces nothing but mere bystanders.

Ahli boss Jose said he was fortunate to stay alive

6-Identification

FIFA: The spectator areas shall be divided into sectors and identifiable as such. Sectors shall be marked in such a way as to allow spectators, and particularly security forces, to identify them quickly.

Video cameras with a zoom facility shall be installed inside and outside the stadium and close to the entry points. The video cameras shall be controlled from the police control room and connected to the police monitors. A freeze frame facility shall also be available to identify individuals.

The officials in charge of the game seemed utterly ignorant of that measure; as neither cameras were used for identification of entrees nor the spectator areas were divided to be used for the aforementioned purpose.

This was vindicated by several eyewitnesses from the Masri stands, insisting there were many individuals who didn’t look like football fans between them (i.e. thugs).

7- Match organizers (The FA)

FIFA: The match organizers must guarantee in cooperation with the local police authorities the safety of the participating teams and their officials – as well as the FIFA match officials – during their whole stay, from arrival to departure.

The scene of fans jumping Ahli’s coaching staff and another showing referees fleeing just after the game suggests that no co-ordination has been brought about between match officials and local police authorities, who were evidently passive throughout the melee.

8-Medical service

FIFA: The medical service shall be permanently provided with suitable rooms for the first aid treatment of spectators and any other person, other than the doping test room or the players’ medical attention room.

“We didn’t see one ambulance car since the match was over,” Ahli star Mohamed Barakat screamed in a phone call following the ill-fated clash.

The visitors witnessed numerous deaths inside their own dressing room, with team doctor Ihab Ali forced to hospitalize the gravely injured fans due to absence of ambulance vehicles.

Fathi, an Ultras Ahlawy teenager who witnessed the whole calamity, said that he only saw a single ambulance van which was not enough to save the lives of massacred fans.

9-Permitted entries

FIFA: On match days, only persons in possession of valid permits shall be granted entry to the stadium. Valid permits include:

• Match tickets;

• Workers’ identity cards;

• Passes.

Among the numerous frailties leading to the catastrophe, valid tickets proved to be the least concern.

It became obvious that thugs without valid permits were allowed to enter the stadium, which came as a normal outcome to the absence of check-points and security supervision.

10-Stewards

In the longest of FIFA’s 33-article document for safety regulations, the following is a brief for the primary duties of stewards

• Guaranteeing Safety and order

• Conducting security checks

• Protecting key areas

• Removing, storing and possibly returning any prohibited objects

• Protecting the players and match officials

• Denying access to, or removing any persons who cannot prove their right to be in the stadium

• Having prior experience

• Supervising and searching guests

• Ensuring that all entry, exit points and emergency exit routes remain unobstructed

• Staffing the entry, exit points and emergency exit points

• Informing the police of any security threat

• Preventing fans from moving into a stadium sector for which they do not possess a valid ticket

At Port-Said Stadium, there were no stewards.

Interview: Ahmed Hassan speaks to FIFA

FIFA World:

Congratulations on becoming the world’s most-capped player. How have you managed to maintain your form and fitness over the years?

Ahmed Hassan:

Let me first say that I’m very proud of this record, not just for myself but for all of my countrymen, because it’s a great achievement for an Egyptian to be the world’s most-capped player. It wasn’t easy at all to reach this many caps and it took a lot of effort and perseverance in the face of many challenges. In fact, I never thought about winning so many caps when I set out on my football career. My dream was just to be a good footballer and play for Egypt. I was called up to the national team at 19 and I always did my best to be available for selection. As the years passed, especially over the last three years, people drew my attention to the fact that I could become the most-capped player in the world, so it became one of my targets. In a way, I was even quite late in accomplishing it because I picked up a serious knee injury in 2010. Fortunately, however, I managed to recover quickly and finally break the record.

You’ve known success and failure with Egypt, winning three consecutive CAF Africa Cup of Nations titles but failing to qualify, as title-holders, for the 2012 edition. How do you see the future of the team?

