In the still of the night

What do Egypt's telecommunication moguls have in common with pop star Craig David? An interest in world peace, as Fatemah Farag finds out while in Sharm El-Sheikh

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Clockwise from far left : David ; Sawiris, Nosseir and the governor; a suport Sharm logo; May Selim

"We will not allow a minority to dictate to us how to live our lives," the internationally famed British singer Craig David told tens of thousands of fans at his "Challenge for Peace" concert in Sharm El-Sheikh last week.

The night was hot. Against a velvet sky, the event proceeded with exemplary organisational ease; and the VIP section was filled with stars -- Hanan Tork, Angham, Hussein Fahmi -- not to mention socialites and business big shots. For once everyone seemed to agree: no to terrorism; yes to freedom; peace...

Trite as they may initially sound -- "the challenge of peace from the city of peace", the concert venue being on Peace Street and the too-large-for-comfort plaque on the road into town reminding all who pass of the 1995 Peace Makers Conference -- the slogans reflect a genuine sense of public responsibility, elicited by the recent bombings at this major Red Sea resort.

The event was the brainchild of Naguib Sawiris, chairman of Orascom Telecom, who called on his business rivals Vodaphone Egypt to join Orascom in a counter-terrorism concert -- the first occasion in contemporary Egyptian corporate history on which rival companies have joined forces to take on a purely civic role.

"It is important for the private sector to play its part in events of this kind," said Sawiris at a press conference held by concert organisers in Sharm, surrounded by Vodaphone Chairman Mohamed Nosseir, Chief Executive Officer Ian Gray, MobiNil CEO Othman Sultan and South Sinai Governor Mustafa Affifi. "We are part of society and we were all moved by the [act of terrorism] that took place here. Hence we are driven by emotion, not calculation."

In the same vein, Sultan highlighted that, "at critical historical junctures, nations should overcome all competitive and business considerations and prioritise their sense of responsibility towards their countries. This initiative is but an incarnation of this sense of responsibility and an expression of sympathy and support for the victims of the horrible attacks."

Nosseir was likewise keen to point out that, to date, "people have thought of terrorism as something to be fought by the police. But this event illustrates that this is everyone's battle, that it's the battle of civil society as a whole, you and I."

And while it might be suggested that the Egyptian business sector has yet to build a public profile, Vodaphone's Gray argued that "large corporations must express themselves as corporate citizens. [The bombings] are a sad and exceptional event and the contribution we are making here is partly to Sharm itself and partly to the international community". That said, Gray also pointed out that greatest social contribution of business is "economic security".

Already the sites of the bombings, which killed 64 tourists and Sharm residents, have been all but removed; and the governor was proud to point out that the city is all but back to normal. Governor Affifi indicated that on the night of the bombing occupancy in Sharm was 82.3 per cent; "today, we are over 55 per cent", he told reporters. Indeed a walk around the city reveals a bustling crowd of Arab and Western tourists, not to mention throngs of Egyptians.

The concert, which cost LE6 million, featured not only David, who according to the BBC was personally invited by President Hosni Mubarak, but Italian singer Nek, Lebanese singer Ragheb Alama, May Selim and a host of young Egyptian artists. "Well, those are the ones who agreed to come, anyway," quipped Sawiris, who on a more serious note told attendees not to "underestimate the fact that there are brave people and they are cowards."

And so we shed our fears and followed the mantra telling those who want to support Sharm, "it is your duty to shake your bootie"; we danced the night away. As Sawiris told us, "We must show terrorism that we are not scared and that no one will change our way of life and no one will lose money." And while those who committed the atrocity might have thought of Sharm as an apt target, Sawiris told Al-Ahram Weekly that in fact "Sharm is a good example [of reform], a free city where people can have fun."

Perhaps it is this more than anything else that is worth fighting for. As David sang into the Sinai night, "I'm walking away from the troubles of my life; I'm walking away to find a better day", we could only hope that our message would be heard as we hummed along.