At least once a week, my father will lay back on a couch, put on an Umm Kulthum song – usually El Atlal or Rubaiyat el Khayyam – and listen for around an hour. Seemingly intoxicated, his fingers will move gently, like a lone corn stalk on a brisk afternoon, to the music preluding Umm Kulthum's arrival. Sometimes tears gather around his eyes right before her first word. Other times ...
![Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L) and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz reviewing troops before a meeting in Cairo. [AFP]](/sites/default/files/styles/d08_traditional/public/im/Egypt_2017/EgyptArmy.jpg?itok=q4JaYfzD "Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L) and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz reviewing troops before a meeting in Cairo. [AFP]")