We’ve lived through one of the best eras in Egyptian football and it is only natural for any team that has done so well for so many years to go through a rough patch. After being on top for all those years, we simply underestimated our opponents, but we have learnt our lesson well and we have learnt it the hard way. Whoever is in charge of the team in the upcoming period has a very tough job ahead of them, especially after the recent decision to cancel the league and the overall instability of the country. It’s not going to be easy.

On the night you broke the caps record, you spoke a great deal about Egypt’s instability and the mixed emotions of breaking the record so soon after February’s Port Said stadium tragedy. How did the tragedy affect you personally?

It touched all of us in the football community. It’s depressing to see the sport that everybody loves become a source of such sadness but, ultimately, what happened was a result of fanaticism. I have to say that the media also played a large role by stirring up the fans’ aggression instead of attempting to calm things down. I’d like to take this opportunity to send my condolences to the families of all the fans who passed away and I hope that this is the last tragedy, and that football returns to its role as a form of entertainment and source of happiness for all Egyptians.

You’ve played in Egypt, Turkey and Belgium. What was your view of the fan culture in these countries? Did you notice differences between them?

Nowadays in Egypt all the big teams like Ahli, Zamalek, Ismaily and Al-Masry have their own groups of “ultras”, which is a great thing if they stick to supporting their teams within the reasonable and ethical limits. But once it crosses the line and turns aggressive or becomes a vehicle for something completely beyond football then it becomes unacceptable and can lead to disasters. All over the world, ultras support their clubs using organised cheering which can be very entertaining and this is what we as players like to see in the stands, but if they cause violence in the stadiums then no, we cannot tolerate that.

Following the events in Port Said, many players even announced their retirement from the game. How long will it take Egyptian football to recover from the tragedy?

It is not just about football. The whole country is currently suffering from a lack of ethics, as well as a general lack of security, and this is causing problems in all facets of life. It is going to take some time to recover. There is no doubt that football will bounce back but the whole country has to make it out of this dark tunnel. Stability will only return when all members of the community, whether they be players, fans, referees, journalists or security staff, recognise their role, stick to it and respect the role of others.

Do you agree with the widely held belief in Egypt that last year’s political unrest contributed to the ailing fortunes of Egyptian football?

It has definitely been a factor, but it’s not the main reason. We’re all part of this country and anything that goes on affects us, so naturally our concentration levels drop and we cannot remain focused when such turmoil is happening at home. On top of that there’s the fact that we couldn’t play for a very long time with the league being suspended for almost four months. But, again, I don’t believe that was the only reason. We also got over-confident and just thought it was going to be easy to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations. By the time we’d realised our mistake, after the first two matches against Sierra Leone and Niger, it was already too late.

You’re a huge idol in Egypt – have you ever considered getting involved in politics?

No, I don’t want to get involved in politics. I’m just a footballer and I’d like to stick to that. I’ve actually been asked to stand as a candidate for the parliamentary elections but I refused point blank. I’ve been contacted by a few people seeking my endorsement but I refused to get involved because I don’t want to take any political sides and I don’t want to influence people’s choices in any way. I believe people should choose who they vote for based on the candidates’ own work not because a famous star told them who to vote for.

Egypt are now coached by Bob Bradley, whose USA team eliminated Egypt from the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2009. What is your impression of him so far? Is his style different from an Egyptian coach?

I don’t believe in classifying coaches or anybody else for that matter based on where they come from. Regardless of whether he is an Egyptian or an American, I think every coach wants his team to do well for his own sake, since it’s his reputation that is on the line. Bradley is a great coach and he has a vision. It is an extremely tough job to take on the Egyptian national team at this time and I sympathise with him, but he has been trying out new players and new strategies, which is a good thing for the team and for the future of Egyptian football.

What are Egypt’s chances of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil?

It’s going to be tough. In the current situation, it’s hard for players to stay in shape and find opportunities to practise and play meaningful games but it is still possible, as long as we don’t repeat our mistakes from the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. We have to treat every game very seriously, from the first match on, and never underestimate any opponent.

