Burst out of terrorism in Egypt [Archives:2006/945/Opinion]

Atif Awad
Egypt was the first launching station of terrorism in the second half of the 20th century. However, it was not the first launching station only in the Arab world but in the world as a whole.

Despite the fact that terrorism is often unintelligent, cruel, and claims the life of the innocent, it has its special sphere of influence. This is realized in the weak spots in the structure of the community of one country or another in which it managed to cover up itself. As the terrorism phenomenon is found in different places and at all times, it was also found in Egypt. It fed on the Egyptian structure and targeted it in a satanic manner.

Terrorism stayed in Egypt for a long time. It went on quick reproduction among those youth who were misled, through the utilization of their deteriorating state of living.

Egypt acquired a pioneer experience in terror combat by facing and hunting terrorism. Yet Egypt possesses a unique theory in the war against terror. It managed to crack down on Egyptian terrorism by launching significant strikes against its cells in its homeland and refused any compromise with these cells and their organizations.

Terrorism dominated the Arab region at the end of the eighties and the beginning of the nineties of the last century. It managed to embarrass some of the region's regimes. However, the regimes even went to the extent of making concessions to it and made it an inevitable political and social figure in one country or another in the region. Yet Egypt refused any deals with all terrorists, including those whose hands are not stained with the Egyptian blood. The formal and public Egypt remained in a state of war against terrorism. The security and cultural systems kept on their declared line of war against terror. According to the pioneer Egyptian theory of terror, fighting the security apparatus continued their work in a steady manner. The purely Egyptian theory went on with its funds increasing every year.

Yet the cornerstone of the pioneer Egyptian security theory as I believe, were the following

– To launch strikes on terror prior to their destructive attacks.

– To drain all terror sources however, they are in the Arab region or elsewhere, the concerned bodies are to make sure that there are no Egyptian terrorist cells anywhere in the world after destroying the inner sleeping cells.

– The official and security apparatus continue watching out all the favorable conditions for terror breeding or any form of terror, in the Egyptian soil and among Egyptian youth.

The supreme Egyptian cultural council during the eighties and nineties was one of these means of the Egyptian theory. The re-publication of books was another means, in addition to others. The motivation for honest and intellectuals Egyptian was to keep the Egyptians specialty intact. It is realized in the love and tolerance in the Egyptian community. It is also for the sake of keeping the Egyptian structure which persisted for long eras, despite the difference in creeds. The honest Egyptians at all levels worked for this end. This curbed terrorism in Egypt until it disappeared or it was on its way to disappear.

What is happening now in Egypt and to the Egyptians, such as Sinai bombings, church attacks in Alexandria or the demand of Nubians to separate from Egypt or other similar things are all sorts of terrorism. Sinai bombings are not the only forms of terrorism. Terrorism is adopting more than a shape to destroy the joints of the magnificent Egyptian structure. During the previous few years, terrorism has taken more than a shape with same aim, which is to direct a blow to the Egyptian structure and create a collusion among the Egyptians.

It is futile to ignore this matter until the terrorist strike happens and then start crying over it, and then leave it for time to heel.

Any Egyptian who is not annoyed by the seriousness of these matters that all aim at terrorizing the Egyptians is a real criminal.

The naiveties of the governmental statements that follow each terrorist operation are the most fearful. These official announcements are pitiful, because the unawareness and disrespect to others are often dominant in the official address over what is happening in the beloved Egypt.

There remain the persistent questions that need a bigger space to answer. These questions are, did the September 11 incidents deflect the aim and tactics of the Egyptian security? Did the aims and theories of the neo American conservatives paralyze the effective Egyptian security theory of terror fighting, in Egypt, in order that all the security apparatus should adopt the American one? Did they lose the aim of, 'Egypt the land and the people', leaving terror to break out in its new shapes in Egypt, and which the government knows nothing about?

One hopes that not all these are true.

Atif Awad is an Egyptian journalist and short story writer residing in Yemen.
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[archive-e:945-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-05-11-p:opinion]