Script
NARRATOR: The Suez Canal is a canal which is in the North East of Egypt. It connects the Red Sea with the
Mediterranean Sea, so it can be the shortcut from Europe to Asia. Many people want to use this route
because passing by the Good Hope Cape is too time consuming.
This canal has been very useful from the past to nowadays; moreover, this 101 mile-long canal was built by
humans almost 200 years ago, and if you look into the details of its history, it may seem more interesting.
In the age of the industrial revolution, when there was no Suez Canal, every country wanted to trade with
other countries, and inevitably every country was expecting this shortcut.
In the beginning of the 19th century, Ferdinand de Lesseps, a young embassy worker from France was sent to
Egypt, and he had succeeded in persuading Mohamed Said, the Egypt Governor at that time, to build the
canal with Ferdinand de Lesseps as the leader of this project.
The British were aware of France’s desire to take their profits from the Suez Canal project, and they could
not let this shortcut fall into France’s hands. The British decided to use their influence with the European
banks to deprive Ferdinand de Lesseps from borrowing the money from European banks.
Ferdinand de Lesseps, who had only half of the money for the project, turned to his friend, Mohamed Said.
So Mohamed Said reluctantly borrowed the rest of the money needed for the project from European banks
at a very high interest rate.
Mohamed Said, who had run out of money, forced Egyptian farmers to be the laborers for the Suez Canal
project. He didn’t even have enough money to buy the machines and food for the laborers, so most of the
laborers had to use their bare hands to work, and a lot of them starved to death.
In 1769, even though the Suez Canal was operating, Egypt still couldn’t pay the European banks back.
In 1875, Egypt had to face bankruptcy. Egypt could not be helped from any other financial institutions.
Mohamed Ismail, the prime minister of Egypt at that time, received his position after his uncle Mohamed
Said died, and he sold the shares of the Suez Canal project to anyone who wanted to buy.
Without any doubt, the British were the first ones who came to buy the shares from Egypt. So at that time,
almost half of the shares were British’s and the rest of them were France’s.
In 1882, the British invaded Egypt because they wanted to protect their advantage which would come from
the Suez Canal. The Egyptians could not let this happen. They rebelled against British, but at last they lost.
John Smith was a young British businessman who went aboard to Egypt to be a part of the Suez project.
In John Smith’s office in Egypt,
A BRITISH WOMAN: Hi! John! Long time no see!
The British man came into the room, with his luggage, looked like he just arrived.
JOHN SMITH: Oh! Hi! Glad to meet you here!
A BRITISH WOMAN: How is the business? I guess it must be great! Everyone is using the Canal now.
The British man looked out through windows to the Suez Canal.
JOHN SMITH: Yeah! And the profits are running to us. This might be the best way to grow money for our
country! Almost half of the shares are ours!
John laughed in his joy and poured the British man a glass of wine.
A BRITISH WOMAN: Yeah. Egypt is in our control, and it will be like this for a long time, I can feel.
The British man took the glass and laughed.
An Egyptian woman, who was standing out of the room and heard all of the conversations, entered the room. Her
name was Arkila.
ARKILA: Excuse me, Mr. Smith. There is a letter for you.
JOHN SMITH: Ugh! Don’t you know how to knock? You stupid Egyptians, and that’s why you cannot handle
this golden river.
John mumbled and took the letter from Arkila’s hand.
Arkila didn’t please at all, but she couldn’t say anything.
JOHN SMITH: This is Arkila, my Egyptian assistance.
John spoke to the British man, with his hands opening the letter he had just received.
THE BRITISH WOMAN: And May I guess? That letter must be from your parents!
JOHN SMITH: Yes, you’re right. ‘Please return home before thanksgiving,’ it says.
THE BRITISH MAN: Of course, that’s why I’m here. Don’t worry about the work! I’ll take care of it when
you’re gone!
JOHN SMITH: Ha ha, yes, thanks. I think I should go now, see you.
A BRITISH WOMAN: Ok, see you!
John walked out from his office with Arkila.
In the next morning, as John carried his luggage out from his place, ready to go home, he met Arkila.
ARKILA: Good morning, Mr. Smith.
JOHN SMITH: Is the ship ready?
ARKILA: Yes, it is.
JOHN SMITH: Ugh! Finally I can leave this gross country! People here are too weird! All they do is worship
their crazy stupid dog statue.
ARKILA: Sir, please stop saying that, I think that’s too much.
JOHN SMITH: Huh? Too much? Which part am I wrong?
ARKILA: I know we believe in different gods, but please don’t insult our gods.
JOHN SMITH: Stupid people will always be stupid, Arkila.
John spoke and laughed at the same time.
Arkila was very angry because John’s words.
ARKILA: That’s enough! You can despise me, but not my god!
JOHN SMITH: No, I’m not gonna stop. I’m gonna think like a civilized people think. And I don’t give a damn
about what you think.
Saying and Laughing.
Suddenly, Arkila put out her peeler from her left pocket of her jacket, and she stabbed John in his chest.
JOHN SMITH: Ouch!
John was shocked and painful. He felt his warm blood ran out from his wound right after Arkila pulled her peeler out
of his chest.
JOHN SMITH: Ouch! Help! Somebody help me!
John shouted out loud, but there was no one seemed to hear him.
ARKILA: No one is going to help you, Mr. Smith.
Arkila stabbed her peeler into the same spot, but this time through John’s muscle right to his heart, repeated it many
times, and laughing liked she went insane.
JOHN SMITH: Ouch! Why are you doing this?
ARKILA: Why? I’m gonna tell you why, so listen to me carefully.
Arkila spoke with her peeler stuck in John’s chest, and John’s weak hands struggled and tried to pull it out.
ARKILA: Last month, when British came to us. Egyptians were just tried to protect their homeland, but did
you know what your people did to us? They killed us, they killed my father, and they killed my family!
JOHN SMITH: But I wasn’t the person who did that!
Arkila pushed her peeler deeper into John’s chest.
JOHN SMITH: Ow!
He moaned in pain.
ARKILA: But your family has a business, and all you selfish people just want to take advantage from our
canal, the canal which was built by our bare hands, the canal which Egyptians were forced to die for!
JOHN SMITH: Ugh...
John was going to died
ARKILA: Don’t worry John. Take my revenge and just die.
Arkila pulled the peeler out.
NARRATOR: John Smith’s lifeless body fell to the floor. He never reached his homeland again.
British took control of Egypt for 75 years. And Egypt had returned to their freedom from British in 1936.
There’re a lot of stories after that, but in the end, nowadays, the Suez Canal is officially belonged to every
country in the world.
The End.