You are one of the few players to have crossed the divide between Egyptian giants Ahli and Zamalek. Can you tell us what that was like?

I dealt with the matter professionally. This is my job and those are the biggest two clubs in Egypt, if not Africa, so it has been an honour to play for both. I’ve never had any issues with Ahli fans, so even after my move to Zamalek I was surprisingly never booed or treated with hostility by Ahli’s fans, which really made it easy and demonstrated the respectful relationship I have with all Egyptian fans.

You are also one of the few Egyptians who have enjoyed a successful professional career in Europe. Why do you think other players have faced difficulties playing in Europe? What is the secret recipe for an Egyptian to have success in Europe?

Egyptian players unfortunately have not yet understood the meaning of professional football and that it is a job not just a game or a hobby. The mentality of Egyptian or Arab players in general is quite different, they still think of football as a pastime, unlike European players, who live and breathe football and change their whole life to adapt to their jobs as professional players. Once Egyptian players reach that level of professionalism, they will succeed for sure, because we have many great talents, but that on its own is not enough. Mindset is also an extremely important part of a player’s career.

You could have stayed longer in Europe. What made you decide to return home?

I made a great name for myself in Turkey and Belgium and I played for ten years in Europe, so yes, I could have stayed longer, but I felt that I had accomplished all I could there and that it was time to return home to win titles here in Egypt and leave a legacy here in my home country. I also had personal reasons: I wanted to raise my children in their homeland amidst our own customs and traditions.

And now the inevitable question – when do you intend to hang up your boots?

There will come a time when I will have to step off the pitch, of course, it’s a fact of life. But I haven’t decided when yet. I’ll retire only when I feel that I cannot or do not want to play football anymore. At that point, I’ll set some new goals for myself, most probably in coaching and sports media.

Mainz thrashed in Zidan’s absence

Mohamed Zidan played no part in what could have been his final game with Mainz, who were thrashed 3-0 at home by Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Egypt forward Zidan, on loan from Borussia Dortmund, missed out on the final Bundesliga game of the season with a knee problem suffered in the recent match at Hamburg.

Mainz were completely outplayed by Gladbach star man Marco Reus, who scored twice in his last game with the club before joining champions Dortmund in the summer.

Thomas Tuchel’s side finish the season in 13th place, eight points clear of the bottom three.

It remains to be seen whether Zidan will be offered a permanent Mainz deal or not, having netted seven goals to help the club avoid relegations this term.

Ahli-Stade match put back

CAF has accepted Ahli’s request to put back the Champions League game with Stade Malien 48 hours, the Egyptian FA said on Sunday.

Ahli made their request after enduring a turbulent journey to the Malian champions last week, which saw them stranded by a stream of fighting between political adversaries in Bamako.

The return game was initially scheduled for May 12, but will now take place on the 14th.

Ahli need to win by at least one goal to avoid an early exit from the Champions League, following the 1-0 defeat of last Sunday’s game.

Gomaa poised for Europe rehab

Ahli and Egypt defender Wael Gomaa is facing three weeks on the sidelines and could head to Portugal to treat his recurring calf problem.

The veteran center-half made his comeback from injury in last week’s Champions League defeat at Stade Malien, only for him to last nine minutes before suffering a relapse.

“Gomaa needs from two-to-three weeks to return to full fitness. We may opt to send him to Portugal for rehab,” Ahli doctor Ihab Ali told FilGoal.com.

Meanwhile, another defense star is on road to recovery as Ahmed Fathi could resume full training in 10 days.

Fathi has been ruled out since early April after having knee surgery following a friendly match with Harras Hodoud.

Court upholds sentence against ‎comedian for offending Islam

Adel Imam

A court upheld Tuesday the jail sentence of one of the Arab world's most famous comedic actors for insulting Islam in his films.

Haram misdemeanor court sentenced Adel Imam Tuesday to three months in jail and fined him LE100.

Imam was convicted in February of contempt of religion, which is criminalized under Article 98(f) of the Egyptian penal code. Imam appealed the verdict the same month.

