31/12/1997
Aker saa Magazine 1997/DECEMBER /31
In Luxor’s empty streets, while silence spread over the city and livlihoods were closed, Luxor’s residents saw a man in his 50s walking among a throng of 200 children, taking them from one monument to another, and having breakfast in one of the restaurants, lunch in a second and supper in a third. People wonder who he is and who they are. The answer shows up quickly…He is an Egyptian businessman, he is Dr. Nader Riad. ( Available in Arabic )
Dr. Nader Riad was moved by Luxor’s incident as he was moved before by the consequences of the October 1992 earthquake as he stood up to it realistically, passionately and patriotically and had a school built for those children in El-Ayyat, Mahmasha village, one of villages in Giza. Since then it was known as Dr. Nader Riad School. From that time on he took upon himself all its responsibilities and requirements. Now he expresses his rejection to the vicious aggression. He accompanied those children and traveled with them on an Egyptair flight. He was not even content with that, but he gave each child a sum of L.E.200 as pocket money on the condition that they spend all of it in Luxor city and not to return home with any of it. The children met General Selmi Selim, the Head of the Supreme Council of Luxor City, who was showered by their questions. How much was our loss? . How can we compensate for it? what can each child do to participate? Is there any guarantee that this horrible incident will never happen again? The children’s convoy returned to Cairo with each one of them having a true feeling deep inside. Each one of them is very happy with this experience that brought them close to incidents which moved the whole world.It is an Egyptian picture that is absolutely true. But above all, it is a patriotic example ..we hope that anyone who can afford it would follow it.
