Ahmed Fouad II leads a quiet, secluded life in the Swiss countryside, surrounded by mementos of his ancestors—oil paintings, busts and old black-and-white photographs. He reads history books, putters in his garden and ruminates about the past. One of his favorite possessions is a picture of his father, King Farouk of Egypt, saluting the cheering crowds at his 1937 coronation. The 58-year-old Fouad—as he prefers to be called—is the last King of Egypt. The honor was conferred on him when he was six months old by his father as one of his final acts before abdicating in July 1952. Egypt's government doesn't recognize the title, or Fouad's claim to it. But within Egypt, new signs of longing for a monarchy many Egyptians never knew are emerging. "In the past, we were more or less pariahs," Fouad says. "They used to say so much that was bad about my family. Now it has completely changed." On the 58th anniversary of the revolution that brought down King Farouk, Egyptians are looking at the government that replaced him with a more jaundiced eye. Despite economic growth, about 40% of Egypt survives on $2 or less a day, according to the World Bank. The recent killing of a 28-year-old man by police in Alexandria has been a reminder of the power security forces wield. Elections are set for next year, but in light of President Hosni Mubarak's nearly 30-year tenure, there is a sense that littl... >>>
Person | About | Day |
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نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |
Presidents for Life ? ...
by Darius Kadivar on Sun Sep 19, 2010 12:29 AM PDTEgypt's Presidents seem to be elected for life and seem to even name their sons as successor as is the case for Hosni Mobarak after 30 years of an undisputed rule. What was the point of Abolishing the Monarchy in the first place then ? ...