Hitler and Mubarak

Today, I wanted to introduce myself to some UN agencies. Not an easy task, because the UN keep a low profile in this country. That means that they do not put a sign on their building. As they also did not update their new address online, it meant two days of wandering around through Cairo... When I found the office today, most of the staff members had already left for the weekend. However, I was successful in the sense that I got a list with lots of telephone numbers on it from one of the security guards inside the office.

On my way back to the metro, I asked an Egyptian for directions. He would walk me to the subway station and engage in a conversation. He was curious what I'd think of Adolf Hitler, being German.

He: "Do you love Hitler?"
I: "No, I don't."
He: "Why don't you love Hitler?"
I: "Why should I?"
He: "Because he was a strong man!"
I: "Mubarak was a strong man, too!"
He: "Yes, he was strong - and a thief."
I: "See, Hitler was strong - and a murderer."

He was quite for a moment and I could see his mind working this one out. I was happy, he was thinking about it and that for the first time I felt, I could make somebody here understand why Hitler isn't exactly the most popular person in Germany anymore. That's difficult in a country where you can buy "Mein Kampf" or other works regarding Nazis, as well as other dictators, litterally at every book vendor in the street.