Egyptian women claim judge barred them from voting

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/egyptian-women-claim-judge-barred-them-voting-172618884.html

Associated Press – 13 hrs ago

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (AP) — Some 1,500 Egyptian women blocked a main road in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, claiming a judge prevented them from voting on the draft constitution because they weren't veiled.

The women lined up on Saturday night in front of cars in the city's Sedi Gaber district, chanting "down with the Muslim Brotherhood rule."

Amira Abdel-Azem, a hospital manager, said judge supervising the polling station was only allowing women wearing a niqab, a veil that covers everything but the eyes, to cast ballots. It was not possible to immediately verify her account.

Alexandria is a stronghold of ultraconservative Islamists known as Salafis but has seen tensions rise over the disputed charter.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I've been hearing some pretty bad things coming out of Alexandria these past few weeks not unlike this but all seem to be unverified reports. Maybe it's time to send someone in there to verify these things that are allegedly happening in this pocket.

[Pooky 3,834]

I've been hearing some pretty bad things coming out of Alexandria these past few weeks not unlike this but all seem to be unverified reports. Maybe it's time to send someone in there to verify these things that are allegedly happening in this pocket.

It would be too little, too late.

Voting on the new constitution is now closed. Where Egypt goes from here is already decided.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

It would be too little, too late.

Voting on the new constitution is now closed. Where Egypt goes from here is already decided.

This.

What's worse is not once did Morsi offer to fix the obvious mistakes to his new Constitution. If your a woman, a moderate Muslim or Coptic Christian in Egypt your pretty much screwed. Egypt just went backwards by about 200 years today.

[Darnell 8,479]

I've been hearing some pretty bad things coming out of Alexandria these past few weeks not unlike this but all seem to be unverified reports. Maybe it's time to send someone in there to verify these things that are allegedly happening in this pocket.

I nominate SpookyTurtle for the trip. He's got a herd of stealth sheep that will be useful for hidden cameras.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Iv'e never met any Middle Eastern chicks...at least that I know of but if they look anything like that one in the center of that pic down below, (pic taken from original article), then they are an untapped market imo. I mean why would they want to cover up gals that look like that? I think one day soon your going to see a lot of American guys on this forum with Egyptian flags next to their moniker.

[LaL 418]

It would be too little, too late.

Voting on the new constitution is now closed. Where Egypt goes from here is already decided.

what do you mean "closed"? there are two days to vote, the 15th and the 22nd.

[sandinista! 1,816]

what do you mean "closed"? there are two days to vote, the 15th and the 22nd.

thank you for that raw news clarification.

[Tuti & Baher 10]

2 days to vote it is true. Not sure about Alexandria, but here in Cairo that was a fine of 500 pounds if you do not vote. Two of my close friends are not veiled and they had no problem voting. Ladies like the one in the middle? There are many like her here in Egypt. They wear casual clothing even brand names, make up, love purses, sunglasses, heels, jeans, work, go to the university, go out with friends to coffee shops, movies, drive, choose who they wanna marry and also follow fashion trends. This in fact it is not profitable for the media and whoever controls it, so for different reasons they need people around the globe to think that these third world countries are centuries behind, helpless and even savages. Of course there is diversity but, also tolerance in traditions and lifestyles, where some are extremely conservative, other are just more open minded and not only Egyptian Coptics but also some Muslim ladies who choose not to wear the scarf.

Edited December 17, 2012 by Tuti & Baher

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

2 days to vote it is true. Not sure about Alexandria, but here in Cairo that was a fine of 500 pounds if you do not vote. Two of my close friends are not veiled and they had no problem voting. Ladies like the one in the middle? There are many like her here in Egypt. They wear casual clothing even brand names, make up, love purses, sunglasses, heels, jeans, work, go to the university, go out with friends to coffee shops, movies, drive, choose who they wanna marry and also follow fashion trends. This in fact it is not profitable for the media and whoever controls it, so for different reasons they need people around the globe to think that these third world countries are centuries behind, helpless and even savages. Of course there is diversity but, also tolerance in traditions and lifestyles, where some are extremely conservative, other are just more open minded and not only Egyptian Coptics but also some Muslim ladies who choose not to wear the scarf.

Have you read Morsi's Constitution? The ladies that have those freedom's now are in for a big surprise if it's voted in.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/401705-arab-spring-in-egypt%3B/ <----- apparently a lot of Egyptians aren't happy with that constitution

NP though. The nutters are taking over in Egypt, the hot chicks will want out of that mess for the fact they won't want to have to hide their hotness and that's where Western guys with Western passports come into play. US visa ftw.

Edited December 17, 2012 by Bad_Daddy

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/mistrust-runs-deep-over-egypt-referendum-221724782.html

Mistrust runs deep over Egypt referendum

By By SARAH EL DEEB | Associated Press – 9 hrs ago

CAIRO (AP) — Nevine Mustafa finally had enough after 10 hours of waiting to cast her "no" vote in Egypt's referendum on a highly disputed draft constitution. She and the other women in line were convinced the judge running the polling station was deliberately stalling to drive away voters opposed to the document.

