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Wednesday, 15 Nov 2006
Yesterday was the second sexual harrassment protest in downtown cairo against what went down in the eid incident. And while the first one passed without incident, the police has cracked down on the second one. On my way there I bumped into Sharkawy, who told me that its nearly impossible to get to the protest: State security cars were everywhere, and police agents were blocking anyone from reaching the protest area, so they had to cancel it. The few activists who were there, however, were harassed, beaten up and arrested. Here is a describtion of how the situation was like:
Dozens
of cars and armored vehicles and hundreds of state security members
filled the blocks surrounding the Metro Cinema, the site of the alleged
attacks during the Eid al-Fitr.Policemen kept several activists
and journalists from approaching the cinema. Security forces pursued
over a dozen demonstrators and journalists through downtown,
barricading them inside the nearby Excelsior Café in a tense hour-long
standoff.Several activists and journalists were physically harassed, and two, Nadia Mabrouk and Walid Salah, were arrested.
“They
beat me up when I was taking pictures,” said Reuters photographer Abdel
Nasser Nouri. “They put me in a car and told me ‘don’t take any more
pictures, and don’t come here again.’ Then they drove me away.”He was released him several blocks away from the cinema.
Here are Nasser Nouri's pictures of Nadia and Walid's arrest , provided by Hosam from arabawy, who provided me with more information on what happend to the two activists: They spent the night in the Qasr Al Neel police station, and will be presented today to the public persecutor's office for disturbing public order. According to their lawyer, Nadia was beaten up during the arrest and the SS officer kept beating her against the police truck's metal stairsteps. She was later greeted at the police station with slaps on the face before being thrown in a jail cell with criminals.
Oh yeah, and in case you are wondering what happend to the arabist website, well, it has been inaccessible for "mysterious" reasons since yesterday. It seems that the government has blocked it.
So let's recap shall we? The egyptian police stopped a sexual harrassment demonstration- one that was protesting an incident that happend in front of that same police, who didn't lift a finger to stop it -, chased down demonstrators and journalists, arrested two of them and beat up the female one, and then blocked an internet blog. All on the same day! It seems that they are more interested in stopping people from protesting their inability to do their job, rather than actually doing it. Fan-freakin-tastic, no?
I weep for this country. I really do!
Update: The arabist seems to be unblocked now. Thank God!
November 15th, 2006 at 6:10 am
Sounds like the period in May, just before the June 89 crackdown by the PRC when they murdered thousands of protesters. But actually your countrys violatons of human rights has been going on for years, so the comparison might be wrong.
But it does seem to be getting more frequent.
Maybe this is what is needed in Iraq, overwhelming, brutal governement power. What they have now sure isn’t working.
The Iraqis are blaming the U.S. Military for not protecting the universitys, from their own people. No one has suggested that it was al Quata that kidnapped, then released the Iraqis, since al Quata only releases dead people.
Papa Ray
November 15th, 2006 at 6:24 am
This all makes sense now, I tried to get there yesterday but I was reached first an officer who told me “emshy 3al raseef” then by another high-ranked one saying “emshi 3alatol mato2afsh!” and when I asked he made’t clear that I shouldn’t get near the area again! This’s just fucking hilarious, police and plain-clothed security agents as far as the eye can see, what the hell were they doing on eid then? heh, whatever, this place is going down, and I don’t give a shit.
November 15th, 2006 at 7:51 am
Hmm… and I suppose making a complaint about the police to government authorities is useless? That’s what happens up here if the police has reacted in an inadequate or overreactive way…
How about getting a bunch of the victims toggether and taking the police to court? With the photoevidence and massive number of eyewitnesses, it shouldn’t be a problem getting the case approved.
Naive…?
November 15th, 2006 at 8:56 am
“ozens
of cars and armored vehicles and hundreds of state security members
filled the blocks surrounding the Metro Cinema, the site of the alleged
attacks during the Eid al-Fitr.”
Notice how the use the word “alleged”… Alleged my ass… Bro I weep with you too. This is freaking depressing and I’m not surprised at all…
May Mubarak and all filthy Arab dictators burn in hell…
people can i get an Amen? Can I please get some?
PS: atheists in the house you could probably roll a joint or something.
November 15th, 2006 at 9:06 am
SM, I will amen/roll a joint to this:
“It seems that they are more interested in stopping people from protesting their inability to do their job, rather than actually doing it.”
Drima - Amen to you to!
November 15th, 2006 at 9:18 am
amen
November 15th, 2006 at 9:31 am
Yes. Mubarak is a filthy arab dictator, may he burn i hell. Amen
But do anybody think that free democratic elections would bring better leaders? Or would you end up with the muslim brotherhood, imposing “talibanic” rules?
Any thought on this?
November 15th, 2006 at 10:05 am
Amen to that..
I forgot to mention that when I talked to the officer, he made’t clear that should I decide to stick around and something happens, I’ll have only myself to blame, sweet ha?
