كَانَتْ مَعَالِم ٱلدَّهْشَة بَادِيَة عَلَى مُحَمَّد اَلْهَدَّاف وَهُوَ يُحَمْلِقُ بِنَاظِرَيه فِي بَسْطَات بَاعَةِ ٱلْخَضْرَاوَات اَلَّذِينَ كَانُوا يَتَّخِذُون مَوَاقِعَهُم لِلتَّوّ فِي ٱلسُّوق ٱلشَّعْبِيَّة فِي مُخَيَّم اَلْمَغَازِيّ لِلاجِئِين، وَسْطَ ٱلْقِطَاع، إِذْ أَدْرَكَ أَنَّهُ سَيَعُودُ بِخُفَّي حُنَيْن وَلَنْ يَتَمَكَّن مِن بَيْع مَا جَلَبَهُ مِن بَازِلَّاء بِسِعْرٍ مُرْتَفِع نِسْبِيًّا، كَمَا كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْأُمُور فِي ٱلْأَعْوَام ٱلسَّابِقَة، بَعْدَمَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّ بَسْطَات ٱلْخَضْرَاوَات تَزْخَرُ بِٱلْبَازِلَّاء اَلَّتِي يُفَضِّلُ ٱلْغَزِّيُّون طَبْخَهَا. لٰكِنَّ دَهْشَةَ مُحَمَّد سُرْعَانَ مَا تَلاشَتْ عِنْدَمَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّ هٰذِهِ ٱلْبَازِلَّاء قَد تَمَّ تَهْرِيبَهَا عَبْرَ ٱلْأَنْفَاق بِكَمِّيَّاتٍ كَبِيرَة، وَهُوَ مَا أَدَّى إِلَى زِيَادَةِ ٱلْعَرْض بِشَكْلٍ قَلَّصَ مِن إِمْكَانِيَّةِ بَيْعِهَا بِأَسْعَارٍ عَالِيَة. لَمْ يَكُن هُنَاكَ بُدٌّ أَمَامَ مُحَمَّد إِلَّا ٱلتَّوَجُّه إِلَى شَوَارِع ٱلْمُخَيَّم وَأَزِقَّتِه فِي مَسْعًى مِنهُ «لِٱصْطِيَاد» ٱلْمُتَسَوِّقِين قَبْلَ أَنْ يَصِلُوا إِلَى ٱلسُّوق.
Signs of surprise were evident on Muhammad al-Haddaf as he stared with both his eyes at the stalls of the vegetable sellers who had just taken up their positions in the street [lit. peoples] market in Maghazi refugee camp in the centre of the [Gaza] Strip as he realised that he would return empty handed [lit. with the slippers of Hunayn] and would not be able to sell what he had brought along in terms of peas for a relatively high price as had been the case in previous years after it became clear to him that the stalls of vegetables abounded with peas which Gazans like to cook. But Muhammads surprise quickly faded when it became clear to him that these peas had been smuggled through the tunnels in large quantities which is what led to the increase in supply in a manner which diminished the possibility of selling them for a high price. There was no option before Muhammad other than to head to the streets of the camp and its alleys in an effort by him to catch/hunt shoppers before they reached the market.
سَمِعتُ مُجَادَلَةً «حَامِيَةَ ٱلْوَطِيس» مِثْلَمَا يَقُولُون، بَيْنَ شَيْخَيْن جَلِيلَيْن عَلَى إِحْدَى ٱلْقَنَوَاتِ ٱلْفَضَائِيَّة قَالَ ٱلشَّيْخ ٱلْأَوَّل: إِذَا «حَلَبَتْ» ٱلْمَرْأَةُ نَفْسَهَا سَبْع رَضَعَات وَعَمِلَتْ مِنهَا «كَيْكَة»، فَأَكَلَهَا إِنْسَان عِنْدَهَا فَإِنَّهُ يَحْرُمُ عَلَيْهِ مَا يَحْرُمُ عَلَى ٱلرَّضَاعَةِ مِن ٱلنَّسَب. فَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلشَّيْخ ٱلْآخَر مُحْتَجًّا: لَيْسَ هٰذَا هُوَ ٱلظَّاهِر ٱللُّغَوِيّ، لِأَنَّ ٱلرَّضَاعَةَ فِي لُغَةِ ٱلْعَرَب هِيَ: مَصّ ٱلثَّدْي بِفَم، وَمَا ذَكَرتَهُ لا يُعَدُّ رَضَاعًا، وَإِنَّمَا هُوَ أَكْل. عِنْدَمَا سَمِعتُ ذٰلِكَ ٱلْحِوَار ٱلشَّيِّق «لَوَيتُ بُوزِي»، وَقُلتُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ نَفْسِي: ٱلحَّمْد لِلّٰه أَنَّنِي لا أُحِبُّ شُرْب ٱلْحَلِيب وَلا أَكْل ٱلْكَيْك.
I heard a debate [which was] heated/fierce [lit. heated as a furnace] as they say between two venerable [religious] sheikhs on one of the satellite channels. The first sheikh said: If a woman milked herself seven times [lit. sucklings] and made from this a cake and a person ate it at this point then he [the person] would be forbidden what is forbidden to foster children [lit. the suckling relationship] in terms of marriage [foster children cannot marry foster parents or their children]. The other sheikh responded to him protesting: This is not the literal linguistic meaning because suckling in the language of the Arabs is ;sucking the breast with the mouth but what you mentioned is not considered suckling but rather it is eating. When I heard this fascinating conversation I screwed up my face [lit. muzzle] [in disgust] and said to myself: Praise be to God that I dont like drinking milk or eating cake!
مَا إِنْ يَهْبِطُ ٱللَّيْل وَيَسْدُلُ ٱلْغُرُوب مُلاءَتَه عَلَى ٱلْعَاصِمَةِ ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة اَلرِّيَاض اَلْمُرْتَجِفَة مِن هَبَّات «ٱلْمَرْبِعَانِيَّة» ٱلشِّتَائِيَّة حَتَّى تَلْفِظَ اَلْمَدِينَةُ شَبَابَهَا إِلَى أَطْرَافِهَا كَمَا تُلْقِي حَرَكَةُ ٱلْمَدّ بِٱلْمَوْج إِلَى ٱلشَّاطِئ. بَرْد ٱلرِّيَاض جَافٌّ وَقَارِس، لٰكِنَّ مُرَاهِقِيهَا لا يَسْتَطِيعُون تَحَمُّل وَطْأَةِ ٱلشِّتَاء فِي ٱلْمَنَازِل، وَعَلَى رَغْم أَنَّ «بَيْت ٱلشَّعْر» فِي فِنَاء ٱلْفِيلَّا ٱلْخَارِجِيّ أَوْ عَلَى سَطْح ٱلْعِمَارَة يُعَدُّ بِدِفْئِهِ، إِلَّا أَنَّ ٱلْأَجْسَاد ٱلطَّرِيَة وَٱلْقُلُوب ٱلْخَافِقَة لا تَتَحَمَّلُ ٱلرُّكُود وَلا ٱلرُّكُون، فَتَخْرُجُ فِي مَجْمُوعَاتٍ صَغِيرَة إِلَى ٱلشَّوَارِع ٱلرَّئِيسِيَّة أَوْ إِلَى ٱلْأَطْرَاف شِمَالًا أَوْ شَرْقًا.