It was latest such case against a high-profile figure, underlining concerns about freedom of expression in Egypt, where Islamist parties dominate Parliament after sweeping election victories.

Imam, 71, has acted in dozens of films in a career that spans nearly 50 years.

The case against Imam was brought by Asran Mansour, a lawyer with ties to Islamist groups.

Mansour accused Imam of blasphemy and ridiculing Islam and its symbols, including beards and the jilbab — a loose-fitting garment worn by some Muslims — in movies such as “Al-Irhab wal-Kabab” (“Terrorism and Kebab”), “Al-Irhabi” (“The Terrorist”) and “Teyour al-Zalam’’ (“Birds of Darkness”). The films were released in 1992, 1994 and 1995, respectively.

A judicial source told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the ruling allows Imam to pay a fine instead of serving the prison sentence, but the crime will be noted on his record.

Al-Masry Al-Youm learned that Imam did not attend the court session and learned of the verdict through his lawyer.

Imam's lawyers objected to the ruling, stating in their defense that Imam’s films had been approved by state censors who oversee artistic materials.  

They said that this is not the first time such a case has been brought against Imam, and they called upon the court to overturn the previous ruling and acquit him.

The defense team also said that the prosecution did not prove that the films had caused harm and that the case was too late, as all the films in question were released in the 90s.

Art and revolution, revisited in two new documentaries

Sometimes certain questions are asked over and over again, because the answers they provoke are never satisfying. In Cairo since 25 January, in the midst of everything else, one such persistent question has arisen: how is art responding to the ouster of Hosni Mubarak and the transformative forces playing out in the country today? Attempts to understand this have been made continually over the past year in the form of news articles, blog posts, op-eds, art exhibitions and now two new documentaries, “Laila, Hala and Karima,” codirected by Egyptian, Switzerland-based director Ahmed Abdel Mohsen and the German Eduard Erne, and “The Noise of Cairo,” directed by German director Heiko Lange.

Bidoun editor Negar Azimi wrote in a piece about “Revolution Art” in Frieze some months ago: “Whatever you think of these platforms and initiatives – and it may very well not be much – they can’t help but leave you lingering over the sort of questions they raise and, indeed, wondering whether too much is being asked of art in times of revolution.”

With each new film, exhibition and piece of writing about art and the revolution, this question rings in the background. What is being asked of art and why? Perhaps the strength of these two recent contributions to the conversation is in the fact that the directors do not ask so much of art itself, but focus rather on the artists, who are in the end simply people, and examine how they position themselves in a changing context.

“Laila, Hala and Karima,” follows theater director Laila Soleiman, visual artist Hala ElKoussy, and dancer and choreographer Karima Mansour, as they navigate the ups and downs of the past year in Cairo. Over the course of the film we see how what began in January 2011 gradually settled into a kind of stable instability. The balance shifts in the three women’s lives as they begin to get back to their work as artists, leaving the life of constant activism behind. But Soleiman, ElKoussy and Mansour articulate contrasting understandings of the relationship between their work and their politics.

Of the three, Soleiman was the first to make work responding directly to current events. Soleiman says that she feels one must “Fight with whatever weapon you have,” which, for a playwright whose first post-January 25th uprising piece was entitled “No Time for Art,” belies a particular disinterest, at least in the context of Egypt in 2011, in art that is not meant specifically to be an instrument of activism.

But for Mansour, a dancer whose work deals with the female body in a way that is not always readily accepted in Egypt, her relationship with politics is more one of navigation than confrontation. “I don’t like to mix art with politics,” says Mansour, “but it is difficult to separate politics in a country like this.” The nature of her work makes it inherently political and often problematic, and 25 January made it possible for Mansour to work in her home country for the first time in seven years.

While it is an effective strategy to examine the last year through personal stories, these three women represent a limited segment of Egyptian society. At one point in the film, activist Salma Said, on a break from rehearsing for one of Soleiman’s plays, points out, “The celebrities of the revolution are all middle class, English-speaking, not veiled girls who use Facebook and Twitter. And it is a shame because the turning point was when other people took part.”

