Egyptian dispatch: Jan. 10, 2013

Getting off the ferry onto Qorsaya island to visit the contemporary artist, Mohamed Abla in his studio. The island lies in the middle of the Nile and for a long time there have been disputes around ownership of the island. Two months ago the army arrested and jailed 26 residents of the island in this on-going battle, and their sentences will be made public on Jan. 14th. For a long time Abla has been involved in helping the people on the island in their fight for their rights. The sticker below, posted at the entrance of his house, is related to this most recent fight.

These photos are from inside Abla's house and studio.

The ferry back to the city.

On our way back to Heliopolis we pass the burnt-out former headquarters of Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP) that was set on fire on January 28th, 2011 during the "Day of Rage," demonstrations.