February 2005  Volume # 26  Issue 02

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Home | Inside this issue    The View    A World of Happiness by Gwynne Dyer The latest in a long line of attempts to rank the world’s happiest nations    The View    Look, But Do Not Touch by Richard Hoath The Red Sea’s residents are quite adept at defending themselves from people poking around their reef    The View    Overplaying Egyptomania by Osama Diab Egypt’s pavilion at Shanghai’s Expo 2010 misses the mark of modernity    The View Don’t Talk to Them by Gwynne Dyer Non-engagement may be the best policy on intergalactic relations    The View    Palestinian Tunneler Captured by Richard Hoath What may be the first picture of a live Palestine Burrowing Asp emerged in May    The View    A Tale of a Whale by Richard Hoath A march of mammals from the minute House Mouse to a lost and lamented Fin Whale    The View    Nuclear Summits by Gwynne Dyer Minor arms reductions won’t make the world any safer    The View    Whose Heritage? by Michael Kaput Repatriating ancient treasures seems like a noble cause, but history might end up the loser    The View    Owls Reclassified by Richard Hoath A redefinition of existing owl species has naturalists looking hard for a new pair of Egyptian hooters    The View    Will Nigeria Survive? by Gwynne Dyer Another African power struggle fueled by resource wealth    The View Africa: The Right to Secede by Gwynne Dyer The UN and African Union are defending an untenable status quo    The View    Cat Scratch Fever by Richard Hoath A journey of chasing tail in Africa brings two naturalists to the Delta    The View Smoldering Lead by Ali El-Bahnasawy In the aftermath of the Goldstone Report, a heated debate over the implications of the Gaza war rages in Israel    The View    Forecasting the Flocks by Richard Hoath Bad weather in Europe is a potential boon for birdwatchers in Egypt    The View In the Name of Allah by Gwynne Dyer Malaysia rules that Allah is the Arabic, not just the Islamic, name for God    The View    Five Days on Lake Nasser by Richard Hoath When you skim the surface of the great lake, you never know who — or what — you might encounter    The View    Provocations by Gwynne Dyer Switzerland’s minaret ban and Iran’s announcement of new nuclear enrichment facilities send a message to domestic and foreign opponents: your move    The View    Giraffe Comeback by Richard Hoath As the Giraffe population grows, ancient etchings reveal history of co-existence between livestock and Giraffes    The View    Head for the Exit by Gwynne Dyer Botched election may be Obama’s final chance to get out of Afghanistan    The View    The Convenience of Random Selection by Omar Elimam A ‘citizen of the world’ learns a tough lesson    The View    No Peace, Just Prizes by Gwynne Dyer Barack Obama’s commendable intentions cannot hide a foundering peace process    The View    On the Precipice by Ali El-Bahnasawy World leaders face a daunting challenge at upcoming climate talks in Denmark    The View    Return of the Ibis by Richard Hoath A venerated bird may make a comeback after disappearing from Egypt more than a century ago    The View    Leftist Triumph in Samoa by Gwynne Dyer Samoa becomes the first nation in decades to switch sides of the road    The View    Ode to the Pipit by Richard Hoath Identifying the wealth of birds passing through Egypt on their way to warmer winter destinations    The View    How Soon We Forget by Azza Khattab Six years after an Egypt Today investigation, an illegal island has been repackaged as an entertainment park    The View    On Safari by Richard Hoath With a good guide, some patience and a lot of luck, you may be able to spot Africa’s most elusive animals    The View The Kurds Lose Again? by Gwynne Dyer As prospects for an independent Kurdish state dwindle, Iraq’s Kurds are losing their unifying force    The View    A Sunny Future by Zeinab Abul-Gheit The sun has the potential to power our lives if both public and private sectors can learn to see the light    The View    Nukes: The Cart Before the Horse by Gwynne Dyer The major powers will have to scale back nuclear stores before others will respect non-proliferation    The View    Troubled Waters by Richard Hoath Fatal Red Sea shark attack likely a result of shoddy diving practices    The View    Obama and the Two-State Solution by Gwynne Dyer    The View    Singing the Praises of Slugs by Richard Hoath Nudibranchs are some of the Red Sea’s most colorful inhabitants    The View    Insecurity on the Street by Zeinab Abul Gheit The capital’s historically safe streets are being threatened by petty thieves    The View Of