1.0The Texas Observerhttps://www.texasobserver.orgElizabeth Ferneahttps://www.texasobserver.org/author/elizabeth-fernea/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="n4TkQ1uwhk"><a href="https://www.texasobserver.org/1349-afterword-letter-from-cairo/">Afterword</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.texasobserver.org/1349-afterword-letter-from-cairo/embed/#?secret=n4TkQ1uwhk" width="600" height="338" title="“Afterword” — The Texas Observer" data-secret="n4TkQ1uwhk" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(c,l){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(l.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(!(t.secret||t.message||t.value));else if(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret));else{for(var r,s,a,i=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),n=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=0;o<n.length;o++)n[o].style.display="none";for(o=0;o<i.length;o++)if(r=i[o],e.source!==r.contentWindow);else{if(r.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message){if(1e3<(s=parseInt(t.value,10)))s=1e3;else if(~~s<200)s=200;r.height=s}if("link"===t.message)if(s=l.createElement("a"),a=l.createElement("a"),s.href=r.getAttribute("src"),a.href=t.value,a.host===s.host)if(l.activeElement===r)c.top.location.href=t.value}}},e)c.addEventListener("message",c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",t,!1),c.addEventListener("load",t,!1);function t(){if(o);else{o=!0;for(var e,t,r,s=-1!==navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE 10"),a=!!navigator.userAgent.match(/Trident.*rv:11\./),i=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),n=0;n<i.length;n++){if(!(r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute("data-secret")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+="#?secret="+r,t.setAttribute("data-secret",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute("security"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:r},"*")}}}}(window,document); </script> Thursday, March 19, when American attacks on Iraq began, I was in Egypt for the 29th annual meeting of the African Literature Association. Delegates from Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia and the United States occupied the red plush seats in the auditorium of the new Alexandria Library, rebuilt after 1,500 years. We were being welcomed […]https://www.texasobserver.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/about-the-texas-observer.jpg740402