When Obama passes through the streets of Cairo, he may find it surprising that all the windows and balconies of Cairo are firmly and stubbornly shut, that nobody is looking out of windows or standing on balconies to smile or wave flags at him. He may come to the conclusion that there are many vacant apartments in Cairo or that the residents of this teeming bustling city have suddenly decided to immigrate or go on vacation.
Obama may find it equally intriguing that all the markets, banks, shops, and cafes are firmly locked and no parked vehicles of any kind are to be seen anywhere. All signs of life will have been carefully and conscientiously removed. The Khalife El Ma’moun street he is likely to pass through will look like the high street of a small town on a Sunday. When he goes to visit the Giza Pyramids, with the celebrated Zahi Hawass, Head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, as his tour guide, most probably there will be nobody hanging around the historic site. He may enjoy a rare glimpse of the desert in its glorious ancient emptiness, with no modern Egyptians or tourists to spoil the illusion of historical authenticity.
Residents Warned to Stay Indoors during US President's Visit
When Obama arrives in Egypt, all possible as well as impossible security measures will have been taken to ensure that the Egyptian people remain hidden away, at a safe distance. Although Thursday has not been declared an official holiday, people are getting clear no-nonsense messages to stay at home and avoid being on the streets. Stern instructions have been issued warning the residents of the areas he will go through from opening their windows or going out on their balconies the whole of Thursday. Proprietors of shops and cafes in these areas have also been told in no uncertain terms to keep their establishments closed the whole day.
An Egyptian movie called The President’s Chef humorously presents Egypt’s president as a decent well-meaning man who is unfortunately surrounded, and guided, by a bunch of corrupt crooks. These criminals strive and scheme all the time to keep the president in the dark as to the horrific conditions under which the Egyptian people live and the abject poverty from which they suffer. When the president decides to find out the truth for himself by visiting the marketplace and talking to ordinary folks, his aides panic. They issue a health warning, cautioning people from going out on the day the president has picked for his impromptu walk in the market. When he finally walks the streets of Cairo, he finds them as completely deserted as though in the aftermath of a nuclear war. He asks his advisors, “Where have you concealed the Egyptian people?”
When Obama comes to Cairo, will he ask his hosts about where they have concealed the 20 million residents of Cairo?
Sources:
Aldechacheny, Fathia and Mohamed Kamel. "Presidency Security Hands Over Cairo University in Preparation for Obama's Visit," Al-Masry Alyoum, May 27, 2009.
Ezzat, Dina. “Cairo Counts down to Obama.” Al-Ahram Weekly, No. 949, 28 May-3 June 2009.