Pandemics and Pork by Gwynne Dyer In the world of mutating viruses, the biggest culprit may not be the animals we raise, but how we raise them    The View    Searching for Sparrows by Richard Hoath Our resident birder braves the summer heat, hoping to find plenty of wildlife and water in the heart of the Golden Triangle    The View    Depressing Reality by Richard Hoath A weekend spent exploring Cairo’s zoo animal treatment and illegal ivory trade yields grim results    The View    Obama’s Emission Cuts: Pragmatic Suicide by Gwynne Dyer Kyoto is out and a new UN climate pact is putting the US in the hot seat    The View    Shoot-Out in Guinea-Bissau by Gwynne Dyer Africa’s “narco-state” spins into violence as a result of its burgeoning drug trade    The View    Uncommon Cranes by Richard Hoath Spring has come, and with it migrating cranes and swamp kittens    The View    The Lizard Kings by Richard Hoath Egypt already has two monitor lizard species; could the wild habitat of Lake Nasser be home to a third?    The View    Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai’s Choice by Gwynne Dyer The new prime minister has accepted his fate by accepting his position    The View Israeli Tail, American Dog by Gwynne Dyer Ehud Olmert is angry and not afraid to show it to America and the world    The View    Palm Doves and Presidential Puppies by Richard Hoath Obama and his much-discussed future dog lead to Charles Darwin and the way he changed the world    The View    A Slender-billed Hope by Richard Hoath A birder dreams of seeing the near-extinct Slender-billed Curlew wintering in Egypt    The View    Terrorism is Marginal by Gwynne Dyer Note to India: Overreacting to terrorist attacks only encourages them    The View    A Zoo Review by Zeinab Abul-Gheit Despite facing challenges, Giza Zoo is slowly improving, both for the visitors and the animals    The View    Perfidious Albionand the Chagos Islanders by Gwynne Dyer Cold War colonialism triumphs over the rights of a displaced people    The View    Pining for the Peninsula by Richard Hoath For the do-it-yourself birder, Yemen promises a fine feathered adventure    The View    For Fox Sake by Richard Hoath A Red Fox evades AUC’s over-zealous security, and Europe’s feathered migrants are making the long trip south    The View    Helping Hussein by Neal Hussein A Muslim campaigner reflects on the need to defend Barack Obama’s Christianity to American voters    The View    The Breeding Residents of El-Gouna by Richard Hoath Coastal developments on the Red Sea are not always bad news for local wildlife    The View    The Worldview from the Top by Gwynne Dyer If Barack Obama becomes the next US president, where does his running mate, Joe Biden, fit in?    The View    A Lack of Finesse by Gwynne Dyer Beijing’s ham-handed attempts to assimilate the Muslim Uighurs are only fueling separatist desires    The View    American Ramadan by Khalid Shakran Balancing a busy schedule with breakfast can be tricky. Drive-thru iftar, anyone?    The View    Cuckoos, Coucals, and the Whale-headed Stork by Richard Hoath Ornithological spectacles abound in Egypt as migration starts bringing in thousands of feathered visitors    The View    No Place to Tan by Ali El Bahnasawy A day at the beach has become a privilege that very few can afford    The View    Bees Beware by Richard Hoath With hawkmoths and Honey Buzzardson the wing, it’s time to lock the hive door    The View    Death on Wheels by Zeinab Abul Gheit A new traffic law promises steep fines and even jail time for bad driving, but will it be enough?    The View    Politics and the Law by Gwynne Dyer The indictment of the Sudanese president on war crimes is inconvenient, but the right thing nonetheless    The View Ending the Oil Age by Gwynne Dyer Innovative fuels like algae and extracted carbon dioxide may hold the best hope for a world searching for an alternative to oil    The View    Scene and Heard by Hassan Hassan The slightly more frivolous side of the internet    The View    Stop Screaming, It’s Not Jaws by Richard Hoath Giant sharks in the Red Sea are no cause for alarm: They don’t eat people    The View    A Cry for Burma by Gwynne Dyer The effects of May’s cyclone are not nearly as devastating as Burma’s leaders’ inexplicable delay in accepting international aid    The View    El-Sahel Sightings by Richard Hoath Birds and Bottlenose Dolphins are North Coast standards, but whales? Not so much.    