JEDDAH, 23 December 2006 — Two Egyptian pop stars are in court over who has the rights to the concept of singing a love song to a donkey, according to a report in yesterday’s Al-Madinah daily. Abdul Rahim said he had sung the song “Ana Bahubbal Homar Bijidd” (“I Love My Donkey, For Sure”) 15 years before Sughair released his song “Bahubbak Ya Homar” (“I Love You, Donkey”). OK, before you, dear reader, come to any strange conclusions about the subject of these songs, let’s be clear: Donkeys are beloved by many Egyptians for their endurance, strength, and, because they consume less than horses, affordability. They can serve as pack animals, plow animals and forms of transportation. The 74-year-old Egyptian Association of Donkeys (yes, such organizations exist) has taken advantage of the publicity over the stars’ tussle to institute a campaign for its activities. The association boasts 35,000 members. That’s a lot of donkey love.