Egyptian Olympians outfitted in designer knockoffs for London Games

There are so many reasons why this story is amazing.  Traveling through Egypt and the greater Middle East (and Asia and Chinatowns worldwide), you're bombarded with designer knockoffs--purses, duffel bags, sunnies, clothes, you name it. Most have typos...

Spotted in Aswan

And some are humorous. Will post when I find them.

According to the New York Times, Egypt's Olympic team was outfitted with gear bearing fake Nike logos.

General Mahmoud Ahmed Ali accepted responsibility for the counterfeits, telling Ahram, an Egyptian state newspaper, "You can never tell the difference between the original and fake ones.  It's like if somebody created false coins and you happen to possess them.  Is it your fault then?"

Nevertheless, General Ali contended the fake gear, purchased from China, is "sufficient" for the Egyptians competing in the games.  He told Nike to take it up with China if they had a problem.

Earlier this week, Egyptian synchronized swimmer Yomna Khallaf complained on her Twitter account that the gear given to the delegation was obviously fake, pointing to her bag with a Nike logo on the front and an Adidas logo on the zipper.  According to Khallaf, Egyptian Olympic officials told them to take it or leave it.  The athletes ended up spending $300 of their own money for legit gear

Neocons demand Obama establish "safe zones" in Syria

If Fouad Ajami, L. Paul Bremer, Doug Feith, Robert Kagan, Bill Kristol, Karl Rove, Leon Wieseltier, Robert Zarate, and their neocon ilk support something, I automatically assume it's a bad idea.

A group of mostly conservatives affiliated with the Foreign Policy Initiative wrote to the Obama administration asking it to establish "safe zones" in Syria by using military power to protect civilians and counter the Syrian regime's offensive.

"Such safe zones would serve as a destination for civilians fleeing violence," argued the group.  "They would also provide the country's opposition groups--which have actively stood up to the Assad regime's relentless aggression, and bravely defended their cities, towns, and villages in the absence of decisive international action--a place to train, be equipped, and organize."

Nothing these guys have ever supported have been good ideas (Invade Iraq--we'll be greeted with flowers! Disband the Iraqi military! Kick out all the Baathists in post-invasion Iraq! Bomb Iran! Move troops from Afghanistan to Iraq!).  

Real headline: US court allows Muslims to use mosque

Via the BBC:

A US judge has ruled that a Muslim congregation has the right to occupy their newly built mosque, overturning a lower court order. 

 But county officials said they could not complete a final inspection to make the building ready for use on Thursday as the month of Ramadan begins. 

 Wednesday's ruling was the latest episode in a two-year legal battle over the Rutherford County mosque. 

 Residents filed a lawsuit against the place of worship in 2010. 

 The opponents said Islam was not a real religion and claimed Muslims wanted to overthrow the US constitution in favour of Islamic law. 

 Their lawsuit was dismissed, but in May this year they won a ruling on a technicality to overturn the completed building's approval. 

 Earlier this month, a local judge barred the county from issuing an occupancy permit for the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.

Stay classy, SCAF supporters: Clinton met with Lewinsky jeers during recent Cairo visit

It took me awhile to write about this because I have so much to say and no idea how to say it.

It started a few weeks ago when an Egyptian friend posted a photo of Clinton on Facebook captioned, "To Hilary Clinton focus your attention on the Monica Lewinsky scandal!!!"

Ignoring the spelling mistakes and the poor grammar, I almost reached through my computer and strangled my dear Egyptian friend. He's obviously part of the upper class, works for the government, and once defended Omar Suleiman, Egypt's answer to Dick Cheney, as a good man.

Disagree with Clinton's actions as Secretary of State. Whatever, I don't really care.  But Lewinsky? Why define her by her husband being a jerk? What the hell does that have anything to do with her work? Nothing. Don't be such a machismo douche.

He answered that she kept on talking about SCAF and should mind her own business. I told him to mind his.

That was unfortunately a prelude to the Egyptian reaction to Clinton's recent visit to Cairo.  Fed by rumors Clinton is a secret Islamist, protesters gathered outside her hotel and pelted her motorcade with tomatoes, holding signs with similarly poor grammar, taunting, "Monica! Monica!" The protests were led by Tawfiq Okasha, Egypt's answer to Glen Beck. They pointed to information from right-wing nutjob Frank Gaffey, who accused Clinton's rock-star staffer of being a closet Muslim Brotherhood supporter.

Via Ayman Mohyeldin. I don't really know what that's supposed to mean. 

According to Foreign Policy Passport:

 If Hillary Clinton is indeed a covert Islamist, she's not doing a very good job eliminating the tensions between the Muslim Brotherhood and the U.S. government. The list of potential issues goes on and on: The Brotherhood's uncertain guarantees of equal rights to Copts and women, its shaky commitment to inclusive democracy, and its antagonism toward Israel are just a few of the subjects that could trip up relations with the United States. Decades of built-up antagonism and suspicion can sabotage even the most basic cooperation: Just this month, a spokesman for the Brotherhood's political party accused the American NGO workers who were arrested under the former military government of being involved in "intelligence work."

Hillary's response? It was a shameful waste of tomatoes.

I'm not particularly surprised by the lack of class.  But really? Ugh. See. I don't even know how to say what I'm trying to say.

McCain defends Clinton aide against Muslim Brotherhood smears by rightwingers

Senator John McCain took to the Senate floor today to defend Secretary Clinton's deputy chief of staff Huma Abedin from accusations by rabid rightwingers of being a fifth column for the Muslim Brotherhood.

