According to some local newspapers, and now an increasing number of independent news and blog sites, Egyptian police has to-date arrested 155 non-fasters, who were caught eating/smoking/drinking.

Ramadan’s fasting hours in Egypt go from Sunrise (approx. 4.15) until sunset (approx 6.15), in other words, lasts for 14 hours. Safe to say, 6 of these hours are spent sleeping, if not more.

According to those interviewed post their release, the arrests were random, and some of those arrested were fasting, but just caught buying food or drinks.

While currently, nothing in the Egyptian constitution or law gives legitimacy to this, some worry that it might become a manipulation of the present law that allows punishment to any moral offender, usually punished for things like public nudity or intense displays of public affection.

The reports are yet to be completely denied or confirmed by any official source, however, talks surrounding the incidents have been increasing in scrutiny and controversy, while some rumors have it that Al Azhar is encouraging such behavior and hopes that a law be passed to legitimize the arrests.

Such laws are known to exist in more radical countries following the Islamic Sharia, such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
The Egyptian constitution does not follow the Islamic Shari’a, however many of its laws are derived/adapted from it.

Driving...Driving with my poor 10 year old car in all these ditches and sewer pots and horrible road bumps and around the pedestrians and the microbuses and the crazy taxi drivers and big trucks. Driving on unpaved asphalt that seems to assume my car is a 4×4 wheel drive, which even if it were, would still be agonizing over what’s being done to it :(

I have this theory that the 92 gasoline in the gas stations is actually 90, and the 90 is actually 80, and they dilute it with some other substance and conspire to kill my car.

Television, that seem over occupied with lying to the people about better tax plans and new train carts and sprite that has more lemon in it or Coca Cola that tastes better in the summer. I’m uncomfortable with the level of adverts that overwhelm every television channel now, and radio stations, and crazy billboards...perhaps if their creativity compensated their amounts I would have been entertained. But they’re ugly :(

There’s also the increasing amount of poor people, sitting on the sidewalks, that over mounts me with guilt just being inside my car or having a place to go home to at the end of the day. It’s so sad. Especially in contrast with all these super expensive cars roaming the streets, and the super expensive fancy buildings going up, and all the new compounds being advertised, and everything that is so clearly targeting a niche market that I do not know how it exists or why or who belongs to it.

All the horrible movie posters and soap opera’s.

All those signs on the road reading Qur’anic verses..

The unbelievable smog layer over the city and the prettiest parts of it still looking pretty.

The two lions on Asr El Neel Bridge that never seem to get rid of people posing for pictures with them, they’re national celebrities.

How everytime I take a faluca out on the Nile the weather is brilliant and the faluca driver is interesting and the company is great and the Nile looks beautiful and I am in love.

My horror at the bridge everytime I take it home wondering how it takes all these cars and whether it will remain standing until i get off it or not then feel guilty that I just want to get off it and be safe...I’m scared of bridges.

The music I hear on the radio that is so Egyptian and the small local bands that are so talented.

And as much as I dislike Egypt sometimes, as much as she renews our vowes everytime, and I love Her all over again...such a conundrum!