No sooner has night fallen and the sunset lowered its cloak over the Saudi capital Riyadh [which is] shivering from the gusts of the winter marbi`aniya [=period of 39-40 days from around 7 Dec to 14 Jan] than the city throws/spits its youth [out] to its peripheries just as the movement of the [rising] tide throws the waves onto the shore. The cold of Riyadh is dry and bitter but its adolescents cannot bear the oppression of winter in [their] houses. And although the [camel or goat]-hair tent in the villas outer courtyard or on top of the [flat] roof of the apartment block is ready with its warmth nevertheless the young/supple bodies and the beating hearts cant bear staying still nor quietening down so they go out in small groups to the main streets or to the peripheries in the north or east.
لَستُ مِن عُشَّاق ٱلْمُلُوخِيَّة، وَهُوَ اِعْتِرَافٌ غَرِيب، لِأَنَّنِي مِصْرِيَّةُ ٱلْمَوْلِد، وَلٰكِن إِذَا عُرِفَ ٱلسَّبَب بَطَل ٱلْعَجَب. إِذَا تَجَاوَزَتْ ٱلْمِصْرِيَّة اَلطُّفُولَة عَلَّمُوهَا إِعْدَاد ٱلْقَهْوَة، وَفِي ٱلصِّبَا تَتَعَلَّم طَهْي ٱلْأَرُزّ، ثُمَّ فَصْل أَوْرَاق ٱلْمُلُوخِيَّة عَن سِيقَان ٱلنَّبَات، وَغَسْلَهَا ثُمَّ نَشْرَهَا عَلَى مِنْشَفَةٍ قُطْنِيَّة فِي ٱلشَّمْس حَتَّى يَتَبَخَّر ٱلْمَاء، ثُمَّ تُخَرَّط بِمِخْرَطَةٍ مَعْدِنِيَّة لا يَخْلُو مِنهَا بَيْت. وَفِي ٱلنِّهَايَة، تَتَعَلَّم عَرُوس ٱلْمُسْتَقْبَل إِعْدَاد شُرْبَةِ ٱلدَّجَاج، وَضَبْط كَمِّيَّةِ ٱلشُّرْبَة لِكَيْ تُنَاسِب كَمِّيَّةَ ٱلْمُلُوخِيَّة، بِحَيْثُ يَكُون قَوَامُهَا غَيْر غَلِيظ وَغَيْر خَفِيف، قَبْلَ «طَشّ» تَقْلِيَّةِ ٱلثُّوم وَٱلْكُزْبَرَة. تَعَلَّمتُ طَهْي ٱلْمُلُوخِيَّة، وَأَعْتَقِد أَنَّنِي أَعْدَدتُهَا أَلْف مَرَّةٍ بِنَجَاح، وَلٰكِنِّي اِكْتَشَفتُ مُبَكِّرًا أَنَّ ٱلصَّدَاقَةَ بَيْنَنَا مُسْتَحِيلَة، حَيْثُ إِنَّ أَكْل ٱلْمُلُوخِيَّة يُسَبِّب لِي عُسْرَ هَضْمٍ شَدِيدًا.
I am not a lover of mulukhiya [=a leafy vegetable popular in Egypt] which is a strange confession as I am Egyptian-born but if the reason were known amazement would cease. When an Egyptian girl has passed childhood they teach her how to prepare coffee. And in the teenage years she learns how to cook rice then how to separate the leaves of mulukhiya from the stalks of the plant to wash them and then to spread them on a cotton towel in the sun so that the water evaporates. Then it is chopped with a metal mezzaluna [=curved blade with two handles] which no house is devoid of. And in the end the bride of the future learns how to prepare chicken soup and to adjust the amount of the soup so that it suits/goes with the amount of the mulukhiya in such a manner that its consistency is not too thick and not too thin before adding the sizzling-hot taqliyah [=fried sauce] of garlic and coriander. I learnt how to cook mulukhiya and I believe that I prepared it a thousand times successfully but I discovered early on that friendship between us was impossible as eating mulukhiya gives me severe indigestion.
وَادِي غَزَّة اِمْتِدَادٌ لِوَادٍ كَبِير يَبْدَأ مِن مِنْطَقَةِ بِئْر ٱلسَّبْع، فِي قَلْب صَحْرَاء ٱلنَّقَب، وَيَصُبُّ فِي ٱلْبَحْر ٱلْأَبْيَض ٱلْمُتَوَسِّط. وَقَامَتْ إِسْرَائِيل قَبْلَ عِدَّةِ سَنَوَات بِبِنَاء سُدُودٍ عَلَى ٱلْوَادِي لِحِرْمَان ٱلْقِطَاع مِن مِيَاه ٱلْأَمْطَار، لٰكِنَّهَا قَامَتْ بِٱلْأَمْس بِفَتْح أَحَد ٱلسُّدُود بِشَكْلٍ مُفَاجِئ وَدُون سَابِق إِنْذَار فِي ٱلْوَقْت اَلَّذِي كَانَتْ تَسْقُطُ فِيه كَمِّيَّاتٌ كَبِيرَة وَغَيْر مَسْبُوقَة مِن ٱلْأَمْطَار. وَمُنْذُ سَاعَات مَسَاء أَوَّل مِن أَمْس وَحَتَّى سَاعَات صَبَاح أَمْس ظَلَّتْ طَوَاقِم ٱلدِّفَاع ٱلْمَدَنِيّ وَٱلْإِسْعَاف بِٱلْإِضَافَةِ إِلَى مِئَات ٱلْمُتَطَوِّعِين تَعْمَل عَلَى إِجْلاء ٱلْعَائِلات اَلَّتِي تَقْطُن قُرْبَ مَجْرَى ٱلْوَادِي. وَٱسْتَخْدَمَتْ طَوَاقِم ٱلْإِنْقَاذ قَوَارِب ٱلصَّيْد فِي إِخْلاء ٱلْعَائِلات ٱلْمَنْكُوبَة إِلَى مَدَارِس فِي ٱلْمِنْطَقَة.
Wadi [=valley/riverbed] Gaza is an extension of a large wadi which starts from the area of Beersheba in the heart of the Negev desert and empties/flows into the Mediterranean Sea. A number of years ago Israel carried out the building of dams on the Wadi to deprive the [Gaza] Strip of rainwater. But yesterday it carried out the opening of one of the dams in a sudden manner and without prior warning at a time in which there had fallen large and unprecedented quantities of rain. And from the hours of the evening of the day before yesterday and until the hours of yesterday morning civil defence and ambulance crews in addition to hundreds of volunteers remained working on the evacuation of the families which were living near the course of the Wadi. Rescue crews used fishing boats in the evacuation of the disaster-stricken families to schools in the area.
