QUOTE (kurtsimonw @ Feb 3 2012, 12:30 AM)
Now you mention it, I'm sure I've heard commentators during the ACN mention that Egypt are much disliked by the rest of Africa.
Yup, and it's not exactly hate, just pure dislike. (IMG:
style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Surely not racist or xenophobic, it's just that the most of Africa is black and well, African (as in traditions, lifestyle and economically not as secure as the Northern countries), while Egypt and friends aren't really that, plus them being closer to Mediterranean, and even a bit like Asia.
I mean in the last ACN, Egypt went to the final and won, and the displeasure was clearly evident on the commentators and African analysts' faces. You could see they were rolling with the flow, and no one was really happy.
QUOTE (kurtsimonw @ Feb 3 2012, 12:30 AM)
I had no idea the countries were so different. From what I read and stuff, I always got the impression the difference between African-Arabic countries and Asian-Arabic countries was very little, that the people were similar.
Oh man, it's very different. (IMG:
style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) You go from Egypt to Saudi Arabia to Iran, and then Pakistan (well we're as multi-cultural as it gets, anyway), and over to say Burma, Philippines, and Japan, it gets very different. Even staying in Arabian or African countries, there are similarities, but more than enough difference in culture and lifestyle.
You can say almost twice the difference between say England, France and Germany. I mean these countries are similar in many ways, and different in many others. Captain Jack's example of Eastern and Western Europe is a good enough fit here. Though there is a bit more of a difference (and friction) than say Albania vs England.
QUOTE (kurtsimonw @ Feb 3 2012, 01:18 AM)
I'm reading that it's politically motivated. Al Ahly fans are supposedly very against Maburak and the police/army are loyal to him, apparently they saw no reason to protect them.
Yes, well that was my first impression. Things are quite messed up in Egypt. (IMG:
style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) That's why I said broken down system in Egypt, the country is practically upside down. Purely football violence at the scale of 73 dead and countless injured is not something one hears every now and then. Very sad.