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A Candidate of Tunisian Origin Aspires to Sit on Élysée Throne www.majal a.com

Editorial A Weekly Political News Magazine

After consultations and intense insistence by French elites representing several segments of the French people, businessman Mohamed Ayachi Ajroudi has decided to run in the French presidential elections scheduled for April 2022. Normally, given Ajroudi›s Tunisian origins, one would wonder about the paradox of his bid to run for French presidency but not for Tunisian presidency, with Tunisia in chaos since the overthrow of the late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The answer of this question is given in an exclusive interview with Majalla editor Mustafa El-Dessouki who delves into the reasons behind Ajroudi’s bid. In the economy section, Jiwan Soz interviews a Turkish financial expert about the sharp decline in the lira to find out more about the future outlook of the currency. The lira continued its sharp decline since the beginning of last November, despite the fact that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dismissed Minister of Finance Lotfi Alwan from his position in early December, in a move to limit the deterioration of the national currency in his country. In the culture section, Dalia Assem writes about the celebration of Cairo as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World 2022. The celebration comes as part of the program implemented by Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). The celebration will start in mid-February and include 50 diverse activities that reflect the heritage and history of the city, which orientalists called «the city of a thousand minarets» and «the jewel of the East.» In the sports section, Sara Gamal interviews Farida Salem who is a former player with Egyptian Wadi Degla, the Canadian University of Vancouver and the former Egyptian national team. Salem did not give up and decided to achieve her dream by marketing herself for her training and skill through pictures and videos of herself on her personal page on Facebook. Read these articles and more on our website eng.majalla.com. As always, we welcome and value our readers’ feedback and we invite you to take the opportunity to leave your comments on our website.

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A Weekly Political News Magazine

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A Weekly Political News Magazine

30 Crowded Pond

Issue 1883- December- 17/12/2021

A Deal Is Still Possible

26 in Syria

Three American opinions:

36 Biden’s Democracy Summit

38 Shameless Ways Companies Used COVID-19 as Marketing Tool

44 Cairo Named as Culture Capital of Islamic World for 2022

48 ‘France’ Showcases Lea Seydoux As a Guilt-Ridden TV Journalist 5

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56 Smarter Food Shopping

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Lionel Messi visits Dubai Expo 2020 site Lionel Messi stands for a group photo with children at Surreal, the Water Feature at Dubai Expo 2020 site in Dubai, United Arab Emirates December 13, 2021. Picture taken December 13, 2021., Dubai, United Arab Emirates )Reuters Photos(

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Christmas tree sets up in Moscow People walk near a Christmas tree sets up for the upcoming New Year and Christmas holidays in Moscow on December 13, 2021Moscow, Russia )AFP Photos(

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LEBANON Lebanon’s national currency further collapsed Monday, trading on the black market at nearly 20 times its value two years ago, worsening inflation and people’s despair. The Lebanese pound was trading at 27,000 to the dollar on the black market, hitting a new low in its downward trajectory since October 2019 as the Lebanese economy went into a tailspin. The currency is officially pegged at 1,500 pounds to the dollar.

EGYPT Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on his Facebook official account on Friday that he had requested support from Egypt in the field of natural gas to urgently generate electricity. Lebanon is grappling with crippling economic and fuel crises and has struggled with meager supplies of state-generated power for months. There has been little progress since PM Mikati’s government was appointed in September after more than a year of political deadlock that compounded the crisis. This came after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Thursday affirmed his country’s keenness on the security and stability of Lebanon and on sparing Beirut the dangers of conflicts in the region.

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UDI ARABIA

s of Gulf Arab states arrived in Saudi Tuesday for their annual summit, a eting that comes amid heightened ver Iran’s nuclear program and after a boycott of Qatar. ooperation Council Summit, a contentious affair has given that of the six members cut ties with Qatar llows a rare regional tour by the wn prince to rally support among ng allies. mmit nearly a year ago Saudi Arabia ed an end to the four-nation of Qatar, restoring diplomatic ties of hostility. The UAE, Egypt, and ve since followed suit in taking steps borders and mend ties with Doha.

UAE

QATAR A former employee of Qatar's 2022 World Cup organisers who raised concerns over migrant workers has lost his appeal against a conviction for corruption. A court in Doha sentenced Abdullah Ibhais to three years in prison after it upheld a guilty verdict on the charge of misappropriating state funds. Ibhais said security forces coerced him into signing a confession and that he was being punished for criticising the handling of a migrant workers' strike. Qatari officials denied the claims.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan hosted Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday in the first-ever public meeting between the United Arab Emirates' de facto ruler and an Israeli leader.

IRAN Iran accused Western parties to its 2015 nuclear deal on Tuesday of "persisting in their blame game", a day after European diplomats warned the pact would soon become defunct if efforts to revive it fail. In a pessimistic assessment of talks between Iran and major powers in Vienna, diplomats from Britain, France and Germany warned on Monday that "time is running out" to rescue the pact, which they said would very soon become "an empty shell" without progress in negotiations.

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A WEEK ACROS CANADA.

U.S. A monstrous tornado, carving a track that could rival the longest on record, ripped across the middle of the U.S. in a stormfront that killed dozens and tore apart a candle factory, crushed a nursing home, derailed a train and smashed an Amazon warehouse. “I pray that there will be another rescue. I pray that there will be another one or two,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said, as crews sifted through the wreckage of the candle factory in Mayfield.

COVID-19 cases in Canada may rapidly rise in the coming days due to community spread of the Omicron variant, mirroring the situation in the country's most populous province of Ontario, Canada's top health official said on Monday. The surge of COVID-19 cases in Ontario, which accounts for almost 40% of Canada's population of 39 million people, has prompted the provincial government to suspend easing of restrictions that were planned to be lifted ahead of the holiday season.

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LIBYA. Libya's election commission said on Saturday it would not publish a list of presidential candidates until after it settles some legal issues, leaving almost no time to hold the vote as planned on Dec. 24. While most Libyan and foreign figures involved in the process have continued to publicly call for the election to go ahead on schedule, politicians, analysts and diplomats all say in private that this would be very hard to achieve.

SS THE WORLD FRANCE. France announced on Thursday that because of surging COVID-19 cases in Britain only designated categories of people would be allowed to travel between the two countries, and anyone arriving from Britain would have to self-isolate. Truck drivers will though be exempt from the new rules, the French government said, easing British concerns the restrictions could cause supply chain disruptions. France said it was acting now because the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, which scientists say appears to be highly infectious, is spreading rapidly in Britain.

CHINA.

INDIA. India could sell more than 6 million tonnes of sugar on the world market this year with a World Trade Organization ruling that it flouted the rules by offering export subsidies unlikely to have an impact on overseas sales, trade officials said.

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China's envoy to Japan, Kong Xuanyou, on Thursday said the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics had been unfortunately "used as a political tool," and asked for Japan's support, while also warning Tokyo not to interfere on Taiwan. Kong's speech came as members of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party (LPD) call for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games in February. The United States and other nations have announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics due to what they say are human rights abuses in Hong Kong and China's Xinjiang region, but Japan has yet to make a decision.

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A Candidate of Tunisian Origin Aspires to Sit on Élysée Throne Ajroudi to Majalla: “Peace, Tolerance, Coexistence and Equality Between Citizens Are My Means”

By Mustafa El-Dessouki After consultations and intense insistence by French elites representing several sectors of the French people of various cultures, religions and origins, Mohamed Ayachi Ajroudi has decided to run in the French presidential elections scheduled in April 2022. Ajroudi, aka “France’s Trump”, is a well-known businessman and politician who uses his African origins as a “successful weapon” to restore France’s prestige in the European Union. Will the businessman, who comes from a Tunisian family, succeed in becoming the twelfth president of the Fifth French Republic? Normally, given Ajroudi’s Tunisian origins, one would wonder about the paradox of his bid to run for French presidency but not for Tunisian presidency, with Tunisia in chaos since the overthrow of the late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Ajroudi’s answer was: “I have been working in business all my life, and I own dozens of companies and factories around the world, so I did not find enough time to engage in politics, despite my preoccupation with it. When I found Tunisia in need for my efforts in the wake of the “Distress” that erupted on December 17, 2010, or

the so-called “Arab Spring”, I did not hesitate for a moment to offer my help to a country that is collapsing. That was not only because of my Tunisian identity, but also because I am of African origin, and I have previously confirmed in media interviews that my belonging to my African roots goes beyond my Tunisian identity. As a national duty and also as a French citizen of a military family, I believe in the need to protect the common interests of the French Republic and the African continent, and through these efforts I seek to support African countries, reform relations with their peoples, and give priority to development and good governance in the Black Continent.” Regarding his actions on some Tunisian issues, Ajroudi said that he first carried out his humanitarian duty, adding: “I hosted most of the Tunisians who were injured in the “artificial” revolution to receive treatment in one of France’s largest military hospitals. The proof that this revolution was “artificial” is that I hosted its wounded victims before and after the departure of the late Ben Ali from Tunisia and his settlement in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where “snipers” continued to shoot young people. That’s how we fulfilled our humanitarian duty in Tunisia.” As for his involvement in the Tunisian political arena, Ajroudi indicated that at the end of July 2013 he founded

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Businessman Mohammed Ayachi Ajroudi

the “Tunisian Movement for Freedom and Dignity” and “The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet”, which was formed of 21 eminent figures. We “succeeded in getting four Tunisian organizations awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015, namely; the Tunisian General Labor Union, Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), Tunisian Order of Lawyers, and the Tunisian Human Rights League. The award was in appreciation of the role played by The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet to make Tunisian national dialogue succeed, and put Tunisia on the path to democracy. “The moves I made to support the Tunisian state had gained momentum at first, but then faced several obstacles due to the “planned” chaos that pervaded the country, so I decided to withdraw from political life, after some greedy politicians who lack the competence to run the state came to power. As a result, Tunisia lost the strengths with which we could build the economy and investor’s confidence, as well as stability, security and tranquility,” Ajroudi added. “My support for Tunisia since the outbreak of “December 17, 2010 Distress” until today was not intended for the presidency or any political position. My first goal has been the advancement of Tunisia, socially, economically and in the field of energy. Nevertheless, I liken the situation in Tunisia - despite the severe political, economic and social crises it is going through - to a patient who only suffers from a “headache”, and needs just a “Pan-

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Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is an inspiring young man who has given his people what they aspire to. He made many vital decisions politically, economically and socially. adol” tablet to recover! I wrote a book entitled “How to Save Tunisia,” in which I presented a plan to “cure Tunisia.” It is a smooth and quick roadmap, but it requires the people’s solidarity with a conscious authority whom they trust,” Ajroudi continued.

