Getting High on Obama in Egypt

Barack Obama's popularity in Egypt reaches a new high -- with the introduction of a narcotic to the market bearing the President-elect's name.

According to Egyptian blogger Hossam el-Hamalawy dealers in the Mediterranean town of Marsa Martrouh are peddling an Obama brand hashish:

"A new brand of (presumably black Moroccan) hashish has appeared in the Egyptian town of Marsa Matrouh, called 'Obama'!"

I recall in in 2003 (sic), a quite popular brand of hash that appeared in Cairo was named 'Saddam' coz it was 'stronger than chemical weapons.'"

The news first hit the online world via Twitter, when award-winning blogger Wael Abbas announced it, saying (Ar):

In English, the Tweet says:

"Urgent -- a new type of hashish appears in Marsa Matrouh -- Obama"

Elijah Zarwan, also based in Egypt, further comments:

"By the hash-o-meter, Barack Obama may be the most popular foreign leader in Egypt since Saddam Hussein."

This blogpost is cross-posted from Voices Without Votes, a Global Voices project that aims to enable readers to experience American events through the eyes of ordinary citizens from outside the United States.