The woman who wants to be Egypt's first female president

     Amidst the turmoil in Egypt, there remains at a least a few encouraging signs, a prime one being the visibility of a female candidate for the presidency.
      Bothaina Kamel, a former TV and radio host, recalls vividly the Mubarak regime's incessant assertions that February's uprisings were the product of a "foreign agenda." Highly critical of the construction, Kamel now operates under the slogan Egypt is My Agenda,  and cites among her chief objectives combating corruption and bringing a voice to marginalized ethnic groups nationwide. Says Kamel, "I promise by the election I will be the most informed of the candidates about the Egyptian people. I know the demands of the Bedouin, the people of Upper Egypt, the Coptic Christians, the workers and different groups from all parts of the country."
     With respect to the former objective, she can cite among her accomplishments the creation in 2005 of Shayfeen - "We Are Watching You" - a movement that contested the largely fraudulent elections taking place that year, and yesterday reiterated her demand for the creation of an independent body to monitor and fight corruption in Egypt.
    In terms of what scores points with me personally, Kamel shares my criticism of the perception that Egypt's revolution ended with Mubarak's ouster. "I know that we have just started a revolution," she says. "We haven't made a revolution yet. There's a lot more to do."
    And lest there be any doubt as to her cognizance of the gendered dimensions of her campaign, Kamel tells the Guardian, "By putting myself forward I am making this democratic right – the right of a woman to be president – a concrete reality, and that alters expectations."
    Her past projects include the radio show "The Egypt We Don't Know." Says Kamel, speaking of her experiences there, "I traveled all over the country collecting various songs, community traditions, local ideas about the Nile or the desert . . . On reflection, I think it was the most important program I've ever been involved in."
    Someone to keep an eye on.

Reminder to check out "My Fellow American," an anti-Islamophobic website

    With the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 and everything it entails fresh in our minds, I wanted to remind everyone to check out the compelling website My Fellow American, which I blogged about in June, and which strongly enforces one of the chief goals of my novel: countering Islamophobia.
     As a refresher on the site's nature, My Fellow American allows visitors to contribute video testimonials challenging negative stereotypes about Muslims. The library is both diverse and compelling, articulating an agenda that in my estimation can't ever be stressed enough.
     One particular video that moved me this second time around features a young Mennonite discussing his interest in facilitating dialogue with the Muslims in his community. His motivation to better understand the faith includes experimental fasting during the month of Ramadan:

Inspiration from a Mennonite Journal

    
     My Fellow American also features a short video teaser, which, as stressed in my last post, is a much-needed reminder of just how much hideousness has been voiced regarding the Muslim faith and its followers:

My Fellow American

Manal Omar: Another Extraordinary Woman

    I thought I'd celebrate the end of Ramadan by recognizing another one of the Arab world's movers and shakers: Manal Omar, director of the Iraq, Iran and North Africa programs for the United States Institute for Peace (USIP).
    Omar launched her career in 1996 as a journalist in the Middle East. Less than a year later, UNESCO  recruited her to work on one of her first lead assignments in Iraq, from 1997-1998. She then served as regional coordinator for Women for Women International in Afghanistan, Sudan, and Iraq, residing in the latter and setting up operations throughout the tumultuous period of 2003-2005. She also served as regional program manager for the Middle East for Oxfam - Great Britain, where she responded to humanitarian crises in Palestine and Lebanon, and worked more than three years with the World Bank’s development economics group.
    At USIP, Omar works with the Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, which manages the Institute's activities in Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, Liberia, Sri Lanka, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She has also carried out training programs in Yemen, Bahrain, Sudan, Lebanon, Kenya, and Palestine.
     Not to be excluded, the written word has, in addition, excelled under Omar's direction. Her publications include: "In the Sea of National Building: Anchoring Women's Rights in the Iraqi Constitution," "Barefoot in Baghdad: A Story of Identity -- My Own and What it Means to Be a Woman in Chaos," and "Islamic Feminism."
     As implied by the above, Omar compliments her commitment to international peace with equally fervent investment in the Muslim community, both abroad and at home. In 2007, Islamic Magazine named her one of the ten young visionaries shaping Islam in America.
     I learned of Ms. Omar via a recent article in the Huffington Post, which also featured my perennial favorite from Yemen, Tawakul Karman.