CAIRO - Arab tourism ministers meeting in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday lamented a drop in tourism in a region they said has trouble shedding a worldwide image of terrorism.
Golly. I can't imagine why that happened... | "Our meeting is held in difficult circumstances for the tourism industry in the world and in the Arab region in particular," Jordan's Tourism Minister Nader al-Dahabi told the meeting. "Troubles in the Arab region and the twisted image given by the media about our region" has harmed tourism."
See? It's the media, not the Krazed Killers... | Egypt's Tourism Minister Mamduh el-Beltagui said Arab countries "are faced with a big danger which weighs particularly on the tourism industry" as a result of people associating terrorism with Arabs and Muslims. "We must work to correct this image and tourism is the best way to do it because it's an industry of peace," Beltagui said.
"Honey, I've got our vacation itinerary all worked out:
First, Morocco, for the bombings. Then we'll nip over to Algeria, to watch the kiddies get their throats slit. There's an ancient synagogue in Tunisia, and we can watch it explode. Nothing much in Egypt, just a family feud or two — only 20 casualties or so, but from there we get to go to Yemen, to watch the missionary slaughter. In Soddy Arabia, we can watch a few explosions and some beheadings. Can can stop in Jordan to get some rest at Maan. Then to Paleostine, for a nice bus tour in Jerusalem. We won't have too much time in Lebanon, darn it. Maybe we'll just catch a bite at McDonald's or Kentucky Fried Chicken and stop by the embassy. Iraq's pretty busy, so we'll just stop by Najaf to watch an ayatollah chopped to pieces. From there, it's Iran, where they're stoning an adultress and we can catch the marching mullahs. Then we have a sidetrip to Indonesia, where we can go clubbing in Bali, see Zamboanga, where the monkeys have no tails, in the Philippines, and from there it's on to beautiful Pakistan, where somebody'll cut our heads off. What do you think?" |
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