Thursday 24 July 2008

Demolishing the West Bank

I got a Goggle alert this morning about demolitions in Gurna. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/16/africa/ME-GEN-Egypt-Tomb-Evictions.php.

It was not only at Gurna but also just along the road from me. Some shops were torn down, nobody was expecting it and of course they are nowhere near the antiquities. Al Gezira village is on the flood plain, the pharaohs didn’t build there. Now everyone is worried what exactly is going on and it is difficult to get information. I am ready to jump in front of the bulldozers with my British passport to protect my home, I hope it does not come to that. Especially if they are using tear gas.

It is all in aid of making Luxor an Open Air Museum for the tourists, Dr Samir Farag the local Governor is responsible. There is no consultation with local businesses like mine that bring hundreds of people to Luxor and keep the money in the local economy. Only with the big multi nationals who care little about Luxor or its people but a lot about their overseas profit margins. Many tourists have no clue this is being done.

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