A group of Italian nationals who came to Cairo especially to attend the final match of the Africa Cup were not allowed into the stadium.
Why? Because they arrived after 3:00 o'clock!
These people bought plane tickets, reserved hotel rooms, paid for the match tickets, only to be stopped at the stadium because they came at 3:30.
Now this has happened to many Egyptians - and I guess since it was announced in our daily newspaper that fans had to arrive before 3:00 - it could be acceptable.
I need someone to explain to me this though: if these Italian nationals do not know Arabic, how can they make sure they arrive at the stadium in time?
I have decided to hold a little survey about this. Please choose an answer and send to amrrakha.com. Here are the choices:
a) They should learn to read Arabic and purchase Al-Ahram newspaper before their arrival in Cairo.
b) They should join Egypt's vast security force, who have easy access to the stadium at all times.
c) One of them should be marry into an important family that has clout in Egypt.
d) They should wait until the African Cup final is not held in Egypt to attend it.
e) None of the above
f) All of the above
We have a long way to go. We need to start now.
5 comments:
Dear Amr :
Yes It is shameful to us(Egyptians) and disappointing to them (Italians).We should have welcomed them and allowed them to attend the match and It is a ridiculous reason to prevent those Italian group to watch the match. Your survey is interesting and important as well, and as I mentioned above the situation is ridiculous and shameful , however your choices are too harsh and soooo sarcastic. I myself choose the e) option. And as you picked a bad situation and a shameful image , there were lots of beautiful , honourable situations and images worth to be mentioned and published on a site read by thousands.You could have mentioned the organisation, security , the respectable atmosphere that allowed many girls and women attend the matches and go for the stadium may be for the first time in their lives.What about the cheering , lots of things Amr. Please let us be more optimistic , more proud of such good achievement and I think we dont see such event and good achievement everyday. Foreigners compliment and appraise our organisation of the Africa cup and we criticise , ridicule and pick up the bad while there are many things to compliment and be proud of.??!!
Dear Anonymous,
I understand you chose "E"
I will not tell me personal experience with attending. But let me just say that it is the role of some to be cynics, and the role of others to be optimists. It is the balance of cynics and optimists that makes change.
I tried the optimist side and wasn't good at it. So I will side with the cynicists. You are perfectly welcomed to side with the optimists :)
Dear Amr:
I got your point. BUT It is our role to support our country's effort . Amr, We have always suffered from lack of achievement and we have always longed to be proud of something.ok at least mention both the good and the bad. I think this is fair enough.Hope I have made myself clear.
ah I forgot : Yasmine Anbar :)
Dear Yasmine,
Well in a way you're right... But I'd still like to point out that I am sure that we have it within us to do achieve. Our organization of the Africa Cup left me wondering why it is that this same ability does not exist where and when it counts. We lost hundreds of lives while the general populace's attention were with the games. We cheered for the penalty kicks but forgot the ones who are mourning the dead (I am guilyt of this myself somewhat). My question is: can achieve when it really counts?
Dear Amr:
Well..and in a way you're right too.!!There are lots of important cases that need our effort and the spirit that we saw in the African Cup.But at the same time We didnt see that at all before the African cup, so at least we succeeded and achieved something complimented by many peope in and outside Egypt. I mean let us be more cheerful and less disappointed. Why wont we say fine , It's a good start and actually worth our pride, praise and satisfaction and Im not telling you a personal experience as you mentioned , No, It is the impression of thousands, but millions of people...
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