FRANCE IN “INTENSIVE CARE UNIT” As for the second part of Majalla’s question: Why did you decide to run for the French presidency? Ajroudi said: “If Tunisia, which witnessed my birth, does not need more than a “Panadol” tablet to recover, then France suffers from an incurable disease that brought it to the “intensive

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care unit” amid preoccupation with internal conflicts and the fight against the Covid-19 and its economic, political and social repercussions. Hence, after a deep reflection on the critical conditions that the Fifth Republic is going through and after extensive meetings and consultations with veteran French political, economic, cultural and academic elites who represent sectors of the French people with all its cultures, religions and origins, I decided to enter the presidential race. I believe it is a duty of a citizen who grew up in France and studied in its schools and universities, in addition to my business, companies, experiences and the national family heritage that I carry. My grandfather, my father and my uncle, may God have mercy on them, were officers in the French army, and I was also a former officer in the merchant navy.” In this context, Ajroudi referred to a “recent study published this week,” which he said “confirmed that 61 percent of the French people believe that France needs an urgent rescue.” He also added, “The most dangerous thing that France is currently facing is the spread of exclusionary racist discourse that resembles the Nazi discourse in – directed – media. This is a very dangerous rhetoric that is not appropriate for the long-standing democratic state of France. So the French media and policy makers should adopt a discourse that supports pluralism and partnership among all citizens and whoever resides on the French territories without discrimination.” He went on, “Media transmits a rhetoric charged with hostility, hatred and accusations that threaten national unity and warn of unprecedented internal divisions. As a result, it is noted during the past three years, that the economic and social crises in the Republic have worsened. The number of anti-state rallies, demonstrations and protest strikes against the reform of the labor law,

I consider myself the son of the European and African continents. I believe that restoring balance to the French discourse along with solidarity, cooperation and partnership inside and outside France is the only way to save the country and get it out of the ICU.

the retirement law, yellow vests protests, and other opposition movements are mobilized by well-known hands from behind the scenes for personal gains.” Ajroudi referred to the French presidential candidates saying: “Look at the promises of some presidential candidates who adopt a policy of exclusion and factional, racist and brutal rhetoric, especially on refugees and nonFrench citizens.” He also added, “France’s interests have been shaken in a large number of European countries, and we are witnessing French-British tensions, and doubts about the steadfastness of the German-French axis in the European Union after the departure of Angela Merkel, in addition to the shaken relations between France and the countries of the region after the apparent decline of France’s historical role in resolving regional conflicts, particularly in Ankara, Athens and Nicosia. Moreover, France entered into a conflict with Turkey and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which led to a dispute and exchange of accusations between both Macron and Erdogan. This also includes the shrinking role of France in addressing the crisis in Syria and Lebanon. The Lebanese viewed President Macron as a savior after his visit to the port of Beirut following the explosion in August 2020 and his promises of immediate reforms and financial, economic and political support, but most of these promises were

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Majalla editor Mustafa El-Dessouki during his interview with businessman Mohamed Ayachi Ajroudi in Paris.

Candidate for the presidential elections in France Mohamed Ayachi Ajroudi

not fulfilled. “France is also absent from the Arab–Israeli conflict, however, many politicians and some presidential candidates are delusional that France is still the influential country in the region of North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean, and this is not true. Yet, France can return to its former glory as an active force on the international scene through the reforms that I propose in my electoral platform.” “In my opinion, France should redraw its domestic policy under the slogan “France for all”, and externally in the light of global economic and political changes and the preservation of strategic and historical alliances,” Ajroudi added.

FRANCE AND AFRICA Ajroudi did not forget French-African relations, saying: “I consider myself the son of the European and African continents, and through my work around the world, I consider myself a friend to the peoples of the entire world. I believe that restoring balance to the French discourse along with solidarity, cooperation and partnership inside and outside France is the only way to save the country and get it out of the ICU. In the event that I come to pow-

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Media transmits a rhetoric charged with hostility, hatred and accusations that threaten national unity and warn of unprecedented internal divisions. er, I will begin by restoring balance and consideration to French-African relations as an inevitable first step.” On the other hand, Ajroudi referred to the measures taken by President Macron to improve relations with the countries of the African continent by increasing aid, returning the artifacts that were looted during the French wars and military campaigns on those countries, and strengthening French relations with civil society organizations in some countries. In addition, Macron supported the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in an attempt to defend electoral politics in the face of military

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domination, and publically acknowledged in Rwanda, France’s failure to fulfill its responsibilities regarding the 1994 genocide. He also held an African-French summit last October in Montpellier, which was not attended by presidents and was limited to the participation of activists and stakeholders, including more than a thousand young Africans amid tensions between France, Algeria and Mali. Macron wanted to hold the summit to revive the relationship with Africa in various economic, political and cultural fields, but all these measures came “too late”, as Ajroudi told Majalla. “All these attempts and meetings were static and were just promises and meetings that did not effectively come out to the ground and was tangible to African citizens. France is still in the crosshairs of aggressive African arrows that still suffer injustice and congestion due to French arrogance throughout history - as an African thinker says, ‘Many of us lived through the times of colonialism and its bitterness.’” Ajroudi added. “In the recent past, Nicolas Sarkozy began his term in office with an arrogant and insulting statement in which he said, ‘The African man has not entered history yet’; If France continues this arrogant approach in dealing with the countries of the African continent, at least 14 Francophone countries will separate from it,” Ajroudi continued.

FRANCE AND NIGER Since the 1970s, France has focused on peaceful nuclear energy of uranium as an alternative to petroleum in the wake of the oil crisis in 1973, when Prime Minister Pierre Messmer announced in 1974 what became known as the “Messmer Plan” for nuclear energy, noting that most of France’s electricity during the period of the oil crisis came from foreign oil. Since France began extracting Niger’s uranium, which supplies 35 per cent of its nuclear energy needs, it has become the world’s second producer of CO2-free nuclear energy, after America. France has 58 nuclear plants that produce about 75 per cent of its electricity. At least

My national role is to warn against the extreme right if it endangers the state and pushes it into chaos.

222,000 people are employed in the French nuclear energy sector, according to estimates by the National Nuclear Energy Society. About this important relationship with Niger, Ajroudi warned “very strongly” of the repercussions of the thorny relations between France and Niger, the main source of uranium, which “constitute a special position in the country’s national security strategy, and I fear that (if mishandled) France - without any exaggeration - will return to the Middle Ages!” he remarked. In this context, Ajroudi referred to what happened a few days ago when demonstrators in Tira, Tillaberi region (western Niger), intercepted a convoy of French troops heading to Mali under the escort of the National Gendarmerie, and the convoy was stuck in Burkina Faso for more than a week due to anti-French demonstrations, and after negotiations with the demonstrators, it was able to resume its trip to Niger. “The relationship between Paris and Niamey deteriorated in light of the growing American and Chinese influence in Niger, according to a development formula applied by Beijing in Africa, where infrastructure and money were exchanged for oil resources and minerals,” Ajroudi said. It should be noted in this context that Niger ranks second in the world uranium production after Kazakhstan, following the discovery of the Imouraren mine - which is expected to produce five thousand tons annually over the next 35 years.

ELECTION PROGRAM After we proceeded with the electoral argument and talked about the candidates for the French presidential elections, we asked Ajroudi about his election platform, and he said: “I do not have a party to which I belong, but I honestly bet on the will of the French people with all its components and categories, who seek to live in peace away from racism. I seek to unite everyone who resides on French soil. Our strength is in our unity. History bears witness that the Arabs and Africans were the ones who supported France in all of its wars, and if it were not for the Arabs and Africans, we would have been speaking German today, and French would have vanished. I am betting on this active force in the country, not on paid media, parties, or groups. The parties are looking at their interests, and I have no interests, and I warn that there is a very dangerous tsunami coming from abroad that could cause a civil war.” Ajroudi said. Regarding the media, he said, “Media in France no longer represents the state or the voice of the people. It has rather become a tool for businessmen to buy it for supporting their interests at the expense of the state,”

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Candidate for the French presidential elections Mohamed Ayachi Ajroudi

- Media in France no longer represents the state or the voice of the people. It has rather become a tool for businessmen to buy it for supporting their interests at the expense of the state

Ajroudi told Majalla. Speaking of businessmen, being one of them, he said: “Although I am a businessman, I accuse some opportunistic businessmen who spend hundreds of millions to sow chaos and spread Nazi rhetoric to distract public opinion from their corruption and the people’s vital issues, so I appeal to them to view the interest of the Republic and the French people and not their interests, before it is too late.” “It is enough for me to have my Arab-African name on the list of candidates in this electoral campagin, and I will not ask for support from any one or any party. I have a clear and explicit program to save and reunite France. I am sure that the free French people want the welfare of their country, and I am not running in the elections as an Arab and Muslim. I only speak a common language, a language that unites the state and supports what belongs to France. Freedom and respect for the culture and beliefs of others are the basis of the French people’s life. Therefore, I will not allow persecution of any religion or belief.” Ajroudi added. Regarding Islam, Ajroudi said: “I am with moderate Islam based on the non-debatable basic principles of the Qur’an. When the explosions occurred in France and Belgium, I and some friends invited a number of imams from all over the Arab and Islamic world and Africa, and toured the world to apologize for the crimes and killings that took place, and they expressed the true face of Islam that believes in coexistence and love for the other.”

FRANCE’S REFORM PLAN The French government constructed residential neighborhoods in the 1950s, after World War II. The aim was to promote social citizenship, in order to bridge the gap between French citizens in accordance with their

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social and economic level and among the poorest, who therefore regarded their transition to it as a social promotion. But after the urban expansion during 1980s, the picture changed and the intended neighborhoods became symbolic of social marginalization of immigrants and minorities, and various forms of violence and rebellion emerged. Ayachi Ajroudi reflected on this social marginalization saying: “There are twenty-five million citizens of African and Arab origins, including about five million people, or 7.5 percent of the French people, who are marginalized and live in places that lack services and care, and where randomness, chaos and violence prevail. The slums must be reconstructed, and the housing should not be based on identity, color, race or religion. This is one of the simplest human rights. Poverty in these regions is three times higher than its level in other regions, while illiteracy is four times higher - according to the National Observatory of Sensitive Urban Areas - and the unemployment rate is 24 percent, compared to about 10 percent at the national level. As a result, the phenomenon of violence spread among citizens residing in suburbs inhabited by a majority of immigrants. Therefore, I strongly warn of the specter of social rift that threatens peace and warns of more violence among the people of the same country because of the unfair geographical division. And I call, through my campaign, to assume responsibility, to confront this grave danger.”

THE FRENCH RIGHT, MIGRANT CRISIS, AND MINORS As for some candidates from the French right, Ayachi Ajroudi said: “I am not against right-wing candidates if they are defending the entity of the state, and this goes without doubt. My national role is to warn against the extreme right if it endangers the state and pushes it into chaos. The French Right, for example, calls for the construction of prisons for children and minor immigrants

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who carry out acts that violate the laws of the state from the age of ten, and I say no. Rather, you should enlist them in the army, enroll them in boarding schools and change their behavior, or teach them crafts where craftsmanship is scarce in France. So why do not we rehabilitate these young children and youth, educate them, train them, and bring them out as good workforce that will help in the renaissance of this country? We must take care of immigrants and give them all their rights as long as you give them the right to live in France, so that they become citizens eligible for full rights and due duties. Moreover, we must take care of their children. If we put immigrant children and minors in prison, we are creating time bombs and raising enemies inside the country, as soon as they get out of prison, he will be charged with hatred and violence and ready for revenge,” Ajroudi explained.

EDUCATION AND EQUALITY Ayachi Ajroudi was interested in highlighting some aspects of his electoral program, which he would implement first if he won the elections, he said: “If I succeed in the upcoming presidential elections, my first decision will be equality in education where all people will have access to schools. That education would be in the indigenous languages of the population, and not only in French, in pursuit of equality for all. Just as no religion is better than another, no language is better than another. Colleges and universities will be available to all without exception according to efficiency without any other considerations.” “The second decision is health care and reforming the health sector, especially after Covid-19 has uncovered major shortcomings in health services. As for the third decision, it would follow a unified management approach, where each region hands over management to

Egypt is fortunate to have President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He eliminated all terrorist organizations, at the forefront of which is the Muslim Brotherhood.

private companies i.e. privatization, and follow a swift management response in decision-making,” Ajroudi added.

APOLOGY TO ALGERIA It was not possible to leave Ajroudi without asking about the French apology for Algeria, to which he said: “Peace, tolerance and coexistence are my main means in dealing with all people, and I will apologize immediately to every country that was under the protection of France one day. A public apology should have been made to those countries, foremost of which is Algeria. I am surprised that sixty years after the end of the Algerian war, the National Assembly in France (Parliament) at the end of last month began discussing a bill to apologize to the Algerian activists who fought alongside the French army and lived a tragedy in France after the end of war. The project is a legal translation of President Emmanuel Macron’s speech, which he delivered on September 20 at

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Candidate for the French presidential elections Mohamed Ayachi Ajroudi

the Élysée Palace in the presence of representatives of the Harkis, and represents a test to France’s conscience in the face of the ‘Harkis Tragedy’. All while Macron refuses to apologize for his country’s colonial history in Africa, and the official and popular Algerian anger is still insisting that the French president offer an official apology to their country,” Ajroudi said.

