Nieuwe column: 'Wow, waren er negentien toeristen in Luxor?'

"Afgelopen dinsdag stortte in de toeristische trekpleister Luxor een luchtballon neer. Negentien toeristen vonden de dood. De luchtballon was volgens ooggetuigen bijna bij de grond aangekomen, toen een gasslang los schoot en de mand vlam vatte. Vervolgens schoot de ballon weer naar boven, waar op een hoogte van 300 meter de ballon explodeerde en naar beneden stortte.

De bestuurder van de ballon wist samen met een Britse toerist uit de mand te springen toen de ballon bijna bij de grond was. Zij zijn de enigen die het ongeluk overleefd hebben. De ballonvaarder ligt in het ziekenhuis. Zeventig procent van zijn lichaam is verbrand."

Lees hier (of hier) het hele stuk. 

Picture: When Morsi looks in the mirror...

Morsi = Mubarak, a photo by Ester Meerman on Flickr.

Mural for Omar Salah on Mohammed Mahmoud

Omar Salah graffiti, a photo by Ester Meerman on Flickr.

Documenting the torture of Egyptian children under the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood

Here's another great video report by the independent Egyptian media collective Mosireen.
Apparently there has been a sharp rise in the detainment of children in recent months, and they are being treated pretty bad.

"They had beaten us so badly and I was so scared that I told them I had stolen 10 pounds*", says Zeid Taysin Mohammed Ahmed, a 12-year old kid that got arrested. "They fed us in buckets. Beans and rice in buckets."

Human Rights lawyer Amr Imam feels that "this is a message from the authorities. This is proof that they are waging a war on children."

Mohienour El Masry, activist with the No To Military Trials campaign, thinks the government is detaining and torturing children because "they want to break a whole generation".

*(1,12 EU, or 1,49 USD)

Lights (video)

Or: what you get when I get bored sitting in the front seat of a car on the highway in Cairo as I happen to have a camera on me. 

Nieuwe column: 'Het treurige verhaal van Omar (12), ‘per ongeluk’ doodgeschoten door een soldaat'

Omar Salah is een Egyptisch jongetje van twaalf jaar oud. Hij komt uit een arme familie, die geen geld heeft om hem naar school te sturen. Omar draagt al ruim vijf jaar zijn financiële steentje bij door gepofte aardappelen te verkopen, op en rond het Tahrir-plein in Cairo.

Omar vind het geen leuk werk, zo blijkt uit een kort videointerview dat een medewerker van een hulporganisatie met hem heeft. Hij zegt dat hij er ‘moe van wordt’. Als hem gevraagd wordt wat zijn dromen zijn, antwoordt Omar: ‘Ik kan het me niet veroorloven om te dromen, meneer.’

Lees hier (of hier) de hele column. 

Nieuwe column: 'Moet ik het binnenkort een maand zonder kattenfilmpjes stellen?'

"Waren er eerst vergevorderde plannen om online porno te blokkeren, nu heeft de rechtbank in Egypte bedacht dat video’s op YouTube ook maar beter niet bekeken moeten worden.

Als reden voor de blokkade wordt de trailer van de anti-Islamfilm Innocence Of Muslims opgegeven, die leidde tot rellen bij de Amerikaanse ambassade in Cairo, waarbij honderden gewonden vielen. Ook het recent circuleren van een filmpje waarin een demonstrant door de oproerpolitie uitgekleed en in elkaar gemept wordt zal indirect ongetwijfeld aan de beslissing bijgedragen hebben."

Lees hier (of hier) de hele column. 

Pictures: Islamist rally at Cairo University

Islamist rally at Cairo University, a set on Flickr.

'Cops are gays' repainted: 'Homophobia is not revolutionary'

What it used to look like:

Instagramming Cairo: a bunch of old chairs at the Cairo Opera House

An oldie, but I think it's a goody: 

This picture was taken in July of 2011, but last time I checked (somewhere at the end of 2012), those chairs were still there.

You can check more of my Instagrams here. 

Pictures: Taking photos on Tahrir square with an old school technical camera

I spent most of last night with Dutch photographer Lidwien van de Ven, taking old school analog photos of Tahrir and some graffiti on Mohammed Mahmoud.

