Earlier this month, during Eid al-Fitr—the feast that marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting—a group of 13 Egyptian teenage boys were detained for harassing two female tourists at the Giza Pyramids. Apart from its being an outrageous offence, the incident directs a heavy blow to the tourist industry which is a major component of Egypt’s national income. Unfortunately, this coincided with a warning by the US Department of State advising US citizens against travel to Egypt owing to security threat. I am not aware of whether or not other governments have issued such warnings, but I know we cannot afford any harm to the reputation of our country, nor can we allow the revenue that comes from tourism to be compromised by indecent, undisciplined, reckless behaviour.
It is unacceptable that the Pyramids incident would be explained away by the immaturity of the young harassers. Such an excuse is absurd in face of the compromised safety and security afforded to Egypt’s visitors and tourists, let alone to Egyptians themselves. It is self-evident that no matter how significant our tourist attractions are, be they archaeological, historical, beach, entertainment or any other attraction, they all pale before fundamental safety and security. A tourist who plans a vacation in Egypt would not overlook the warnings he or she receives whether on the official level, or through other tourists who were there before and were subject to inconveniences or incidents of harassment, theft or fraud. In this case, tourists will probably consider other destinations where they would enjoy a good vacation without feeling threatened.
True, the young harassers in the recent odious incident did not escape justice. Once footage of the harassment was circulated on social media by a tour guide who filmed the scene—replete with the verbal and physical harassment against the two tourists— the monitoring and analysis unit at the Prosecutor General’s bureau took direct action. They demanded a police investigation into the matter, and the incident was verified. The Prosecution summoned the 13 teenagers who then owned to having committed the harassment. Accordingly, the Prosecutor General Chancellor Hamada al-Sawy decided to detain the defendants; three were held pending investigation, and 10 were placed in the custody of a juvenile observation centre.
However, I could not help wondering where the Tourism Police was when the harassment of the tourists took place. Why did no police appear in the video footage of the incident? The video, filmed by the tour guide, showed these boys chasing the two tourists who appeared terrified and ran to save themselves from the groping hands. It is a fact that the Tourism Police is in charge of preserving order in archaeological and touristic sites; its members are trained and equipped to secure the sites and ensure the comfort and safety of tourists and visitors. The presence of the Tourism Police is permanent all year round, but is intensified during feasts and seasons that witness crowds, especially young Egyptians, when matters could get rowdy or run out of hand. Even so, no one mentioned any initiative by the Tourism Police to deter these wild boys, catch them, or take any measures towards bringing order or justice. Had it not been for the video footage spotted by the monitoring and analysis unit at the Prosecutor General’s bureau, following which the Prosecution General took action, nothing would likely have been done; the entire incident might have escaped official attention and action.
I appeal to the Minister of Interior to issue directives to investigate those in charge of the Tourism Police apparatus in the Pyramids region where this incident took place, in order to take those who failed to do their job to account. I sadly record here that when Watani contacted the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities officials for comment, we were told that this incident occurred some time ago, better not to bring it up again. “It is better to focus on tourism promotion programmes,” we were told. We must realise that by exposing the catastrophic transgression and highlighting the measures taken to punish the perpetrators and hold the negligent to account, we actually defend the reputation of Egypt, and help restoring safety and security for visitors and tourists.
Apart from official action, I feel heartbroken in the first place at the obviously deteriorating ethical standards behind the harassment incident. Where have the values of chivalry and gallantry which once ruled our boys and men gone? The attitude of those who play down the deeds of the boys in question not only works to the detriment of the tourist industry, but also to chivalrous values. Bitterly, these values erode, leaving us with chaotic streets on which our women and girls are victims.
Watani International