The View    The Silent Assassin by Zeinab Abul Gheit Skyrocketing food prices are making the attack of desertification on our nation’s farmland even more deadly    The View    A Little Perspective by Gwynne Dyer Amid sporadic violence in Zimbabwe’s streets and the government’s refusal to publish recent election results, surrounding African nations have done little to condemn the policies of long-time president Robert Mugabe    The View    Some Like it Hot by Richard Hoath Humpbacks in the Mediterranean, hedgehogs along the North Coast — even the animal kingdom is heading to El-Sahel for the summer    The View    One Special Bird by Richard Hoath Some of Egypt’s birds are in a class of their own    The View    Repercussions of a Just War by Andrew Schurgott A number of countries are using the US ‘war on terror’ as an excuse to ignore national boundaries in their pursuit of terrorist organizations ­— challenging the concept of state sovereignty and increasing instability in the Islamic World.    The View Thought For Food by Gwynne Dyer Caught between the Scylla of the world food crisis and Charybdis of impending climate change, the latter is simply less urgent    The View    New Start in Cyprus by Gwynne Dyer By voting out incumbent President Papadopoulos, Cypriots are signalling a desire to heal their divided island    The View    Still Searching by Richard Hoath The insects of Gilf Kebir    The View    What Would MehannaThink? by Manal el-Jesri The death of MagdyMehanna, one of thenation’s leadingcolumnists,leaves our public discourseimpoverished    The View    Desolate Desert? by Richard Hoath Searching for life in the barren Gilf Kebir    The View Nano Hypocrisy by Gwynne Dyer Ignoring the exhaust fumes billowing in its own streets, a suddenly eco-conscious West is up in arms about India’s push to increase car ownership    The View On Again, Off Again by Gwynne Dyer For years, Bush has accused Iran of harboring sinister nuclear ambitions. Now a phalanx of US intelligence agencies is refuting him — and common sense is on their side.    The View Sound Judgment? by Zeinab Abul Gheit One of the capital’s most ignored problems is also the loudest: noise pollution    The View Do the Right Thing by Gwynne Dyer Former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano has won the most lucrative prize in the world, awarded by billionaire Mo Ibrahim as an incentive for African leaders to do the right thing    The View    Identity Crisis by Richard Hoath The Pallid Scops Owl may not have migrated as far west as Egypt, but the pursuit of elusive, migratory birds is a delight in itself.    The View    A Week of Islamophobia by Ethar El-Katatney Fifty years ago it was the Communists — today, Arabs and Islam are the token ‘enemy’ the West must fight. So grave is the threat that some have set aside an entire week for this precise purpose.    The View    Fickle by Nature by Richard Hoath A recent jaunt to Ain Sokhna disappoints — and not only because of the bird and wildlife no-shows    The View    Tribal Trouble by Gwynne Dyer Fighting with the Taliban will not cease until Afghanistan’s largest minority, the Pashtun, are welcomed into the leadership fold    The View    Don’t Panic One valuable lesson to be learned from Germany’s recent brush with Islamist terror? The threat is containable, and is just as likely to come from within than from the outside.    The View    It’s All Talk by Richard Hoath Don’t species listed as endangered,such as the Cattle Egret, deserve real protection?    The View    Counting Our Blessings by Noha Mohammed The glow of Ramadan shines even brighter when you think of what you’re missing in the other 11 months of the year    The View    Je Suis Musulman... by Fayza Hassan After riots in Paris, bombings in the United Kingdom and Spain, a high-profile assassination in the Netherlands and recent events in London and Scotland, Europe’s Muslims are coming under increasing scrutiny. Nowhere is this more true than in France, where the newly elected president has made immigration his top priority.    The View    Night and Day by Hassan Hassan What is done under the Ramadan sun is quickly forgotten at the end of the month    The View    So Close Yet So Far by Richard Hoath From the elusive Corncrake to the bold Shrike, a feathered horde of exotic migrants makes its way to Egypt every summer    The View    The End of Cheap Food by Gwynne Dyer Fuel for food: a mix-up in priorities is starving the global poor    The View    The Other Side of the Fence by Marwa Helal A Coptic Christian gives his views on what non-Muslims really think of Ramadan    The View    Something in the Summer Air by Richard Hoath Fluttering around like fairies, dragonflies and damselflies are what to watch for this summer    The View    The United States of Africa by Gwynne Dyer How to put together the world’s most complicated jigsaw puzzle    The View    Diorific by Fayza Hassan In the spring of 1947, a little-known designer named Christian Dior launched his first collection, hitting Paris and the rest of the international fashion world like a bombshell. He died suddenly in 1957, but those 10 short years were enough to establish him as the King of Fashion — even in Cairo.    