Reports from Amman Jordan
by Samah Sabawi
| Part XX - Egypt's Sharm El Sheikh: Paradise Sold | |||
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January 20, 2005 The topless Russian beauty strolls along Egypt's Sharm El Sheikh coast.* She walks by almost unnoticed in a sea of European and Russian bathers in their skimpy thongs and string bikinis. The DJ is playing the annoying, "You've got to pump it" and, except at the bar, there is no one talking or socializing. Suddenly a call for the afternoon Asser prayer echoes from the distance. A surreal reminder that we are in a Muslim country. The DJ quickly turns the music off. I smile to myself; at least there is still respect for the call to prayer.  There is
something sad about Egypt's Sharm El Sheikh. My husband and I spent our
honeymoon here fifteen years ago, and it was a truly incredible
experience that we dreamed of sharing with our kids one day. I
will never forget the beauty of the reefs where we scuba dived all
those years ago. Now we are back with our children to share with them the joy of the experience, but some of the reefs have sadly lost their luster; their colors are mostly a dull brown. We took our kids on a scuba diving adventure but were disappointed to see the dying corals. We were even more disappointed to see our Belarussian guide washing off her scuba gear with soap - something terribly harmful for the sea life. Later we decided to take our kids on a Sinai desert adventure to meet the Bedouins. Let's just say the Bedouins we met had colorful light bulbs surrounding their tents and served us coke for a hefty price. I can't say I am not enjoying the touristy thing - the all inclusive resort, the sea side, the open buffet - but I feel sad to see an Arab Muslim country with its proud history and its riches prostituting itself to cater to the needs of western tourists, most of whom are ignorant of its culture and its fragile natural reserves. Last year, our family went on a Nile cruise, along with some other groups of tourists. The girls in the Brazilian group flaunted their bare skin in the faces of the conservative locals in Aswan. Trina, a quiet American girl, caught my attention. Her bare shoulders were wrapped in a light cotton shawl. Curious, I asked her why she bothered in Aswan’s 40 degree heat, and her response was pure and simple. "I feel I need to show respect for the place we are in," she said. If only more people were like her. There is no respect shown along the Sharm coast for anything but money. For the right price, you can have a fake Bedouin experience, take a boat ride, jump on a reef, destroy as many corals as you like, bare whatever you want to, stroll in your thong bikini in the market place and go home to say how friendly Egypt is. It is indeed sad to think that a national treasure such as the Red Sea can be bought so cheaply. * Sharm El Sheikh is situated on the Southern tip of the Sinai peninsula, Egypt. With the Red Sea on one side and the mountains of Mount Sinai on the other. Samah
Sabawi, originally from
Gaza
and whose permanent residence is now
Ottawa, is a writer, playwright and well-known activist. Her articles
appear in several popular online journals. Her Palestinian Diary
is exclusive to YayaCanada.
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