ABRAHAM ACCORDS AND FRANCE’S TRUMP On the recent peace agreements between Israel and some Arab countries, Ajroudi said, “Since the late Muhammad Anwar Sadat concluded the peace agreement with Israel, I have been dreaming of completing his path in advancing the peace process in the region, and if I assumed power, I would invite the Arab League to the negotiating table with Israel to conclude a comprehensive and final agreement between the Arabs and the Israelis and to present the optimal solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. With my full support for Abraham Accords and for the efforts made by US President Trump, I believe that it is necessary to follow the path of the brave Sadat, and I consider that peace has been launched since that day, the peace of the brave. Arab-Israeli peace is a necessity for the development of the region, its security and its future. I made a peace initiative before when I was a member of the African Union regarding the Libyan case, and I gathered all the tribal chiefs and took them in my plane to Congo, and thankfully things were settled.”

FRANCE, SAUDI ARABIA, AND EGYPT Ayachi Ajroudi, a possible candidate in the upcoming French presidential elections, referred to the recent developments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, by saying, “I have lived for many years in Saudi Arabia, and whoever lived in the kingdom before the rule of King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be amazed at the scale of development and change that have occurred on the land of the Two Holy Mosques.” “Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is an inspiring young man who has given his people what they aspire to. He made many vital decisions politically, economically and socially. Before that, Saudi Arabia was completely dependent on oil. The social system was far from the youth, who represented about 70 percent of the Saudi population. Through his vision, he granted women their rights all at once in an unprecedented bold step. He has diversified the economy, built new cities, tourist and archaeological sites, and held artistic events in Jeddah and Riyadh, and got rid of dark extremist ideas with moderate intellectual and religious guidance. I think that the relationship between the Kingdom and France is witness-

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I hosted most of the Tunisians who were injured in the “artificial” revolution to receive treatment in one of France’s largest military hospitals. ing its brightest period during the reign of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” Ajroudi remarked. “Egypt is fortunate to have President Abdel Fattah alSisi. A friend who is a French officer and lived in Egypt told me that during his work in the navy, when a ship left the Suez Canal to Alexandria to reach Ismailia, it would stop in the Great Bitter Lake from one to two days, but after Sisi inaugurated the Suez Canal expansion project, which deepens and expands the waterway of the Suez Canal by providing a waterway parallel to the passage of ships with a length of 35 km, all traffic problems have ended and the navigation movement has become very fast. This is what I witnessed personally, and it is a mighty and legendary work that President Sisi will be remembered for in history,” Ajroudi told Majalla. As for the other colossal act – as Ajroudi said- it is that “President al-Sisi eliminated all terrorist organizations, at the forefront of which is the Muslim Brotherhood. Islam is innocent of this extremist group and its likes, which abuse religions, such as Hamas which serves Israeli extremists but not the Palestinian cause.”

ROLE OF WOMEN IN AJROUDI’S LIFE Concluding his interview with Majalla, Engineer Ayachi Ajroudi talked about the role of woman in his life, “I was raised by a woman. My father was an army officer and he died when I was 14, leaving us with seven brothers. Our mother raised us on good principles. We have all succeeded in our lives thanks for the personality of this woman. God has honored me with the mother of my children who is not interested in politics, but stands by our interests. The role of women is the foundation of life. I will do everything in my power to reform the situation of women in France if I win the presidential seat. I promise women that they will finally have full and complete equality in wages as well as in their careers.”

pinion

Women Facing Injustice throughout History

By: Tarek Heggy

Since all clerics are males, religions have been employed throughout history to legitimize the patriarchal culture and give the man the power to be dominant, prevail and be obeyed

Women are responsible for their inhumane situation in the societies of our Arabic-speaking region. This is one of the recurring “unscholarly” statements. Historical, anthropological and sociological studies affirm that “male culture” is the result of men and religious institutions (also male). They also state that the man has taken advantage of his physical strength and the fact that he is responsible for the expenses for the family and household, as well as his wife, as a justification to consolidate the patriarchal culture that makes him dominant. This rationale has become less effective nowadays. Since all clerics are males, religions have been employed throughout history to legitimize the patriarchal culture and give the man the power to be dominant, prevail and be obeyed. Women were subjected to this type of relationship for centuries, in addition to the self-serving deployment of religion that underlined the supremacy of men to the extent that it decrees angels curse the woman who lets her husband sleep while feeling angry with her. Since then, many women have believed that the man is the master and in the fact that she is obliged to serve, obey him and comfort him. Contemporary psychology presents us with the Stockholm syndrome, which is a psychological response wherein a captive begins to identify closely with his or her captors, as well as with their agenda and demands. This applies to the cases of many women who have become dedicated to defending the patriarchal culture. They believe in the man’s dominance and use religion as a means of defense. Some texts say that if there were a person worthy of prostration after God, it would be the man. However, women were exempted from this prostration since it contradicts the oneness of God. In conclusion, the historical, anthropological and sociological scientific studies have shown us how the patriarchal culture has been established, as well as the role played by clerics to consolidate it. They have also indicated the relative elimination of the patriarchal culture in some of the most advanced societies. Finally, psychology reveals the nature and truth of the impact of Stockholm syndrome on women who defend men’s superiority and rights and stress that God and angels get angry at wrathful women. Their admiration of man’s dominance is only an example in the patriarchal culture. According to the writer, history proves that men have always oppressed women, and they should be ashamed. Who gave men the right to set the rules that women have to abide by? Men have even set the rules of what women should wear. The writer stressed that there is not time enough for men to apologize for oppressing women.

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Turkish Expert Asserts Continued Loss of Lira Amid Unchanged Economic Policies

Cüneyt Akman to Majalla: Over %60 of Turkish Deposits in Banks are in Foreign Currency By Jiwan Soz The Turkish lira continues to touch record lows, the first of its kind, at a time when the Central Bank is trying to control its exchange rate against foreign currencies.

The lira continues its sharp decline since the beginning of last November, despite the fact that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dismissed Minister of Finance Lotfi Alwan from his position in early December, in a move to limit the deterioration of the national currency in his country.

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Amid the decline of the Turkish lira against foreign currencies, Turkish opposition parties, including the two largest opposition parties in the country, the Republican People’s Party led by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party, accused both the ruling Justice and Development Party and its main leader of mismanagement of the local economy. Demonstrations also took place in the cities of Istanbul and Ankara a few days ago after the deterioration of the lira, which is what is happening for the first time, as thousands took to the streets to express their anger at the economic policies of the government led by the ruling Justice and Development Party in alliance with the Nationalist Movement Party. The security authorities arrested dozens of participants in those demonstrations. Although the Turkish president appointed Nureddin Nebati as Minister of Finance to succeed Alwan, the Turkish lira, which lost more than 40% of its value during the current year 2021, is still recording record low levels against the US dollar, as it hit 15 lira this week and exceeded the 14 lira threshold more than once during this month and in November.

Turkish financial expert Cüneyt Akman

“This deterioration in the Turkish lira will continue if the government does not change its economic strategy and plans,” said Cüneyt Akman, a Turkish financial and economic expert, expecting that “the lira will lose more value in the coming period if the central bank adheres to lowering interest rates.” The well-known financial expert added that “The government cannot attract foreign investors if it does not change its economic policies that it adheres to at the present time,” noting that “The local population is trying to preserve their savings in foreign currencies only.” Here is the full text of the interview that Majalla conducted by phone with Akman, who is residing in Turkey: * In your opinion, how long will the Turkish lira continue to record losses against foreign currencies? AKMAN: The current deterioration of the Turkish lira cannot end if the government does not develop new plans other than the ones it used in the past in vain. Of course, this sharp decline of the lira against foreign currencies cannot continue indefinitely. But the current currency crisis cannot be linked to economic factors only. There are also political factors

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This deterioration in the Turkish lira will continue if the government does not change its economic strategy and plans. that caused this. * What are the record levels that you expect the lira to record against foreign currencies in the short as well as the long term? AKMAN: In the short term, if we assume that the government adheres to lowering interest rates, this means that the value of one US dollar against the lira may easily reach 16 liras. As for the long-term, it may exceed 20 liras, but this level may need more time than the levels recorded by the lira in the past. However, if the government abandoned its policy of lowering interest rates, the exchange rate of one dollar against the Turkish lira might return to 12 or 13 liras. * Can the losses that the lira is witnessing be described as a collapse? AKMAN: After the government’s insistence on reducing the interest rate since last September until today, the lira began to record significant losses in its value, and as a result even the local population left the lira alone. Bank deposits in foreign currencies are close to 60% for the first time in the country’s history. The lira is witnessing a danger based on people’s adherence to foreign currencies instead of the local currency, and this is not a complete collapse, according to my point of view at least. * What is the fate of foreign investment in Turkey after the losses of the lira? AKMAN: I do not think at the present time that the government will be able to benefit from foreign investment in Turkey if it sticks to its current plans. The investments that entered the country years ago are already leaving today, after the value of the assets of foreign companies also declined due to the losses recorded by the lira against foreign currencies. As for the government’s current economic policies, it will not be able to attract more investors.

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A Deal Is Still Possible in Syria A U.S. Diplomatic Initiative Can End the War Tragedy and Strengthen Washington’s Regional Role By James F. Jeffrey As U.S. President Joe Biden and his team focus on the Iran nuclear file, the war in Syria remains a festering wound at the heart of the Middle East. Although the current administration has made no dramatic departures from the approach of previous administrations, its decision to deprioritize the conflict

comes at a particularly bad time. Opportunities to find a solution to the Syria crisis are now emerging—and the United States should devote the diplomatic energy necessary to seize them. The keys to success after years of failure include not just high-level engagement but a realistic assessment of what can be achieved in any deal. The risks in keeping Syria on the back burner are significant.

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The Biden administration should pursue a step-by-step deescalation by both sides. (Photo: Reuters)

The conflict is already a strategic train wreck: a victory by President Bashar al-Assad’s regime would send a message to autocrats across the globe that mass murder is a viable tactic for retaining power and signal the regional ascendance of Assad’s Russian and Iranian enablers. It has also spawned geopolitical threats, from the rise of the Islamic State (also known as ISIS), to the deployment of Iranian precision missiles that target Israel, to the massive refugee flows that threaten to destabilize neighboring states and Europe. And for Syrians themselves, the decade-long civil war has resulted in horrendous casualties, displaced half the population from their homes, and left most citizens destitute. If left unaddressed, these dynamics will threaten to destabilize the Middle East for years to come. Syria’s war has also drawn in the U.S., Israeli, and Turkish militaries, and the risk of clashes between them and Iranian, Russian, and Syrian forces remains very real. Washington views the Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) enclave in northeastern Syria as an important ally against ISIS, but Ankara views the Kurdish group as a terrorist threat. Two recent provocations—Assad’s violation in July of a 2017 cease-fire in the southwest that had been negotiated between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and an attack by Iranian-backed fighters in October against U.S. forces at their al-Tanf base in southern Syria—came without noticeable American response and could encourage Assad or the Iranians to escalate in areas patrolled by Turkish or U.S. troops. Senior Biden administration officials have signaled repeatedly that they are not interested in a major effort to resolve the Syrian conflict. As the situation shifts and a possible compromise takes shape, they should reevaluate that decision. Although U.S. attention concerning Iran is dominated by the crucial nuclear program negotiations rather than Tehran’s regional actions, as soon as the administration has more clarity on where things stand on those talks, it should engage seriously on Syria. The dangers of ignoring the conflict, and the potential benefits of reaching a deal, are too significant to let an opportunity pass.

