Gauging reactions after the attack, Al-Ahram Weekly finds resilient tourists and uncertain shopkeepers at Al-Azhar Bazaar where the blast took place On a maze of small alleyways near the famous Al-Hussein Mosque, tourists were still shopping at the gold souq, gawking at the historic sights, sipping mint tea and smoking water pipes in small arabesque-style cafés. On the surface, things seemed normal in the popular Khan Al-Khalili Bazaar; but the smaller crowds and increased security were clear reminders of last Thursday's blast. The foreign tourists who ventured out to Al- Azhar historic area a few days after the attack seemed relatively unconcerned about media speculation that the attack could be a prelude to a concerted militant terror campaign. "That small nail- bomb blast could have happened in the United States or France, the same way it did in Egypt," said Daniel Flockton, a South African tourist. "So we do not feel scared here at all." Flockton and her tour group came to Cairo from Israel on Saturday, two days after the blast, despite admonitions from Jewish friends in Israel to cut their trip short. "We live in South Africa, where we are used to the loud sound of bombs, and we were just in Israel, where tension with the Palestinians is much higher," Flockton said. In fact, she said her group had gone to a place near the borders with Gaza where shooting was reported the same day. Linda Kenis, a Londoner visiting Al-Azhar along with her Egyptian husband and two children, also described Thursday's attack as small. It "did not put us off," she said, "as it could have happened anywhere in the world." Kenis was, however, afraid that if there were more bomb attacks in Cairo in the future, tourists would no longer feel safe. Slovenian tourist Dusan Kovacic said that when compared to 9/11, the Al-Hussein attack was a minor incident. Others, like Spain's Domingo Arranz, also made a link to 9/11. "I believe these attacks expanded the gap between Arabs and the West, and helped increase attacks against foreigners in Arab and Muslim countries." Arranz himself came to Al-Azhar to challenge "these attempts to widen the gap between the two worlds". Tourism experts said it was too early to determine the impact on an industry that is the largest earner of foreign currency in Egypt. With officials keen to contain matters, highlighting that the incident had no links to the string of attacks by Islamist militants on foreigners in the 1990s, the relatively muted global media coverage of Thursday's bomb certainly helped as well. The world's attention was mainly focussed elsewhere when the blast took place -- on the Pope's burial on Friday, and Crown Prince Charles's wedding a day later. Indications that the perpetrator of the attack was not associated with a larger militant group would also reduce the chances of a drop in tourism, experts said. Still, it was "too early to predict whether or not the tourism sector would completely shrug off the Al-Azhar's attack, and thrive in the summer season to come," said Munir Wissa, who heads the Escapade travel agency. Wissa said that since Western countries did not issue travel warnings, tourists who were booked for trips to Egypt in the next few weeks could not automatically get their money back if they had wanted to cancel their trips. He did not rule out, however, potential effects on bookings "in the long run". If there were more attacks in the future, warned one tourism expert, "the tourism sector would be completely devastated." Foreign embassies in Egypt had varied reactions to the blast, which killed two French people and an American in addition to the bomber. On 10 April, the US Embassy advised "all US residents and visitors to Egypt to remain vigilant. For another week, Americans should continue to avoid the Khan Al-Khalili and other areas of Cairo where large numbers of tourists congregate." The French Embassy also asked its nationals to remain cautious while moving around in Cairo. The Italian Embassy updated the warning it released after last year's Taba blasts, which killed 34 people. An Italian diplomat told Al-Ahram Weekly that he was impressed with the security measures taken after the blasts, and expected limited impact on the flow of Italian tourists to Egypt, who numbered a million in 2004. The increased security throughout the capital, especially around hotels, Western embassies and neighbourhoods with large foreign communities, came as a balm to many of the foreigners living in Cairo. Jan Pascale, a French PhD student currently residing in Cairo, said, "most of the French community here are not worried about more attacks against foreigners taking place. Even though two French people were killed, we consider the Al- Azhar blast a one-off act." Reported by Mustafa El-Menshawy In Gohar Al-Qaaid, the street where last Thursday's nail bomb went off, killing four people including the bomber, locals were still in shock. In the jewellery and fabric shops, vendors' optimistic comments were belied by the tension on their faces. "The situation is back to normal and business has not been affected at all," said fabric shop owner Ahmed Hussein. Another shop owner, Said Ibrahim, angrily asked, "Why this street?" Near the must-see tourist bazaar of Khan Al-Khalili, the target of the attack, and its timing -- just as the busy summer sales season was beginning -- took on added significance for many. "There hasn't been any buying or selling since the bombing," said Mohamed Helal, a wholesale vendor, "our business has gone down." Helal was afraid things were only set to get worse. Some said the extra security measures -- including barricades -- put in place by the Interior Ministry following the incident, have not helped. Mohamed Ali, another local merchant, complained that even "the trucks that carry our goods from the factory to the stores here are not allowed in the street." And although those streets remain crowded, some shopkeepers were cynical. "The [crowds] are here out of curiosity. They only want to see where the bombing took place," one said. Cairo Governor Abdel-Azim Wazir toured the area on Monday. "Now is not the time to assess whether everything is back to normal or not," he told Al-Ahram Weekly. "We must also keep in mind that the street is undergoing infrastructural repairs, which also play a part in the sluggish market we are seeing." Elsewhere in Cairo, the public remained preoccupied with why the attack had taken place, and who might have been behind it. "The bombing was done by one frustrated, brain-washed person," security guard Mohsen Mohamed said. "With all the poverty and unemployment, Egyptians live under a lot of pressure." Even as initial investigations pointed to a university student who had seemingly been brainwashed by militant Islamist discourse on the Internet, others were appalled by the mere thought that a fellow countryman could have been the culprit. "Why would I do something that would only harm myself, my family and my country?" asked Mohamed Abdel-Latif, an employee at the nearby Al- Azhar Bazaar . Street vendor Abdel-Latif Hussein said "there is no way those responsible for the explosion are Egyptians." Whoever was behind it, he said, had "no religion". Salesman Shaaban Youssef said the bomber must have been "someone with serious sociological problems. Maybe he couldn't find a job, or had problems [at home], and decided to commit suicide and cause a media ruckus in the process." What many hoped the bombing wouldn't catalyse was a wave of attacks similar to the ones Egypt saw in the 1990s. Civil servant Sahar Said said she thought the timing of the blast was "very important. It's right before the upcoming elections. My fear is that it might be the start of a new wave of terrorism. May God have mercy on us." Businessman Ahmed Abu Ghali was worried about the larger effect on the economy as a whole. "It will definitely harm the economy, which has only just recently started to recover from a long period of recession. It will be a while before things go back to normal." Street vendor Hussein was a bit more optimistic; tourism, he said, wouldn't be adversely affected because "Europeans, our main visitors, are smart. They know it is an individual act that could happen anywhere." As always, conspiracy theories were in vogue. Galal Shawqi, a retired government employee, said the bombing "could only have been organised by the Americans or the Israelis. We're next on their list after Iraq, but they can only invade Egypt if they prove there's unrest here. It fits the media image of the Arab terrorist, and will help justify to the public why we should be next in their alleged war against terrorism." Reported by Salonaz Sami
