Terrorist attack on Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

Fall and spring were the perfect seasons for a group of six women to visit Sharm. At midnight we all ride the bus, spending the night in the bus. We wake up in the beautiful morning of Sharm, breathing the sea and seeing the open sky that we miss most under the low sky of polluted Cairo. We get the best pictures ever for the year, returning so fresh as if born anew, promising ourselves that we can make the trip possible every fall or spring. Working or studying hard all year, then earn our carefree break in Sharm, enjoying our independency and liberty while treating ourselves really good. It was also great to meet all those Egyptians who are coming from all Egypt’s governorates to earn their living in Sharm. It was so phenomenal to find all those Egyptians that are married to non-Egyptians, standing as true manifestation of how cosmopolitan Sharm El-Sheikh became. Visiting Sharm was another chance to see all those foreigners from all over the world who come to enjoy and that saved us traveling abroad to see other nations. It was hard to tell that Sharm is an Egyptian city.

It is true it has been more than a year since we came together again; however each one of us is still dreaming of returning. Commitments tore the group apart and apparently developments in Sharm blew it up. Sharm became another victim like all Egyptians citizens who are ground and beaten everyday by poverty, starvation and oppression. I feel so sad that Sharm became a victim of oppression like all of us.

Before approaching Sharm, the bus stops near a security check point where all Egyptian and non-Egyptian passengers IDs are checked. Security around and in Sharm is really tight or this how it appeared to us, so we felt always safe. I am extremely shocked how can all these amounts of explosives find its way to Sharm? Where is the ministry of the interior? Only busy cracking down on demonstrators with an army of soldiers and arresting thousands of Egyptians everywhere while failing to protect tourism and innocent humans.

Friends closely following the Sharm’s incidents told me that the smell of human flesh is everywhere, many people are still missing and many of the dead are not identified not to mention that some people lost control and badly traumatized due to the horror experience.

Many tried to link London and Egypt attacks; however, they have only one common factor that is both are branded as terrorism. I see what had happened in Egypt is close to what is happening in Iraq. It is this kind of terrorism that erupted after toppling the Iraqi dictator where local or neighboring terrorist groups claim responsibility. It is the kind of terrorist responsibility that does not have any cause except imagining that they are defending Muslims who did not ask for their defense or help. Terrorists claim they help Muslims against the new introduced values to the region like democracy. Why are we included in this war, knowing that Egypt has no presence in any international army?

Dictators all over the Middle East maintained stability as they claimed until before 9/11 2001. But because Egypt’s dictator oppressed freedom and all forms of human civil liberties under emergency law for 24 years, the only culture that thrived was Islamic fundamentalism which is a normal answer for oppression. With the failure of the security to crack down on networking of terrorists cause security and intelligence departments in Egypt are usually busy with personal security of the Mubarak family and his ailing government, terrorism found a fertile soil to grow.

This kind of terrorism thrive under dictatorships and oppression and will continue to do so cause the higher interests of Egypt is not to fight terrorism but to keep the power, the office and the status quo. No reform will be introduced to education programs. Mass media and particularly press will continue to be ruled by a bunch of pan Arabism fanatics whom some are funded by Syria and formerly by Saddam’s oil coupons. It is worth mentioning that Syria is the founder and sponsor of the pan Arabism project that was proven a big failure. It is doing its best to protect it in Iraq and now in Egypt. The regime of Egypt has been always the biggest supporter of fanaticism and extremism. There is no evidence that Mubarak is in support scientific research or liberals or freedom, only military and sheikhs who are everywhere on television and streets adding nothing to the values of humanity except breeding terrorism through oppression.

Mubarak regime is shaken now as never before. No one wants him. And he and his gang know that very well by now. He didn’t dare to nominate himself until now and we are one month and a half away from Election Day. All candidates withdrew, though they were only there theoretically. Opposition parties and groups are boycotting. I am here to declare that I m boycotting elections cause there is no one to represent me. I M NOT GOING TO THE POLLS. There is no way even to say no as previous times. It is only Mubarak. So what kind of elections is this? Dictatorship in disguise! Egyptians will continue their national disobedience that started in 1952.

Mubarak's regime is under siege. Egypt’s diplomatic roles have vanished in the ME. The US is giving support to all movements of freedom all over the Middle East and a big boost to the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. Mubarak’s biggest ally is gone. He wants to stay in power at any cost. He does not want to introduce democracy. It was evident with the fraudulent referendum. And now Egyptians have never been ready for democracy as before. Muslim brotherhood wants to be part of the civil political system. This banned group that we have been always scared of is showing some positive signs. Though I m totally against them, however, democracy and freedom should be a platform for inclusion not oppression, as Mubarak did, as long as we stand on the same principles of freedom.

Terrorists are trying to make us believe that freedom and democracy are no good, cause terrorists will attack like Iraq and blackmail us to make us believe that there is no alternative to the status quo which is dictatorship. Mubarak will try to make the whole world believe that he is a victim of terrorism, though the Egyptian people are the only victims. Innocent Egyptians were killed and many lost their jobs in tourism. Mubarak's seeds of hatred and ideology of extremism that he sowed in the brains of many Egyptians over 24 years through the mass media and mosques are reaping fruits. We are paying a very dear price.

Taba explosions are still a mystery, especially with the 3500 people detentions that left the human rights record of the country tarnished forever, because there was no proper justification for mass arrests. Same will happen for Sharm attacks and we will never know why these attacks had happened or who committed it, except that it is terrorism.

Sharm attacks are like the Iraq attacks that are meant to disrupt democracy. They happened after toppling Saddam because he was taken by surprise. So the enemies of freedom started terrorism after. In our case, timelines are given; the enemies of freedom know very well that freedom and democracy are coming. They started before democracy takes over. Regrettably and sadly Sharm attacks are not the first and will not be the last.

That’s why Sharm El-Sheikh is a victim of oppression. My heartfelt condolences to all victims. The attack on Sharm El-Sheikh tore my heart apart. I feel helpless as probably many Egyptians cause we had never been part of any reform and combat against terrorism and we will never be under Mubarak to be able reverse situations and help ourselves and other nations in their war against terrorism.

Signed mourning Egyptian citizen