Al-Watan al-Akbar

Source: Arab Song Lyrics and Translation

My country, my beloved
The greatest country
Its triumphs fill its life
Each day its glories grow
My country grows and is liberated

My country, my country

Abdel Halim Hafez
My country oh angel your love is in my heart
My country, oh country of the Arab people

Oh one who called for unity tomorrow
After you saw the beauty of revolution

You are great, and much more great
From the whole universe, from all immortality

My country
My beloved country

Sabah
You are sweet oh glory that fills our hearts
You are sweet oh victory oh cup that saw us

You are sweet oh unity oh mosque of our peoples
You are sweet oh sweetest melody in our lives

Oh infectious melody between the oceans
Between Marrakech and Bahrain

In Yemen, Damascus and Jedda
The same tune for a perfect unity

The unity of all the Arab people
My country my beloved

Faiza Kamel
Our nation that we protect
Candles all around her

A paradise that pleases he who makes peace
And hellfire pours upon her enemies

Look at Beirut after the aggression
Where is colonialism and tyranny?

The strength and power of the people has increased
And Port Said's story harbored emnity

The Arab people have lived and triumphed
My country, my beloved

Shadia
My country, most precious country in the world
My country, oh fortress of freedom

My country that builds with the builders
And you tear down slavery

The voice, your voice is free and Arab
No eastern or western echo

Oh you whose soil is the makeup of my eye
Oh you whose love is perfume that envigorates me

You are my beloved my Arab country
My country my beloved

Warda
My country, oh revolution against their colonialism
Fill your isles with fire that destroyed them

If we all seek martyrdom for you
The stone of your mountains will combat them

Colonialism will meet its end at our hands
Gone from the world is its time

Not in Algeria or Oman
The revolution will destroy tyrrany

Nothing but the triumph of the Arab people
My country my beloved

Najat al-Saghira
My country oh paradise that all envy
Of its glories and wonders

Oh you whose canal returned to your hands
And you preserve the good of the world

Take from the bounty of your dam
Make, plant and build with its light

Oh you whose highness is in our worshipping hearts
My country whose whole life is sovereign

Country of glory, the Arab country
My country my beloved

Abdel Halim Hafez
My country who crawls towards its triumphs
Oh you who lives a life of glory

In Palestine and our rebelling south
We will complete your freedoms

We are a country that protects and does not threaten
We are a country that preserves and does not waste

The country of glory my Arab country
My country my beloved

 

Hamdeen for President

I've decided to support Hamdeen for President. I've had lots of good and productive arguments with those who will lend their support to Abul Futuh, and while I respect their choice, at the end of the day, I just cannot, in good conscience, bring myself to support an Islamist for the top job.

 

Watani Newspaper: Coptic women reject alleged call for hijab-like decency

Watani Weekly Newspaper 

جريدة وطنى الأسبوعية

 
Coptic Women reject alleged call for hijab-like decency

18 May 2012

Robeir al-Faris - Nader Shukry

This morning saw a demonstration by Coptic women at the grounds of the St Mark cathedral in Abassiya, Cairo, to protest against alleged declarations by Anba Bishoi, Archbishop of Dumyat, in which he called upon Coptic women to exercise decency in dress, and cited the Islamic hijab as an example of decency.

The demonstrators, who began as mostly female but who were joined by many men, alleged that Anba Bishoi was flirting with the Islamist streams which are getting mightier by the day in Egypt. They insisted that decency was an attitude which translated in many aspects including dress, and that the majority of Coptic women dressed decently.

Anba Bishoi issued a statement which was read to the demonstrators by Anba Angelius, deputy to the acting patriarch Anba Pachomeus. Anba Bishoi insisted he had made no declarations against women or how they dressed, and confirmed he held women in the highest respect. He cited verses from the Bible and said Coptic women always dressed decently and covered their heads in church and when they partook of communion.

For his part, Anba Angelius said that the news about Anba Bishoi’s declarations were unsubstantiated, and that none of the protestors had heard them or seen him say them on video. They were merely propagated in the media according to unknown sources, he said.

The only person who was able to give a personal testimony to Watani on the matter was Walaa’ Wassfi, a Coptic woman in her thirties, who was among the demonstrators. Ms Wassfi said she had heard Anba Bishoi in a sermon he delivered at the convent of St Dimiana say that Coptic women ought to dress decently, which Muslim women did. But, according to Wassfi, he never said anything about hijab. And there was no one else among the demonstrators who said they had heard anything first-hand.

By early afternoon Anba Pachomeus met a representative group of the demonstrators for some 30 minutes. He reassured them that the Coptic Church held women in the utmost respect. The demonstration then ended.

Carlos Latuff: Gulf Cooperation Council crushing pro-democracy movement in Bahrain

#Cartoon - Gulf Cooperation Council #GCC: Crushing pro-democracy movement in #Bahrain

Carlos Latuff: Bahrain's (not so) secret weapon of human rights destruction

#Cartoon - #Bahrain (not so) secret weapon of human rights destruction - #GCC #KSA


 

Watani Newspaper: Anba Moussa to Stand in Papal Election

Watani Weekly Newspaper جريدة وطنى الأسبوعية 

 

Latest on papal elections: Anba Moussa in

Nader Shukry

Earlier this day, Anba Moussa, the Bishop of Youth, agreed to accept nomination for the post of patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, a post which has been vacant since the death of Pope Shenouda III last March. In doing so, Anba Moussa finally gave in to pleas and pressure by Coptic clergy and members of the congregation, especially youth,to accept nomination. Anba Moussa, 74, is widely loved and venerated by Copts for his serenity, wisdom and great knowledge. He is known to have been Pope Shenouda III’s student and loyal successor. He was originally against the idea of contending the papal elections, due to his old age and poor health. But since doctors confirmed that he suffers from no particular health problem that would prevent him from assuming the responsibilities of pope, Coptic youth took to pushing Anba Moussa and pleading with him to accept nomination.

In a press conference held yesterday to inform of the decisions taken by the Holy Synod and the Melli (Community) Council during a joint meeting, the spokesman for the meeting, Anba Benyamin, announced that the number of nominees for the papal seat has risen to eight bishops and 10 monks. Anba Moussa's nomination brings the figure to nine bishops. Anba Binyamin said that the door will be closed for nominations on Saturday 19 May, with a grace period of one week that will end on 26 May for all the nominees to complete their papers. Anba Binyamin explained that the papal elections committee will convene on 29 May to check the final list of accepted candidates, and that the Holy Synod will the following day, 30 May, announce their names and the measures according to which these candidates will be vetted and a short list of only seven listed for voting. The electorate should vote for three of the seven finalists, then a draw is conducted on the altar during Holy Mass to pick the new pope.

The Holy Synod agreed to extend the period for voter registration till 30 June.

Anba Binyamin revealed nothing regarding the several statements presented to the Holy Synod, which all advised against the nomination of diocesan bishops for the post of patriarch, branding such a move as non-canonical. It is not known whether or not these statements might be taken into consideration during the short-listing of the nominees.

Anba Binyamin called on the media to exercise accuracy while reporting on the papal elections and to refrain from publishing material intended to smear any of the contenders.

 

 

 

 

 

Reporting Links: Israel, Mubarak Legacy, Copts

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