غِيَاب ٱلْمُسَاعَدَات ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة وَٱلْإِسْلامِيَّة اَلرَّسْمِيَّة وَٱلشَّعْبِيَّة إِزَاءَ ٱلشَّعْب ٱلْمَنْكُوب فِي هَايْتِي فَضِيحَةٌ مُطْبِقَة بِكُلّ مَعْنَى ٱلْكَلِمَة. مُعْظَم ٱلْحُكُومَات ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة مُقَصِّرٌ بِشَكْلٍ مُدْهِش، وَٱلْأَثْرِيَاء ٱلْعَرَب فِي ٱلْعَالَم ٱلْعَرَبِيّ وَٱلْخَارِج اَلَّذِي يُنْفِقُون ٱلْمَلايِين عَلَى مُنَاسَبَاتٍ وَمُشْتَرَيَاتٍ تَافِهَة يَغِيبُون، وَٱلْمُنَظَّمَات ٱلْخَيْرِيَّة وَغَيْر ٱلْحُكُومِيَّة ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة بِٱلْكَاد تُرَى فِي هٰذِهِ ٱلْمُنَاسَبَات. حَتَّى ٱلْإِعْلام ٱلْعَرَبِيّ، اَلْمَكْتُوب وَٱلْمُتَلْفَز، لَمْ يُعْطِ هٰذِهِ ٱلْكَارِثَة وَمَا زَال لا يُعْطِيهَا ٱلْاِهْتِمَام ٱلْكَافِي اَلَّذِي مِن ٱلْمُمْكِن أَنْ يَرْفَعَ مِن حَسَّاسِيَات ٱلرَّأْي ٱلْعَامّ وَيُعَزِّز ٱلشُّعُور بِٱلتَّضَامُن ٱلْإِنْسَانِيّ. فَبَعْدَ ٱلتَّغْطِيَةِ «ٱلْإِخْبَارِيَّة» اَلْعَاجِلَة لِحَدَث ٱلزِّلْزَال فِي ٱلْأَيَّام ٱلْأُولَى سُرْعَانَ مَا تَوَارَتْ أَخْبَارُه. صِرنَا نَقْرَأ عَن «اِحْتِلال» هَايْتِي مِن قِبَل ٱلْوِلايَات ٱلْمُتَّحِدَة عَبْرَ ٱلْقُوَّات ٱلْعَسْكَرِيَّة اَلَّتِي أُرْسِلَتْ إِلَى هُنَاك لِحِمَايَةِ ٱلْمَطَار وَتَسْهِيل ٱلْمُسَاعَدَات وَتَوْفِير ٱلْأَمْن، أَكْثَر مِمَّا نَقْرَأ وَنَعْرِف عَن مِئَات ٱلْأُلُوف مِن ٱلْمَنْكُوبِين اَلَّذِينَ يَنَامُون فِي ٱلْعَرَاء.
The absence of Arab and Islamic aid [both] official and popular towards the disaster-stricken people in Haiti is an absolute scandal in every sense of the word. Most Arab governments have fallen short in an amazing manner. Rich Arabs in the Arab world and abroad who spend millions on unimportant occasions and purchases have been absent. Arab charitable and non-governmental organisations are barely seen on these occasions. Even the Arab media [both] written and televised havent given this disaster and are still not giving it the necessary attention which [if they did] could raise the sensitivities of public opinion and strengthen the feeling of humanitarian solidarity. Because after the breaking news coverage of the earthquake in the first days news of it quickly disappeared from view. We came to be reading about the occupation of Haiti by the United States by way of the military forces which were sent there to protect the airport facilitate [the passage of] aid and provide security more than what we read and get to know about the hundreds of thousands of the disaster-stricken people who are sleeping in the open.
مَشْهَد أَهَالِي ضَحَايَا ٱلطَّائِرَةِ ٱلْإِثْيُوبِيَّة وَهُم يَبْحَثُون بِأَنْفُسِهِم عَن جُثَث أَوْلادِهِم عَلَى ٱلشَّاطِئ ٱللُّبْنَانِيّ، عَلَّ ٱلْأَمْوَاج تَقْذِفُ بِهِم وَتَنْجَحُ فِيمَا عَجَزَتْ عَنهُ فِرَق ٱلْإِنْقَاذ، أَمْرٌ يُثِيرُ ٱلرُّعْب فِي ٱلنُّفُوس. اَلْإِعْلان عَن اِنْتِشَال خَمْس وَعِشْرِين جُثَّة فِي ٱلْيَوْم ٱلْأَوَّل، ثُمَّ اِكْتِشَاف ٱلْعَائِلات أَنَّهَا أَرْبَع عَشْرَةَ جُثَّة فَقَط، يَبْعَثُ عَلَى ٱلتَّسَاؤُل حَوْلَ حَالَةِ ٱلْفَوْضَى اَلْمُسْتَشْرِيَة بَيْنَ أَجْهِزَةِ ٱلدَّوْلَة اَلَّتِي تَقُول إِنَّهَا ٱسْتُنْفِرَتْ عَن بَكْرَةِ أَبِيهَا. رَكْض ٱلْأَهَالِي ٱلْمَنْكُوبِين بَيْنَ ٱلْمُسْتَشْفَيَات، مِن دُون أَنْ يُوَجِّهُهُم أَحَدٌ إِلَى مَكَانٍ مُوَحَّدٍ يَلْجَأُون إِلَيه، لِٱسْتِقَاء مَعْلُومَاتٍ تَشْفِي غَلِيلَهُم عَن مَفْقُودِيهِم، يَبْعَثُ عَلَى ٱلشَّفَقَة. كُلّ ٱلْعَوْرَات اِنْكَشَفَتْ، رَغْم حَنَان ٱلْمَسْؤُولِين وَدُمُوعِهِم وَهَرَع ٱلْوُزَرَاء وَٱلنُّوَّاب لِمُوَاسَاةِ ٱلْمَحْزُونِين. لَمْ يَمْلِك أَحَدٌ جَوَابًا لَهُ طَعْم، عَلَى أَسْئِلَةِ ٱلْمَفْجُوعِين ٱلْحَائِرِين فِي أَمْرِهِم.
The scene of the family members of the victims of the Ethiopian aeroplane as they were looking themselves for the bodies of their sons and daughters on the Lebanese shore on the chance that the waves [might] cast them up and succeed in what the rescue crews had been incapable of is something which causes horror in souls. The announcement of the recovery/pulling out of twenty five bodies on the first day and then the discovery by the families that it was only fourteen bodies raises the question about the deteriorating state of chaos between the agencies of the state which says that it had become mobilized in its entirety [lit. the group of its father]. The running of the stricken family members between the hospitals without anyone directing them to a centralized [lit. unified] place they could resort to/take refuge in to draw/obtain information to cure their rancour [or thirst for revenge] about their missing ones evokes pity. All the defects [of the state] have been revealed despite the sympathy of the officials and their tears and the hurrying of ministers and members of parliament [lit. representatives] to console the grieving. No-one had an answer which had [any] flavour to the questions of the grieving [through bereavement] who were at a loss what to do.
فَكَّ ٱلْمُهَاجِم ٱلْمِصْرِيّ مُحَمَّد نَاجِي (جَدُّو) شِيفْرَةَ ٱلْمُنْتَخَب ٱلْغَانِيّ وَنَجَحَ فِي تَتْوِيج «ٱلْفَرَاعِنَة» أَبْطَالًا لِلنُّسْخَةِ ٱلسَّابِعَةِ وَٱلْعِشْرِين مِن كَأْس ٱلْأُمَم ٱلْأَفْرِيقِيَّة بَعْدَمَا أَحْرَزَ هَدَف مُنْتَخَب بِلادِهِ فِي ٱلدَّقِيقَةِ ٱلْخَامِسَةِ وَٱلثَّمَانِين لِتَنْتَهِي ٱلْمُبَارَاة اَلَّتِي أُقِيمَتْ أَمْس عَلَى مَلْعَب ٱلْحَادِي عَشَر مِن نُوفِمْبِر فِي ٱلْعَاصِمَةِ ٱلْأَنْغُولِيَّة لِمَصْلَحَةِ مِصْر بِهَدَف مِن دُونِ رَدّ. وَٱكْتَظَّتْ ٱلشَّوَارِع فِي مِصْر وَٱلْبُلْدَان ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة وَٱلْخَلِيجِيَّة بِعُشَّاق «ٱلْفَرَاعِنَة» اَلَّذِينَ اِحْتَفَلُوا بِتَتْوِيج ٱلْفَرَاعِنَة مُلُوكًا لِكُرَةِ ٱلْقَدَم فِي «ٱلْقَارَّةِ ٱلسَّمْرَاء» لِلْمَرَّةِ ٱلثَّالِثَة عَلَى ٱلتَّوَالِي وَٱلسَّابِعَة فِي تَارِيخ ٱلْمُنْتَخَب ٱلْمِصْرِيّ كَإِنْجَازٍ فَرِيد. وَوَاصَلَ «جَدُّو» تَأَلُّقَهُ فِي ٱلْبُطُولَةِ، وَجَاءَ هَدَفُهُ عَلَى غِرَار مَا فَعَلَهُ فِي لِقَاءَات نِيجِيرِيَا وَمُوزَمْبِيق وَٱلْجَزَائِر وَٱلْكَامِيرُون، مُتَوِّجًا نَفْسَهُ هَدَّافًا لِلْبُطُولَة.
