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Ramadan lamps on sale in Cairo
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By Mohamed Gamal, IOL Staff
ALEXANDRIA,
Egypt, November 13 (IslamOnline) – Dates dealers have recently been
accused by the provision police of Alexandria and Cairo of selling
spoiled dates. The police report said that the confiscated dates named
“Sharon” is inedible, as it is damaged and of the worst quality.
In
Egypt, dates dealers name dates of the best quality and the highest
price “Saddam” and “
Intifada”, while the Egyptian press reports that most of the
“Fawanees” (Ramadan lamps) that fill the markets were being named
“Intifada”, “Al-Quds”, and “Al-Aqsa”, which differ from
the more traditional names such as “El-Mesaharaty”,
“El-Kaaba”, and “Bakar”, among others.
Egyptians
are used to calling the different types of goods with names that have
political and social indications, just as they are used to telling
political jokes on their leaders or on the country’s political and
economical status.
This
system of naming dates and lamps is indicative of the political
awareness of the dealers. It also reflects the trends – who is
“in” and who is not.
Last
year, Ramadan came during the American war against Afghanistan, and
Osama bin Laden was at the time popular. Therefore, the best quality
dates were named “Bin Laden”, and were sold for the equivalent of
U.S.$3 per kilo, while the worst quality dates were named “Bush”,
and was sold for the equivalent of U.S.$1 per kilo.
“Saddam”
is a new type of high quality date which is being sold for the
equivalent of U.S.$1 per kilo.
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Dates of the best quality and the highest price “Saddam” and “ Intifada” |
The
same thing is applied on Ramadan lamps which are exported from China.
Egyptian dealers ask the Chinese exporters to name the lamps with
specific names.
There
are also “singing” Ramadan lamps and the dealers ask the Chinese
to make them sing specific songs such as “Al-Quds” and
“Al-Aqsa”.
Ramadan
lamps named after the Palestinian Intifada sing songs on Al-Quds
(Jerusalem), such as Fayruz’s song “Al-Quds Is for Us.”
The
Egyptian press advocates this lamp phenomenon, and advises parents to
buy these “political” lamps for their children, rather than the
traditional ones, in abid to increase awareness of what is going on in
Palestine.
