CAIRO - "A Stranger in a Strange Land", "The Stranger", "Stranger in Moscow", "Strangers in the Night" and even "Aliens" are titles of works I can relate to these days. It is so strange how things are now in my country and even my neighbourhood where the streets look different. I am constantly worried that I might walk out of my room to find myself in a flat that looks nothing like mine. Moreover, it might be crowded with total strangers. What triggered all this? The unjustified conflicts and disputes generated by those who had and still have hidden agendas. So now we are using expressions that we were not familiar with a few years back, like "hidden agendas". The constant brainwash some people undergo escalated things and these days some are willing to kill for what they were lead to believe is the right cause. This is not Egypt and we will never allow them to turn our country into a detention camp. Apparently some spent most of their lives hiding or detained and they are trying to take it out on an entire nation with their sick minds. In their pathetic ways they are trying to impose poisonous ideas and beliefs on us. This is not the Egypt we grew up in and loved. We really miss our country but still we know it's just a matter of time till we get it back. As for them, they will get what they deserve and they will get back to where they belong – jail and mental asylums. Unfortunately, we are surrounded by incompetent figures in highest positions and they confiscate the rights of Egyptians and support psychopaths, thinking that they are the majority! Are they really that stupid? I personally think that the entire herd of sheep is not totally mentally retarded – some of them do have brains and they use them to destroy Egypt. In a country that was well known for being one of the safest, if not the safest in the world, we are now constantly worried about the safety and security of everyone and all belongings as well. The good thing is that now people will worry about their cars because no one will be stupid enough to steal a car knowing that its tank is empty... that's the good side of the gas crisis we are having now. Since the Egyptian pound is drastically declining, no one will afford to eat so it's better to fast. As for water, long ago when we had the River Nile it must have been tempting to some to have a sip during fasting hours – these days they can only dream and fantasise about that magical liquid. I could go on about different crises for ages but this is not important because I personally believe everything will change to the better soon. Egypt will never be ruled by criminals and ex-convicts who are trying so hard to intimidate us. This international group of thugs will meet its end soon just like all those who tried in vain before to destroy Egypt. We currently feel as if war will be declared and many people I know went and bought masks and goggles to minimise the damage caused by teargas canisters. They also bought helmets to avoid being hit on the head with stones. I recently received an SMS from the wonderful Nevine Sharshar and after editing and translating it to Arabic I shared it on Facebook to draw people's attention. The message is as follows: "It is strongly advised to take the following precautions: Have cash money to cover 15 days of expenses. Store goods and food that should last for 15 days. Make sure you have enough medication, especially for chronic cases and babies. Try to have the car fueled once it reaches the quarter tank mark and make sure your car is properly maintained. Avoid conflicts with anyone in the street and with strangers. Never stop for any reason. Always be alert to your surroundings and avoid displays of wealth and wearing jewellery. Find an ATM with maximum natural surveillance and visibility from the surrounding area, which should be in a well lit and secure location. In queues in supermarkets and gas stations, please be patient and avoid clashes with strangers. Do not engage in political or disputing discussions. Remember that your personal safety is more important (car, mobile and money are items we can replace). Always have means of communication with you. Have a ready list of the nearest hospital that is covered through our medical network. Always have your National ID and medical card with you. Tell others where you are in a sort of a mini network (minimum 3 people)." All the above was written before Saturday, but on the evening of that day things looked much brighter – news confirmed that millions of Egyptians are going to march towards freedom and there is no stopping us. The adrenaline rush kept people up all night all over the country and everyone was getting ready for the big day. I was surprised that senior citizens, ladies, children and even expats were going to take part in these marches but again it made me very happy. Several countries are bluntly announcing their support of the people and not the so called regime. On Sunday morning and early afternoon people were shouting in my street asking everyone to participate in demonstrations and patriotic songs were boosting from speakers. It is ironic that the current regime is copying the same procedures of the previous one. Let me remind you that when the 2011 revolution started people didn't want ex-president Hosni Mubarak to go but he tried oppressing us so we said he must go and when he oppressed us more we said he must be prosecuted. The current president claims that in case he goes we will have anarchy – where did we hear this before? It is exactly what Mubarak said. Excuse me but what we are going through now is anarchy so be creative and come up with something different. We have had enough of paranoid people. Believe me there is so much more that I want to say but I know that some will not be happy so I will say no more. I am going now to join a demonstration to the Presidential Palace, hoping to have a real president in the near future and most importantly hoping to have our Egypt back. This article was finished on Sunday, June 30. So my future is your past and no one knows what will happen in a while but we know that the majority of Egyptians is not going to sit and wait this time. Send Egypt your prayers to: [email protected]