The Egyptian striker Mohamed Nagy (Geddo [=grandad (Eg.)]) broke the code [Fr. chiffre] of the Ghanaian team and succeeded in crowning the Pharaohs champions of the twenty seventh version of the African Nations Cup after he scored the goal of his countrys team in the eighty fifth minute for the match to end (which [match] was held yesterday at the Eleventh of November Stadium in the Angolan capital) in Egypts favour with a goal without reply. Streets became clogged/over-crowded in Egypt and Arab and Gulf countries with fans of the Pharaohs who celebrated the crowning of the Pharaohs as the kings of football in the black [lit. brown] continent for the third time in a row and the seventh in the history of the Egyptian team as a unique achievement. Geddo continued his good form [lit. shining] in the championship and his goal came in a similar manner to what he did in the meetings with Nigeria Mozambique Algeria and Cameroon to crown himself top-scorer of the tournament.
اَلشَّبَاب ٱلْعِرَاقِيُّون لا يَتَفَاجَأُون عِنْدَمَا يُقَابِلُهُم ٱلْمُدِيرُون فِي شَرِكَاتِ ٱلسِّيَاحَة وَٱلسَّفَر فِي بَغْدَاد بِعِبَارَةِ «آسِف نُفَضِّل تَوْظِيف ٱلْفَتَيَات، أَنْتَ لا تَصْلُح لِهٰذِهِ ٱلْمِهْنَة»، فَلَمْ يَعُد يَخْفَى أَنَّ شَرِكَات ٱلسِّيَاحَة تُفَضِّل تَشْغِيل ٱلْفَتَيَات عَلَى ٱلشَّبَاب بَل تَعْتَبِرُهُنَّ مِفْتَاحًا لِٱزْدِهَار ٱلْعَمَل وَتَزَايُد عَدَد ٱلزَّبَائِن. وَلا يَقْتَصِرُ ٱلْأَمْر عَلَى تَفْضِيل ٱلْفَتَيَات فَحَسْب، بَل إِنَّ ٱلْكَثِير مِن ٱلشَّرِكَات تُفَضِّلُ تَوْظِيف ٱلْفَتَيَات غَيْر ٱلْمُحَجَّبَات فِيمَا لا تُمَانِعُ أُخْرَى مِن تَوْظِيف ٱلْمُحَجَّبَات فِي حَال كُنَّ مُعْتَدِلَات وَغَيْر مُتَشَدِّدَات فِي لِبَاسِهِنّ وَحَتَّى طُرُوحَاتِهِنَّ ٱلدِّينِيَّةِ وَٱلْمَذْهَبِيَّة. وَتُقُول رَشَا اَلْعَامِلِيّ (اِثْنَان وَثَلاثُون سَنَة) إِنَّهَا قَدَّمَتْ لِلتَّوْظِيف فِي إِحْدَى شَرِكَات ٱلسِّيَاحَة قَبْلَ عَامَيْن مَعَ مَجْمُوعَةٍ كَبِيرَة مِن ٱلشَّبَاب وَٱلْفَتَيَات لٰكِنَّ ٱلشَّرِكَة ٱخْتَارَتْهَا طِبْقًا لِمَعَايِير خَاصَّة تَتْبَعُهَا فِي ٱخْتِيَار مُوَظَّفِيهَا أَهَمُّهَا ٱلْاِلْتِزَام بِٱلْعَمَل وَٱللَّبَاقَة.
Young Iraqi men are not surprised when managers in travel and tourism companies in Baghdad greet [lit. meet] them with the phrase: Sorry we prefer to employ young women - youre not suited to this job. It is no longer a secret [lit. hidden] that tour companies prefer employing young women to young men. Indeed they consider them [the young women] a key to the flourishing/prosperity of work/business and increasing the number of customers. The matter is not confined to the preferring of young women only; Indeed many companies prefer to employ young women who dont wear headscarves while others have no objection to employing women who wear headscarves provided [lit. in the circumstance] they are moderate and not hardliners/zealots as regards their clothing and even their religious and denominational ideas. Rasha al-`Amili (thirty two years old) says that she went for a job in one of the tour companies two years ago with a large group of young men and young women but the company chose her according to specific criteria it follows in choosing its employees the most important of which are a commitment to work and tact/a skill for saying the right thing.
قَال شُهُود عِيَان بِمَدِينَةِ رَفَح اَلْمِصْرِيَّة: «إِنَّ مُعَدَّات بِنَاء مِصْرِيَّة بَدَأَتْ ٱلْعَمَل فِي تَنْفِيذ إِنْشَاءَاتٍ بَحْرِيَّة عَلَى ٱلْحُدُود بَيْنَ مِصْر وَغَزَّة عِنْدَ سَاحِل ٱلْبَحْر ٱلْمُتَوَسِّط قُرْبَ ٱلْعَلامَة ٱلدَّوْلِيَّة رَقْم وَاحِد». وَقَالَ ٱلشُّهُود: «إِنَّ ثَلاث مُعَدَّات لَوْنَهَا أَصْفَر يَقُودُهَا سَائِقُون مَدَنِيُّون تَقُومُ بِٱلْتِقَاط أَحْجَارٍ ضَخْمَة مِن عَلَى ٱلْأَرْض وَقَذْفَهَا فِي ٱلْبَحْر فِيمَا يُشْبِهُ بِنَاء جِدَارٍ أَسْفَلَ مِيَاه ٱلْبَحْر يُسَاعِدُ فِي بِنَاء مَرْسَى بَحْرِيّ». وَأَضَافُوا: «إِنَّ كَمِّيَّاتٍ كَبِيرَة مِن ٱلْأَحْجَار قَد نُقِلَتْ عَلَى مَدَار ٱلْأَسَابِيع ٱلْمَاضِيَة عَلَى مَتْن شَاحِنَات إِلَى مَوْقِع ٱلْإِنْشَاءَات». وَقَالَ مَصْدَرٌ أَمْنِيّ: «إِنَّ هٰذِهِ ٱلْإِنْشَاءَات خَاصَّة بِإِقَامَةِ مَرْسَى لِلزَّوَارِق ٱلْأَمْنِيَّة اَلْمَوْجُودَة بِٱلْمِنْطَقَة، وَإِنَّ إِقَامَتَهُ تَسْتَهَدِف مَنْع أَيّ مُحَاوَلات تَهْرِيبٍ مُحْتَمَلَة قَد تَتِمّ مِن جَانِب ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيِّين عَبْرَ ٱلْحُدُود ٱلْبَحْرِيَّة».
