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If during this past third week of November you visited Google, Yahoo or any major search engine around the globe and typed either Algeria or Egypt in the search field, you would - with no exception - find at least 10 articles about the exponential human non sense disgusting insult exchange, accusations, and bad feelings (so to be objective) between Algerians and Egyptians. I, on purpose, chose to use Algerians and Egyptians instead of Algeria and Egypt.
Why? Well, according to the news and the information posted on the Internet, Egyptian fans stoned Algeria’s Soccer team bus transporting them from Cairo Airport to the hotel. Then Algerian soccer fans in Egypt were attacked by Egyptian soccer fans. Egypt played and won 2 to nothing. That led to a playoff game in Sudan a week later.
One of the biggest air transport events recorded in history was ordered by President Bouteflika to fly about 10,000 Algerian soccer fans from Algeria to Khartoum, Sudan. 15,000 police agents were deployed by the Sudanese government to insure security before, during and after the game.
Algeria this time, won by a goal from Antar Yahia in the first half. The game ended and once again, there were clashes between fans that led to a few injuries and bad feelings.
Until this moment, besides the Guinness Record Air transport thing and besides the injury of Algerian officials and Algerian players after the stoning, all sounded to me like a regular big soccer derby between FC Barcelona against Real Madrid, MC Milan against Lazio de Roma or France against Italy: for the sake of going global if you don’t mind.
However, when Egyptian newspapers started printing insanities, Facebook started revealing the Pharaohs’ arrogance genes and Youtube Videos started to uncover the realities from the fans cell phone videos, my Internet Alarm lamb started blinking.
Something is going bad and this doesn’t sound right.
Some analysts think that this is all a diversion that the Egyptian government is using.
"The easiest way to distract the attention of the public, both in Egypt and in Algeria, is to do a little bit of flag waving," Hamalawy said. "Everybody will start forgetting about the unemployment and the economic turmoil we are in."

Egypt could use the diversion, several analysts said.
The most populous Arab country, where a fifth of the 77 million people live on less than $1 a day, appears to be slowly emerging from the weight of the global financial crisis, with economic growth expected to hit 5 percent in 2010.
But inflation has resumed its skyward creep and now exceeds 13 percent, and official unemployment is over 9 percent. Fiscal reforms praised by investors are cursed by poorer Egyptians who have seen scant material improvement in their lot.
Egypt is also approaching a presidential vote in 2011 amid mounting speculation over who will succeed 81-year-old Mubarak, who has given no indication he will step down when his current term ends. His son Gamal is widely tipped as a likely successor.
"The people and the regime have one goal now, for the moment, a unified target in anger. This is of course good for any government," analyst Hala Moustafa said, adding the row also reflected a geopolitical rivalry between the two states.
Images of Gamal cheering from the stands at the Cairo stadium were widely aired on Egyptian state television following a 2-0 qualifying soccer win against Algeria on Nov. 14 that briefly kept Egypt's World Cup chances alive.
Days later, on Nov. 18, after Egypt lost to Algeria in Sudan, Gamal added his voice to those criticising Algerian conduct.
"Anyone who thinks that this will just pass is gravely mistaken," Egypt's Daily News quoted Gamal as telling state television over complaints Egyptian fans were attacked in Sudan. "Egypt is a major power that should not be taken lightly."
Egypt had complained even before the Sudan play-off when Algerian fans trashed the Algiers headquarters of Egypt-based Orascom Telecom's (ORTE.CA) (ORTEq.L) mobile subsidiary.
Egypt was further angered when Algeria in the same week hit the firm with a $597 million bill for outstanding taxes in a move analysts say reflects an increasingly nationalist investment climate.
"Fallout between Algeria and Egypt following World Cup qualifying matches is not driving OT's (Orascom Telecom) problems, but Algiers and Cairo's curdled relations prevent a near-term solution," the Eurasia Group think tank said.
Before that, Egyptian fans in Cairo had pelted the Algerian team's bus with stones, injuring players on the day of the Cairo qualifier and prompting soccer's world governing body FIFA to investigate. Some fans were also hurt in scuffles.

Responding to Egypt's diplomatic moves, Algeria summoned Egypt's ambassador on Friday to reject accusations that its government had failed to protect Egyptians from violent Algerian fans. Sudan also summoned the Egyptian envoy in protest.

The spat shows few signs of cooling.

FIFA is investigating the stoning of Algeria's team bus. The facts were collected and the verdict is being discussed among FIFA officials.
Egypt plans to file a report with FIFA to complain of violence against its fans, state media said. Some Egyptians working in Algeria have said they were harassed, and a bomb hoax was called in against an Algerian flight arriving in Cairo.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry spokesman told state television the return of Egypt's envoy to Algeria was linked to "removing the reasons for the recall", state news agency MENA reported.
"The recall of the ambassador for consultations is open-ended, and the time frame could last for several days or extend to weeks or months," Hossam Zaki was quoted as saying.

My smile came back when I came across this title: "Egyptians, Algerians celebrate together in Canada". I felt a big hope.

OTTAWA: On one university campus in the Canadian capital, Ottawa, Algerian fans cheered their players on toward victory against Egypt in an intense rendezvous that eventually qualified Algeria to compete in the World Cup 2010, next year in South Africa. It was a display of patriotism rarely seen by Canada’s Arabs publicly.

On November 18, Egyptian university students in Ottawa mourned the loss, or rather the dream that is yet to be achieved. With powerful chants strong enough to vibrate walls, the Egyptians could not help but continue chanting their chants and raising their flags even following the national team’s 1-0 loss to Algeria in Sudan. The plan was to celebrate and to chant, win or lose, the students said.

Elsewhere on the university, a group of Egyptian students decided to join the Algerian students in their celebrations. Words of congratulations were exchanged. New chants, referring to both Egypt and Algeria were sounded out by the fans, which were accompanied by the traditional tabla drum rhythms. Joining together in what was arguably the most ironic moment, considering the rumors of Egyptians being attacked in Sudan following the match and Egyptian demonstrations that led to violence in Cairo.

In Canada, this seemed not of concern for both Egyptian and Algerian fans, who sang together: “Masr! Jazayer” or “Egypt, Algeria!”

Yasmin Abdulgawad, an Egyptian student in Ottawa, said that the motive behind joining the Algerian celebrations was “to show them that we are civilized and have a big heart.”

Sarra Chalabi, President of the Maghrebian Association at the university, was “impressed” with the joint support. She stated that she “really appreciated it as it was proving it was just a game.”

In the joint celebration, hope for better relations between Egypt and Algeria was partly restored. However, the question that yet remains is will this restoration resonate over lands and seas, reaching North Africa?

When asked about future relations between Egypt and Algeria, both Egyptian and Algerian students are concerned about the violence that has surrounded the qualifying matches. Abdulgawad loses her optimism. saying that these violent events are “going to be the trigger for realizing that the Arab dream is gone.” She expressed her disdain towards dragging international relations into the sport.

Does this mean that in order to have sane and smart people in our countried, we will need to send each citizen and government officla to be a student for couple of years in Canadian universities? that is so far, the only place where sane and wise comments are reported.

Algerianamericans.com -  November. 23, 2009