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Mubarak to Algeria: "Egypt does not tolerate those who hurt the dignity of its sons"
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The Egyptian-Algerian football war shows no signs of cooling off. (See"The Egyptian-Algerian football war.") On November 21, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak addressed the Egyptian Parliament on the subject. Upset and angry, he declared: “I want to say in clear words that the dignity of Egyptians is part of the dignity of Egypt. . . . Egypt does not tolerate those who hurt the dignity of its sons."
According to the Saudi Gazette, some in Egypt are demanding the expulsion of Algeria's ambassador to Egypt, as well as economic and cultural sanctions. However, Mubarak signaled that he does not want the situation to get out of control: "We don’t want to be drawn into impulsive reactions. I am agitated too, but I restrain myself.”
Earlier, in Algeria on November 20, the Foreign Ministry summoned the Egyptian ambassador to complain about the "escalating media campaign" in Egypt.
More details on the original incident, the November 14 stoning of the Algerian team's bus in Cairo: Michel Gaillaud, a French doctor with the Algerian players in their bus, recalled a rock thrown with such force that it went in one window and out the opposite window. A rock narrowly missed forward Karim Matmour. Gaillaud said: ""He felt the stone whizz past his head. He was as white as a sheet. . . .
We were bombarded with stones. People were screaming. We were lying on the floor. Someone started shouting, 'There's blood! There's blood!'" Some of the Algerians had to play with bandaged heads and other injuries.
Journalist Graeme Wood, in Cairo the night Egypt beat Algeria 2-0, noted "the orgy of celebratory rioting and pyromania after the first match." Egyptians ignited aerosol cans, burning Wood's hair: "I picked up one of the spent aerosol cans off the ground. It said "PYRO SOL" on it, which leads me to believe there is a brand specifically marketed to rioters who wish to create enormous fireballs in city streets."
After Egypt lost to Algeria, 1-0, in Khartoum, Algerians in Egypt, mostly students, experienced hostility and violence. The end is not in sight.
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