Eyewitnesses in the Egyptian city of Rafah said that Egyptian construction equipment has started work on the making of sea constructions on the border between Egypt and Gaza by the coast of the Mediterranean Sea near international mark number one. The witnesses said that three pieces of equipment [which were] yellow of colour and driven by civilian drivers picked up large stones from off the ground and threw them into the sea in what resembles the construction of a wall beneath the sea waters which will help in the building of a marina/anchorage. And they added that large quantities of stones have been transported over the past few weeks onboard lorries to the construction site. A security source said that these constructions are specifically for the establishing of a marina/anchorage for the patrol [lit. security] boats present in the region and that its establishment is aimed at preventing any potential smuggling attempts which might be done from the side of the Palestinians across the sea border.
لَمْ يَعُد مُسْتَغْرَبًا أَنْ يُصَادِف ٱلْمُتَجَوِّل فِي شَوَارِع ٱلْمُدُن ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة مَسَاءً، طِفْلًا فِي ٱلتَّاسِعَة، بِٱلْكَاد يُرَى، وَهُوَ يَجْهَد فِي ٱلْوُصُول إِلَى مِقْوَد ٱلسَّيَّارَة، وَيَعْتَلِي وِسَادَة، فِيمَا تُجَاوِرُهُ عَلَى ٱلْمَقْعَد ٱلْآخَر سَيِّدَة تَعْمَلُ عَلَى إِرْشَادِه نَحْوَ ٱلْوِجْهَة اَلَّتِي تَقْصِدُهَا. ظَاهِرَةٌ بَدَأَتْ فِي أَوْسَاط ٱلسُّعُودِيَّات، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ تَظْهَر بِكَثْرَة بَيْنَ ٱلْأَرَامِل وَٱلْمُطَلَّقَات فَإِنَّهَا تَحْصُل أَيْضًا فِي بَعْض ٱلْأُسَر ٱلثَّرِيَّة ٱلْمُكْتَمِلَة، وَٱلَّتِي لا تَجِد غَضَاضَة فِي تَلْبِيَةِ رَغْبَةِ طِفْلِهَا «ٱلْمُدَلَّل» فِي ٱمْتِلاك سَيَّارَة. وَتَدْفَعُ أُمَّهَاتٌ سُعُودِيَّات أَطْفَالَهُنَّ ٱلذُّكُور، فِي وَقْتٍ مُبَكِّرٍ مِن ٱلْعُمْر، إِلَى قِيَادَةِ ٱلسَّيَّارَة، تَحْتَ وَقْع ٱلْحَاجَة إِلَى وُجُود سَائِقٍ فِي ٱلْمَنْزِل، فِي بَلَدٍ لا يَسْمَحُ لِلْمَرْأَة بِٱلْقِيَادَة، فِيمَا يَسْمَحُ بِهَا لِلذُّكُور فِي سِنّ ٱلسَّابِع عَشَر.
It is no longer unusual/strange for a person travelling around in the streets of Saudi cities in the evening to come across a child of nine who can barely be seen as he endeavours to reach the steering wheel of a car on top of/perched on a cushion while next to him on the other seat is a lady who is working at guiding him towards the direction which she is heading. A phenomenon which started in circles of Saudi women and if it appears frequently among widows and divorced women it is happening also in some wealthy complete [i.e. not broken-up] families which have no objection to acceding to the wish of their pampered child to own a car. Saudi mothers are pushing their male children at an early (time of) age to drive cars because of the need for there being a driver in the house in a country which doesnt allow women to drive while it allows it for males at the age of seventeen.
اَلْأُمَّةُ بِلا قُوَّة أُمَّةٌ مُهَانَة ذَلِيلَة مُحْتَقَرَة مَبْذُولَةُ ٱلْكَرَامَة، رَخِيصَةُ ٱلْكَلِمَة، مَهْضُومَةُ ٱلْحُقُوق وَيُدَاسُ أَنْفُهَا فِي ٱلرَّغَام، صَوْتُهَا خَافِت وَحَقُّهَا ضَائِع وَمَكَانُهَا فِي آخِر ٱلصُّفُوف، وَهٰذِهِ حَال أُمَّتِنَا ٱلْيَوْم لِلْأَسَف، وَلٰكِنَّ عِنْدَمَا كَانَتْ أُمَّتُنَا أُمَّةً قَوِيَّة كَانَتْ مَهَابَةَ ٱلْجَانِب عَزِيزَةً مُصَانَةَ ٱلْكَرَامَة مَسْمُوعَةَ ٱلْكَلِمَة لا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَتَجَرَّأَ عَلَيْهَا مُتَجَرِّئٌ وَلا يَجْرَح كَرَامَتَهَا سَفِيه، بَل كَانَ كُلّ فَرْدٍ فِيهَا عَزِيزًا مَوْفُورَ ٱلْكَرَامَة فَعِنْدَمَا نَادَتْ اِمْرَأَةٌ أَسَاءَ لَهَا ٱلرُّوم (وَاإِسْلامَاه) جَرَّدَ ٱلْمُعْتَصِم جَيْشًا جَرَّارًا دَكَّ بِهِ عُرُوش ٱلرُّوم وَفَتَحَ ٱلْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّة وَرَدَّ لِلْمَرْأَة عِزَّتَهَا وَكَرَامَتَهَا. تِلْكَ كَانَتْ أَيَّام ٱلْقُوَّةِ وَٱلْإِبَاء.
The nation with no power is a nation [which is] disdained humiliated scorned and spent of honour. Cheap of word [i.e. it doesnt honour its word] oppressed [lit. digested] of rights its nose is trampled in the dust/sand. Its voice is inaudible/faint its right is lost and its place is at the back of queues/lines. And this is the state/condition of our nation today unfortunately. But when our nation was a powerful nation it was revered/feared mighty unassailable/protected of honour and its word was heard/listened to. The reckless venturer could not launch reckless ventures against it nor [could] the impudent hurt/harm its honour. Indeed every individual in it was esteemed/noble and abundant of honour. And when a woman [who] the Byzantines were acting badly towards called out Oh Islam! [=a plea to fellow Muslims for help] al-Mu`tasim [=an Abbasid caliph d. AD842] unleashed [lit. unsheathed] a huge army [lit. an army dragging a great store of goods] with which he crushed/levelled the thrones of the Byzantines and conquered Constantinople and returned to the woman her respect/pride and her honour. Those were the days of power and pride.
تَجِدُهُم مُصْطَفِّين أَمَامَ بَوَّابَات ٱلْمُجَمَّعَات ٱلتِّجَارِيَّة بَاحِثِين عَمَّن تَتَعَطَّفُ عَلَيْهِم وَتُدْخِلُهُم تَحْتَ مُسَمَّى أَخٍ أَوْ اِبْن. فَٱلْجِنْس ٱلْخَشِن مَمْنُوعٌ مِن دُخُول أَيّ مُجَمَّعٍ تِجَارِيّ فِي ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة مِن دُون مُصَاحَبَةٍ مِن ٱلْجِنْس ٱللَّطِيف، وَٱلْحُجَّةُ دَائِمًا هِيَ ٱلْخَوْف مِن ٱلْمُعَاكَسَة أَوْ اَلتَّحَرُّشَات اَلَّتِي يَقُومُ بِهَا بَعْض ٱلشَّبَاب لِلْفَتَيَات أَوْ اَلشِّيَّاب مِن مُحِبِّي تَجْدِيد ٱلصِّبَا وَٱسْتِعَادَةِ عُمْر ٱلْبُطُولات. هُوَ وَاقِعٌ يَعْتَبِرُهُ ٱلشَّبَاب وَٱلصَّبَايَا ٱلسُّعُودِيُّون نَوْعًا مِن ٱلظُّلْم ٱلْبَيِّن وَظَاهِرَةً مَرْفُوضَة، فَبَاتُوا يَتَصَدَّون لَهَا بِعَدَدٍ مِن ٱلْاِنْتِقَادَات عَلَى ٱلْمَوَاقِع ٱلْإِلِكْترُونِيَّة إِضَافَةً إِلَى إِطْلاق حَمْلَةِ «لايِق عَلَيْك» لِيَتَحَوَّلَ دُخُول ٱلْمُجَمَّعَات إِلَى مَطْلَبٍ مِن ٱلْجِنْسَيْن.