In the context of a film about three middle class, English-speaking, not veiled girls who use Facebook and Twitter, it is an important point to keep in mind.

As a record of artists’ reactions to revolution, “The Noise of Cairo” draws a broader picture than “Laila, Hala and Karima,” despite being filmed over the course of only ten days in the middle of the summer, 2011. The artists interviewed in the film work in a wide range of fields, and are at varying points in their careers. As a group, they portray a great amount of energy and optimism that exists alongside a strong awareness of the fact that what is “new” about Egypt after 25 January is still unclear and still changing.

The film captures a specific moment, and it is encouraging to see the energy that was coursing through the arts almost a year ago. In exhibitions, in performances, and in the personal practices of artists like Hany Rashed and Khaled Hafez, there is a buzzing sense of excitement and openness. While not a single person in the film declares a finished victory for the revolution, all seem assured in the power of their own voices, and aware of a nascent, but tangible potential for long-lasting change.

Painter Khaled Hafez describes a shift that was likely felt by many artists like himself - and like Karima Mansour - who long ago decided professional success and fulfillment lay abroad, where neither resources nor censorship are issues in the way that they are in Egypt.  

“I enjoyed being a citizen for the first time in my life at 48,” says Hafez.

But perhaps because of its buoyant tone, the film already feels somewhat dated. As power changes hands, conversations about censorship have shifted from discussions of what is possible now that was not possible before, to what is possible now that may not be possible in the future, depending on what happens in upcoming elections and after. It is hard to know how those interviewed in June would respond to the same questions today.

Near the end of “The Noise of Cairo,” Mansour, who is featured in both films, says, “Artists are feared by the government because they are loud, and they make a lot of noise.”

But as visitors filed out of Rawabet Theater, the most distinct noise being made by anyone was the distant chant of Hazem Salah Abu Ismael supporters, wafting over from Tahrir Square only a half kilometer away. It served as a reminder that within this vast city, there are many currents existing side by side, and many people who hope for different, and often conflicting things.

Asked why he chose to focus on artists in his documentary, Lange responded, “I think artists start to reflect early on social issues… it is interesting to see what comes out of confusion.”

And in these two films, artists are asked simply to be thoughtful and reflective humans, and to begin to articulate what revolution in Egypt actually means, and what might come out of this confusion. 

In other words: James Joyce's 'Dubliners' in Arabic

This April, the Irish capital celebrates James Joyce’s story collection “Dubliners” in its annual “Dublin: One city, one book” initiative. Every year, the Dublin Public Libraries celebrate a book related to the city, written by an Irish author, through a number of reading events. Over the past years, selected novels included: Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” and “Gulliver’s Travels” by Jonathan Swift.

The works of Joyce, one of the most prominent writers ever, have had an uneasy relationship with Arab culture. Translators could not agree on how to bring his writing into Arabic, although Arabic writers engaged with his work; The late Naguib Mahfouz, for instance, employed some of his techniques in his writings. Still, translating Joyce has been no easy task because of his writing style, and unique literary techniques like the stream of consciousness. One can find a number of different translations of Joyce's text; and in the case of his masterpiece "Ulysses," two attempts at translating the novel were never completed.

“Dubliners” also has its existence in Arabic culture. By a fleeting search on the web, one can find some of the 15 stories in the collection translated by a number of amateurs and professionals. But the collection was only published in book form twice.

The first translation appeared in 1961 and was by Enayat Abdel Aziz, with an introduction by the Egyptian intellectual Morsi Saad Eldin. It was published as part of “The Thousand Books” series, while the other translation was published in 2000 by the Syrian “Dar al-Hewar.” Syrian translator Osama Manzalgy translated the text.

