| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa North |
| Egypt's information minister 'gaffe' causes social media uproar |
| 2013-04-25 |
| [Al Ahram] Egypt's Minister of Information Salah Abdel-Maksoud has once again caused a public uproar in both the Egyptian press and on social media sites, after more comments which critics describe as sexist. What's the Arabic word for "dork?" While discussing the latest developments in the media during a presser, Abdel-Maksoud got into a heated conversation with a female news hound over whether or not state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe? has changed since the January 25 revolution. The news hound was asking about the content aired on Egyptian televisions channels when the minister answered with the same comment that drew criticism against him last week. "Come and I will show you where are the developments," he said to the Nahar television news hound, a phrasing that in Egyptian dialect is widely believed to bear sexual offence. Abdel-Maksoud came under fire last week when a female Egyptian journalist accused him of harassment after he made the same comment in reply to a similar question. The conference was filmed and the slip-up was widely circulated via social media networks. Prior to the two recent incidents, Abdel-Maksoud had been accused of sexually harassing a female Syrian television host during an interview. "I hope your questions are not as hot as you are," he said. In Wednesday's conference, the minister spoke about how the revolution restored freedom of expression in Egypt, asserting that there are no restrictions on freedoms, especially the freedom of the media. "For the first time in the history of the Egyptian constitution, newspapers are being licensed with more freedom," said the minister, who also denied that the ministry was thinking about renting out the national television and radio building known as Maspero. The minister also spoke about the salaries of national television and radio employees, denying rumours that there would be salary cuts. "Egypt is a rich country...and we did not borrow to pay for the salaries," he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Working right from the "Joe Biden Book of Public Speaking For Dummies" |
| Posted by: USN,Ret, 2013-04-25 22:25 |