The View    Disappearing Dugongs by Richard Hoath There are new worries about the last southern-Red-Sea stronghold of Egypt’s Sea Cows    The View    The Islamic Republic of Gaza by Gwynne Dyer Hamas’ triumph in the Gaza Strip spells the end of the peace process, for now at least    The View    Ask First, Then Believe by Nadine El Sayed Blind, unquestioning belief risks reducing the majesty of faith to a mere hereditary condition    The View    Crisis in Turkey? by Gwynne Dyer Turkey’s “Muslim Democrats,” and not the self- appointed proctors of Ataturk’s legacy, are those who are really promoting modernization    The View    Dog Eat Dog World by Hassan Hassan The appalling execution of baladi dogs on the streets of Haram puts not just the dire animal rights situation into perspective — but that of our human rights, too    The View    Wild Things by Richard Hoath Birds and reptiles who escape captivity turn up in the unlikeliest places    The View    Audiences Possessed by Manal el-Jesri First it was satellite sheikhs; now it’s satellite healers. With their claims of curing by reading verses from the Qur’an, it appears they’ve managed to strike a chord with desperate audiences.    The View    Crocodile Commotion by Richard Hoath A expedition to the shores of Lake Nasser unearths several mummified, pufferfish remains and a number of illegally hunted ibex horns but, alas, no crocodiles    The View    Last Act in Zimbabwe by Gwynne Dyer Despite the devastating effects of over two decades of Mugabe’s reign, which continue to seep across its borders and anger surrounding south-African countries, it might actually be discontent within his own party that finally unseats the octogenarian    The View    A Perfect Peace? by Gywnne Dyer Somalia sees peace for a brief period, but peace under the rule of Shariah may not be the kind of peace the rest of the world is looking for    The View Down with the Pajamahideen by Manal el-Jesri How Al-Azhar’s bid to set an example backfired when blogger Abdel-Karim Soleiman was handed a four-year jail term    The View    Serpent Surprises by Richard Hoath Get up close and personal with Egypt’s venomous vipers before taking time to dust off your binoculars for a sighting of European Bee-eaters returning to their breeding grounds    The View    Dodging the Bullet by Richard Hoath Threatened species are thriving in Iraq’s war-torn marshlands    The View    We’re All Armenians by Gwynne Dyer The assassination of the editor of the only Turkish-Armenian newspaper underscores Turkey’s battle between its past and future    The View A Pilgrim’s Progress by Nadine El Sayed Profit-seeking travel agents, cramped conditions and pushy pilgrims madeHajj less than idyllic, but they aren’t what made the experience unforgettable    The View    Rare, Magnificent, Murdered? by Richard Hoath Highly endangered, the Lappet-faced Vulture is now turning up dead on the side of the road in the southernmost corner of Egypt. Could a vulture reserve not just protect the birds, but also bring in tourist revenue?    The View Same Old, Same Old by Gwynne Dyer There’s nothing new about America’s “new” plan for Iraq    The View    A Crisis At Home by Fayza Hassan The 1956 Suez War led to an exodus of foreign residents and empowered Gamal Abdel Nasser’s vision of pan-Arab solidarity in the process. In the second of a two part series, we take a closer look at what the conflict meant for Egypt.    The View    A Crisis At Home by Fayza Hassan The 1956 Suez War led to an exodus of foreign residents and empowered Gamal Abdel Nasser’s vision of pan-Arab solidarity in the process. In the second of a two part series, we take a closer look at what the conflict meant for Egypt.    The View    From A to Z by Richard Hoath Egypt’s furred, feathered and scaled creatures span the alphabetical spectrum    The View    Killing The Goose? by Nawal Hassan As the village of Gurna is demolished, a longtime champion of its conservation wonders what will become of its cultural heritage    The View    Turning Point by Gwynne Dyer Disastrous wars, shifting economic power, increased environmental concern and nuclear drama: Has 2006 shown the shape of a new world order?    