LET’S MAKE A DEAL The United States must lead any revitalized diplomatic effort to reach a resolution to the Syrian conflict. Although any deal should be consistent with the UN’s formal role, only Washington can coordinate the many members of the anti-Assad alliance. And the only viable interlocutor for the United States in these negotiations is

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Senior Biden administration officials have signaled repeatedly that they are not interested in a major effort to resolve the Syrian conflict. As the situation shifts and a possible compromise takes shape, they should reevaluate that decision. Russia. Those who have tried cutting deals directly with Assad since 2011 have been consistently disappointed, and Iran typically rejects discussions on its actions in nearby states with countries outside the region. Moscow does not have total control over Assad and must vie for influence with Iran, but it remains the senior partner in the Russia-Syria-Iran alliance. Moscow also has more limited ambitions than Damascus or Tehran, making it more amenable to a negotiated resolution to the conflict. The Biden administration should pursue a step-by-step de-escalation by both sides. This would resemble the strategy adopted by the previous two U.S. administrations, but the specific issues to prioritize would depend on the Biden administration’s preferences and those of its partners and the other side. High on the list would likely be political concessions by Damascus ensuring the safe return of refugees, including internationally monitored resettlement; similar security and monitoring provisions to reintegrate opposition forces and the SDF; security guarantees for Turkey’s southern border; and a permanent removal from Syrian territory of Iran’s strategic weapons, particularly its precision missiles. (Total Iranian withdrawal is not realistic.) In return, Russia would likely press for the U.S., Israeli, and Turkish militaries to withdraw from Syria. Moscow would also likely demand U.S. counterterrorism cooperation in Syria against ISIS, which Assad appears incapable of defeating, along with sanctions relief and the return of refugees from Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon to their home towns and cities. Russia may hope, perhaps unrealistically, that these steps would unlock foreign investment in Syria—thus freeing Moscow from trying to prop up the country’s collapsing economy. Finally, a

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new UN Security Council resolution would have to officially seal any deal and establish oversight of each side’s commitments. The end result would be Syria’s return as a “normal” nation and full member of the Arab League. Moscow may be more amenable to a deal along these lines than the Biden administration appreciates. History suggests that the United States, along with its partners, can apply pressure that affects Russia’s strategic calculus in Syria. To advance the UN effort, the Trump and Obama administrations, along with EU and Arab states, placed the Assad regime under economic and diplomatic pressure. The Trump administration eventually cobbled together military pressure to complement economic and diplomatic action: it launched airstrikes that halted Assad’s lethal chemical weapons attacks, maintained U.S. troops in northeast and southern Syria, and supported Israeli and Turkish military interventions in the country. By late 2018, those steps had resulted in the stalemate that holds today. The Trump administration then pushed the Russians for a compromise solution based generally on a stand-down of international pressure, particularly sanctions, and accepting Assad in return for concessions on geostrategic issues. These included, as noted, the removal of Iranian strategic weapons, cooperation with the UN political process to reconcile with opposition forces and refugees, and an end to chemical weapons programs. This proposal was sufficiently appealing for Putin to invite U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Sochi in May 2019 to review it. Putin ultimately opted not

The U.S. must lead any revitalized diplomatic effort to reach a resolution to the Syrian conflict. Although any deal should be consistent with the UN’s formal role, only Washington can coordinate the many members of the anti-Assad alliance.

to make the deal at that time. Most likely he believed he could win an outright military victory that would not only achieve his basic goals in Syria but also establish Moscow as a major regional player. He was certainly encouraged in that view by Trump’s repeated attempts to withdraw American forces from the country. Moscow continuously tried to divide the anti-Assad alliance, pressing the Turks, Israelis, and U.S. Kurdish allies to make separate deals with Assad. Arab states’ outreach to Damascus also encouraged the Russians.

PROSPECTS FOR PEACE Today, however, Russian hopes for an outright Assad victory have abated. Faced with the Syrian regime’s intransigence, the Turks, Israelis, and Kurds are maintaining their military postures in Syria. Some Arab states’ outreach to Assad is troubling but thus far has not resulted in Assad’s reintegration into the Arab League. The Biden administration has now confirmed most of the elements of the prior strategy: maintaining the U.S. troop presence and, with some modifications, the sanctions regime; warning all parties not to challenge the various cease-fires with Turkish, opposition, and Kurdish forces; backing Israeli air action against Iran; collaborating with the SDF against ISIS and, indirectly, Damascus; holding Assad’s regime accountable through diplomatic efforts and information gathering in support of UN investigations and European judicial processes against Syrian officials; and endorsing the UN political effort. In light of this situation, Moscow’s options are limited. It knows that Assad has not won the conflict and has no obvious options to do so. U.S.- and Turkishbacked groups hold almost 30 percent of Syrian territory, including most of the country’s oil reserves and much of its arable land. The half of the population that remain refugees or internally displaced people still fear a return to Assad’s rule, and Israeli airpower has restricted Iran’s missile deployments. Although the risks and costs to Moscow are limited, they are not insignificant. These include a further deterioration of Assad’s wobbly economy, internal regime friction, and inadvertent escalation with superior Israeli, U.S., or Turkish forces. In fact, until the end of the Trump administration, senior Russian officials floated

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, October ,20 2015. (REUTERS/Alexei Druzhinin/RIA Novosti/ Kremlin)

possible deals with the United States that could have brought an end to the conflict. Moreover, Washington’s regional allies are now more aligned. The Abraham Accords have deepened Israel’s ties with the Arab Gulf states, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has significantly toned down his spats with other U.S. partners in the region, and Qatar’s rift with the Gulf Cooperation Council has been mended. Leaders from the most important regional states are urging the United States to take on a more prominent role. Even an unsuccessful effort to achieve a breakthrough on Syria would reinforce regional support for Washington’s fallback position, maintaining a stalemate that denies Iran and Russia a strategic victory. To be sure, a major diplomatic initiative on Syria is a lot for the administration to bite off. But doing so is less risky than allowing the conflict—and all its attendant humanitarian tragedy and security risks—to drag on indefi-

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Even an unsuccessful effort to achieve a breakthrough on Syria would reinforce regional support for Washington’s fallback position, maintaining a stalemate that denies Iran and Russia a strategic victory. nitely. Although an agreement will not be perfect, bringing an end to Syria’s war will dramatically strengthen Washington’s value as a security partner in the Middle East and beyond. This article was originally published by Foreign Affairs.

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Crowded Pond NATO and Russian Maritime Power in the Baltic Sea By Felix K. Chang NATO has wrestled with how to defend its Baltic member states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania ever since their accession to the Alliance in 2004. All three militarily weak countries sit uncomfortably close to NATO’s main adversary, Russia. Making matters even worse, they are tenuously connected to the rest of NATO by only two roads that run through a 100-km wide corridor, often referred to as the Suwałki Gap, between Lithuania and Poland. Should a conflict occur, Russia could sever the gap, leaving NATO with only one other

route over which it could quickly send substantial reinforcements to its easternmost members: the Baltic Sea. However, on the sea’s southern coast is Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian enclave which hosts sizable military forces that could easily interdict the transit of such NATO reinforcements. And, since the early 2010s, those forces have become ever more assertive throughout the region, mounting numerous aircraft incursions into the airspace of NATO’s Baltic member states, not to mention a submarine incursion into Swedish waters in

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2014 and possibly another into Finnish waters in 2015. As a result, the larger trio of NATO countries along the Baltic Sea — Denmark, Germany, and Poland — have slowly started to rebuild their navies and prepare them for a fight across the sea if the need arises.

MARITIME GEOGRAPHY

Five ships line up alongside each other during BALTOPS 2020. From left to right LVNS Tālivaldis (Latvia), ENS Sakala (estonia), FGS Werra (Germany), ENS Wambola (Estonia), ORP Druzno (Poland). The maritime exercise BALTOPS 2020 involved around 30 ships from 19 NATO Allies and partner nations. It’s an annual exercise and it ran from 16-7 June 2020. Photo credit: NATO

Though much of Russia’s anti-access area denial capability in the Baltic Sea is clearly concentrated in its ground and air forces, one should not overlook the Russian Baltic Fleet.

As maritime operating environments go, the Baltic Sea has always been a challenging one. During the winter, almost half of it freezes, restricting movement. And though it covers some 21,700 square kilometers, the sea’s most strategically important portion — stretching from the Kattegat Strait near Denmark to the Gulf of Riga near Estonia and Latvia — is little wider than 200 km, well within the range of most modern anti-ship missiles. That makes it difficult for any surface ship, whether transport or warship, to transit without coming under threat of missile attack. At the same time, the highly variable salinities of the waters themselves complicate anti-submarine warfare, making submarine attacks harder to prevent, despite the sea’s relatively shallow average depth.

(Buyan-M-class) corvettes — all of them armed with multiple Kh-35 or 3M54 missiles. Reportedly, it will soon add another three Karakurt-class corvettes as well as one Project 636.6 (Kilo-class) diesel-electric attack submarine to its order of battle. With so many new guided-missile warships, Russia’s Baltic Fleet may have actually grown stronger, despite the fact that its rapid retirement of older warships has left it smaller than it once was.

RUSSIA’S STRONGHOLD

NATO’S BALTIC NAVIES

No doubt, Russia has sought to capitalize on the strategic location of Kaliningrad Oblast. Along its coast, Russia has deployed at least one Bal mobile coastal defense battery and one K-300P Bastion-P mobile coastal defense battery. Given that the former is normally equipped with 32 Kh-35 (SS-N-25) anti-ship missiles and the latter with eight 3M54 Kalibr (SS-N-27) anti-ship missiles, together they could launch salvos of 40 missiles at NATO forces sailing across the Baltic Sea. Meanwhile, Russia has stationed in Kaliningrad at least two squadrons of Su-24 attack and Su-27 fighter aircraft, collectively capable of launching as many as three or four dozen more anti-ship missiles. Though much of Russia’s anti-access area denial capability in the Baltic Sea is clearly concentrated in its ground and air forces, one should not overlook the Russian Baltic Fleet. Since the late 2000s, the fleet has added one Project 11540 (Neustrashimy-class) frigate as well as four Project 20380 (Steregushchiy-class), three Project 22800 (Karakurt-class), and two Project 21631

Responding to Russia’s new capabilities and assertive behavior in the Baltic Sea, NATO has had to reconsider its traditional maritime posture. During the Cold War, NATO’s naval forces in the region were largely arrayed to protect the eastern approaches to the Kattegat Strait. Today, however, they might be called upon to force a passage past Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast to deliver reinforcements to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Hints of that shift have become visible in the naval procurement decisions of NATO countries around the Baltic Sea.

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Denmark, for example, built three Iver Huitfeldtclass frigates with large vertical-launch magazines of SM2 and RIM-162 surface-to-air missiles that are capable of intercepting anti-ship missiles. Meanwhile, Germany has plans to add a second batch of five Braunschweig-class corvettes, which are also equipped with robust anti-missile defenses in the form of two Mk 49 launchers armed with 42 RIM-116 missiles, to its fleet of corvettes

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based at Warnemünde by the early 2020s. Plus, it intends to add two Type 212CD diesel-electric attack submarines, equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP), to its six submarines based at Eckernförde. And, in perhaps the clearest sign that NATO is preparing for the reinforcement of its Baltic member states, Denmark and Germany have collaborated under their Ark Project to charter seven roll-on-roll-off transports to facilitate the fast sealift of cargo and troops. NATO’s Eastern European members have also worked to bolster their navies. Poland expects to acquire three new diesel-electric attack submarines as well as three new multirole frigates under its Project Miezcnik. In the meantime, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania focused their naval efforts on mine warfare, both offensively to screen strategic chokepoints, like the Hari Kurk, Soela, Suur, and Väike Straits, and defensively to keep other passages open to seaborne reinforcement. Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom have all helped, transferring a Lindormen-class minelayer and three Sandown-class minesweepers to Estonia; a Vidar-class minelayer and five Tripartite-class to Latvia, and a Vidarclass minelayer and two Hunt-class minesweepers to Lithuania.

Certainly, recent NATO naval exercises have put greater focus on how to overcome Russian barriers in the region. Indeed, that was the overarching theme of the BALTOPS 2021 exercise: “Break into the Baltic.”

