Latest news with #KarimAli
The Guardian
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Palestinian paracyclist who lost leg in 2014 airstrike killed in Gaza
A Palestinian cyclist who lost his leg in an Israeli airstrike more than a decade ago was killed by another missile attack this week, after spending his life trying to defy his disability. Ahmed al-Dali, 33, was a member of the Gaza Sunbirds, a paracycling team formed in 2020. He was also a keen para-footballer. 'Ahmed's death is really saddening. We don't want him to be just another number. His whole life, trying to compete, trying to get into sports, was because he didn't want to be another number, another one who lost his leg. Now we have to continue in his honour,' said Karim Ali, co-founder of the Gaza Sunbirds. Ali said Dali had suffered more than most since the Israeli airstrike in 2014 in which he lost a leg. He was declared dead after the strike and placed in a morgue before anyone realised he was still alive. He had to juggle his love for sport with the reality of providing a living for his wife and four children. He did not receive disability benefit from the government but earned a meagre living as a bike mechanic before the war. During the Israeli assault on Gaza after the attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023 he was displaced from his home and had to rely on the help of others. He was killed on Monday in an attack on the city of Khan Younis, which Israel has ordered Palestinians to leave amid an intensified offensive over recent days that killed 85 Palestinians on Tuesday. Palestinian media reported up to 30 airstrikes in Khan Younis on the morning Dali was killed. Israel has vowed to press on with its offensive and take complete control of Gaza, despite criticism this week from allies, with the UK saying it would suspend trade negotiations with Israel. Ali said Dali's troubles before his death were typical of many in the Gaza Sunbirds community. 'Their lives for almost two years now have been an unimaginable hell. The majority of the team cannot find food, they are sick with skin diseases, with rashes, there's no medicine for them or their family. Their prosthetics are damaged and cannot be serviced.' He added: 'Ahmed loved cycling, he always loved cycling, he always had the best intentions but life put pressure on him as a person.' Flavia Cappellini, an Italian film-maker who spent time with Dali while making a documentary about the cycling team, described him as 'somehow shy and exuberant at the same time'. She said Dali was committed to his family but sometimes struggled with the challenges he faced as a disabled man in Gaza trying to find employment. 'How do you work in a place that doesn't provide chances to people with disabilities? That tormented hm, especially in regards to his sports endeavours. That reality hit him so hard,' she said. 'He would cycle with his jeans on as he didn't have any other clothes but that didn't prevent him from experiencing freedom while on a bike. 'You could feel he was doing his best to come back from his injury trauma when he lost his leg in 2014. He wanted to succeed in sport as in life, but all the odds were against him.' Over the past 16 months, the Sunbirds have distributed $450,000 (£336,000) worth of aid across the Gaza Strip.
CairoScene
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Atomic Koshary is Nuking the Food Scene With Its Koshary Fusions
Atomic Koshary is Nuking the Food Scene With Its Koshary Fusions It all started last year with an explosive idea - and then a simple question: Why not? Why not modernize Egyptian cuisine? Why not shake up the food scene? For Karim Ali, the answer was obvious. With roots in Cairo, Berlin, Dubai, and El Gouna, Ali may be a man of many cities, but his heart belongs to Egypt. His latest project, Atomic Koshary, is an unapologetic love letter to Egyptian food - and everything it could be. Food was always central to Ali's life. 'I was always having visions about a food company. I enjoy eating. I enjoy cooking. I enjoy seeing people gather around a good dish. To me, it's part of the culture.' The goal was to reimagine Egypt's culinary staples through the lens of experimentation. The medium? Koshary. To Ali, koshary didn't just invite reinvention - it required it. 'Koshary is like a canvas - you can put anything on top, make it your own, but at the same time it retains its shape.' Grounded in its cultural roots, it was also elastic enough to evolve. So, he pushed it. Armed with a background in product design, firsthand knowledge of the food delivery economy, and a desire to 'nuke the traditional way of doing things,' Ali built a cloud kitchen with a menu of nuclear proportions. 'Our approach is highly experimental; we learn as we go,' Ali explains. Each phase was tweaked and tested - packaging, supply chains, recipes. 'I can't speak about koshary without talking about salsa tomatim,' he adds. He won't divulge its secrets, but it's clear the sauce is a cornerstone of the brand. The current menu - lit by Atomic Koshary's signature neon - is the fourth version of an ever-evolving idea. For Ali, nothing less than perfection will do. The premise is simple: take Egypt's most iconic dish and give it a global accent. The results? A fusion lineup with names as bold as the flavours - Avo-Attack, Wok Shock, Mushroom Cloud, Meatball Mayhem. 'Our aim was to make koshary a universal dish,' Ali says. 'We are bringing koshary into your experience, into your context.' There's even a gluten-free option. And for the skeptics? There's The OG Atomic - a nod to tradition, with a twist. But Ali isn't here to convert the purists. He's speaking to a new generation - one less tethered to koshary's cultural nostalgia and more inclined to embrace what's next. 'We are Gen Z and Gen Alpha friendly. We want to speak their language,' he says. That language extends to branding, too. Atomic Koshary's digital presence mirrors its product: high-energy, design-led, and neon-drenched.
Egypt Today
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Egypt Today
Massar Egbari Teases For Music Video ‘Maba'etsh Akhaf'
Egyptian indie iconic band Massar Egbari have officially released most of their latest album, "Maba'etsh Akhaf," marking a bold new chapter in their 20-year journey. Accompanying the album is an upcoming documentary under the same name, directed by Amir El Shennawy, offering an intimate look into the band's creative camp, musical process, and the personal struggles and triumphs that shaped their evolution. As the final piece of their latest musical adventure, Massar Egbari released the highly anticipated music video for "Maba'etsh Akhaf" on February 5. Directed by Karim Ali, the video features the band themselves, visually capturing their struggles with fear—not just in their music, but in life. The clip reflects the essence of the album: a conscious decision to embrace fear and overcome it. This track marks the culmination of a successful lineup of 11 unique songs, where the band revisited its signature sound while also experimenting with new musical directions. Blending rock with disco beats and even incorporating folk music samples, Massar Egbari has once again pushed its artistic boundaries to a new level, delivering a fresh, dynamic musical experience to its fans.