The View    Is the ClockTicking? by Gwynne Dyer Israel has lost its ability to terrorize the Palestinians into submission, a fact that could bode as poorly for the Arab world as for the Jewish State    The View    Sold Down the Valley? by Richard Hoath Barely seven years after Wadi Degla was declared a natural protectorate, local industry is creeping in through the back door    The View    Of Rays and Men by Richard Hoath Thoughts on the late conservationist Steve Irwin and stingrays — and a primer on the winter migratory bird season    The View    The Final Indignity by Gwynne Dyer A new study says 655,000 Iraqis — or 2.5 percent of the population — would be alive today if the US hadn’t invaded. Our new international affairs columnist explains the math Bush and Blair don’t want you to do.    The View    Back to Basics by Richard Hoath There’s plenty of fun to be had in ‘digital ticking,’ but the truly experienced naturalist can identify by jizz alone    The View    Of Sloppy Mangoes and Parasites by Richard Hoath As the mango season ushers in the annual onslaught of Egyptian Fruit Bats, look out for the birds finding their way here for the upcoming fall migration    The View    Cairo’s Dimming Ghosts by Fayza Hassan As the capital’s elegant past sinks further into obscurity, intellectuals,government agencies — and this historian in particular — are calling for the restoration and preservation of the city’s most significant buildings    The View    Many Happy Returns by Kate Durham Can the Ministry of Tourism’s new tourism awareness campaign convince the many who work in the industry that sometimes, giving their foreign guests a little space might actually bring them a bit closer?    The View    Party On? by Richard Hoath A rave held in the Wadi Degla Natural Protectorate raises questionsabout how serious the EEAA is about preserving Egypt’s natural heritage    The View    Research Under the Microscope by Zeinab Abul-Gheit Egypt lags woefully behind the rest of the world in both basic and applied scientific research. Are policy makers finally ready to tackle the problem?    The View    The Back Streetsof the World Cup by Karim Ezzeldin The ‘encrypted’ idiot’s guide to watching the World Cup – for free    The View    Who Was Al-Zarqawi? by Tom Goeller Followers of slain terrorist Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi may claim he’s a martyr, but evidence is starting to suggest rival Islamists who felt their cause was being harmed by his tactics tipped the Americans off to his whereabouts    The View    A Mullah’s Dream Comes True by Tom Goeller Does a nuclear Iran now have control over the Arab world?    The View    Damsels and Butterflies by Richard Hoath The flight of the European Bee-eaters signalthe start of summer, just the time for a trip to the Red Sea    The View    It’s the Little Things by Hadia Mostafa Investment is pouring in, but the urbandevelopment that Cairo needs continues to lag behind    The View    The Socially Deprived by El-Grouch El-Kebira A closer look at the growing SMS-based community that’s invadingyour home through the tiny strip at the bottom of your television screen    The View    Rats! by Richard Hoath Mammals take center stage this month, from the House Rat Rattus rattus to the mongoose and, perhaps, an otter    The View    One Flu Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Richard Hoath While many are still squabbling over whether or not to eat omelets and fried chicken, this naturalist is more concerned with spotting the healthy variety of the nation’s feathered specimens — and meditating on the future of ecotourism    The View    A Lasting Presence by Fayza Hassan Remnants of a failed revolt have become part of the very fabric of modern Egyptian culture    The View    Europe’s 9/11? by Tom Goeller Muslim rage over the publication of cartoons attacking the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) has cost the Arab world its supporters in the liberal European press, who are more accustomed to loud arguments than the tearing down of embassies    The View    After Sharon Will Palestinians have a say in the upcoming Israeli elections?    The View    Last Man Standing by Fayza Hassan The Viceroy of Egypt found the answer to his dream of power in a bunch of desperate Americans. But after the tides changed and disaster struck, only one man remained.    