Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The agony of Port Said

 We are cursed city since the time of Mubarak , we thought that our luck will change after the revolution but it doesn't seem so
A man from Port Said told me that in Aswan from couple of days ago when he spoke on how Port Said has paid a huge price after the Port Said massacre from two weeks ago.

Port Said in 1956
After standing defiant against the attack of two countries in 1956 and paying a huge price the cities of Suez and Ismailia would pay later after a decade , the once cosmopolitan city emerged after the Suez crisis in Egypt as the brave city in time of Nasser. It was sad enough that we have forgotten the 5th of November anniversary in 2011. 
The city was flourished economically in time of Sadat when it became a free zone area , Port Said had it all till time of Mubarak. Despite famous financiers of NDP were from Port Said's big businessmen tycoons yet the city was losing more and more of its glory in time of Mubarak after having all the capabilities of becoming a next Dubai or rather the original Dubai.
Mubarak decided to cancel the Free Zone area in Port Said last decade , at first the Port Said people though it has to do with the so-called assassination attempt of Mubarak "The man actually didn't want to kill him , he only wanted to give him a message but Mubarak's bodyguards shot him down and needed a justification in front the world" but it has to do with Gamal Mubarak and friends' little project in East Port Said port. 
After the revolution the people of Port Said had high hopes that the Free zone will return once again and the trade will flourish with all the hopes we has after the revolution but what you know after one year of ousting Mubarak, Egypt made world history once again unfortunately in the sad way this time : The Port Said stadium massacre or the worst clashes in history of football.

 Over 70 young men from football fan killed in a football game between Ahly SC and Al Masry SC as you have all known. The massacre shocked Egypt especially millions of football fans. The revolutionary protesting and political class considered it a war against Ultras Ahlaway for it role in the revolution and started another battle against SCAF , Police and government where everybody lost as you have known.
What you have not known , Port Said Was being shun and punished.

" What is the capital of Israel ? Port Said " 
A graffiti on a school Wall in Aswan city 
I have read that graffiti from two days ago representing the tip of an iceberg I could not believe it was in front of me thanks on how the protesting anti-SCAF class can not see what is happening on the ground.
The people of Port Said live a normal life inside the governorate but outside it is abnormal when it comes to the city.
The micro-buses and buses from Cairo to port Said stopped going there and the people of Port Said prefer now to take cars with license plates from other governorates Other than Port Said. " I met a family from Port Said that came to Cairo in a car with an Alexandria license plate for fear of being attacked in Cairo".
 The food suppliers stopped also to supply the city with food, the Rod El Farag vegetables and fruits market traders in Cairo are said to stop supplying the city with vegetables and fruits. Other Nile Delta governorates reportedly refusing to supply the city with food !!!The army has decided to send an immediate food supply convey to the city as if it were living under siege under the invasion of UK and France !!
’Mohamed Shawky, the famous Ahly footballer of Port Saidi origin was reportedly kicked out of the memorial service held at Ahly club because of his Port Said roots !!
People do not go anymore to buy goods from the free zone anymore , I do not know if People outside Port Said are actually boycotting it or they are afraid or to go. I do not know really.  It is turning ridiculous.
The famous faces and icons from Port Said like Sakina Fouad , Hero Mahran and MP Badry Farghaly are asking people in the media not to treat the people of Port Said and its people like that.
Port Said lost already over 30 young men in this massacre yet no one wants to pay attention to this , the hospitals of Port Said did great job in trying to save the injured like in time of wars and no one wants pay attention to this.
If it were not for the people of Port Said people we would not have not known on the true involvement of the police and ministry of interior in this massacre as they know the history of the police generals in the city yet people do not pay attention.
Aside from the protesting class anger in Cairo and some cities "mainly Cairo and Suez" that resulted in the death of not less than 15 and the injury of 100s in a pointless battle , we can not ignore the masses of people in Egypt from the football junkies who are drugged and enraged by the sports TV shows for years. Let's remember the battle of Algiers in Sudan as an example.
The culture of football is more dangerous than you can think in Egypt.
I think the people of Port Said should demand the government to demolish the Port Said stadium and to reconstruct a new stadium named "The martyrs stadium". Al Masry club should be punished according to international football rules and regulations and gets a degrade in the league.
The question is : If that massacre happened in Ahly and Zamalek match between their legendary Ultras groups , would Cairo or rather Egypt be dragged to a civil war ? Again we are All responsible whether you like or not , responsible as citizens of this nation.
I do not understand why our activists are not standing with the people of Port Said. 

2 comments:

  1. when the emotional period will be ended and the people will go back of being rational then life will return to normal. It takes time to heal the wound and you can't speed up the process.

    Great Article Z! The first step in recovery is awareness so thank you for bringing it up. I'm not sure many people knew about it :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. great post zenobia

    ReplyDelete

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