Neutrality SWEDEN AND FINLAND’S ARMED BEUTRALITY Though Sweden and Finland are ostensibly neutral and neither country is a NATO member, both have maintained close ties to other Scandinavian countries that are. The two countries regularly join Denmark, Iceland, and Norway in military exercises. In fact, over the latter half of the 2010s, Sweden has edged closer to security coordination with NATO. And that is fortunate for the Alliance, because Swedish cooperation may be needed if NATO is to mount a successful relief mission to the Baltic region. Concerned over Russia’s increasingly assertive behavior in the Baltic Sea, Sweden has also taken steps to strengthen its strategic position in the region. Starting in 2018, it began reactivating army and air defense units on the strategic island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. It also committed itself to procuring more A26 AIP-equipped diesel-electric attack submarines as well as six new Visby-

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Estonian ship ENS WAMBOLA in the Baltic Sea during exercise BALTOPS 2020. The maritime exercise BALTOPS 2020 involved around 30 ships from 19 NATO Allies and partner nations. It’s an annual exercise and it ran from 7-16 June 2020. Photo credit: NATO

class guided-missile corvettes for its fleet. And while Finland practices a stricter sort of neutrality than Sweden, it has sought to beef up its navy too. In 2019, Helsinki shifted away from its typical acquisitions of fast attack craft and minelayers, and moved towards larger and more capable corvettes.

CONTESTED WATERS The potential for Russia to deny NATO access to the Baltic Sea long enough for Russian ground forces to seize Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania is a serious concern for the security alliance. That is the reason why NATO has deployed “forward presence” battlegroups to its Baltic member states; supported Poland’s efforts to strengthen its army near the Suwałki Gap; and conducted cross-continent mobility exercises to practice the movement of large combat formations from Western Europe to the Baltic region. And at sea, it is the reason why NATO countries have devoted more attention to their navies in the Baltic Sea. Certainly, recent NATO naval exercises have put

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greater focus on how to overcome Russian barriers in the region. Indeed, that was the overarching theme of the BALTOPS 2021 exercise: “Break into the Baltic.” Meanwhile, Sweden has gone so far as to invite several NATO countries to participate in its Baltic Sea exercises in 2020 and 2021. On the other hand, Russia has not stood idly by. In 2017, it held parts of its massive quadrennial Zapad military exercise in Kaliningrad Oblast. Two years later, the Russian navy staged its large-scale Ocean Shield 2019 exercise in its nearby waters. That exercise included not only 49 warships, but also live missile firings from its coastal defense batteries. With tensions rising in the Baltic Sea, a return to the tranquility that prevailed over its waters after the Cold War looks ever less likely. Krzysztof Kuska, “Russia to deploy Su-27SM3s to Kaliningrad to prepare to receive Su-35s,” Jane’s Defence Weekly, Jan. 16, 2018. This article was originally published by the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

pinion

Human Journey Characterized by Fantasy

Gamal Abdul-Mabud

Unfortunately, people’s limited knowledge in this regard helped Western countries control their citizens in a system that seems to have mercy but is actually characterized by agony

Eric Blair, who is known by his pen name George Orwell, was eerily accurate in the predictions he made in his novel, dubbed “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” which was published in 1949. He gave free rein to his imagination and foretold that the Man would be enslaved in totalitarian regimes. He was able to know what people actually wish for, which later seemed like forecasts. The Western Alliance certainly loved the book because it was interpreted as being against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It took advantage of Orwell’s early death from tuberculosis and used his novel, along with Doctor Zhivago, as tools to fight the communist bloc. Many films were produced to consolidate the stereotyped image of the extent to which totalitarian regimes control the minds of their citizens, especially since the bloc hid behind its iron curtain, represented by the Berlin Wall. Unfortunately, people’s limited knowledge in this regard helped Western countries control their citizens in a system that seems to have mercy but is actually characterized by agony. It lets people choose the way they pay their taxes, whether by check, credit card or cash but would not tolerate citizens who don’t pay them and ensures they know they cannot escape the grip of the state. As a result, people are forced to comply with the orders of the state, party or elite. Orwell actually predicted the present situation. If he were still alive, he would have seen how people are fully controlled by the virtual judiciary. We all carry screens (the device Orwell imagined in 1948) in our pockets. We now eat, love, sleep, work, sign contracts and even marry and divorce by one click on this device. This is not the worst part, as people have become only figures in the globalization system, which includes companies, institutions, sovereign agencies, terrorist groups, banks and pirates that have proven to be threatening. People’s interests have been disrupted several times, and organized gangs have blackmailed several economic institutions with a click of a button. Some countries are now willing to ruin the lives of millions of people to achieve their interests. Virtual wars have freed people from acting in accordance to their conscience although the deaths and destruction caused by these wars are much more than that occurring in the real world. All of this remains somehow understandable or at least acceptable if compared to the determination to turn humans into a consumer animal using the virtual world and its giant, anonymous companies that have a specific target. This world aims at letting people pay all their money while creating new consuming habits for useless goods produced by marginal economies. The worst of these habits is the addiction to virtual means of communication, such as Facebook and other social media sites. Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, has recently announced changing the name of his company and launching new list of services that will definitely have a worse impact on humans by granting advantage to the consumer society. It is noteworthy that we, as human beings, are distinguished from animals by our true social relations and the imperative of human living in urban societies that enjoy a minimum level of love and social harmony. Even religions have addressed people’s need for each other and organized human relations, allowing humans to be innovative with the humanities before the applied sciences. The result was the brilliant scientific progress over the past centuries that came in line with a mighty technology that released the atom and let humans step on Mars. But all this remained within a framework of values and actual social communication, so humans preserved their psychological balance and revived the family institution, which is the basis of society and the nation. This continued until the virtual social media attacked us and weakened the substance which was the basis of our society. Karl Marx’s ideas on the materialist interpretation of history have diminished to be replaced by the virtual interpretation of history. The family has become virtual and so is love, and children nowadays are raised by Google. Some clerics couldn’t resist this transformation, and few tried to fit in, while the majority remained lazy, stressing that we are at the end of time, and there is nothing left but the appearance of the one-eyed Antichrist (Ad-Dajjal). Eventually, sociologists became spectators and people now live in toil and struggle. Family members are divided and brotherhood has become rare. The human mind has become domesticated and prepared to receive what the virtual world imposes on it. Even traveling has become virtual. If Freud heard of the current situation he would have diagnosed people of being delirious. Nevertheless, people are rushing to more virtual space, actualizing a poem by Poet Mahmoud Hassan Ismail, which indicated that the human journey is characterized by fantasy (Musafir Zaduhu al-Khayal).

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Three American opinions: Biden’s Democracy Summit

An In-depth Insight into What Happened at Democracy Summit

Washington, Mohammad Ali Salih The recent Democracy Summit that was called for by President Joe Biden was criticized for more than one reason, including the countries that were invited or not, its virtual format, and America’s own democracy problems. In his opening address, Biden said: “This gathering has been on my mind for a long time for a simple reason: In the face of sustained and alarming challenges to democracy, universal human rights, and — all around the world, democracy needs champions.”He added: “We say: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident’ that all women and men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. … Democracy doesn’t happen by accident. We have to renew it with each generation. And this is an urgent matter on all our parts, in my view. Because the data we’re seeing is largely pointing in the wrong direction.” These are three American opinions about the summit, drawn from their tweets, website and media interviews: First, “Who was invited, and who was not was important,” said Steven Feldstein, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. Second, “America’s own democracy is in danger,” said Dan Balz, columnist at the Washington Post, and co-author of two books: “The Battle for America” and “Storming the Gates: Protest Politics.” Third, “It is all about China,” said Matthew Yglesias, columnist at Stubstack, and before at Vox magazines.

Steven Feldstein: Invited and Not Invited: “The invitations went to liberal democracies, weaker

democracies, and several states with authoritarian characteristics, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Pakistan. Rather than limit participation to a core group of committed democracies, Biden’s team opted for a big tent approach. The majority of invitees—seventyseven countries—ranked as ‘free’ or fully democratic. Another thirty-one invitees ranked as ‘partly free.’ Finally, three countries fell into the ‘not free’ camp … Eight who were invited fell exceptionally low on democracy’s rankings, raising troubling questions about their invitations: Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Serbia, and Zambia. Four additional invitees prompt serious backsliding concerns due to heightened levels of autocratization, or big declines in freedom of expression over the past ten years: Brazil, India, the Philippines, and Poland … When it came to regional representation, Europe led the world with thirty-nine invitees, followed closely by twenty-seven participating countries from the Western Hemisphere. Asia Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa also enjoyed robust participation with twenty-one and seventeen invitees, respectively … Identifying the participants for such a major diplomatic

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gathering was a complicated process, and settling on the final summit list was more a product of bureaucratic and interagency sausage-making than anything else … Broader U.S. strategic interests mattered. Pakistan, the Philippines, and Ukraine are all flawed democracies with endemic corruption and rule of law abuses. Yet they are important partners of the United States—whether to counterbalance Chinese influence (Philippines), or to withstand Russian encroachment (Ukraine). The exclusion of Hungary and Turkey might have been based on Biden’s reluctance to do anything to help the reelection of Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán or Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan …”

Dan Balz: America’s Democracy:

“This gathering has been on my mind for a long time for a simple reason: In the face of sustained and alarming challenges to democracy, universal human rights, and — all around the world, democracy needs champions.” made to its structure …”

Matthew Yglesias: China:

“President Biden gathered, virtually, representatives of more than 100 countries for what was billed as a ‘Summit for Democracy.’ The goal was to rally nations in the face of rising authoritarianism around the world … But the summit drew some criticism, in part for who was invited and who was not. But the most persistent questions focused on whether the United States, at a time when democracy is threatened at home, could stand as a beacon for the rest of the world in this most important undertaking… First, the nation is deeply divided, and those divisions have affected the state of democratic institutions. In an era of polarized voting and the drop in ticket-splitting, Republicans enjoy structural advantages in the Senate and the Electoral College. Increasingly, the majority of the population can be ruled by a minority of the population. Second, the number of competitive House districts shrinks with every decennial redistricting, thanks to gerrymandering and the geographic sorting of the population, often leaving it to the political wings of the two parties to pick their House members and to set the tone and agendas. Third, the executive branch is ill-prepared for many crises, anticipated or not, as the coronavirus pandemic has shown. Fourth, the Supreme Court is in danger of being seen as reflective of the country’s political divisions rather than independent of them, to the point that there is more talk than ever on the left about whether changes should be

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“It doesn’t take a genius to see that a subtext of President Biden’s ‘Summit for Democracy’ was an effort to raise the ideological stakes in the competition between the U.S. and China. And only a fool would believe that the strategy will work without a healthy dose of diplomatic hypocrisy … Biden rightly sees that the frank amorality of former President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ opinion was at odds with any effort to get tough on China. In part because Trump hoped to make a deal to increase Chinese purchases of American products … If Biden’s diplomatic boycott of the Olympics and his continuation of Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports were about containing China, then America’s commitment to democracy is going to have to be pretty loose … Consider, for example, America’s old enemy Vietnam, which has been intermittently at odds with China for decades and has been growing friendlier with the U.S. over the years. Vietnam is not only a natural ally in an effort to contain Chinese ambitions in the South China Sea, it’s also a useful economic partner … Inconveniently, however, Vietnam continues to be the same Communist Party-dominated autocracy that it’s been ever since the fall of Saigon. A foreign policy based on an ideological commitment to democracy would counsel against including Vietnam in any new alliances designed to contain the influence of China …”

conomy

Shameless Ways Companies Used COVID - 19 as Marketing Tool How Consumers Were Bombarded with New Forms of Advertising During Pandemic By Maha Rafi Atal and Lisa Ann Richey

When COVID-19 was still new and confusing, when governments were unsure about how to respond, corpoAt the start of the pandemic, consumers were bombarded rate advertising sought to define the pandemic in ways with a new and hastily constructed form of advertising. that made companies and their products an essential part In those “uncertain times”, customers were promised, of whatever the solution might turn out to be. We found that from mid-March to the end of April 2020, compathey could rely on their favorite brands for help. The ads, often featuring somber piano music and declara- nies used advertising to tell three main types of stories tions that everyone was “in this together”, were ubiqui- about COVID-19. tous. Now our research reveals the tactics behind them, Some, like the global shipping giant Maersk, emphasized and why consumers should be wary of the marketing the supply chain impact of the pandemic and pointed to their role in helping to get essential equipment to the right they encounter in a crisis.