New graffiti on Mohammed Mahmoud: 'Cops are gays'

I'm a big fan of the revolutionary graffiti that has been covering the walls on Mohammed Mahmoud street the past few years, but this new one is just plain wrong. 'Cops are gays', it says, next to two policemen kissing. No, Egypt. Just no. It went up around the same time as the Ultras Ahlawy one next to it, sharing the same shade of red, so I guess it's safe to assume the Ultras put it up. Not cool.



I tweeted a pic of it yesterday, and somebody asked me 'how I feel about it from a non-Arab perspective'. I'll reiterate my reply here: this graffiti is obviously offensive anywhere, and not because being a cop is such a crappy job.
Also, statistically, at least 2 of those 74 martyrs mentioned on the piece next to it were gay. 

Translated TED Talk: Markham Nolan - How to separate fact and fiction online

Here's the TED talk I translated recently:

Markham Nolan shares the investigative techniques he and his team use to verify information in real-time, to let you know if that Statue of Liberty image has been doctored or if that video leaked from Syria is legitimate.

More info here: Dutch/English. 

Nieuwe column: 'Ik ben geraakt, maar niet verslagen'

Naar aanleiding van de vele massaverkrachtingen op Tahrir sprak ik met een slachtoffer.

“Mijn onderbroek werd van me afgescheurd en mijn shirt hing in flarden om me heen. Ik voelde werkelijk overal handen. Op me, in me, zowel aan de voor- als aan de achterkant. Sommigen probeerden me te zoenen. Mijn haar werd met plukken tegelijk uit mijn hoofd getrokken. Er werd aan alle kanten aan me getrokken, alsof ze me probeerden te vierendelen. Het was verschrikkelijk. Ik dacht dat ik dood zou gaan.”

Lees de hele column op De Buitenlandredactie of ThePostOnline.

Ultras holding candlelight vigil on Mohammad Mahmoud street

I was on my way to a self-defence class today (mom, take note), when the Sadat metro was occupied by the Ultras. They proceeded to Mohammed Mahmoud street to hold a candlelight vigil for their marters. 

It was impressive, although there were only a few hundred people there. I could only take photos with my iPhone, as soon as I took out my DSLR they started shouting at me to put it away and I just couldn't be bothered to deal with the hassle. 

Some more pics and two short videos, after the jump.

Instagramming Cairo: reflections at the Safir hotel

View more of my Instagrams here. 

Cairo: city of ginormous potholes, surprise speed bumps and nine inch nails strewn across the road

I recently bought a bike. Because, you know, that's what Dutch people do. They bike.
Even in Cairo, where the potholes fit your entire front wheel; speed bumps are in the most illogical places, seemingly pop up out of nowhere and are the size of small hills; and the streets are full of glass, nails and other things that will puncture your tires.
It took only three days before I had my first flat tire. It had a nail the size of my pinky finger in it. The inner tyre didn't just have a hole in it, it was proper ripped.
Good way to get some Arabic practice though, as I now know how to ask "where is the closest bike shop?".

Photo published in Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws

The Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws did an interview with my friend Ruth Vandewalle, about her work and life in Cairo. She was cool enough to let me supply the photo to go with the article. Yay! 

Too bad they didn't post any of my photos from the clashes, and shame they forgot to print my first name, but oh well, can't have it all. 

What it's like to be sexually assaulted in Tahrir, and what can be done about it

Sexual harassment in Egypt is not new. It's been going on for years. But lately, it has become more violent, and the attacks have become politicised. It's being used as a weapon against women in their struggle for independence and a better future. It is being used to discourage them from protesting, from speaking their mind, from fighting for their rights.

There have been a number of initiatives trying to stop the attacks. The video below gives a good insight of what is going on and what is being done to try and stop it.

Pictures: First anniversary of the Port Said stadium disaster

First anniversary of the Port Said stadium disaster, a set on Flickr.

They weren't very keen on having 'press' around, so I didn't feel very comfortable taking photos, so they didn't turn out so good.

Seeing a bunch of little kids walk around with either t-shirts or cardboard cut-outs of deceased fathers, brothers, uncles or cousins was heart-breaking.

Instagramming Cairo: Sofitel tower

More Instagrams this way.