The View    Winter Vacation by Richard Hoath Take a naturalist’s holiday: Up long before dawn and exhausted by 8am. In freezing Norfolk, England    The View    Mammal Mania by —Richard Hoath An exciting new find shakes the local wildlife community before being set free into its natural habitat    The View    Under Siege by Fayza Hassan Since Mohammed Ali’s time, many significant political events have unfolded and developed around the harbor of Alexandria, and the recent riots in the port town only go to show how the city has not always played second fiddle to Cairo’s political upheavals    The View    Condemnation Works by Karim Elsahy The people finally stand against the man who — in feeble attempts to revert to the days of the great Islamic empire — has been forcing civil retardation    The View    Durrell and I by Mursi Saad el-Din As efforts to save Lawrence Durrell’s home in Alexandria continue, Egypt Today’s editor-in-chief recalls a literary great    The View    The Bright Side of Bird Flu by Richard Hoath The importance of the Petrified Forest Protected Area, and two promising measures that are by-products of the bird flu scare    The View    The China Syndrome by Manal el-Jesri When it comes to bird flu, everything may well be ‘just perfect,’ but it’s time for a more open national dialogue on matters of health. Disease, unlike government functionaries, knows no borders.    The View    The Uninvited Guest by Karim Ezzeldin Today, the windows you open up to communicate with the world have become a source for spammers to uninvitedly pop their heads in    The View    War Breaks Out? by Tom Goeller Following weeks of Muslim unrest, France’s declarationof a state of emergency is more than just riot control — and says a lotabout how Europe really views immigrant and native-born Muslims alike    The View    Going ‘Bump’ in the Night by Richard Hoath From fowl to toads, our diarist looks for ‘things crepuscular’ in Cairo and beyond    The View    It’s All About the Money by Karim Ezzeldin In the first installment of our monthly media column, a look at how a peasant came to talk to the president each week, how much editors-in-chief really make, and how modern-day fawazeer are taking the gullible to the cleaners    The View    Sophia and the Lunatics by Fayza Hassan The endeavors of a 19th century Englishwoman trying to go native in Egypt    The View    Stand Up and Be Counted by Tom Goeller The Arab world needs to add Sudan to the list of crisesit must take seriously if it wants more clout in the international arena    The View    Teaching Tolerance by Hadia Mostafa Preachers are now frantically trying to get the message across that Islam is a tolerant religion, but after last month’s clash in Alexandria, is it a little too late?    The View    A Sight for Sore Eyes by Richard Hoath The sighting of four cheetah cubs in Iran suggests the possibility of their survival in Egypt, while the country’s sea turtles suffer from several misfortunes    The View    Election Day Runaround by Karim Ezzeldin One perplexed voter’s quest to take part in the first ever Egyptian Presidential Elections whatever it would take him    The View    The Infernal Water Machine by Fayza Hassan Inside an arduous hydraulic project conceived by aresourceful circus performer and incipient Egyptologist    The View    The Nastiest Conflict Everyone Ignores by Tom Goeller A hunger strike for freedom in Western Sahara is ignored by the world    The View    The Pasha by Dr. Mursi Saad el-Din As Egypt prepares to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Mohammed Ali’s rise to power, there’s never been a better time to go back and set the facts straight    The View    A Sad Obsession by Fayza Hassan George Gliddon was also one of his era’s top Egyptologists — for a time    The View    Adventures in Red Tape by Karim Ezzeldin Okay, so you have a new car. Do you have what it takes to get it licensed?    The View    After the ‘Hitnatkut’ by Tom Goeller Israel won’t call it a withdrawal, but it has pulled out of Gazanonetheless. Is it a new chapter in the story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?    The View    Homegrown Terror by Richard Hoath In the aftermath of the “7/7 bombings,” Londoners are back on the tube, but many are less proud of their country’s multiculturalism and tolerance    The View    In Need of Watchdogs by Richard Hoath What is being done to protect the world’s wildcats and rare crakes?    The View    Signed in Blood by Zeinab Abul-Gheit After a flurry of media coverage, the phenomenon of illegitimate marriages among Egyptian youth has stopped making headlines, perhaps in the delusional hope that the problem will just disappear    The View    Ant eloping? by Richard Hoath The Sitatunga and co. promise you an unforgettable performance at the Entebbe Botanical Gardens in Uganda    The View    Romancing the Stone by Sarah El Sirgany When it comes to delicate arrangements leading up to marriage the buying of the shabka (the diamond ring) has proven the thorniest. And few emerge from the battle unscathed.    