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Brands took advantage of the pandemic to push their products in a way that was highly disingenuous, according to new research. [Source Image: anurag. ]anand/Sketchfab

places. This kind of marketing defined COVID-19 as a crisis of logistics; a problem for which corporate managers could argue they have the most specialized expertise. Others, especially consumer goods brands like Starbucks, concentrated on the financial side of the situation, and their role in donating food or money to those in sudden need. This kind of marketing defined COVID-19 as a crisis of capital. If the problem is not enough cash, then wealthy corporations can swoop in as heroes by freeing some up quickly. Then there were those, especially fashion and luxury brands, that focused on the emotional impact of the pandemic, and pointed to their products as ways to make the experience easier and even fun. These ads made the case that personal consumption’s shopping from your lockdown could be a form of humanitarian heroism, with you as the grateful recipient, or a way of taking care of yourself. But there were risks attached to these messages, and not all of them landed well. Some ads seemed oblivious to the wider social problems that were making the crisis harder for some to bear. Fashion advertisements targeted at women that describe the pandemic as a kind of “staycation”, for example, sat uncomfortably next to news reports about women who were leaving the workforce under the crushing burden of childcare and housework. E-cigarette advertisements encouraging consumers to take up vaping “for your health” invited a backlash when hospitals were filled with COVID-19 patients on ventilators. Some companies even provoked consumers by mocking the severity of the pandemic, including an Italian ski resort that invited travelers to experience the mountain with full lungs in a place where feeling great is contagious. Elsewhere, social media companies struggled to stamp out misinformation from influencers hired by wellness brands to promote untested products as COVID-19 cures. Even advertisements that took the pandemic seriously found themselves on shaky ground. When the U.K. was coming out of its first lockdown, the cleaning brand Dettol went viral (in the wrong way) when it appeared to be encouraging commuters to return to the office. Some consumers conflated the ads with government public service announcements promoting shopping as a way of boosting the economy. The misconception contained a grain of truth, as Dettol was the government’s corporate partner for sanitizing public transport. Indeed, several brands in our research

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The ads, often featuring somber piano music and declarations that everyone was “in this together”, were ubiquitous. mentioned partnerships with the government as one of the benefits of the crisis. Meanwhile, advertisements encouraging consumers to shop to help rebuild the economy (and companies in it) have proliferated. Advertising that addresses social concerns is common, not just in relation to COVID-19, but to a range of causes where consumers are primed to see corporate solutions for everything from poverty to climate change. Consuming with a conscience? Our research shows that such advertising is frequently designed to influence how the public understands social problems, and encourages people to think of ethical consumption as a way of helping. Others have argued that such marketing related to good causes creates the appearance of giving back, disguising the fact that it is already based on taking away. Consumers can be deterred from campaigning for more radical change, believing they have already played their part through ethical purchasing. One familiar example is when companies boast that a percentage of proceeds from certain products goes to a social cause. The amount donated is often small, while the revenue the new product generates for the company is considerable. As another commentator put it: If we insist that this is the only way to effectively address massive social problems, we resign ourselves to a world dictated by consumer impulses. The risks, then, of attaching a social issue to an advertising campaign are considerable for the company, the consumer, and the cause itself. Our research suggests that not every time is the right time for advertising. We should beware of brands bearing gifts. Maha Rafi Atal is a lecturer in global economy at the University of Glasgow’s School of Social and Political Sciences. Lisa Ann Richey is a professor of globalization at Copenhagen Business School. This article was originally published in Fast Company.

pinion

Are the Bretton Woods Institutions Apolitical or a Mere Tool of Imperialism?

By Saif Al-Abri

An important part of Bretton Woods Institutions history is the dismantling of its monetary system and later championing neo-liberal doctrines promoting freemarket economic policies such as deregulation, privatization, and trade liberalization implemented through SAPs and other similar programs

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are intergovernmental institutions founded in 1944 which greatly influence world development and financial order. They are also known as the Bretton Woods Institutions, built with the intention of rebuilding the international economy after World War II. Unfortunately, although it has great potential in creating an everevolving world economic system, it seems that the Bretton Woods Institutions are a mere tool of imperial influence in their modern form. Of course, this is a strong claim as such institutions pride themselves on being apolitical. Due to the limitations of the article format, I will not be able to completely convince you otherwise. However, I will direct you to a few points that should start you questioning. An important part of Bretton Woods Institutions history is the dismantling of its monetary system and later championing neo-liberal doctrines, also known as the Washington consensus — promoting freemarket economic policies such as deregulation, privatization, and trade liberalization implemented through Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) and other similar programs. The SAPs is a set of economic reforms that a country must comply with to secure loans from the IMF and the world. A study in Africa by Ann-Louise Colgan about the SAP showed: “The past two decades of World Bank and IMF structural adjustment in Africa have led to greater social and economic deprivation and an increased dependence of African countries on external loans.” Furthermore, economists such as Cohen and De Long, Nobel economics laureate Stiglitz, and Ha-Joon Chang have demonstrated that the US and countries of Western Europe have practiced opposite policies in their development. In addition, the Asian tigers further proved the deficiency of neo-liberal concepts in the development of economic policy. Yet, the SAPs and other similar programs are used to this day to force compliance upon any country in need of vital loans. Why is this the case? This could be attributed to different reasons. Firstly, one of the conditions of the structural adjustment programs is to privatize companies that many corrupt leaders such as Pinochet had controlled. However, such privatization should be done with a just spirit whereby national corporations and national assets are sold equal to their value. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen in African and Latin American countries and as documented by Naomi Klein, it’s never the case. Valuable national assets are usually sold at dirt cheap prices, profiting multinational companies. Other reasons or critiques of the Bretton Institutions vary from voting rights skewed towards the US, European countries, and Japan. Others discuss how the US has veto power over any major decision. Also, both institutions have effective impunity against any harm done— not to mention its creation of inequality and reduction of labor union power which has been well documented (Bretton Woods Project, 2019). Their overall aims are to eradicate poverty and increase economic growth and stability, ultimately contributing to global welfare and the fulfilment of human rights. However, the majority of data shows the cause of the majority of poverty’s decline was actually due to China (Observer Winter 2018-2017). Furthermore, the IMF’s own conditionality review in 2018 found several programs where “debt overshot projections by significant margins, reflecting disappointing growth and higher fiscal deficits.” These findings do not even mention the non-economic severe effect their policies have on equity and gender. No one can doubt the vital role of an organized intergovernmental economic organization or the essential infrastructure projects that the World Bank has funded. However, such an organization shouldn’t be a mere tool of power on display but rather an actual intergovernmental organization that benefits all parties involved.

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A Weekly Political News Magazine

Issue 1883- December- 17/12/2021

Elon Musk: The Controversial Billionaire

www.majalla.com

ulture

Cairo Named as Culture Capital of Islamic World for 2022

Fifty Artistic and Cultural Events Throughout the Year By Dalia Assem – Cairo After its celebration was postponed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Enas Abdel-Dayem, the Egyptian Minister of Culture, and Dr. Salem bin Muhammad Al-Malik, the General Director of ISESCO, will launch the celebration of Cairo, the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World 2022. This comes within the framework of the program implemented by Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO).

The celebration will start in mid-February and include 50 diverse activities that reflect the heritage and history of the city, which orientalists called “the city of a thousand minarets” and “the jewel of the East.” Regarding the choice of Cairo as the capital of culture for the countries of the Islamic world, the Egyptian Minister of Culture stated that Cairo is one of the most ancient Arab capitals and is a witness to a depth of history because of the tremendous heritage it possesses. It

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contains various museums that include many ancient and modern monuments within its walls, has a diversity of cultures and arts which express all civilizations throughout history, including Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Islamic, etc. The Minister pointed out that “Cairo is the largest heritage city that is alive with archeological artifacts that express the basic features of human civilization in general and ancient Islamic civilization in particular, as it was a crossroad of cultures over time and through different eras.” She stressed that ISESCO’s choice of Cairo is supportive and dedicated to the common goals that the ministry and the organization seek to achieve, which are to deepen cultural ties, enhance cultural communication and highlight the values of coexistence and tolerance,” as well as to present an accurate picture of these concepts as comprised by the Islamic civilization. “Cairo will remain as it has been since ancient times; the capital of culture and literature, the capital of thought and art, the capital of inspiration and imagination, the capital of music and opera, the capital of architecture and heritage, the capital of the 1000 minarets, and it is an ancient cultural, and intellectual center of civilization,” she added. Minister of Culture Enas Abdel-Dayem and General Director of ISESCO Salem bin Muhammad Al-Malik announced the activities of the celebration which comes as part of the program implemented by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO).

In her interview with Al-Majalla, the Egyptian Minister of Culture praised the efforts of ISESCO for applying its unique program of celebrating the various capitals of the Islamic world and its aim of strengthening areas of constructive cultural cooperation and deepening relations between people. ISESCO accomplished this by bringing to bear effective tools and methods upon the ancient civilizations these countries possess, emphasizing the ability of soft forces to bring about an emotional rapprochement between them and be a bridge for exchanging diverse visions and creativity. For his part, the General Director of ISESCO expressed his happiness for the completion of the celebration program for the city of Cairo, the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World, which was scheduled to be held throughout 2020, within the schedule of cultural capitals celebrated by the ISESCO every year. “The official announcement about the celebration of Cairo, the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World, was made on February 20, 2020, during the activities of the fifty-first Cairo International Book Fair. However, the exceptional circumstances imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic around the world prevented us from organ-

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The Minister pointed out that “Cairo is the largest heritage city that is alive with archeological artifacts that express the basic features of human civilization in general and ancient Islamic civilization in particular, as it was a crossroad of cultures over time and through different eras.” izing this celebration,” he said. “The pandemic also caused the suspension or cancellation of several activities over nearly two years, and after this forced postponement, we are meeting today in the opera house, declaring our intention to organize this celebration during 2022 and taking it upon ourselves to do our best and exert our utmost efforts and energies, in cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Culture and the Egyptian government. We hope to make the celebration meet the aspirations befitting this historical and civilized capital,” he added. He also pointed out that the delay of the celebration contributed to enriching the festive program with more cultural and artistic activities, expanding the circle of local and regional partners, and benefiting from the new developmental amendments introduced by the ISESCO’s general administration to its program for the capitals of culture in the Islamic world. The program will include highlighting the role of the new facilities and cultural landmarks of the celebrated capital as artistic and creative spaces, as well as gathering places that are visited by a broad audience of the city’s residents and those from outside the city. Intellectuals, artists and creators are active in this endeavor which is part of Cairo’s new urban plan. Dr. Salem bin Muhammad Al-Malik confirmed that the celebration program would include activities to strengthen cooperation with the celebrated cultural capitals in other regions of the Islamic world, and with the cultural capitals of Europe, Africa and Latin America.

ulture

EVENTFUL PROGRAM

and, The Dupes – Syria.

The celebration will include several activities, including the production of a documentary film directed by Louay Galal, a film week for the countries of the Islamic world, cultural seminars for movies, and cinematic workshops for the online project “Start Your Dream” in the Islamic world. There will also be the participation of a group of films: The Mummy – Egypt; Lion of the Desert, Omar Al-Mukhtar – Libya; Fellagas – Tunisia; Chronicle of the Years of Fire – Algeria; West Beirut – Lebanon; Theeb – Jordan;

The screenings will also include a group of the most important Arab cinema productions: Nasser Salah ElDin; Jameila; Adieu Bonaparte; The Eloquent Peasant; and, Avant les Pyramides.

