Reactions to the massacre at the Two Saints Church in Alexandria have subsided, or nearly so. And as with every past catastrophe in which every segment of Egyptian society has risen up, then quieted down and returned to normal, it seems that this will repeat itself this time as well, arousing the surprise of dozens of experts, analysts, journalists, reporters, former security experts and specialists at talking about every issue, event or catastrophe, who had alerted, insisted and warned against “Rima returning to her old habit”, an Egyptian expression meaning the return of the situation to what it was before. Thus, after action has returned calm, after uproar has returned silence, and after expressing sympathy all have returned to their former positions, seeking after their interests or living their lives. On the other hand, the investigation apparatus and security officials have been busy seeking to solve the mystery of the massacre and to reach results from their efforts to dispel the obscurity surrounding the bombing: whether it was carried out by an extremist suicide-bomber, through a highly explosive device, a time-bomb, or an explosive charge detonated from a distance; as well as of course trying to identify the perpetrators, on the basis that a crime of such magnitude could not be the work of a single individual, who might have blown himself up in front of the church and died, taking with him all the mysteries surrounding his crime. Amid no small amount of conflicting information, stories and contradictory accounts, in addition to journalistic reports and television investigations which are refuted right after being published or broadcast, and between mixing up the reasons for the crime, and whether it was the result of sectarian tension or of the presence of terrorist convictions among some extremists, and stances expressing sympathy for Egyptian Christians, whether out of conviction, or due to circumstances imposed by the function of some or by directives they implemented, it is high time to close the gaps through which any party might strike a blow against the very basis upon which rests Egyptian society, not just by way of scenes bringing together the Coptic Pope and the Grand Sheikh or Imam of Al-Azhar, of pictures and stickers in which the crescent is mixed with the cross, of patriotic songs and chants that speak of national unity, or of repeating the slogan “long live the crescent and the cross”, which Egyptians first launched during the 1919 revolution against the British occupation, but rather by resolving the causes of terrorism, which has cost Egypt many lives and much money during the years of religious violence, when no distinction was made between heads of state (Sadat died a victim of it and Mubarak was exposed to it) and common citizens, whether Muslims or Copts. Yes, Egypt's security apparatus has been successful at neutralizing the two most dangerous Islamist organizations that had practiced violence since the 1970s and until the Luxor incident in 1997, namely Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiyya and the Islamic Jihad, yet Egypt's soil has remained ripe for the growth of other organizations, which may be smaller in numbers, but are much more dangerous, as it has become difficult to analyze or predict what the “Neo-Terrorists” might do, as opposed to the well-known strategy adopted by Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiyya and the Islamic Jihad, which made it easier for everyone to know and expect the targets which members of the two organizations would aim for. The issue regards the culture of violence and social circumstances that are making some youths find no hope in life, reaching a state of depression that would make them believe that they must not lose the afterlife as they have lost the world they live in. As a result of poverty, ignorance, corruption, societal circumstances and extremely harsh terrorism, their minds have drifted away and they have come to believe that they could reach heaven through terrorism! All must overcome their sensitivity when it comes to studying the causes of terrorism and must not consider them to be justifications for terrorists. Moreover, imagining that a few songs and stances of solidarity with the victims, whoever they may be, after every incident will deter terrorists represents a great illusion and warns of the massacres repeating themselves as long as their causes remain. Even the issue of strengthening the laws alone does not guarantee an end to terrorist attacks. Indeed, the death penalty, life imprisonment and hard labor are sentences prescribed for those who commit the crimes of murder and drug trafficking, yet murder has not ceased and drugs are still sold on the market. The matter requires more than laws. As for the issue of sectarian tension or the Coptic issue, it is yet another matter that requires political will, social understanding and placing the public interest ahead of the particular interests of this or that segment of society. Indeed, the day Egyptian citizens find their rights guaranteed regardless of their religion, the day all Egyptians become equal before the law regardless of their faith, and the day competence alone is the standard for differentiating between citizens, there will no longer be any tension, nor will there be any issues that are opened without ever being closed.
