March 2014

1 A Super Cup match ends with Ultras Ahlawy and Zamalek’s Ultras White Knights football fans clashing with security forces at Cairo Stadium, resulting in 24 injuries. Days later the Egyptian Football Federation rules both Ahly and Zamalek teams play the remainder of their Champions League games without fans in attendance. 5 Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recall ambassadors from Doha and discontinue diplomatic relations with Qatar after Gulf stocks plummet. The GCC states accuse Qatar of undermining regional security with its support of elements that “threaten the security and stability,” referring to the Muslim Brotherhood. The states are particularly critical of Qatar’s Al Jazeera channel which they allege regularly broadcasts often-slanted programming attacking GCC states that have cracked down on the MB. Egypt, which is at the heart of the channel’s coverage, endorses the multilateral move and decides not to send its envoy back to Doha. 10 Coca-Cola pledges to invest $500 million in Egypt in the form of capital expenditures and other commercial and community programs. 12 Acclaimed director Marianne Khoury launches Zawya, a series of art-house cinema screens that present alternative cinema to the Egyptian audience. Opening with a screening of Wadjda at Downtown’s newly renovated Odeon Cinema, Khoury’s initiative aims to utilize film theaters by screening an assortment of mainly independent films from Arab, European and several other countries to support and endorse the work of upcoming filmmakers, especially that of Arabs and Egyptians. Zawya also provides a well-rounded program of special events, retrospectives, film discussions and master classes. 17 A YouTube video of a female student being sexually harassed by a mob of males on campus at Cairo University makes headlines. The unnamed blond female, who is wearing black pants and a bright pink sweater, is surrounded and followed by a mob that verbally and physically assaults her until she is escorted off campus by security. Heated debate ensues after University President Gaber Nasser indicates that wearing brightly colored clothes, instead of a more conservative abaya, precipitated the incident. The video triggers a nationwide discussion about the perceptible increase in sexual harassment. 18-24 The Third Luxor African Film Festival, this year featuring 80 films from 41 countries, kicks off with US movie star Danny Glover and Egyptian icons Omar Sherif and Mahmoud Abdul-Aziz making appearances on the red carpet. 19 Protests at Cairo University turn violent, resulting in the expulsion of 23 students for campus violence and vandalism. The university accuses students of breaking campus surveillance cameras, destroying the main gate to the Faculty of Law and raising the flag of Al-Qaeda. [caption id="attachment_74985" align="alignleft" width="300" class=" "] Egypt's minister of tourism, Hesham Zaazoua[/caption] 23 In Luxor two ancient red quartzite monolithic statues depicting Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III are unveiled for the first time in public. One of the newly discovered statues, portraying a seated Amenhotep III, weighs a staggering 250 tons and is 38 feet tall. 23 Egypt’s Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou indicates that Egypt’s tourism industry has completely collapsed due to ongoing instability. Attempts to revive the sector include offering incentives to EU tourism companies, improving charter flights via EgyptAir and directly lobbying Germany to ease its travel advisory. 24 In a shock verdict, the Minya Criminal Court sentences 529 Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death. The charges against the defendants include murder, attempted murder, joining a banned group, attempting to topple the regime and stealing government weapons during the storming of a police station in Matay that resulted in the death of the deputy commander of the station, Mostafa El-Attar, and multiple injuries to other police officers. Eighteen other people are acquitted in the controversial trial at which neither the prosecution nor defense teams were reportedly able to present arguments because the case lasted just two sessions. Defense lawyers are prohibited from being present in the courtroom during the verdict, which Amnesty International later describes as “injustice writ large,” concluding this is the largest collective death sentence it was aware of in recent history. 26 Al-Sisi officially resigns his military post and declares his candidacy for presidency. Wearing his customary beige and brown camouflage military fatigues, Al-Sisi begins his speech with the words, “I stand before you for the last time in the uniform that I have had the great honor of wearing for the last 45 years,” going on to announce the will of the Egyptian people had swayed his decision. Although he lists challenges like unemployment, threats of terrorism, healthcare, education, state debt, foreign aid to Egypt and attempted intervention by foreign interests, Al-Sisi claims his mission is to first “regain Egypt” but did not provide any specific platform for his campaign, revealing that he does “not have an electoral campaign program in the traditional sense.” 27 Colonel General Sedki Sobhi replaces Al-Sisi as the new defense minister of Egypt in the interim government. In his first conference as defense minister, Sedki salutes “the great, brave hero Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and all members of the Armed Forces who risk their lives every day for Egypt.” 30 Presidential elections are set for May 26-27 and the Egyptian Election Commission announces results would be expected no later than June 5, with a runoff held by mid-June if necessary. A three-week campaign window is to begin on May 3 after the door for applications closes April 20. Presidential hopefuls must collect at least 25,000 signatures from a minimum of 15 out of 27 Egyptian provinces. 30 Head of the Karama Socialist Political Party Hamdeen Sabahi announces his candidacy for the presidency of Egypt, outlining three tenets for his candidacy including encouraging political democracy, social justice and the “independence of Egypt.” 30 Al Azhar students torch the car of university President Osama al-Abd, as well as a police car near the campus dorms. Security forces intervene to disperse protests, the clashes leaving two students dead. The university administration requests the continued presence of police security on campus and two days later expels 25 students.