''El Koshary Today'' is an

Egyptian ''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...

online news website that features satire and political parody. The website is named after a common Egyptian dish consisting of a spaghetti mixture that may also contain lentils, rice, and chickpeas. According to Zohny, "Koshary is sort of a very reflective meal of the country in the sense that it's a very chaotic kind of meal".

Beginnings

The website began in 2008 when three friends got together to start a newspaper similar to America's ''The Onion'', but with a specific philosophy. When a newsprint edition didn't work out, they decided to publish online. Initially they wrote anonymously under the pen names Makarona (macaroni), Ward Zeyada (extra onions) and Subar Lox (large-sized Koshary). News items are not added on any schedule, but as inspiration strikes. Past topics have included the

2011 Egyptian revolution The 2011 Egyptian revolution, also known as the 25 January Revolution (;), began on 25 January 2011 and spread across Egypt. The date was set by various youth groups to coincide with the annual Egyptian "Police holiday" as a statement against ...

as well as the

2012 Egyptian presidential election Presidential elections were held in Egypt in 2012, with the first round on 23 and 24 May 2012 and the second on 16 and 17 June. They were the first democratic presidential elections in Egyptian history. The Muslim Brotherhood declared early 18 J ...

Regular features

The El Koshary Today portal has the appearance of a mainstream news site. Sections are categorized in the same manner as news websites: Features, International, Opinions, Arts, Science-Fiction and Technology, Sports, and Mind and Soul, and even Classified ads and "Horrorscopes." Fake headlines mock the news by putting a twist on actual government messages. One such mock headline quoted the government as saying, "Complaining to strangers may lead to annihilation," a play on government ads warning Egyptians not to talk with foreigners.

Impact

The website's philosophy is to use satire and imagination to raise awareness of national issues in a way that is humorous, but also invites action. Websites such as ''El Koshary Today'' and others have been credited with part of a larger global trend towards the use of social media and humor to create political change that reached a much broader public during the

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

Tahrir Square Tahrir Square (, ; ), also known as Martyr Square, is a public town square in downtown Cairo, Egypt. The square has been the location and focus for political demonstrations. The 2011 Egyptian revolution and the resignation of President of Egypt, ...

References

External links

*{{usurped,
elkoshary.com
} (Official website)
facebook.com/elkoshary
(Facebook)
twitter.com/elkoshary
(Twitter)
"Egypt’s 'most reliable news source'". PRI's ''The World'', June 17, 2010. Retrieved 9/8/2012."A Dish Called Koshary", PRI's ''The World'', August 25, 2011. Retrieved 9/8/2012.
Satirical websites Egyptian news websites Internet properties established in 2008 Egyptian satire

Beginnings

Regular features

Impact

See also

References

External links