The original “Dubliners,” which was first published in 1914, is one of the prominent books in the short story genre. Like all of Joyce's works, it depends on the rhythm and significance of the language, although “Dubliners” is more accessible than Joyce's later works: “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” “Ulysses,” and “Finnegan Wake.” His style and word choice makes translations, no matter how great they are, not as pleasurable for readers as the original texts. But, other difficulties that translators of Joyce's work face are due to his use of culturally-specific Irish expressions, and uncommon words; some words even confuse English readers and scholars. The Irish novelist John Boyne admits in his introduction to the 2012 edition of "Dubliners" that he turns back often to dictionary while reading Joyce. Still, Arab translators have made great efforts to bring Joyce's work into the Arabic.

The first Arabic translation of “Dubliners” that came out in the sixties took a simple approach to translation, with the aim of introducing Joyce to Arabic readers, as Saad Eldin writes in his introduction to the stories. Translator Abdel Aziz inexplicably selected twelve out of the fifteen stories to translate in her book. But, the main problem with some of the translations was that they sometimes overlooked details in the original stories.

In the story “An Encounter,” an old man asks two children if they have read Lord Lytton. Mahony, one of the children, doesn’t seem to know much about Lord Lytton, and according to the translator, the narrator child felt afraid that the old man would "think something about that." In the original text, we learn that the child was afraid that the old man would think he is stupid like Mahony.

In the more recent translation of "Dubliners," Manzalgy seems more aware of the difficulty of translating Joyce. He uses references and side notes to explain vague words at the end of every story. Manzalgy often uses the colloquial to parallel Joyce’s colloquial. And while Abdel Aziz chose to be simple, Manzalgy chose to be faithful to the original text, which made his translation a more difficult read than the older Arabic version. Manzalgy also sometimes inserted the Latin and French words Joyce used as is in Latin alphabet like “derepaun seraun” or “Parole d’honneur” and the Irish loaf “barmbracks." Other issues that came up in the translation were mediating the correct meaning. One famous quote from the book, saying "Love between man and man is impossible because there must not be sexual intercourse and friendship between man and woman is impossible because there must be sexual intercourse," was distorted when that first statement turned to “Love between man and woman is impossible because there must not be sexual intercourse…”

Still, “Dubliners” is a classic book, and is apt for retranslations. The more we get to read Joyce, promising experiments at translating his work would emerge.

Literature festival in Gaza hostage to Egyptian bureaucracy

Travel from Egypt to the Gaza Strip is curtailed by restrictions from the Egyptian government, which has contributed to the Israeli-engineered siege on the strip. But the organizers of a literature festival are testing these limitations, stepping up a media campaign in recent days to pressure the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to facilitate 43 travel permits for writers, artists and activists.

A few weeks ago, Palestinian Festival of Literature (PalFest) organizers Omar Robert Hamilton and Reema Fadda, both British citizens, received permits through the Foreign Ministry to travel to Gaza through the Rafah border, which Egypt controls. The Foreign Ministry had told the larger group of 43 to apply for permits the same way and accepted their paperwork, according to one of the applicants.

However, in a Wednesday statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Amr Roshdy said: “The ministry is not responsible for issuing permits for Egyptian citizens to enter Gaza. It is only responsible for taking in entry requests by foreigners, after which the ministry submits them to the relevant sections.”

Roshdy went further in a telephone conversation with Egypt Independent after the statement’s release, saying, “We receive the requests for Egyptian citizens and send them to the relevant security departments.” The same applies to foreigners.

When asked when he expects to hear from the security departments about the permits he said: “I don’t have information about what you’re talking about. It is not our responsibility in general to issue the permits.”

The Palestinian festival, which is supported by the UK Arts Council among other international backers, is scheduled to take place in three days and would mark the first time Gaza hosts the event. It is intended to reflect the changes in Egypt’s policy toward the besieged strip since the 25 January revolution.

“When a straightforward, independent literature festival can’t go and spend a few days with its neighbors people need to question why Egypt’s policy hasn’t changed since the revolution,” Hamilton said in an interview.

PalFest is about Palestinian activism as much as it is about literature. It describes itself as “an annual, traveling cultural roadshow that crosses the military checkpoints keeping its audience divided.”

