women-from-egypt

"I am a hard worker and passionate young lady that happened to have little talent and would like to pursue my dream of having an Olympic medal for my country. I would like to share my experience with the young athletes back home to give them the hope and will to succeed by pursuing their dream."

"I am really interested to help young females to achieve what they want to. I try to be as much of a role model as I can because I want to help and inspire other people—not only in sports but whatever goal they have"

"At the beginning, no one encouraged, supported or even gave attention to any sports other than football. So after I had overcome all these obstacles to show that there are other sports [in which we] can achieve even better than football, now I think it will be easier for others to pursue this path."

"I was the youngest player in the league and I didn’t understand what was going on."

"Winning the world championship was a dream of mine since I was a little girl. I trained so hard to achieve that goal and it was definitely the best feeling ever."

"I think greatness in life is to follow your dream, work hard, fight and never give up till you reach your goal. Then pass your experience and success to others in an attempt to give back to your community."

"My advice to young athletes, not only girls, is to never give up on your dreams and to be committed and determined to it because it is definitely worth the journey. So if you want to succeed and achieve your goal, you have to work hard and accept that you have to be out of your comfort zone because it is not easy."

"I’m a woman and I can."

"The village is now unemployment-free: everyone works – some in agriculture (the village owns only 300 feddans (acres) of arable land, and the farmed spaces are gradually growing smaller), and others in private businesses. A few of them work in public posts, while the majority works in poultry farming. Although the majority of women breed poultry and cattle at home at an extensive rate, the men see it as an activity that lies beyond the scope of “work”. In general, women’s housework and small projects run from home are not considered work. Only two women in the village work as physicians in the small health clinic, three as lawyers, and a small number of them work as teachers."

"Women are denied inheritance, be it land, real estate, assets, or commercial enterprises, as part of mistaken cultural and social legacies. By applying those, inheritance is believed to be kept intact and under the same family name, rather than go to a woman whose husband carries a different last name. This is an entrenched conviction for the men in Upper Egypt, whose land stands for their virtue and honour."

"I plan to work with the residents and officials on improving the environment of the countryside which has suffered in the past decades due to lack of urban planning and sufficient health regulations."

"I helped my father look after the village since 1990 when his health began to deteriorate. I always wanted to be mayor and was certain that I had the capacity to do so."

"My political engagement within the party propelled me to contribute to civil society, especially enhancing political participation for women and combating illiteracy among residents of the countryside."

"There is a sense of security vacuum in the country, with all the protests and lives lost on an almost daily basis. We must not forget the audience's priority may not be the Ramadan programme at the Opera, especially when that programme in question does not provide interesting, new or artistically pertinent evenings."

"I learnt a lot in the past two months. In fact I consider this period one of the most important experiences of my life. The protests, the weeks-long sit-in at the ministry, performances staged outside the headquarters every evening... There was great contact with the people, not only those directly involved in the arts scene or art lovers. We found regular people on the street interested in music and art. This will definitely be one of the crucial lessons that I have to take into consideration when looking at the role of the Cairo Opera House in society. Today we have to start thinking about how to reach out to all social strata and all generations."

"No doubt, there were days that one was worried. But we could always 'recharge the batteries' by going to the ministry of culture where the sit-in was staged, by attending or participating in the artistic events held there to hundreds-strong audiences every single night. There was an amazing spirit and shared confidence with people from all walks of life, from children and the young to elderly people."

"On a personal level, I discovered that so many people were ready to dedicate themselves totally to defending the cause they believed in. We were not sure what the shape of the political scene after 30 June will be and I have a special respect for all those who chose to stand up for Egypt's culture even when it could have jeopardised their careers, had events taken a different turn. But as we can all see today – after 30 June – artists and intellectuals, as well as all Egyptians defending their country's identity, are victorious. Now we need to ensure that we should go on enriching our great culture."

"The better sort of Women here, and all the Kingdom over, weare Rings of gold or silver, through the hollow of their noses, both endes of their mouthes, and in their under lips; hanging rich pearles, and precious stones to them; wearing also about their armes faire Bracelets, and about their ancles below, broad bonds of gold or silver. To which if the baser sort can not attayne unto, then they counterfeit their Betters, with Rings, Bracelets, and bonds of Brasse, Copper, Lead, and white Iron, and thinke themselves not worthy to live, unlesse they weare these badges."

"What are your impressions of the US and Americans from your last three weeks? During my presentation [to the AAEC], I tackled some topics that criticize Americans and I know there is a difference between the American people and the foreign policy, but what really frustrates me is the carelessness of Americans. They really don’t, you know, care about others outside the country. They don’t know what’s going on in the other parts of the world. They do not care about their countrymen who die on a daily basis in Iraq and Afghanistan. They didn’t learn from Vietnam."

"(I'm drawn to) all the issues that concern Egyptian citizen. I deal a lot with women's issues, gender rights, but I think I focus a lot of my work on Egyptian citizens and, because I think any reform should start with the Egyptian citizen, trying to get them to participate in this process. The purpose of editorial cartooning is to awaken people. Some media outlets, whether in the United States or Egypt, distort the facts. And normally the media is controlled either by government, by investors, by the people who have the money. So cartoons, they should look into issues and make it clear whether it is black or white, or whether there is a grey area. People can look and distinguish between sincere and honest cartoonists and from other kinds that are not. Even an historian can be under pressure and to fake the writing of history. But cartoonists, we have the freedom to say what we want."

"What is your impression of American editorial cartooning? I met two kinds of editorial cartoonists. Some of them, they deal with local and domestic issues and they never focus on U.S. foreign policy. One of them is Tom Toles, and I feel like he is not serving the people. And the others deal with international issues and understand the oppression and the suffering caused to other nations. One of them is Kal in The Economist. Really, I've started to change my mind and, you know what? I am going to be an international cartoonist. On the professional level, I was really impressed with Callahan's work--he talks about serious issues. I was so excited to meet such an iconic figure. The one lady, Jen Sorensen, I felt like she deals more with international issues."

"…A work of fiction lives by empathy – the extending of my self into another's, the willingness to imagine myself in someone else's shoes. This itself is a political act: empathy is at the heart of much revolutionary action…"

"…Most people are content to live their lives within prescribed and personal boundaries. But one of the points of artists surely is that they live outside their skin. That they're connected. That they hurt with the hurt of their fellow humans. How, then, can they disengage? How can you – if your task, if your gift, is narrative – absent yourself from the great narrative of the world?..."

"…In Egypt, in the decade of slow, simmering discontent before the revolution, novelists produced texts of critique, of dystopia, of nightmare. Now, we all seem to have given up – for the moment – on fiction."

"Maybe not a hydra because that’s really, really nasty. I think there was almost a false head: we ripped open the packaging and now we’re faced with the real thing that’s there in the box…"

"I have commanded that my titulary] abide like the mountains; when the sun shines its rays are bright upon the titulary of my majesty; my Horus is high upon the standard … forever."

"Hear ye, all persons! Ye people as many as ye are! I have done things according to the design of my heart. … I have restored that which was in ruins, I have raised up that which was unfinished since the Asiatics were in the midst of the Northland, and the barbarians were in the midst of them, overthrowing that which was made, while they ruled in ignorance of Re. He did not do according to the divine command until my majesty. When I was firm upon the throne of Re, I was ennobled until the two periods of years...I came as Hor-watit flaming against my enemies."