"I have every confidence in Huma's loyalty to our country, and everyone else should as well," said McCain.  "All Americans owe Huma a debt of gratitude for her many years of superior public service.  I hope these ugly and unfortunate attacks on her can be immediately brought to an end and put behind us before any further damage is done to a woman, an American, of genuine patriotism and love of country."

Abedin and Clinton

His comments came days after House Republicans, led by Michele Bachmann, requested an investigation into Abedin.  In a letter to the State Inspector General Harold W. Geisel, the Members wrote:

Given that the US government has established in federal court that the Muslim Brotherhood's mission in the United States is "destroying Western civilization from within"--a practice the Muslim Brothers call "civilizational jihad"--we believe that the apparent involvement of those with such ties raises serious security concerns that warrant your urgent attention. 

For example, according to "The Muslim Brotherhood in America: The Enemy Within," a product of the Center for Security Policy, the Department's Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin has three family members--her late father, her mother, and her father--connected to Muslim Brotherhood operatives and/or organizations.  Her position affords her routine access to the Secretary and to policy-making.

"To say that the accusations made in both documents are not substantiated by the evidence they offer is to be overly polite and diplomatic about it," McCain said in direct response to the request for an investigation. "It is far better, and more accurate, to talk straight: These allegations about Huma, and the report from which they are drawn, are nothing less than an unwarranted and unfounded attack on an honorable citizen, a dedicated American, and a loyal public servant."

The Center for Security Policy is a far-right organization led by Frank Gaffney, who alleges the Muslim Brotherhood infiltrated the United States government and is planning a takeover. He cites Abedin as evidence, and accuses her mother, Saleha Abedin, of being a Muslim Sister.  In reality, Saleha is an advocate for women's rights in the Muslim world and the director of the Institute of Minority Affairs at the Global Peace Initiative of Women, an organization that promotes dialogue and cooperation among women of various religions.  

Abedin is a long-serving aide to Clinton, born in Michigan and of Pakistani origin.  Much of the media attention she receives is for her considerable achievements, her sense of style, and her marriage to erstwhile congressman Anthony Weiner who resigned from Congress following a sexy text scandal.

McCain has had a mixed record with such incidents.  He was the target of a racial smears during the 2000 election for his adopted baby.  His campaign during the 2008 election, however, engaged in borderline race-baiting, fed fears among white America of a country under the presidency of a "foreign" Barack Obama, and took a hard right to appease the base.

There was one instance in which he awkwardly tried to clamp down on the racism of some of his supporters.  Two supporters asked questions at a campaign rally--one expressed fear in raising his unborn child in Barack Obama's America, and another from a woman who called the future president an "Arab" who she "couldn't trust."  McCain yanked the mike away from her and defended Obama, calling him a "decent man."

Judo chop! Saudi reverses, sends women to Olympics

The Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee reversed itself after ruling no women would qualify for the London Olympics this summer on Thursday, announcing two women will compete in the competition. With Saudi's announcement, every participating country's delegation will include women.

Saudi, Qatar, and Brunei were the only holdouts during the last Olympics.

The two ladies are Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahkhani, who will participate in the judo competition, and Sarah Attar, who will run in the 800m.

Sarah Attar, practicing. 

"A big inspiration for participating in the Olympic Games is being one of the first women for Saudi Arabia to be going, said 17-year-old Attar.  "It's such a huge honor and I hope that it can really make some big strides for women over there to get more involved in sport."

Prince Nawaf bin Faisal told al-Jazirah the girls will be dressed modestly, accompanied by a male guardian, and will not mix with men during the Olympics.  

Qatar announces woman to carry flag in opening ceremony, smiles smugly at Saudis

In the first Olympics in which a woman from Qatar will participate, the Qatari Olympic Committee announced air rifle shooter Bahiya al-Hamad will carry the country's flag in the opening ceremony in London.

Bahiya al-Hamad is awesome. 

Al-Hamad is one of four women to qualify for participation in the Olympics from Qatar; her compatriots include swimmer Nada Mohammed Wafa Arakji, sprinter Noor al-Maliki, and table tennis player Aya Majdi.

The announcement comes the day Saudi faced intense international pressure for its all-male delegation to the Olympics. The Kingdom announced it would allow any women who qualified to participate, but not one woman from the entire Kingdom qualified.  Discriminatory policies undoubtedly contributed to this.

Another PR coup for Qatar at the expense of its larger, more conservative neighbor.  It is difficult not to compare the treatment of women between the two Wahhabi countries. 

Saudi, IOC in talks over KSA's all-male Olympic team

The International Olympic Committee is in talks with Saudi over its all-male delegation to the Olympics  despite an announcement that the Gulf state would support "qualified" woman participants.

Members of the Jedda Kings United all-female team practice in Jedda (AP)

The only catch? Not one Saudi woman qualified.

HRW called on the IOC to bar Saudi's participation in the Olympics "because of its clear violation of the Olympic Charter."  The Charter states all games must "encourage and support the promotion of women in sport at all levels and in all structures with a view to implementing the principle of equality of men and women."

Saudi does that so well.

HRW Director of Global Initiatives Minky Worden got it right when she said, "It's not that the Saudis couldn't find women athletes, it's that their discriminatory policies have so far prevented them from emerging...The bottom line is that Saudi Arabia broke its promise, is breaking the rules, and should absolutely not be allowed to participate in the London 2012 Games while excluding women from its team."

The IOC banned Taliban-led Afghanistan from participating in the 2000 games for excluding women.