You find them lined up in front of the doors/gates of shopping malls [lit. commercial complexes] searching for [a woman] to take sympathy on them and bring them in [to the mall] under the name of brother or son. The stronger [lit. coarser] sex is forbidden from entering any shopping mall in Saudi without being accompanied by the fairer sex. The argument [put forward] is always fear of the making of improper advances or [sexual] harassment which some young men carry out against young women or [harassment carried out by] old men from among those who like to relive [lit. renew] their youth and reclaim their age of heroics. It is a fact which young Saudi men and women consider a type of evident injustice and an unacceptable [lit. rejected] phenomenon and they have begun to oppose it with a number of criticisms on websites in addition to the launching of the campaign Suits You changing the entering of shopping malls into a demand from both sexes.
مَسَاءُ ٱلْخَيْر. مَسَاءُ ٱلْخَيْر. أَيْنَ تَذْهَبِينَ كُلَّ صَبَاح؟ أَذْهَبُ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ إِلَى ٱلْجَامِعَة. لِمَاذَا؟ كَيْ أَتَعَلَّمُ ٱللُّغَةَ ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة. مَاذَا تَعَلَّمتِ؟ تَعَلَّمتُ ٱلْأَعْدَادَ. عُدِّي مَا تَعَلَّمتِ. وَاحِد ـ اِثْنَان ـ ثَلاثَة ـ أَرْبَعَة ـ خَمْسَة ـ سِتَّة ـ سَبْعَة ـ ثَمَانِيَة ـ تِسْعَة ـ عَشَرَة. وَمَاذَا أَيْضًا؟ أَيَّامُ ٱلْأُسْبُوع. مَا هِيَ؟ اَلسَّبْت ـ اَلْأَحَد ـ اَلْاِثْنَيْن ـ اَلثُّلاثَاء ـ اَلْأَرْبِعَاء ـ اَلْخَمِيس ـ اَلْجُمْعَة. مَعَ ٱلسَّلامَة. مَعَ ٱلسَّلامَة.
Good evening. Good evening. Where do you go [addressing a woman] every morning? I go to the university every morning. Why? In order to learn the Arabic language. What have you learnt? Ive learnt the numbers. Count what youve learnt! One two three four five six seven eight nine ten. And what else? The days of the week. What are they? Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday. Goodbye. Goodbye.
فِي أَوَّل سَابِقَةٍ مِن نَوْعِهَا.. اِسْتَهْدَفَ مَجْهُولٌ أَمْس اَلْمَعْبَد ٱلْيَهُودِيّ بِشَارِع عَدْلِيّ بِوَسَط ٱلْقَاهِرَة بِعُبُوَةٍ نَاسِفَة بَدَائِيَّةِ ٱلصُّنْع، تَمَّ إِلْقَاؤُهَا مِن ٱلْبِنَايَة ٱلْمُقَابِلَة لِلْمَعْبَد، وَٱنْفَجَرَتْ دُونَ أَنْ تُسْفِر عَن سُقُوط ضَحَايَا.. وَلَمْ تُخَلِّف أَضْرَارًا مَادِّيَّة، فِيمَا تَمَكَّنَ ٱلْجَانِي مِن ٱلْفِرَار مِن مَوْقِع ٱلْحَادِث، إِلَّا أَنَّ ٱلشُّرْطَة ٱلْمِصْرِيَّة تُكَثِّف جُهُودَهَا حَالِيًّا لِلْقَبْض عَلَيْه. وَأَوْضَحَ بَيَانٌ مِن وِزَارَةِ ٱلدَّاخِلِيَّةِ ٱلْمِصْرِيَّة أَنَّ مَجْهُولًا صَعِدَ لِفُنْدُق «بَانُورَامَا» (وَهُوَ فُنْدُقٌ مُتَوَاضِع، وَمُسْتَوَى خِدْمَتِهِ ثَلاث نُجُوم) بِٱلطَّابِق ٱلرَّابِع بِٱلْعَقَار ٱلْمُوَاجِه لِلْمَعْبَد ٱلْيَهُودِيّ، حَامِلًا حَقِيبَةً مُتَوَسِّطَةَ ٱلْحَجْم، وَطَلَبَ حَجْز غُرْفَةٍ لِإِقَامَتِه، وَلَدَى وُجُودِهِ بِصَالَةِ ٱسْتِقْبَال ٱلْفُنْدُق، غَافَل مُوَظَّفِي اَلْفُنْدُق وَأَلْقَى ٱلْحَقِيبَة نَحْوَ رَصِيف ٱلْفُنْدُق، مِمَّا أَدَّى لِٱشْتِعَال مُحْتَوَاهَا وَلاذَ بِٱلْفِرَار مِن خِلالِ مَمَرٍّ صَغِير بِجِوَار ٱلْفُنْدُق.
In the first case [lit. precedent] of its kind an unknown person yesterday targeted the synagogue [lit. Jewish temple] in Adly Street in the centre of Cairo with an improvised explosive device which was thrown from the building opposite the temple and exploded without resulting in casualties or causing [lit. leaving] material damage while the offender was able to flee from the location of the incident. However the Egyptian police is currently intensifying its efforts to apprehend him. A statement from the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior explained that an unknown person had ascended to the Hotel Panorama (which is a modest hotel whose level of service is three stars) on the fourth floor of the property facing the synagogue carrying a medium-sized bag and asking to reserve a room for his stay. And when he was in the reception hall of the hotel he took the hotel employees unawares and threw the bag to the pavement/sidewalk of the hotel which led to the ignition of its [the bags] contents and he took refuge by fleeing through a narrow alleyway beside the hotel.
