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Prominent Mubarak-era Figure Safwat Sherif Passes Away

Safwat El-Sherif. (Ministry Of Communication & Information Technology)
Safwat El-Sherif. (Ministry Of Communication & Information Technology)
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Prominent Mubarak-era Figure Safwat Sherif Passes Away

Safwat El-Sherif. (Ministry Of Communication & Information Technology)
Safwat El-Sherif. (Ministry Of Communication & Information Technology)

Safwat El-Sherif, 88, who acted as Minister of Information under late President Hosni Mubarak rule, has died after a long struggle with illness.

His family revealed that he was buried in the family cemetery in Heliopolis, where they received condolences after a decision to cancel a funeral ritual due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Sherif had suffered from Leukemia for six years, his son Ehab said, adding that he was transferred to Wadi Al-Nile Hospital during the past few days to receive his treatment and to be followed up by the medical team.

Born in December 1933, he graduated from the Military Academy and was considered one of the most prominent figures of the Mubarak era.

For 22 years, Sherif had been the Minister of Information. He was transferred to the General Intelligence Service and then served as chairman of the State Information Service during the era of the late President Muhammad Anwar Sadat.

He was also one of the founding members of the National Democratic Party in 1966.

Sherif was handed a 3-year prison sentence in an illicit gain case. After the January 2011 revolution, he was brought to trial on a number of charges, including the killing of demonstrators, but the judiciary acquitted him of those charges.

Gamal Mubarak, son of the former Egyptian president, attended Sherif's funeral on Thursday.

Minister of State for Information Osama Heikal mourned the deceased, saying that he has left an impact on the Egyptian media throughout the past years.

Establishing the Egyptian Media Production City and launching the Egyptian Satellite "Nile Sat" are considered key achievements by Sherif.

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Syrians Rejoice during First Eid after Assad's Fall

Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
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Syrians Rejoice during First Eid after Assad's Fall

Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD

Eid al-Fitr in Syria was charged with newfound joy this year, as thousands freely celebrated the holiday for the first time after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

From the early morning hours, crowds of men, women and children flocked to pray at Damascus's historic Umayyad Mosque in the Old City.

"This is the first time we truly feel the joy of Eid, after getting rid of Assad's tyrannical regime," Fatima Othman told AFP.

Following prayer, worshippers exchanged Eid greetings while street vendors sold colorful balloons and toys to children posing for photos with their parents.

"Our celebration is doubled after Assad's fall," said Ghassan Youssef, a resident of the capital.

A few kilometers (miles) away, on the slopes of Mount Qasyun overlooking Damascus -- a site previously off-limits to Syrians until Assad was deposed on December 8 -- a few thousand people gathered at Unknown Soldier Square for an open-air prayer.

Among them were members of the security forces and the army, dressed in uniform and armed. The road leading to the square was packed, according to an AFP photographer.

Some worshippers distributed sweets to celebrate, while the three-star Syrian flag, adopted by the new authorities, waved in the air.

Under the previous government, access to the Unknown Soldier monument was typically restricted to Assad and his close associates, who would lay wreaths there during national ceremonies.

'Celebration of celebrations!'
The memorial, where a giant screen broadcast the Eid prayer, is near the presidential palace.

There, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa prayed alongside Syria's new mufti Osama al-Rifai and several cabinet ministers in the presence of a large crowd.

He later delivered a speech emphasizing the country faced "a long and arduous road to reconstruction but possesses all the resources needed to recover".

This came two days after the formation of a new government, which faces daunting challenges in a country devastated by 14 years of civil war.

Wael Hamamiya, who had been in Sweden since the early days of the conflict, returned to Damascus to celebrate Eid with his family.

"This is my first Eid here in nearly 15 years. I truly feel the celebration in its full meaning," he told AFP, beaming.

"Everyone who has come is over the moon. This is the celebration of celebrations!"

The occasion was more somber for some Syrians, who were able to visit the graves of loved ones that had been off-limits during Assad reign, especially in former opposition strongholds.

At al-Rawda Cafe in Damascus, 36-year-old Amer Hallaq chatted with friends after returning from exile in Berlin where he ended up after dodging compulsory military service in 2014.

"For years, I thought I'd never see my family again or celebrate Eid with them," Hallaq said.

"The joy of liberation and victory is immense, but there's still a lot of work ahead. This is only the beginning of the road."