The View    The Exit Interview by Dr. Mursi Saad el-Din Mahmood Hasan, outgoing Ambassador for Bangladesh to Egypt, talks about his experience in Egypt and looks forward to his next posting in France    The View    The four Cs and other things you should know by Sarah El Sirgany Precious Tips    The View    The Lord and the King by Fayza Hassan It’s an election year. There’s a new constitution. The opposition and the State are in conflict. Rowdy elections are the talk of the town. 2005? Not quite. The year was 1923, and the conflict of the day was over who would control King Tut’s tomb    The View    Correction Setting the record straight    The View    In the Mood for Love by Richard Hoath Breeding season for many species of birds turns up the unconventional Painted Snipe, where the husband takes care of the nesting while his one-time mate goes off in search of new lovers.    The View    Looking for answers Is Sharm El Sheikhresort about to import dolphins despite a promise from CITES and the government that the practice would stop?    The View    Singing for Their Supper The tragic death of singing sensation Metwally Helal casts a harsh light on the lives of child performers.    The View    Stumbling Blocs by Tom Goeller The European Union has more than a few chinks in its armor, but despite calls for dissolution, stronger may be the way to go for the merging superpower.    The View    The Knight of Karnak by Fayza Hassan One man’s crusade to save Pharaonic heritage from becoming, quite literally, a pile of stones or a source of building material for a factory.    The View    A Broader Initiative by Tom Goeller As the G8 plan to tackle ‘africa’ next month, prepare to hear the phrase ‘spreading democracy’ more then ‘crop yield’. Will Sudanese farmer worry about voting when Conagra has undersold his staple by half?    The View    Hail, Heliopolis by Dr. Mursi Saad el-Din In May of his year, heliopolis celebrated its 100th anniversary, and in 2006, our editor-in-chief, Dr. Mursi Saad el-Din, himself shall celebrate 50 years of being a Heliopolite    The View    Stayin’ Alive by Richard Hoath The Ivory-Billed woodpecker, a holy grail for birdwatchers the world round, returns from the ‘given-up for dead’ after 60 years of silence    The View    Back to the Batbox by Richard Hoath Spring is in the air, and so are several varieties of bats    The View    Moment of Truth by Tom Goeller In the aftermath of Yasser Arafat’s death, it is time for the Palestinians to take a hard look at their own responsibility for their situation    The View    Hope is a Thing with Feathers by Richard Hoath Plundered in the aftermath of wars, Iraq’s southern marshlands are slowly recovering    The View    Taken Care Of by Fayza Hassan An accomplice of the notorious Khedive Ismail, Ismail bey Sadyk El-Muffatich disappeared under dubious circumstances    The View    What will the US’s involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be? by ­Mirette F. Mabrouk    The View    Winds of Change by Tom Goeller Are we finally looking at the dawn of democracy and freedom in the Middle East?    The View    You for President? by Hadia Mostafa Does Egypt have a means of raising credible presidential candidates?    The View    A Very Long Disengagement The author contemplates a life less normal in Kuwait during the Iraqi occupation and just how he’ll spin it for his grandchildren    The View    Eyes Wide Shut by Richard Hoath Why doesn’t Egypt keep better track of migrating bird species?    The View    You’ve Got Mail by Fayza Hassan Supplicants send their mail to the unseen powers that be    The View    Found in Translation by Nancy Refki An Egyptian belly dancing class in Japan makes living away from home a little easier    The View    Hajj, Circa 1183 by Fayza Hassan Ibn Jubayr sets off to Mecca for the holy pilgrimage, keeping a travel log of his voyage’s highlights    The View The City Defeated by mindbleed Is the nation’s capital in the throes of depression? Or is the relative quiet in the streets merely the calm before a storm of progress?    The View    The Sixth Sense? by Richard Hoath Whether in relation to the devastating tsunami or matingseason, the animal kingdom has its share of seers and strutters    The View    Bones of Contention by Fayza Hassan The epilogue to St. Mark’s life remains shrouded in mythical lore. Following his story from Alexandria to Venice raises more questions than it answers.    The View    Enjoy the Show A look at IP-based terrorism and what it does for our collective Arab image    The View    From Red Sea Reef to Mountain Cedar by Richard Hoath Sharm and Lebanon hold surprises and disappointments for our peripatetic naturalist    The View    The Other Imperialist by Tom Goeller Many in the Arab world are looking to Russia to help counter America’s hegemonic position on the world stage. Is it a wise choice?    