مَا إِنْ يُؤَذِّنُ ٱلْمُؤَذِّن لِأَيٍّ مِن ٱلصَّلَوَات ٱلْأَرْبَع: اَلظُّهْر، وَٱلْعَصْر، وَٱلْمَغْرِب، وَٱلْعِشَاء (مَعَ ٱسْتِثْنَاء صَلاةِ ٱلْفَجْر اَلَّتِي يُؤَذَّنُ لَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَفْتَحَ ٱلْمَحَالّ أَبْوَابَهَا) تَسُودُ حَالٌ مِن ٱلْهَرْج وَٱلْمَرْج، وَيَبْدَأ ٱلْمُرَاقِبُون اَلْمُرُور عَلَى ٱلْبَاعَة ـ وَجَمِيعُهُم مِن ٱلشَّبَاب مِن خِرِّيجِي اَلْجَامِعَات وَٱلْمَعَاهِد ـ لِلتَّأَكُّد مِن أَنَّ ٱلْجَمِيع تَوَجَّهَ لِأَدَاء ٱلصَّلاة. يَقُولُ ٱلْمُوَظَّف أَحْمَد (ثَلاث وَعِشْرُون سَنَة) وَهُوَ يَنْظُرُ حَوْلَه وَيُؤَكِّد لـِ«اَلْحَيَاة» أَنَّ مَا سَيَقُولُهُ قَد يُفْقِدُه عَمَلَهُ، فَيُخْفِت صَوْتَه وَيَعْتَرِف قَائِلًا: «أُدَاوِمُ عَلَى ٱلصَّلاة مُنْذُ كُنتُ فِي ٱلصَّفّ ٱلثَّانِي ٱلْاِبْتِدَائِيّ، وَلٰكِنِّي مُنْذُ عَمِلتُ فِي هٰذَا ٱلْمَحَلّ، أَتَوَجَّهُ إِلَى ٱلصَّلاة فِي ٱلْوَقْت اَلَّذِي يُحَدِّدُهُ لِي ٱلْمُرَاقِب، وَلَيْسَ بِدَافِعٍ شَخْصِيٍّ مِنِّي، وَبِصَرَاحَة شَدِيدَة أَشْعُرُ أَحْيَانًا بِأَنَّ ضَمِيرِي يُؤَنِّبُنِي، أَوْ بِأَنَّ ٱلله لَنْ يَتَقَبَّلَ صَلاتِي».
As soon as the muezzin [=caller to prayer] calls for any of the four prayers: noon afternoon sunset and evening (with the exception of the dawn prayer which is called for before the shops open their doors) a state of hustle and bustle prevails and the supervisors/monitors start to pass among the vendors - and all of them [the supervisors/monitors] are young men and graduates of universities and institutes - to make sure that everyone has gone to perform the prayer. The employee Ahmed (twenty three years old) says as he looks around and stresses to Al-Hayat that what he is going to say could lose him his job so lowering his voice he confesses: I have prayed regularly ever since I was in the second form/grade of primary school but ever since Ive been working in this shop Ive gone to prayers at the time which the supervisor/monitor fixes for me and not from any personal impetus of my own. To be totally honest I sometimes feel that my conscience is censuring/rebuking me or that God wont accept my prayers.
شَهِدَتْ صَالَةُ ٱلتّْرَانْزِيت بِمَطَار ٱلْقَاهِرَةِ ٱلدَّوْلِيّ أَوَّل مِن أَمْس مَشْهَدًا سِينَمَائِيًّا سَاخِنًا يُمْكِنُ تَصْنِيفَهُ تَحْتَ عُنْوَان «لِلْكِبَار فَقَط»، حِينَ فُوجِئَ رُوَّاد ٱلصَّالَة بِفَتَاةٍ تَخْلَعُ ٱلنِّصْف ٱلْأَسْفَل مِن مَلابِسِهَا، وَتُحَاوِلُ ٱحْتِضَان وَتَقْبِيل رَاكِبٍ آخَر كَانَتْ تُصَاحِبُهُ فِي رِحْلَةِ عَوْدَتِهِمَا إِلَى دَوْلَتِهِ عَبْرَ مَطَار ٱلْقَاهِرَة. وَعِنْدَمَا أَقْدَمَتْ ٱلْفَتَاةُ عَلَى فَعْلَتِهَا، خَلَعَ ٱلرَّاكِب عَبَاءَتَهُ وَلَفَّهَا بِهَا مُحَاوِلًا سَتْرَهَا، وَطَالِبًا ٱلْغَوْث مِن سُلُطَات ٱلْمَطَار، إِلَّا أَنَّهَا أَلْقَتْ بِٱلْعَبَاءَةِ أَرْضًا، وَٱسْتَمَرَّتْ فِي مُحَاوَلَتِهَا ٱلتَّشَبُّث بِه وَسْطَ دَهْشَةِ ٱلْمُحِيطِين بِهِمَا. وَعَلَى ٱلْفَوْر اِسْتَدْعَتْ سُلُطَات ٱلْأَمْن طَبِيب ٱلْحَجْر ٱلصِّحِّيّ بِٱلْمَطَار، اَلَّذِي أَفَادَ عَقِبَ ٱلْكَشْف عَلَيْهَا بِأَنَّهَا تُعَانِي مِن لُوثَةٍ عَقْلِيَّةٍ طَارِئَة نَتِيجَةَ اِكْتِئَابٍ نَفْسِيٍّ حَادّ، وَقَامَ بِتَقْدِيم ٱلْعِلَاج ٱللّازِم لَهَا. وَحَالَ ٱلتَّأَكُّد مِن أَنَّهَا ثَابَتْ إِلَى رُشْدِهَا وَأَبْدَتْ اِعْتِذَارَهَا عَن فَعْلَتِهَا، سَمَحَتْ سُلُطَات مَطَار ٱلْقَاهِرَةِ ٱلدَّوْلِيّ لَهَا بِٱسْتِكْمَال رِحْلَتِهَا.
The day before yesterday the transit hall of Cairo International Airport witnessed a hot/sexy cinematic scene which could be classified under the heading: for adults only when the visitors/patrons of the hall were surprised by a young woman who took off the lower half of her clothes and tried to embrace and kiss another [male] passenger she was accompanying on their return journey to his country via Cairo Airport. When the young woman embarked on her action the passenger took off his abaya [=outer cloak] and wrapped her with it trying to cover her and calling for help from the airport authorities. However she threw the abaya to the ground and continued in her attempt to cling on to him amid the astonishment of the people around them. Immediately the security authorities summoned the airport quarantine doctor who reported following her being examined that she was suffering from a sudden fit of insanity as a result of acute (psychological) depression and he provided the necessary treatment for her. Once it was ascertained that she had come to her senses and had apologised for her action the authorities at Cairo International Airport allowed her to finish her journey.
قَبْلَ أَيَّامٍ مَعْدُودَات زُرتُ ٱلْمَتْحَف ٱلْوَطَنِيّ بِٱلْقَاهِرَة وَشَاهَدتُ ٱلْمَدْعُو فِرْعَوْن اَلَّذِي تَجَبَّرَ وَتَكَبَّر وَعَصَى وَعَتَا، وَتَمَرَّدَ وَطَغَى، وَصَاحَ فِي شَعْبِه: «فَقَالَ أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَى»، وَنَادَى فِي ٱلْجُمْهُور «مَا عَلِمتُ لَكُم مِن إِلٰهٍ غَيْرِي»، وَرَأَيْتُ جُثَّتَهُ ٱلْهَامِدَة وَجُثْمَانَهُ ٱلْبَالِي، وَتَذَكَّرتُ قَوْلَ ٱلْوَاحِد ٱلْقَهَّار فِيه: «فَٱلْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتُكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ آيَةً»، وَدَارَتْ فِي ذِهْنِي مَأْسَاةُ ٱلْإِنْسَان يَوْمَ يَنْسَى رَبَّه وَيَظْلِم نَفْسَه وَيَتَجَاوَز حُدُودَه وَيَتَعَدَّى طَوْرَه كَيْفَ يَكُونُ مَصْرَعَه وَكَيْفَ تَتِمُّ نِهَايَتُه. رَأَيْتُ فِرْعَوْن بِهَيْكَلِهِ ٱلْعَظْمِيّ، وَوَجْهِهِ ٱلْكَالِح، وَأَسْنَانِهِ ٱلظَّاهِرَة، وَجُمْجُمَتِهِ ٱلْمُهَشَّمَة وَحِيدًا مُنْفَرِدًا صَفْرًا مِن كُلّ شَيْء، رَأَيْتُهُ فِي صَنْدُوقٍ زُجَاجِيّ بِلا دَوْلَةٍ وَلا سُلْطَان، وَلا قُوَّةٍ وَلا هَيْلَمَان، وَلا سُلْطَةٍ وَلا صَوْلَجَان، وَلا جُنُودٍ وَلا أَعْوَان. كَانَ يَقُولُ لَهُ مُوسَى: قُل لا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا ٱلله، فَيَقُولُ ٱلْخَسِيس ٱلْحَقِير: أَنَا ٱلله.