“Opening the border was very high on the list of the goals of the revolution, combined with the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood controls Parliament, we think and hope that the border has to become more flexible,” Hamilton said in reference to Rafah, and the fact that the Brotherhood has long supported the Palestinian cause.  

“We want to do everything we can to help foster the re-emergent sense of pan-Arabism that has been dormant for so long, but that I think is really important. If we’re going to have revolutions that don’t just change government, but change the way that entire countries and regions of the world manage to run themselves, we’re going to have to bring those cultural, political and economic links back to life and make them strong,” Hamilton said.

Egyptian novelist, and the festival’s founder, Ahdaf Soueif, wrote in independent daily Al-Shorouk on Wednesday about the motivations behind the festival. “Civil society brings to life the conscience of the world, traveling by sea and air to express solidarity with our brothers in Gaza ... the world asks: Will the Egyptian revolution, the awakening of Egypt, change the circumstances under which Palestine lives?”

This would be the fifth year of PalFest after it was held last year in the West Bank and Palestinian towns in Israel, such as Nazareth. 

The festival, scheduled to run from 5 to 9 May, includes creative writing, electronic writing and translation workshops in coordination with public schools and universities. It will also be held in Ramallah with children’s activities.

The main partner in Gaza is Haidar Eid, an Al-Aqsa University professor and founding member of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.

On 11 May, the writers, activists and artists plan to hold a public meeting in Cairo to report on their experiences and generate new ideas of how Egyptian civil society can support Gaza.

But, most of this depends on the pending travel permits.

If the 43 are allowed to travel, foreign attendance at this year’s festival will be made up of mostly Egyptians and other Arab citizens, reflecting the sense of pan-Arabism that has re-emerged since the region’s uprisings began.

Egyptians in the travel party include Ahdaf Soueif, blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah, activist Manal Hassan, the band Eskenderella, blogger Ghada Abdel Aal, writer Amr Ezzat, poet Amin Haddad, writer and producer Khaled al-Khamissi, Cairo University poetry lecturer Sahar al-Mougy, novelist and columnist Yousef Rakha and translator Nariman Youssef.   

Among the diverse list of expected attendees are also two Palestinian poets and an architect and writer based in Ramallah, a Tunisian living in Holland, a Sudanese novelist and a Lebanese writer.

“I really wanted to express our great hope to have the PalFest activities to be held in Gaza this year,” Ayah Bashir, one of the Gaza-based organizers told Egypt Independent via email. “You can't imagine how hopeful we are to have this wonderful list of authors.

“A team, very limited in number and resources, has been working day and night to prepare for their coming and for spreading the word. Until this moment, we are still working as if they are coming on Saturday as planned,” said Bashir who has contributed to the festival’s 10 months of preparations.

Gaza blogger Rana B. Baker is also one of many Palestinians looking forward to this rare, independent cultural festival taking place in the strip. “Hundreds of#Gaza youth are waiting in anticipation for Egypt’s final decision on #Gaza-bound permits. #PalFestGaza,” she tweeted, using the Twitter hashtag for the event.

Fadda says cultural production in Gaza is difficult because of the siege.

“You can’t import books, and the movement of people and goods is restricted. Just by going we’re challenging the culture of power,” she said in reference to the festival’s motto of asserting the power of culture over the culture of power.  

She continued: “It’s quite a unique thing for them [Gazans], especially as the majority of events are mediated through the web ... The live audience element is really important, and that’s a big part of the power of culture, having that interaction with the audience.” 

“#PalFestGaza is going to be one of the most remarkable events taking place in#Gaza since several years! Make it happen! =)”, Yasmeen al-Khoudary, blogger and columnist, also tweeted on 29 April.

Khoudary and her father have been renovating a historic building in Gaza, where on the closing night of the festival a free public concert by Eskenderella and Gaza-based bands Jafra and Al-Salam is scheduled.

Gaza has been under siege by Israel since 2007, when Hamas, which Israel considers a terrorist organization, took over running the strip. Israel controls all other entry and exit to and from Gaza.