The View    WANTED: Middle East Mediator by Sam Bahour The International Court of Justice struggles to be heard    The View    Bush: The Downside by Firas Al-Atraqchi No Palestinian state until 2009. Censorship in Iraq. You call that a good start?    The View    Coming to Canossa by Tom Goeller He may not be on bended knee, but Bush is looking to mend fences with Europe    The View    Islamophobia in Europe The murder of an “anti-Muslim” Dutch filmmaker last month focused European debate on the integration of Muslim immigrants    The View    Once, They Were Kings by Fayza Hassan In her debut, our history columnist takes us on a tour of Cairo’s architectural layers    The View    Take Back the Web by Mindbleed Sick and tired of the West’s distorted view of Islam? Go online and harness the power of your own blog, says one of the Arab world’s most prominent (anonymous) online scribes    The View    The Land of Plenty by Richard Hoath Wadi El-Gemal National Park shelters rare populations of falcons and foxes    The View    A Missed Opportunity by Manal el-Jesri The Arab publishing community failed to take full advantage of its spot as the star attraction at the Frankfurt Book Fair    The View    They Can Run, But They Can’t Hide by Richard Hoath CITES loosens selected restrictions on hunting black rhinos    The View    Time to Talk Turkey by Tom Goeller The EU needs to set aside pettiness and consider Turkey’s full membership    The View    Miraculous Migrations by Richard Hoath Overcoming natural obstacles and man-made travails, it’s a miracle migrating birds make it out of their African wintering quarters    The View    Playing Devil’s Advocate by Tom Goeller No fan of the sitting president, our man in Washington wonders whether a second Bush term might not be more palatable than we thought    The View    Prisoners’ Dilemma by Nazly Shamel Authorities are debating the necessity of conjugal visits, but are they not seeing the forest for the trees?    The View    It Ain’t Easy Being Green by Richard Hoath So why is he optimistic?    The View    Leave Your Hat On by Tom Goeller Xenophobia is masquerading as religious tolerance in Europe’s new laws banning hijab and other overtly religious symbols    The View    Bug-Spotting 101 by Richard Hoath You dont need any fancy equipment to check out these mini beasts, just sit back in the dark, light a lamp and enjoy the view    The View    Token of Faith by Réhab El-Bakry As the makers of Baheb El-Cima battle it out with the state prosecutor, some Copts are leaning on the censors to yank the controversial film off the screens    The View    Hide and Seek by Richard Hoath What do comets, featherstars and ospreys have in common? A knack for camouflage.    The View    Love Thy Neighbor? by Alex Ionides Ariel Sharons disengagement plan may be good news for Israel, Egypt and even the US. But what exactly is in it for the Palestinians?    The View    Beneath the Waves by Richard Hoath Get the lowdown on the sharks, jellyfish and snakes of the Red Sea    The View    In Your Face by Réhab El-Bakry A banned music video and the beating of a Saudi TV anchor by her husband put domestic abuse in the spotlight, but are Arab governments ready to deal with it?    The View    Opiate of the Masses by Sarah Enany Theres nothing wrong with Starmaker that isnt wrong with the entire industry. But at least its entertaining.    The View    The Lessons of Abu Ghraib by Tom Goeller America must admit Abu Ghraib was not unique in its history. Washington must join the ICC. And the world must give it credit for exposing its own wrongdoings.    The View    A Cut Above by Mirette F. Mabrouk How did The Passion hit the screens despite being in violation of the law?    The View    Fatal Attraction by Richard Hoath Butterflies are beautiful, but did you know that they can be deadly?    The View    Flights of Fantasy by Firas Al-Atraqchi When it comes to the Middle East, the powers that be really do believe some animals are more equal than others    The View Cry, Laugh or Celebrate? by Richard Hoath The last of the slender-horned gazelles may have been slaughtered, but the skies look brighter for migratory birds    The View School Daze by Hadia Mostafa Private universities weren’t a bad idea, but practice hasn’t caught up with theory    The View What Freedom Isn’t by Firas Al-Atraqchi A year after the fall of Baghdad, Iraq is no more free than it was under Saddam Hussein

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