The Saturday Salon: April 1st edition
Welcome, friends.
Amidst the dilapidated and misshapen buildings in downtown Cairo lies a cafe that survived war and revolution.
Once a space for intellectuals, artists, and activists, the cafe has become a staple for out-of-place tourists looking to experience Egypt beyond the Pyramids of Giza. It’s wooden exterior harkens back to a time before concrete and bricks became Cairo’s preferred foundation. Despite its unique appearance, it gives off an air of simplicity, as though beckoning all who walked past to come inside for a home-cooked meal.
I stepped through the cafe doors. Twenty tables occupied the space, each topped with a red cloth emblazoned with the words ‘Bierre Stella’ in the centre. Each table fit four wooden chairs, all of which were engraved with the name of the restaurant: Cafe Riche.
As a handsome young waiter dressed in traditional garments from Upper Egypt ushered me towards a table near the back of the restaurant, I felt as though I had stepped into a bygone age. I took my seat and surveyed the scene before me. Some of the tables were lined with worn down books, long since abandoned by their owners. Old newspaper clippings were scattered across the bar, giving the simple decor a touch of sophistication. Photographs lined the walls, each preserving Egypt’s stories in black and white, and capturing the elegance and grace that had long since faded into history.
I ordered a beer and a plate of chicken liver with Egyptian bread on the side. The waiter scribbled down my order on an old notepad and disappeared through a room behind the bar. As he turned the corner, I noticed that the doorway led into a second room of similar size to the main cafe area. When the waiter returned with my beer, I asked about the room and whether people were allowed to sit there. He paused for a moment and stared at me through splendid hazel eyes, considering what to say next.
“Not in many years, sir.”
“Why not?”
Another pause. The waiter emptied the beer into a tall glass. He was slow and methodical — enough time to choose his words with caution, “Politics, sir. The government put an end to that.”
I surveyed the scene before me. The cream-coloured walls were lined with black and white photographs depicting famous actors, writers, and other celebrities from Egypt’s Golden Age. Each photograph preserved the memory of Cafe Riche’s most celebrated guests. Yet among the dozens of distinguished faces enriching the scene, one in particular presided over the rest with its stature.
It was a picture of one of the most recognizable faces in Egypt — one known for its thick, dark-rimmed glasses and characteristic attire made up of a turtle neck and blue blazer. It was the face of Naguib Mahfouz, Egypt’s most celebrated author. Beneath his portrait was a plaque written in Arabic calligraphy that read: The Riche Salon for Intellectuals.
The table and the surrounding seats looked as though they had not been touched in decades except for the occasional dusting. I walked along the length of the table, passing portraits of poets, authors, actors, and politicians alike. Some laughed, some scowled, but none seemed out of place. It was as though I had interrupted a lively conversation.
This was once Egypt’s most iconic salon—an establishment that gathered the leading cultural figures, scholars and artists for lively discussions and debates. This was where several revolutionaries from the 1919 uprising met in secret to organize their activities and print their flyers; where Mahfouz conjured up ideas for novels that later became his Nobel Prize winning oeuvre; where Naguib Sorour (1932-1978) recited his scandalous (and now banned) “Koss Ummiyyat” poem.
Sadly, Cafe Riche is no longer a sanctuary for intellectuals. Few places are in Egypt.
This brings us to The Saturday Salon. While most of you know me for my journalistic output, I want this to be a place where I can share my thoughts on the global discourse and, more importantly, to host weekly discussions with Sports Politika readers. Have an interesting book recommendation? Cool music to show off? News items I might have missed? Questions about my work in general? This is the place to ask those questions.
Welcome to the salon.
SATURDAY SOUNDTRACK
No cultural salon is complete without a brief interlude for Umm Kulthum—the legendary Egyptian singer and songwriter who rejected gender norms and embodied Egypt’s post-monarchy golden era. Umm Kulthum is widely considered to be one of the finest—if not the finest—performers in modern Arab and North African history, having also influenced the likes of Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, and Beyonce.
More from The Guardian here.
Shameless Self Promotion
Investigating Russia's MMA-to-mercenary pipeline |
Wagner, the Russian paramilitary organization, is setting up recruitment centers in dozens of martial arts gyms and children's sports clubs across Russia.
Your favorite sports are ushering an Orwellian future |
France’s decision to flirt with authoritarian-style AI technology under the guise of protective measures for the Olympic Games is far from the first time that a host nation has used sports events to expand on their surveillance capacities.
While horse racing does has deep roots in the Gulf, it has long been utilized as a form of soft power by the region’s authoritarian leaders.
MEDIA CIRCUS
World News
Donald Trump indicted; expected to surrender early next week | Associated Press
Russia detains Wall Street Journal reporter, accusing him of espionage | The New York Times
‘Thousands of Dollars for Something I Didn’t Do’ | The New York Times
Israeli strikes near Syrian capital kill Iranian adviser | ABC News
Azerbaijani MP survives shooting | Eurasianet
France is a battleground for pro- and anti-Qatar influence operations | Le Monde
Criminal case is opened over death of migrant worker during Qatar World Cup | The Guardian
Arguments & Essays
Trans people deserve better journalism | VOX
Objectivity for What? | The Nation
Without Palestinians, Protest in Israel Is Just Demo - Not Democracy | Hareetz
There’s no greater feminist cause than the climate fight – and saving each other | The Guardian
The unimaginable horror of a friend’s arrest in Moscow | The New Yorker
The Trouble With Race and Its Many Shades of Deceit | New Lines Magazine
How the right turned radical and the left became depressed | The New York Times
Misc.
A Proclamation on Arab American Heritage Month, 2023 | The White House
Special Edition: 🖌️Artists’ Signatures ✍️ | Hyperallergic
DIGITAL SMORGASBORD
How can Ramadan be more sustainable?
A documentary on Morocco’s Mohammed VI—the so-called “King with two faces”
Middle East Art is Not Calligraphy
THE GATHERING
This is the place where Sports Politika readers can gather to share their thoughts, ask questions, and send recommendations and discussion points.
Share your thoughts in the comment section below to be included in next week’s salon.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
I wanted to take a moment to recognize the hundreds of wonderful readers who subscribed to Sports Politika. Thank you for believing in my work.
See you at the salon on April 15.
Would like to recommend the book 'Putin' (2022) by Philip Short. Very interesting read on the come up of Putin in Russia, starting from when he was a child all the way to the very start of the invasion of Ukraine. Gives a good indication of how he's stayed in power through his means of disposing those he no longer needs by still keeping them in positions of privilege to have them on his side.