Just a few days ago I visited the National Museum in Cairo and I saw the so-called Pharaoh who acted strong and acted great and disobeyed [God] and was recalcitrant and rebelled and tyrannized and who shouted out to his people: And he said I am your Lord Most High [Quran 79.24] and he called out to the public/multitudes: I know not of any god for you other than me [Quran 28.38] and I saw his stiff corpse his decrepit body and I remembered the words of The One [God] The Almighty/The Subduer about him: But this day We will deliver your [dead] body [from the Red Sea] that you may be a sign to those who come after you [Quran 10.92]. And it went round in my mind the tragedy of a person the day he forgets his Lord and wrongs himself and goes beyond his limits and beyond his bounds how his destruction/violent death will be and how his end will happen. I saw Pharaoh with his skeletal frame his grim face his showing teeth and his shattered skull alone isolated devoid of everything [i.e. penniless]. I saw him in a glass box with no country and no authority and no power and no piles of money and no dominion and no sceptre and no soldiers and no aides. Musa [=Moses] would say to him: Say: There is no god but God but the vile wretch said: I am God.
هُوَ رَجُلٌ غَنِيّ، وَكَانَ طِوَالَ ٱلْوَقْت يَتَكَلَّمُ بِمِثَالِيَّةٍ يُحْسَدُ عَلَيْهَا، وَيَتَحَدَّث ـ عَلَى حَدّ تَعْبِيرِهِ ـ عَن «وَسَخ ٱلدُّنْيَا» اَلَّذِي هُوَ «ٱلْمَال»، وَكَيْفَ أَنَّهُ اِسْتَعْبَدَ ٱلنَّاس، وَكَيْفَ أَنَّ ٱلنَّاس يَتَهَافَتُون عَلَيْه مِثْلَمَا تَتَهَافَتُ ٱلْحَشَرَات عَلَى ٱلْقَاذُورَات، وَأَنَّهُ ـ أَيّ اَلْمَال ـ لا يَعْنِي لَهُ أَيّ شَيْء فِي حَيَاتِه، وَأَنَّهُ آخِر اِهْتِمَامَاتِه. وَقَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْتَهِي مِن كَلامِه اِلْتَفَتَ نَحْوِي مَنْ كَانَ يَجْلِسُ بِجَانِبِي وَهَمَسَ فِي أُذُنِي قَائِلًا: «إِذَا أَرَدتَ أَنْ تَعْرِفَ مَدَى اِهْتِمَامِهِ وَصِدْقِه، اُطْلُب مِنهُ أَنْ يُقْرِضَكَ مَبْلَغًا»، وَرَنَّتْ كَلِمَتُهُ هٰذِهِ فِي أُذُنِي، وَقَرَّرتُ حَسَبَ «لَعَنَاتِي» اَلْمَعْهُودَة أَنْ أُخْضِعَ ذٰلِك ٱلرَّجُل ٱلْمِثَالِيّ لِتَجْرِبَةِ اِخْتِبَار، وَفِعْلًا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَنْفَضَّ ٱلْجَلْسَة اِنْتَحَيتُ بِهِ جَانِبًا طَالِبًا مِنهُ «قَرْضَةً حَسَنَة»، فَفُوجِئتُ بِمَلامِح وَجْهِهِ تَتَغَيَّر، وَأَخَذَ «يَزُوك» وَهُوَ وَاقِفٌ فِي مَكَانِهِ، ثُمَّ صَدَّنِي وَٱعْتَذَرَ لِي دُونَ أَيّ مُجَامَلَة.
He is a rich man and he was for the whole time speaking with an idealism to be envied talking as he put it about the dirt of the world which is money and how it has enslaved people and how people swarm/fall over one another to it just as insects swarm to rubbish/garbage and that it that is money doesnt mean anything to him in his life and that it is the last of his concerns. But before he had finished his speech the person sitting beside me turned to me and whispered in my ear saying: If you want to know the extent of his concern and his sincerity ask him to loan you some money. These words of his rang in my ears and I decided in accordance with my well-known curses that I would subject this model/ideal man to the trial of an examination. And indeed before the gathering had broken up I turned aside to him and asked him for a good loan [i.e. an interest-free loan]. I was then surprised by the features of his face changing and he started swaggering [arrogantly] on the spot and then he turned me down and apologised to me without any courtesy.
قِيل ٱلْكَثِير عَن نَكْسَةٍ أَصَابَتْ ٱلسِّيَاحَة ٱلشِّتْوِيَّة هٰذَا ٱلْعَام فِي لُبْنَان مَعَ تَأَخُّر هُطُول ٱلثَّلْج. لٰكِن كُلّ مَا قِيل ذَابَ كَٱلْمِلْح عِنْدَمَا ٱرْتَدَتْ مِنْطَقَةُ فَارَيَّا حُلَّتَهَا ٱلْبَيْضَاء وَٱسْتَكْمَلَتْ جُهُوزِيَّتَهَا لِٱسْتِقْبَال رُوَّاد رِيَاضَةِ ٱلتَّزَلُّج لِمُمَارَسَةِ هِوَايَاتِهِم اَلْمُفَضَّلَة، اَلْمُتَوَقَّع أَنْ تَسْتَمِرّ حَتَّى مُنْتَصَف شَهْر أَبْرِيل (نِيسَان) اَلْمُقْبِل. وَهٰكَذَا مَعَ ٱنْتِصَاف شَهْر فَبْرَايِر (شُبَاط) اَلْمَاضِي بَاتَتْ ٱلْقِمَم اَلَّتِي تَوَهَّجَ بَيَاضُهَا ٱلنَّاصِع حَاضِرَةً لِتَمْنَحَ هُوَاةَ ٱلتَّزَلُّج مَوْسِمًا رَبِيعِيًّا يَمْزُجُ ٱلصَّقِيع بِدِفء حَرَارَةِ شَمْسٍ لا تَكَادُ تَغِيب تَحْتَ وَطْأَةِ عَاصِفَةٍ عَابِرَةٍ لِتَنْحَسِر وَتُطِلّ وَسْطَ سَمَاءٍ زَرْقَاء صَافِيَة وَخَالِيَة مِن ٱلتَّلَوُّث وَبَعِيدَةٌ عَن اِزْدِحَام ٱلسَّاحِل وَضَجِيجِه.
Much has been said about a setback which has afflicted winter tourism this year in Lebanon with the delay of snowfalls. But all that has been said melted like salt when the region of Faraya put on its white clothes and completed its preparations to welcome the patrons of skiing/sledging for the practising of their favourite hobbies which is expected to continue until the middle of this April (Nisan). And so since the middle of last February (Shubat) the summits whose brilliant whiteness has been glowing have become ready to give fans/lovers of skiing/sledging a spring season which mixes the frost with the warmth of the heat of a sun which has barely disappeared beneath the oppression of a passing storm than it is revealed [again] and looks down amid a clear blue sky free of pollution and far from the crowds/congestion of the coast and its noise.