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| Anti Morsi Protester on June 29, 2013 Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt |
It was only a
year ago the world witnessed the rejoicing in the streets as Egypt
celebrated its first democratically elected President. But Cairo, the Mother of
the World, never bonded with the child she had birthed. The Mother has rejected
her first born. Today, the world waits
with suspicion and fear as tourists alter their vacation plans for safer
destinations.
Even the Egyptian
Museum is eerily silent. Gone are the long lines of chattering foreign voices,
all the tourists have stayed away. I am
alone in the room with the mummies of the ancient Pharaohs: Ramses II, Tuthmosis
III, and Hatshepsut. I feel their spirits rising with the memories of this once
great nation.
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| Anti Morsi/Obama Posters Tahrir Square June 29, 2013 |
Outside, the
blazing streets are virtually deserted. The hot air rarefied with the
anticipation of the hundreds of thousands of people expected to arrive the next
day for the planned protests. Only a small noisy group has gathered keeping up
the drumbeat by responding forcefully to a series of passionate speakers
delivering angry shouts from the stage.
So, You have
figured out exactly what I am thinking as I carefully move deeper into Tahrir
Square this Saturday afternoon June 29, 2013
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| Anti Morsi BrochuresTahrir Square June 29, 2013 |
At first I see
many families with children. But as I move closer to the stage my handsome
guide suddenly becomes my bodyguard, standing tall in his tight white T-Shirt
and blue jeans. Then as quickly he becomes my boyfriend as I cling onto his
arm, shifting my body shamefully tight into his.
Men are starting
to rage, the situation is becoming very tense. I am afraid!
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| Anti Morsi Protesters Gather Tahrir Square June 29, 2013 |
Around my neck
hangs a big Nikon camera, in my hand a Sony video camera. I'm shooting with
both at the same time. I do not want
anyone to get the wrong idea and think that I am a journalist.
Visions of the
countless, nameless women who have been violently molested and raped flash
before my eyes. I realize the situation could easily escalate out of control -
so I leave!
I leave Egypt at
9am Sunday morning just hours before the massive crowds gather in Tahrir Sq and
Nassar City.
In May, when I first
booked the flight to Cairo, I had completely forgotten about the violent
revolution that had recently taken place in Egypt. Like any difficult birth, I
thought that the pain had been forgotten, replaced with an ecstatic love.
It was only after
I told everyone I was going that they all said the same thing to me;
'Aren't
you afraid? Why are you going to Cairo?'
I said 'Its a
short flight to Uganda, that's why' And besides, I yelled back at them, 'I am
fascinated with Egypt, Cairo especially!'
I had no idea
then, that my intuition must have chosen the morning of June 30th to leave
Egypt.
Did you know that
the source of the Nile is in Jinja, Uganda?
I did not know
that fact, so I went to Jinja to see for myself. Thus metaphorically tying
together why my stop over needed to be Cairo in order to get to Uganda.
