Bebeto Matthews/Associated Press The bloodshed in Egypt has reverberated in New York, dividing and uniting local Egyptians. Supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi demonstrated near the Egyptian mission to the United Nations last week.The unrest in Egypt may feel far off for many New Yorkers.
But for the more than 14,000 Egyptians living in the city it is ever-present.
And at Casa La Femme, in the West Village, a two-decades old grande dame of Egyptian restaurants, it is the topic of choice in the front of the house, says the co-owner, Medhat Ibrahim - and in the back.
The Egyptian kitchen staff discuss it while making warak enab, Egyptian style grape-leaves, and the subject, the owner says, bounces around the dining room.
One angle: how different is the tenor of relations among Egyptians in New York.
Last week, said Remon Fanouse, 24, a chef at Casa, his sister’s house in southern Egypt was attacked. He believes it is because they are Coptic Christians.
Shortly after, in New York, Mr. Fanouse’ phone rang; it was an Egyptian Muslim acquaintance with whom he had hardly ever spoken. The man asked how he was holding up.
“In my mind Egypt is like a beautiful girl,†Mr. Fanouse said, waiting for the people to embrace her.
“Now the girl is crying,†he said. “She’s crying. She’s feeling alone.â€
Here’s what you need to know for your Tuesday.
WEATHER
Nice, nice and nicer. Blue skies and a warm 87 degrees today. Stay cool and enjoy.
TRANSIT & TRAFFIC
- Mass Transit: Click for latest M.T.A. status.
- Roads: Traffic moving well. Click for traffic map or radio report on the 1s.
Alternate-side parking is in effect.
COMING UP TODAY
- Blue moon tonight! Ok, just a full moon of August known as the Corn Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Red Moon, Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon. But close.
- There is a rally to ban plastic bags at City Hall at 11 a.m.
- DJs, Djs, Djs at this jam in St. Nicholas Park in Harlem from 4 p.m. to 8p.m., 135th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue. [Free]
- “Caddyshack,†on Red Hook’s Valentino Pier, on the Brooklyn waterfront at sundown. [Free]
- Go to “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,†in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. At 8:30 p.m at 54 South 3rd Street. It’s free, but R.S.V.P. here. [Free]
- Secret Science Club (not so secret now, sorry) offers a free lecture on decision-making by a neurophysicist at the Bell House, 149 7th Street in Gowanus, Brooklyn at 8 p.m. [Free]
- Don’t worry, be happy. Bobby McFerrin takes Central Park Summerstage, 6:30 p.m. [Free]
- Take a free walking tour of Harlem at 2 p.m. Reservations required. [Free]
- See a contemporary circus in Marcus Garvey Park at 7:30 p.m. in Harlem. [Free]
IN THE NEWS
- Al Jazeera America launches. Fewer commercials and opinion, more straight news and documentaries, according to officials. It’s headquarters will be in New York City, and there will be 12 bureaus nationally for the Qatar-based news organization. [Al Jazeera]
- A statue of Jackie Robinson was rededicated after it was vandalized. [CBS]
- Guns, 254 of them â€" including military-grade weapons modified to improve aim and avoid detection â€" were part of a cache in what officials are calling the largest seizure of illegal guns in the city’s history. They came via a pipeline from the South. [New York Times]
- Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey signed a bill to ban a controversial therapy aimed at converting gay people to heterosexuality. [Wall Street Journal]
- The publisher of a community newspaper slapped an intern and a state senator who were supporting City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn at a mayoral rally over a closed hospital. The man, a widower, expressed grief about not being able to visit his dying wife near his home because the local hospital had closed. [New York Times]
- A 3D interactive map has been built showing the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods. [New York Daily News]
- A man hung himself on Friday in Prospect Park. [The Brooklyn Paper]
AND FINALLY…
Usually we can find a New York City connection to just about anything, but this time, we can’t. Nevertheless, it needs to be said.
Her name is Sunny, she is a 1-year-old Portuguese water dog, just like Bo, the dog the Obamas already have, according to the White House website.
Her head is kind of like a giant pom-pom.
Nicole Higgins DeSmet contributed reporting.
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