Tom in Egypt // توم في مصر

Egypt has surprised me on a fairly regular basis over the time I’ve lived here. Rarely, though, have I been left in such a state of near-disbelief after hearing a story as I presently am after reading of the ordeals of a fellow Manchester student, Sarah, and her friend Katie – just arrived in Egypt making the same journey to Alex as I did a little over two years ago.

Only a few weeks ago we were sat in my favourite café in Boursa, tea and sheesha in hand, chatting about expectations of Egypt, first impressions in Cairo and my own experiences of studying in Alex. Meeting a bewildered Sarah and Katie after they’d been here a day or so helped me to remember my own arrival in Egypt. The confusion, the excitement, the wonder. The sense of being a million miles from home. It would be fair to say that the first few days in Egypt are a traumatic, if frequently wonderful time.

Yesterday, as I sat down for my daily dose of Son of a Duck, I was left stunned by what had happened since Sarah and I last spoke a few days ago – when Katie had been feeling ill and Sarah had sent me an accidental text message. I won’t re-narrate the story, Michael and his flatmate Tom (writing a rival blog, bizarrely titled Tom-In-Egypt) have done a more than adequate job and I’d only be re-writing their posts anyway. No simple task with a scribe of Mr.Nevadomski’s talent. Anyway, read it.

Read these posts first: Vengeance and Hospitals - I wish I was joking...

And then read these posts: 3 to 7, and a Courthouse  - Order in the court!

Stunning, shocking, disgusting, terrifying. Memories of the hospital and Andrea’s experience there were quite enough for me, it’s a frightening place and I can only imagine how scary going there and having to have surgery there must be for Sarah and Katie. They’ve been in Egypt less than a month, that experience alone must have been unbearable.

The rest of the story? Simply outrageous. I can’t think of a time I’ve felt angrier at Egypt, or wanted to apologise as much as I do to the girls. Michael raises interesting questions on vengeance and justice; frankly I find it unacceptable that Sarah and Katie, whose heads must be spinning after the events of the last few days, be left with the pressure and responsibility of deciding a man’s fate. It’s abhorrent that they have had to watch the man be beaten twice. Now, to be forced to choose whether this man should walk free, or spend 3 years in an Egyptian prison, or 7?? Unacceptable. That the victim be allowed to sentence the criminal is barbaric. That two compassionate victims be forced to sentence the criminal and to live with the responsibility of that decision is inhumanely punishing to the victim.

I think I have an idea as to how I would react in their situation (if leaving Egypt and never returning were an option), but overriding any thoughts I have on how this man should be punished is an emphatic belief that Sarah and Katie should in no way be responsible for the decision they are about to have to take, and that for them to be put in that position is punishing them for a crime to which they were the victims.
I can’t think of a time I’ve felt angrier at Egypt.