5 bombs? I only heard one!

This week end was the anniversary of the 2011 revolution and we had been warned that today, Saturday the 25^th might spark protests and violence in town.

Well, they didn’t wait for Saturday; they started on Friday early morning, which is unusual, as troubles often come after the midday prayer. Living in the suburb and trusting that Friday morning would be fine, friends and I embarked on a taxi to go to see the Giza pyramids and celebrate a birthday, with some cakes and a candle.

The military/police presence was indeed reinforced across town and on our way to meet the Riddler. The usual entrance for the pyramids was closed and after driving to the main one, we were first waved away. However, once the “guards” realised that three foreign women were trying to get in, we were allowed in and finally got in three check points, one machine gun and several armed men later. On that day, only foreigners were allowed in the site, but no Egyptians; it all make sense, you wouldn’t want the pyramids to be a site of bombings, would you now? This is just about the only thing that attracts the 6 Asian tourists that we saw on the site besides us!

 

Once again, the site was ours; I had been there only once, and this time felt as overwhelming as the first one. You could see them several times and still be amazed in so many ways.

On our way to one of the tombs, we heard something. An eerie sound, almost like a big gong, with extra goose bumps; this was one of the bombs that went off on Friday. Now this is said with a huge pinch of salt, or rather let’s call it a handful of salt that it does suddenly take you back to reality. Cairo centre was going to be troubled and the semi green microcosm in which you live, that gated compound, is calling your name louder and louder, calling you home.

This week end, after reading through the Cosmos, by Carl Sagan, I discovered that the director of the Great library in Alexandria, third century BC, named Eratosthenes worked out that the Earth wasn’t flat and an approximate measure of our planet’s curve by simply using sticks and old papyruses. As an anti anachronism, I also read in today's news that some parts of the museum of Islamic art in Cairo was destroyed by a car bomb. The rise and fall... Years of history, heritage from all ages vanished in an instant, in the name of rebellion, religion, beliefs... Whatever the statement is.

Today, Cairo is back to its label: DANGEROUS Cairo and its people, dancing on the square, pushing some journalists over some news channel quarrels, rioting, shooting, bombing and a ballet of tanks back on the streets. Today, Cairo has fallen as low as it did in August.
There are three main types of people nowadays in Egypt: the obvious duality of the Morsi supporters and the pro military. The former are rioting on the Egyptian streets, claiming for their president back. The latter are spread across Tahrir Square and around Egypt, celebrating the revolution and hoping that Sisi will improve their lives. There is also a third category: they are neither for the Muslim Brotherhood, nor for the military.

But those who will reap the consequences of those deeds are right here too, and tourism was bad enough before this. Once the numbers go very low, people will grow more desperate and will have even less to lose...

 

 

The propaganda is everywhere, suggesting an answer. It appears 98% of people have supported the constitution, and want to see Sisi in power.

So does the sign right above the entrance of the pyramids, written in Arabic, English and French along the lines of: “VOTE Yes for the constitution and VOTE No and support terrorism!”.

Idealists will say that every country should have democracy and freedom, but when violence, lack of education and poverty have infested your country and consumed it like gangrene, someone needs to strongly remedy the situation, at least for a while... Sooner than later, Insh'allah, for the sake of Egypt and its people.