So the 39-year-old housewife and dozens of other women launched a protest, blocking the street and chanting against the judge in an upper class district of Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city.

"The line was not moving since 8 a.m. I protest. It is now 7 p.m.," an agitated Mustafa said at the time. "He wants us to get bored and leave." After their protest, new officials were brought in to speed up the process.

The scene was a reflection of the deep distrust of Egypt's ruling Islamists and their management of a referendum on a draft constitution that they largely wrote. Questions raised Sunday over the referendum's legitimacy suggest the confrontation between Islamists and their secular, liberal and Christian opponents will not be resolved by the long-awaited vote.

As Islamist President Mohammed Morsi rushed the referendum despite high pitched opposition, the dispute over the charter has turned into a fight over the Islamists' hold on power, and the ballot has become a yes or no vote on the president himself.

Rights activists and opponents of the constitution said Sunday that the first round of voting a day earlier was marred by widespread violations, including suppression of voting by opponents of the charter, particularly women, Christians. A coalition of rights groups said the first round was invalid and should be held over again.

That appeared highly unlikely. The Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails, said the constitution was on route to approval.

But the margin from the first round of voting, which took place in 10 of Egypt's 27 provinces, was narrow — and turnout low, at only 32 percent.

Preliminary results showed 55.8 percent backed the draft, according to the Brotherhood. Its count was based on a compilation of results announced at each individual polling station. In past elections, the Brotherhood's counts have proven largely accurate.

The strongest "no" vote was in Cairo, with 68 percent, according to the official website of Egypt's state television. The "yes" vote narrowly carried Egypt's second largest city, Alexandria, with nearly 56 percent.

The head of the referendum commission said the official results will be announced after the second and last round, scheduled for next Saturday. It was an indication that reports of violations will not stop the process, at least at this stage. Islamists enjoy wide support in most of the 17 provinces in the second round.

The claims of violations are likely to further stoke tensions ahead of the second round, as each camp works to mobilize a population that largely opted to stay on the sidelines of the rivalry.

Over the past three weeks, hundreds of thousands from both camps have held rival protests in the streets that sparked violence leaving at least 9 people dead.

Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan dismissed the rights groups' allegations as politically motivated to sway public opinion.

"These organizations are funded by Western countries. Just like the Westerners hate the Islamists, so do these groups. They are seculars and they hate the Islamists and have foreign agendas," Ghozlan said.

Despite worries over the vote's fairness, voters "should do down in big numbers to say no," a member of the main opposition National Salvation Front, Abdel-Ghaffar Shukr, told a press conference. The group called for new protests Tuesday.

Many voters who backed the charter argue that men who fear God have written the text, and it must be given a chance.

But the women's protest during Saturday's voting in Alexandria's Rushdi neighborhood reflected anger over what they view as the Brotherhood's domineering way of ruling. Scores of women blocked traffic, chanting, "Down with the rule of the Brotherhood leader."

A young man with a light beard — which the women took as a sign he was a Brotherhood member — tried to break up the protest, telling the women they were obstructing traffic, said Mustafa, who herself wears a conservative headscarf.

"So we shouted: Down with Morsi," she said.

The women contended the judge running the station was trying to suppress voting in the district, known to be a stronghold of "no" voters. He repeatedly closed the station for long breaks to pray, talk on the phone, or eat, said Nada Abdel-Azim, a 23-year old who was among the protesters.

"He even asked one voter what she voted," she said. When told "no," he shut down for another break, she said.

"The country is split into two. We too are Muslims. Why are they labeling us infidels" for rejecting the charter, said Abdel-Azim, a teacher.

Standing in the same line, Mervat Ahmed, a 42-year woman wearing a veil that left only her eyes visible — a sign of the most conservative Muslims — got angry when an acquaintance called her to urge her to vote "yes."

"No, don't tell me this. I am still voting no," she shouted into the phone. Explaining herself, she said: "I am not convinced by this constitution. The president has great powers. I don't want to wait more years to try to strip him of this power. We will not be able to by that time."

By the end of the day, only 2,873 of the 6,500 women registered in Rushdi district were able to vote. The "no" vote overwhelmingly carried the neighborhood, with only 552 "yes" votes.

Amina Fouad, a 43-year-old self-employed businesswoman, said the district's turnout seemed higher to her. She and her daughter passed by the station four times waiting for the line to die down before finally deciding to wait to vote.

She said she was voting "no" ''to clear my conscience, but she expected the "yes" to win. "It is a joke. I don't trust them," she said.

