Ramadan lamps on sale in Cairo

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.

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.

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