An extra set of keys rattled in my pocket on Tuesday evening for the first time in months. It was the only way Travis Randall was going to get into his house later that night. That was around 9:00 pm. Randall had just sent an SMS saying he had landed and thanking for a taxi that was waiting in the parking lot. All he had to do was quickly stick the visa stamp into his passport and be waved through, just as millions of foreigners and Egyptians are each year. But, that never came. Instead, at 9:36, Randall sent a “I think I’m about to get interrogated” message, which was unsettling. Okay, we thought at home, they are going to just make him wait for half hour and then move him along. A kind of “we'll show you who is boss” act. Instead, an hour later and he was still waiting in a security room for information. It was then that I sent a tweet out saying that Randall had been detained at the airport. The goal was to hopefully find someone who had a contact at the airport in order to ease the situation. For God's sake, I wanted to have a sheesha with my friend I hadn't seen in months. It was not to be, as Randall languished for hours in the security rooms, never told why he was not being allowed in the country. At around 2:00 in the morning, his phone and laptop computer were taken and all went dark and we waited for his call from London. Although it did eventually come at 4:00 pm, the fact of the matter is Randall is not in Cairo; cannot see his friends and cannot live his life. The entirety of the absurdity is eerily similar to Joseph K being accused of a crime he does not know. Nobody should ever feel like a criminal without knowing the charges. Randall was escorted and purchased a one-way ticket back to London for $800. In hindsight, maybe he should have refused to pay, but then could have been held indefinitely at the airport. In the end, what occurred to my friend, an American citizen and a human being, was unacceptable. For all the ills that have befallen people in Egypt, Randall has remained one of the strongest proponents of this country, constantly talking about how he looks forward to the future when things are even better. That optimism may have forever – or at least for a while – left the banks of the Nile. His future is uncertain. He doesn't know if he will return to Cairo, rather attempt a return. He had meetings scheduled for Wednesday and was hoping to live part of a dream through a television program he had proposed. Now, they're all on hold. And it is unfortunate, especially for those who know him and love enjoying his company. Every country has a right to bar anyone from entering their territory. It is just unfortunate it was a good-hearted person like Randall. It doesn't make sense. Now, Randall is stuck in London not knowing what his next move will be; his life on hold. Whether or not the Egyptian government had a reason for deporting Randall is irrelevant. It highlights a growing truth that has come to summarize life in Egypt: the state controls everything. Randall's detention and subsequent booting from the country shows that the government feels they can do whatever they want whenever they choose. Look at what the government does to its own citizens. They imprison them without cause, harass activists and use violence to maintain their power. If anything, we should look at Randall's deporting as a chance to understand that Cairo has no apparent desire to treat people with respect. Yes, he is American, and in the end his situation is not like the 80 million Egyptians who live in a constant police state. But, we can do better, Egyptians demand it, so why can't we? Farewell, my friend. Your keys are waiting for you upon arrival. BM