Most of the country's judges, who normally supervise elections, boycotted the referendum. Opposition voters accused the judges who did participate of being biased, saying some influenced people to vote "yes." Other voters Saturday also reported suspected Brotherhood members inside polling stations urging people to vote in favor of the charter.

Some judges, in turn, complained that they were overburdened because of the boycott, causing long waits.

Ghozlan alleged the opposition had also committed voting violations, such campaigning in stations against the charter. He said his group will file its own complaints to the referendum commission.

For Islamists, the constitution is the keystone for their ambitions to bring Islamic rule, a goal they say is justified by their large victory in last winter's parliamentary elections.

The opposition had demanded Morsi cancel the referendum because the draft was passed by Islamists in the Constituent Assembly amid a boycott by secular, liberal and Christian members. For opponents, the draft threatens the notion of moderate Islam Egypt had adopted for decades. They fear it will torpedo many freedoms, from the rights of women and minorities to freedoms of expression and labor organizing.

At a press conference Sunday, representatives of seven rights groups denounced the vote, saying it was carried out without sufficient guarantees of fairness. They said they had reports some polling centers closed earlier than scheduled and that in some cases Christians were denied entry to polls and women were prevented from voting. They said they had reports of individuals falsely identifying themselves as judges.

Negad Borai, the head of one of the groups, said the election commission did not investigate thousands of complaints on alleged violations and irregularities.

On his Twitter account, Mohamed ElBaradei, Egypt's best known reform leader, questioned whether a vote held "under insufficient judicial supervision, clearly tenuous security and the violence and violations we are witnessing" could lead to stability.

The National Council for Human Rights, a state agency, also said that vote-buying took place outside polling centers and that some independent monitors were turned away from polling stations.

While the charges are serious, they don't touch the wholesale vote fraud that defined Mubarak's 29-year rule.

In Alexandria's middle-class el-Shatbi neighborhood, a group of women complained that their ballots were not stamped, raising concerns that the votes wouldn't be counted.

Habiba el-Sayed, a 49-year-old housewife, screamed at the line as she walked out of the station, urging other women to ensure that their ballots were stamped.

"For two hours, people voted without stamped ballots. Beware," she screamed.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Iv'e never met any Middle Eastern chicks...at least that I know of but if they look anything like that one in the center of that pic down below, (pic taken from original article), then they are an untapped market imo. I mean why would they want to cover up gals that look like that? I think one day soon your going to see a lot of American guys on this forum with Egyptian flags next to their moniker.

I'm coming in late on this conversation, but just to tell you, there are beautiful women in every country. Even in MENA countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, I was blown away. I'll ask the wife if I can post some of my old pics from port visits.

[Tuti & Baher 10]

Have you read Morsi's Constitution? The ladies that have those freedom's now are in for a big surprise if it's voted in.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/401705-arab-spring-in-egypt%3B/ <----- apparently a lot of Egyptians aren't happy with that constitution

NP though. The nutters are taking over in Egypt, the hot chicks will want out of that mess for the fact they won't want to have to hide their hotness and that's where Western guys with Western passports come into play. US visa ftw.

Hahaha.. wow.. your story sounds better then Cinderella's to me!!. .... Wow, you really did your homework!!.. Thank you for all that info, and Yes, I actually had the opportunity to read the draft ( apple of discord )

http://www.constitutionnet.org/files/2012.09.20_-_draft_constitution_-_english.pdf

It is not official of course since people still making some corrections, and trying to make some changes to it as the world might already know lol!

It might sound crazy, but these people on the streets are only trying to have a better living after being in poverty for such a long time, trying to make their voice to be heard after decades of silence. Hopefully a rest get soon to the streets, there is an agreement between the country and the government, and we can finally say bye-bye to Traffic insanity lol!! (Let me dream, ok!)

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

thank you for that raw news clarification.

Still at it. Like the energizer bunny. Nothing outlasts the energizer.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I'm coming in late on this conversation, but just to tell you, there are beautiful women in every country. Even in MENA countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, I was blown away. I'll ask the wife if I can post some of my old pics from port visits.

Some pics would be great Marv

http://imageshack.us/ <------ free image hosting. Just register on there and your good to go.

Hahaha.. wow.. your story sounds better then Cinderella's to me!!. .... Wow, you really did your homework!!.. Thank you for all that info, and Yes, I actually had the opportunity to read the draft ( apple of discord )

http://www.constitutionnet.org/files/2012.09.20_-_draft_constitution_-_english.pdf

It is not official of course since people still making some corrections, and trying to make some changes to it as the world might already know lol!

It might sound crazy, but these people on the streets are only trying to have a better living after being in poverty for such a long time, trying to make their voice to be heard after decades of silence. Hopefully a rest get soon to the streets, there is an agreement between the country and the government, and we can finally say bye-bye to Traffic insanity lol!! (Let me dream, ok!)

Why do you think Morsi hasn't offered to change (fix the obvious mistakes) the constitution in order to appease the protesters ?