During the celebration, there will be a group of symposia and evenings, including a cultural evening on “the aesthetics of Mamluk architecture… the Sultan Hassan Mosque as a model,” several lectures and seminars on “Islamic architecture,” a photography exhibition on “the aesthetics of historic Cairo” and panel discussions about Egyptian folklore and its impact on the countries of the Islamic world. Children’s activities will have a share of the celebration, including an exhibition of children’s drawings under the title “Egypt in the Eyes of the Children of the Islamic world,” the publication of a catalog of children’s paintings under the title “Cairo in the Eyes of the Children of the Islamic world,” and a coloring poster design of the most important monuments of Islamic Cairo, especially the area surrounding AlSayeda Zainab (the castle - the mosques - the fountains - the wall of Magra El-Ayoun). The celebration will include various artistic events, including creative concerts for religious and spiritual

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Minister of Culture Enas Abdel-Dayem and General Director of ISESCO Salem bin Muhammad Al-Malik during presenting the activities of the celebration which comes as part of the program implemented by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO).

General Director of ISESCO Salem bin Muhammad Al-Malik announced the activities of the celebration which comes as part of the program implemented by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO).

chanting, an exhibition of reproductions of pictures of Egypt’s mosques “consisting of pictures of a large group of mosques” dating back to 1920, a heritage competition in photography, an “exceptional session” about the countries of the Islamic world, and a lyrical performance of the operetta “Here is Cairo.” In addition, the celebration will present a theatrical show consisting of a collage of the most important religious works that have been produced in recent years, including works such as The Forty Rules of Love, As If You See It, The Owner of a Shrine, and various artistic concerts that combine music and singing. There will be Arab and Islamic Ramadan nights and evenings organized in cooperation with Arab and Islamic embassies in Cairo. The events of the Fifth Academic Scientific Conference “Cairo Capital of Culture in the Islamic World” and the Cairo exhibition in the eyes of its artists will witness an international conference entitled “Cairo’s Intangible Heritage over a Thousand Years,” which aims to highlight the intangible heritage of the city of Cairo as a melting pot containing many elements of this living heritage. There will also be photography and drawing exhibitions, a conference for the realization of heritage and

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the consolidation of identity, accompanied by a show of reproductions of the essential Islamic manuscripts preserved in Dar al-Kutub. Also on the program will be a meeting in the cultural park for three days under the title “Children of the Islamic World in the Presence of Cairo,” an exhibition of heritage crafts with the participation of many countries, and the Cairo International Art Forum Arabic calligraphy “seventh session.” Some activities and events will be conducted in heritage Cairo, re-presenting the show “Cairo in a Thousand Years,” and presenting the theatrical performance “The Minarets of the Guardians” for three days. Moreover, the prizes will be announced for the “My Heritage” photography competition as well as the photo exhibition in the “exceptional session” for the countries of the Islamic world. In addition to the activities, the Ministry of Culture will issue several publications on Cairo, The Capital of Culture in the Islamic world, in cooperation with the National Center for Translation. The Ministry will reissue the book “Cairo a Life Story of a Thousand Years 969 - 1969” which was printed by the late Minister of Culture Dr. Tharwat Okasha in six languages to celebrate the Millennium of Cairo: Arabic - English - French - Spanish - Russian – German.

ovies

‘France’ Showcases Lea Seydoux As a GuiltRidden TV Journalist The Journalist Becomes the Story in Bruno Dumont’s New Film

By Mark Olsen The movie “France” has a main character named France de Meurs and is not exactly subtle for the ways in which the character and the film are meant to be a metaphor for the modern state of their namesake nation. Written and directed by Bruno Dumont, the movie captures a sense of a country more

interested in image than reality and awkwardly grappling with a fast-changing culture with which traditional power structures can’t keep up. (Sound familiar?) Played by Lea Seydoux, France de Meurs is a superstar television journalist, host of panel shows and her own reports. She is in a functional but unhappy marriage, lives in

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Played by Lea Seydoux, France de Meurs is a superstar television journalist, host of panel shows and her own reports. She is in a functional but unhappy marriage, lives in a palatial apartment that looks more like a museum and tries to dote on her unreceptive son. and then ply them with money. This causes her to question her fame and ask herself for the first time if she is genuinely helping or hurting those she covers as a journalist as well as the people in her life. Seydoux has been seen this year in the James Bond film “No Time to Die” and Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch.” When “France” premiered earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival, Seydoux had three other films playing there and was unable to attend the festivities because she had been diagnosed with COVID while shooting anther project. “France” perfectly exhibits why she’s in such high demand, as she easily blends the magnetic presence of a genuine star and the deeply felt interiority of a true actor. Lea Seydoux arrives at the 92nd Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, in Hollywood, California. (Jay L. Clendenin/ Los Angeles Times/ TNS)

a palatial apartment that looks more like “France” may be her richest performance a museum and tries to dote on her unre- yet, capturing the tension between the ceptive son. character’s roiling inner turmoil and her professionally placid exterior. Seydoux One day she accidentally hits a delivery is such a striking screen presence that driver on a motor scooter with her car, in- she nearly makes the lacquered hair and juring the young immigrant who supports garish makeup of a flashy TV host seem his family. This sends France into a spi- chic. Everywhere she goes, someone ral of guilt and self-reflection, as she first asks for her picture; after her accident tries to win over the family with charm becomes tabloid fodder, paparazzi fol-

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ovies

gumentative, cross-talking guests. What is being said or who is saying it is beside the point. All that matters to her is the fireworks of the show, not the meaning Throughout the film, we see the end of of the content. Eventually, in a bathroom France’s broadcasts, as she wraps up ar- at a gala event, a woman asks France if she considers herself right-wing or leftwing politically and Seydoux plays the moment with a wonderful blankness as if she had never even considered such a thing. She coolly delivers a non-response, asking “What difference would it make?” lows her about. Her fame, for which she worked so hard, becomes increasingly hollow and useless.

This causes her to question her fame and ask herself for the first time if she is genuinely helping or hurting those she covers as a journalist as well as the people in her life.

The film is at its most biting when it satirizes a certain self-involved obliviousness. There is grim humor to scenes of France in the field, stage-directing refugees or Middle Eastern fighters on where to look and how to act for b-roll footage to fit what she needs, without much concern for what they are actually doing. Blanche Gardin, a popular French co-

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Lea Seydoux as France de Meurs in France.

median, plays France’s producer with a cynical bluntness that eventually catches up to both of them with disastrous results. The film spins out toward the end, especially when it heaps additional tragedies on France. Yet it also leaves viewers often simply contemplating Seydoux’s face, at once open and inscrutable.

ity” to the more freewheeling and absurdist “L’il Quinquin” and “Slack Bay.” The new film combines those poles to an extent, with an intensity in the way it remains focused on the main character but able to use Seydoux’s star power to make something more accessible and appealing.

As if to make a film called “France” about a character named France even just a little more French, the film also features a score by Christophe, a revered musician in his native country but largely unknown in the United States. (His signature song “Aline,” as performed by Jarvis Cocker, was featured in “The French Dispatch.”) Christophe died in 2020, shortly after completing his work on Dumont’s film.

The film captures behind-the-scenes media drama in a much better fashion than the American streaming series “The Morning Show.” Seydoux brings a vulnerability to the role even when the character is at her most monstrous. In part because of the depth of Seydoux’s performance, the film becomes less an allegory of a nation and more a gripping character study, a portrait of a mask of personal and professional regard slowly slipping away.

Dumont has had an unusual career, moving from the austerity of his early films This review was originally published by Los such as “The Life of Jesus” and “Human- Angeles Times.

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port

Meet Young Egyptian Founder Who Aspires to Develop Women›s Football

Farida Salem: “My goal is to Empower Young Girls in Our ”Community to Achieve Whatever They Desire By Sarah Gamal The popularity of football in Egypt and the fans’ love for this game has reached the point of obsession and madness. By contrast, women’s football is considered a secondary show that male football fans follow only at the times when tournaments with Messi, Ronaldo and other stars are finished. This is because football is more associated with men since its inception, and no matter how much the women›s team performs in terms of championships, it is always far from the limelight. The women›s national football team was established in Egypt in 1999, but despite the participation of nearly 12 teams in the Egyptian Football League, there are no women›s teams in top clubs such as Zamalek and AlAhly. In light of the disappearance of women’s football in Egypt, Farida Salem, a former player with Egyptian Wadi Degla, the Canadian University of Vancouver, and the former Egyptian national team, did not give up and decided to achieve her dream by marketing herself for her training and skill through pictures and videos of her on her personal page on Facebook. In the beginning, when she was completing her eleventh year and as the only girl in the family, she used to play football with her brothers in the club. She loved the sport and applied to train in the club where her skill placed her in the first team of Wadi DeglaClub for juniors within 4 years.

Farida was not satisfied with that. She participated in most of the Ramadan courses held by the clubs and marketed herself in a broader way. Her family decided to travel outside Egypt to complete her studies, which for her was a greater motivation to achieve her dream.Indeed, she traveled while she was in high school and became a player in a team in one of the second-tier clubs in Canada. The -28year-old spoke with Majalla about her start in football, her time in Canada, and her academy. “I have been trying since my childhood to set several goals in front of me and strive to achieve them. When I joined the university, I decided that the first thing I would do after graduating was to establish an academy to teach girls how to play football separately,” with these words, the inspiring Egyptian football star and coach, Farida Salem, began her interview with Majalla. Farida Salem has taken the pitch by storm. Farida›s love story for football began when she was twelve years old. She engaged with this sport by chance. Sincethere were no other girls playing ball, she started training with the boys and discovered that she was talented in this game. She said about that period: “I first got into soccer when I was 11 years old. There were two main sports at school, basketball for girls and football for boys. There were some disagreements between me and the basketball team coach which made me feel uncomfortable about playing, so I decided to quit basketball and try something else.”

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“Injuries, negative comments, my difficult start in Canada and constant sitting on the bench because I was the least physically fit player. I thought of returning to Egypt, but I regained my energy.” players around the globe suffer from unequal pay in comparison to the men. Most, if not all, female soccer players have second and third jobs to be able to sustain themselves,” she said.

Farida Salem; CEO & Founder, Empower Football Academy(Credit: Farida Salem)

Salem turned her back on basketball, vowing to find success on another field: «I accepted the challenge at the time to play a sport that girls don›t play and many thought I would fail, but in the end I succeeded.» Farida’s family plays an important role in her life. All family members encourage her because they see sports in general as a very useful thing: “My grandmother initially objected to the idea that I play football, and she would ask me to play another sport such as tennis, but then everyone became convinced that I was talented in football and had many skills that should not be wasted in another sport. My family attended all the matches that I played,” added Farida. “My studies were one of my most important responsibilities. Accordingly, I had to leave the training camp, which did not make me one of the first choices for the coach. But when I was under pressure, I said to myself that I have to use my time wisely,” Farida replied when was asked about balancing between study and playing football. Regarding the demands of female soccer players in the world for equality between them and men, Farida agrees with them in this regard by saying: “All female soccer

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With regard to the difference between the level of women’s football between Egypt and Canada, Farida said: “The Canadians are most concerned with fitnessas an essential factor for playing football, unlike what is happening in Egypt where players here rely on skill.It was a very physically demanding game in Canada, and the level of competition was like no other. I struggled to adjust to their physical style of play, allowing little room for skill and creativity. It took a couple of injuries and several months to adapt. However, in Egypt, it was the total opposite. I used to rely on my skill to compensate for my lack of physical strength.” “We have a very good team here in Egypt, but we need more diverse players. We need more resources and more media attention. If people are willing to give us the spotlight, we’ll rise as a team and as a nation,” Salem told Majalla. “When I went to Canada I thought I would play in the first team, as I am a player for the national team, but I was surprised to join a team in the third division because I was not physically ready,” Salem added. Farida told Majalla that the obstacles she faced were: “Injuries, negative comments, my difficult start in Canada and constant sitting on the bench because I was the least physically fit player. I thought of returning to Egypt, but I regained my energy.” As for the most serious injury that Farida suffered throughout her career, it was in one of the matches she played in Canada, “where I suffered a concussion due to violent interference from the opposing team player, and I was forced to be in a dark room for several days,” Farida said.

