Hamada Elrasam

Egyptian Court Rules Against Handing Islands to Saudi Arabia

An Egyptian administrative court Monday rejected a plan by the government to transfer two Red Sea Islands, Tiran and Sanafir, to Saudi Arabia. In its ruling, the court said the islands were Egyptian and that the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi failed to prove otherwise. As the ruling was issued, activists gathered outside the court, waving Egyptian flags and chanting slogans.

Market Flooded with Camels as Eid al-Adha Approaches

Ahead of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim feast of sacrifice, the Birqash camel market outside Cairo is ready for business. The camels have been imported from Sudan, but with a rise in price, there are fewer buyers. The camels are badly treated before being bought for their meat.

In Egypt, Ranks of Young and Hopeless Are Swelling

Egyptian Women's Hijab Dilemma: To Wear or Not to Wear

In Egypt, some Muslim women are breaking away from the mainstream and are not wearing a headscarf. VOA asked some women to explain their complex relationship with the hijab and their fight for the right to wear it or go without it. For VOA, Hamada Elrasam reports from Cairo.

Restrictions Cramp Egypt's Indie Film Industry

Egypt’s 2011 uprising inspired a burst of creative passion from artists celebrating the fall of a repressive regime. But after a brief period of awards and triumph, Egypt’s independent film industry is slowly fading amid new laws restricting media freedoms. Hamada Elrasam has more for VOA from Cairo.

Egyptians Celebrate Ramadan's End

Cairo Celebrates Ramadan's End

Egyptians in Cairo are celebrating Eid Al-Fitr, a religious holiday observed by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

With End of Ramadan, Egypt's Few Liquor Stores Reopen

Smoke Detected on EgyptAir Flight Minutes Before Crash

Search crews have found human remains, along with personal belongings of passengers from EgyptAir Flight 804 but are still searching for bulk of wreckage

Egypt Finds Debris From Plane, Still Searching for Bulk of Wreckage

Looking for clues to understand why jet crashed into Mediterranean Sea, search teams sought to find larger pieces of plane or location signal from flight recorders

Teams Search for Wreckage of Egypt Jet; Terrorism Suspected

Earlier reports that wreckage from Airbus A320 had been located near Greek island were incorrect

Skydivers Promote Tourism Industry in Egypt

Country faces $1.3 billion drop in tourism revenue, but security needs to be addressed in order for industry to bounce back, one analyst says

New Businesses Open in Wake of European Migrant Crisis

Near one port in Greece, a new Syrian restaurant caters to migrants looking for a taste of home

New Businesses Open in Wake of European Migrant Crisis

From human smugglers to bus services to the sellers of life jackets, new businesses have popped up everywhere along the routes migrants take from the Middle East and Africa to Europe.  Near one port in Greece, a new Syrian restaurant caters to migrants looking for a taste of home after leaving their country, possibly forever.  For VOA, Hamada Elrasam reports from Lesbos, Greece.

As Refugees Perish, Greek Graveyards Fill

Before burial at overflowing cemeteries, unidentified dead being swapped for DNA, in case some day relatives come to learn their fate

As Refugees Perish, Greek Graveyards Fill

Aid workers on the Greek island of Lesbos say they are struggling to bury the increasing number of bodies of refugees that have been recovered or washed up ashore in recent months.  The graveyards are all full, they say, yet as tens of thousands of people clamor to get out of Syria, it is clear refugees will still be coming in record numbers. For VOA, Hamada Elrasam reports from Lesbos, Greece.

German Artists to Memorialize Refugees With Life Jacket Exhibit

Sold in every kind of shop in some Turkish port towns, life jackets have become a symbol of the refugee crisis that brought a million people to Europe in 2015.  On the shores of Lesbos, Greece, German artists collect discarded life jackets as they prepare an art installation they plan to display in Germany.  For VOA, Hamada Elrasam has this report from Lesbos, Greece.

Despite Cold, Record-Breaking Numbers of Refugees Arrive in Greece

Weather makes traveling by sea more deadly, in past week 19 people believed to have drowned at sea enroute to Greece, including 3 children and an infant

Rwanda’s Genocide Orphans Still Struggling

Rwandan genocide left behind an estimated 400,000 orphans

Rwanda’s Genocide Orphans Still Struggling

The Rwandan genocide left behind an estimated 400,000 orphans. Some, now adults, found refuge in the Kigali slum Giporoso. Aid organizations raise money for Giporoso’s genocide survivors with street performances, but their problems remain overwhelming. Photojournalist Hamada Elrasam captured for VOA images from their lives.