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Farida Salem; Founder and Director of Empower FA - (Credit: Farida Salem)

Concerning the lack of coverage of the Women’s League cup, and National Teams in Egypt, Farida said: “There is a massive lack of publicity, but at the same time it is getting better. I think it is important to shed light on the fact that this sport is just as much for female players as male players. I think it shouldn’t be a big deal that girls know how to play soccer. I think that it is reaching a point, globally, where soccer is accepted as a female sport so it is improving for sure. I think the big media channels should start covering regular league matches and not just covering the semi-finals and the finals like they do every year.” As for her role model: “My biggest role model is Cristiano Ronaldo both on and off the field– I think he’s amazing.

«I accepted the challenge at the time to play a sport that girls don›t play and many thought I would fail, but in the end I succeeded.»

For me, he is the definition of hard work and I respect a lot those who drive themselves hard. He is also able to create a name for himself off the pitch as he is so ambitious and aware of his own brand as an athlete and as a person. From another point of view, he also inspired me. I›ve been cheering for him since I started playing football” “Football in Egypt for girls needs more development,my goal is to empower young girls in our community to achieve whatever they desire.” Farida’s graduation project at university was “How to Build a Girls’ Soccer Academy,” a dream that she was striving to achieve as she had suffered throughout her playing football from the lack of available places for girls› specialized education, and she returned to Egypt to implement her dream. Farida asked her followers on Facebook about their desire to have an academy for girls’ education. The responses to this idea were encouraging and made it clear that the goal is to make girls stronger and more confident in themselves and able to achieve their dreams. In January 2019, Farida realized her dream, launching Empower Football Academy in Cairo to nurture Egyptian female footballers to become professional. “We train girls from five to 55 years of age at the academy,” she said. “To me, happiness is positively affecting the life of

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Farida Salem is a long-term lover of the game (Credit: Farida Salem)

Farida Salem; The Head Coach at ZED Women’s Football Academy- (Credit: Farida Salem)

one person and helping them to succeed,” she added. On the other hand, ZED FC Club, one of Egypt›s top private clubs, recently inaugurated its ZED’s Women Football Academy, in partnership with Empower Football Academy, led by an Egyptian women’s football champion, Farida Salem. Empower Football Academy will be managing ZED’s new academy, using its experience in identifying potential talents and following analytical training programs to enhance the skills of female players. “Joining ZED FC Club is the highlight of this year to me as we are lucky to have signed with such a prestigious club. I feel that they are a huge supporter of our goals and our mission in Empower FA. Everything is falling into place with ZED FC. We have a vision to empower the youth and bring about the next generation of female football plyers through Empower FA. ZED shares the same vision with us, so we thought the most suitable thing to do is to partner up and offer our services in partnership with ZED FC Club. There we will train the youth and prepare them, as well as identify their talents and bring out those super stars to compete eventually in a ZED FC league, and raise the next generation side-by-side in a long term journey together,” Salem said about this promising stage of her career.

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“Joining ZED FC Club is the highlight of this year to me as we are lucky to have signed with such a prestigious club.” Salem has other goals she wants to score: “I want to develop and expand the academy, to include many sports, not just football, and to be established in all the governorates of Egypt.” “Go for it. There’s going to be a lot of work, a lot of doubt. Do not be ashamed of your love for football, as there is no such thing as a sport for men only — sport is for everyone. Work on yourself, you must realizeyour strengths and weaknesses, and most importantly believe in your abilities and yourself. Believe in yourself more than anybody else. Be persistent. Be stubborn about your goals. Take your fitness seriouslybecause the physicality abroad is totally different from here. You need to be so strong, so fast, and so fit,” this is the message Farida sent to the girls who aspire to play football professionally or abroad at the end of our conversation with her.

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Smarter Food Shopping How to Get the Most Out of Your Food Budget While Investing the Most in Your Health

By Matthew Solan Good nutrition doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Some of the healthiest foods at grocery stores also are some of the least costly. “You don’t have to spend a lot of money to supply your refrigerator and pantry with the healthiest foods for regular meals, so you will rely less

on takeout and unhealthy snacks,” says Elisabeth Moore, a registered dietitian with Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “If healthy food is more available and ready to eat, you will eat more of it.”

THOUGHTS ABOUT FOOD Healthy shopping comes down to following some basic strategies. Here are Moore’s tips for choosing

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the best foods at the lowest prices. Make a plan. Write down what you need, from the basics to ingredients for specific meals. Place sticky notes on your fridge and write down items you need throughout the week so you don’t have to come up with a complete list all at once. Another option: take photos of the inside of your fridge and pantry with your phone to use as a visual reference when you’re at the grocery store. Shop on the same day each week. A simple routine eliminates the need for extra trips to the store, which may tempt you to buy food that’s not on your list. “If life gets in the way and you need to change this up, still make sure you stick with a list and a plan,” says Moore.

Photo credit: TNS

“You don’t have to spend a lot of money to supply your refrigerator and pantry with the healthiest foods for regular meals, so you will rely less on takeout and unhealthy snacks.”

Whole grains (brown rice, quinoa) Oats Nut butter (peanut, almond) Potatoes Work around the perimeter. This is where you’ll Popcorn (no butter, no or low salt) often find the healthiest, least processed options, Frozen berries like fresh produce, dairy, and frozen foods. How- Eggs ever, it depends on the store’s setup. “For the inner aisles, stick with those stocked with canned vegeta- DON’T THROW AWAY MONEY bles and whole grains,” she says. Another way people waste money is by not propBecome a comparison shopper. Whether you’re erly caring for fresh fruits and vegetables. “So ofmost concerned about sodium, fiber, sugar, or cal- ten we leave them in the refrigerator, forgotten, ories, reading and comparing nutrition labels can and then they get tossed into the trash -- along with help you make better decisions. “If you’re trying the money you spent,” says Moore. Here is how to to manage your weight, pay particular attention to keep these foods around longer. calories and the serving size listed,” says Moore. Know your fruits. Some fruits continue to ripen Buy in bulk. Shelf-stable items like grains, rice, with time (called climacteric) while others do not nuts, and dried beans are cheaper in bulk or large ripen after harvesting (called non-climacteric). containers. For instance, a pound of rice may cost $1.60, but a 5-pound bag might cost $4, which Climacteric fruits include apples, apricots, avobreaks down to 80 cents per pound. cados, bananas, cantaloupe, mangoes, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes. “Store these Buy generic or store-brands. These are cheaper in on your counter at room temperature until they part because less money is spent on advertising and reach the desired ripeness, or refrigerate them if creating attractive packaging for them. not used right away,” says Moore. Non-climacteric fruits include bell peppers, berries, cherries, citrus STOCK UP ON STAPLES (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit), cucumber, eggplant, grapes, and watermelon. “You can refrigThe following are high in nutrition, low in cost, and erate them immediately to keep them fresh,” says quite versatile. Keep these on hand at all times. Moore. Canned tomatoes Canned beans Canned tuna Lentils

Prep your veggies. Prepare vegetables as soon as you purchase them. Wash, chop, and dry them. Then store them in labeled containers in clear view. Immediately stuffing them into the produce bins of

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your refrigerator increases their risk of being forgotten. Consider frozen over fresh. For regular staples, opt for frozen versions, which are on par nutrition-wise with their fresh counterparts, says Moore. “However, avoid brands with added sauces, creams, or flavorings.” Much frozen produce is good for months up to a year. Label each package with the date it was stored.

organic foods,” she says. “If they are not affordable, it’s always better to eat non-organic varieties than none at all.” This article was originally published by Harvard Men’s Health Watch

In terms of organic produce, Moore says it’s a personal preference. “Nutrition experts will give you different answers on the potential health benefits of

Become a comparison shopper. Whether you’re most concerned about sodium, fiber, sugar, or calories, reading and comparing nutrition labels can help you make better decisions. Photo credit: Unsplash

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Elon Musk: The Controversial Billionaire

By Majalla Staff Illustration by Jeannette Khouri

Conventional wisdom says that to be a world-class scientist, you should focus only on one area or if you are someone who loves to learn in different areas, you should only learn in a superficial way without going deep. But Elon Musk broke that rule. His expertise ranges from rocket science, engineering, physics, and artificial intelligence to solar energy and energy. Usually, learning across multiple domains provides an informative (and thus innovative) advantage because most people focus on just one field Time magazine named Elon Musk “Man of the Year” as the head of electric car maker Tesla cemented his position as the world’s richest man, bringing the company to a trillion dollars. In an article explaining why it chose the innovative and controversial CEO, Time said: “Few people have had more influence than Musk on life on Earth and perhaps far away too. He sees it as his task to solve the most difficult limitations in the universe, which impede many of the industries.” This recognition adds a new title to Musk’s growing titles, which was mostly reserved for world leaders such as Barack Obama and at times economic magnates such as Mark Zuckerberg. Also, he surpassed Jeff Bezos last January to become the richest man in the world, and added $100 billion to his fortune this year alone. Last October, Tesla became one of the few companies to have a market capitalization of over $1 trillion. His other company, SpaceX, has also become a company sufficiently reliable to provide rocket launch services to clients such as the US space agency (NASA). Musk has lived a different life, but he is not the only member of his family who has launched businesses, made millions, or achieved fame. Musk’s family is filled with entrepreneurs and rebels, from his direc-

tor sister Tosca to his ex-wife, Talulah Riley. Now the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX has a new family member: a baby born in May with his girlfriend, singer Grimes. Elon is an engineer and inventor. He founded Zip2 in his twenties and sold it to Compaq Computers, and achieved more success by founding X.com, SpaceX, and Tesla Motors. Musk made headlines in 2012 when SpaceX launched a space rocket that sent the first commercial vehicle to the International Space Station. In 2016, he filled his gallery with images of SolarCity, cementing his presence on the throne of industrial leaders after playing the role of advisor in the first days of the US president’s administration. Musk embarked on a new adventure by creating Tesla Motors, a company dedicated to producing electric cars on a global scale. In 2008, the company unveiled a sports car called the Roadster, capable of accelerating from zero to 96 kilometers per hour in 3.7 seconds, and it was also equipped with a lithium-ion battery with enough capacity to cover 400 kilometers after each charge. This company has been supported by the German company Daimler and Toyota. After that, the company achieved another success by launching the Model S as the first family electric car capable of covering 426 kilometers per charge, and it also won the 2013 Car of the Year award by Motor Trend magazine. The company’s successes overtook General Motors in 2017 to become the car company with the highest market value in the United States. Musk and his company SpaceX made history when the company launched the Falcon 9 rocket into space, an unmanned spacecraft that transported half a ton of supplies to astronauts aboard the International Space Station, becoming the first private company to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station. Musk commented on this event saying: “I feel very lucky, we feel like we won a huge prize.”

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In 2013, SpaceX achieved a huge achievement when it used a Falcon 9 rocket to put a geosynchronous satellite into orbit. In February 2015, the company launched the last Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the DSCOVR satellite. But Musk did not rest on his laurels. In 2017, SpaceX opened the door to a new kind of space flight when it achieved a successful launch and landing of a Falcon 9 rocket made from old reusable parts. Several scenes from the movie Iron Man2 were filmed by SpaceX, as Elon was the inspiration for this character. Elon is a workaholic, putting in about 100 hours a week at both Tesla and SpaceX. Musk was criticized for his public comments and conduct related to the COVID-19 pandemic. He spread “misinformation about the virus,” including promoting chloroquine and claiming that death statistics were manipulated. At the start of the pandemic, he claimed that children “are essentially immune” to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Musk repeatedly criticized lockdowns and violated local orders by re-opening the Tesla Fremont factory. In March 2020, commenting on a New York Times report that China had reported no new cases of a domestic spread of the novel coronavirus, Musk predicted that there would be “probably close to zero new cases in US too by end of April.” Also in March 2020, Musk offered to donate ventilators that Tesla would build or buy from a third party. Multiple hospitals noted that the devices eventually donated were BiPAP and CPAP machines, not the sought-after ventilators. However, the machines could still be used to free up ventilators for the sickest patients. SpaceX worked with doctors and academic researchers to create an antibody-testing program. In 2021, the findings were published in Nature Communications with Musk listed as a co-author. One of his goals is to get humanity to Mars and establish a colony on the Red Planet.