@ Denning: Believe me it won’t make a difference, this country is fucked up either ways, that I know.
November 15th, 2006 at 10:14 am
Denning, the MB are not like the Taliban at all, they are much more liberal. There are still lots of reasons to be sceptical about them, of course, but it’s extremely ironic that the Egyptian govt warns people that the MB when they come to power may restrict freedoms, etc - like the govt isn’t already doing that and worse!
November 15th, 2006 at 10:41 am
Ok SP,
I do not want to turn this into a discussion about MB, or a support for Mubarak and the gov. I agree MB is more liberal than the Taliban. But I do not for a sec believe that they are as peaceful and liberal as they sometimes try pretend.
Now back to the brave demonstrators, they deserve all the attenction they can get.
And the government derserve all the shit too.
November 15th, 2006 at 11:00 am
SP Says:”Denning, the MB are not like the Taliban at all, they are much more liberal. There are still lots of reasons to be sceptical about them, of course, but it’s extremely ironic that the Egyptian govt warns people that the MB when they come to power may restrict freedoms, etc - like the govt isn’t already doing that and worse!”
Two words: Khomeini and the Shah.
It is not as if Islamists have not pretended to be liberals before. It is not as if their views, if ever sincerely held, haven’t undergone a radical change once they are in power. The problem with Islamists is, as with the old Communist Parties, you have a choice between a Son of a B!tch and “One man, one vote, one time”.
Personally I would support democratic elections anyway. Even if the FIS or the MB win. Their ideas are out there. They have a lot of support. The only way to discredit them is to let them try. Sure, the Egyptian population may suffer a lot if they have no better choice but the MB, but it is not as if there is a widespread popular alternative. It is about as cynical as I can possibly get, but the MB says that Islam is the answer. I think it is not. How else will I convince people but to let them comprehensively and thoroughly try it and learn the hard way?
November 15th, 2006 at 12:22 pm
Is it wishful thinking on my part, or are organized demonstrations happening more frequently in Cairo than in the past? Despite the crackdowns, if the frequency is increasing, that is a good thing. There’s a revolution coming….sometime.
November 15th, 2006 at 12:25 pm
11. HeiGou says:
“How else will I convince people but to let them comprehensively and thoroughly try it and learn the hard way?”
Heh… I’d tell people to look to the other side of the Red Sea or even better, to Iran/Afghanistan (under Taliban rule) - that’s how it ends up, as far as we know.
Anyone of you ever consider starting a political party? You all seem even-headed and it seems you couldn’t possibly do any worse than the ones in office right now!
November 15th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
Adam B - do you know Egypt? Do you know that you have to apply to a committee run by the existing regime to get a party authorized, and that they almost never legalize a party that is either not run by regime toadies or weak enough to never pose a threat? When they are beating up a few (well-educated, reasonably elite) people for protesting against sexual attacks, do you think they’d stand for an actual independent, critical political party? The few parties that exist have their leaders thrown in jail or beaten up if they actually dare say anything critical of the regime.
I agree with HeiGou that the best way to show the so-called parties of god for what they are is to let them run and either make fools of themselves or become more pragmatic and less ideological. They have already shown their willingness to make compromises once the carrot of participation in power is held out to them.
November 15th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
Sandmonkey,
Take heart. There have been parallel events in Malaysia, with a better outcome than you have had, so far.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/14/AR2006111401312.html
I would caution against efforts by some commenters here to turn what started out as a “crowd-control” malfeasance-by-the-local-police into something that could be interpreted as bitching-by-the-usual-antigovernment-suspects. If that happens, the local police will continue to get away with their very selective, skewed, law enforcement. You want your national government’s help.
November 15th, 2006 at 2:14 pm
Valerie Says:”Take heart. There have been parallel events in Malaysia, with a better outcome than you have had, so far.”
Sorry but how is that a parallel event? The technology was used to abuse this poor woman even further than the police were doing already. A *male* policeman taped her secretly and naked being humiliated. How is that doing anything other than what those young men did in Cairo except with a mobile phone? If the poor woman was not so pale-skinned, and hence the Chinese thought she was Chinese, this would have ended in her utter humiliation as she would have been seen by everyone and the government would not have done a thing. Perhaps the only way to make a parallel here is to claim some of the Cairo victims were Americans or Danes. I am utterly amazed that the Gulf states have not complained about the treatment of their citizens.
November 15th, 2006 at 2:35 pm
Valerie @ 14
Oh yes that video… The only reason it became big news was because at first it was thought that the girl in it was a Chinese national. The Chinese Ambassador was pissed and that’s why the government reacted quickly to establish the inquiry board. Wouldn’t wanna lose tons of toursim revenue from all the potential Chinese tourists you know.
After it was confirmed that the video was of a local Malay, the whole thing kinda settled and they made new procedures to prevent the “squating” requirement from being abused.
I live in Malaysia BTW.
November 15th, 2006 at 3:18 pm
Is the arab world hopeless?
My first response to this crap is that it is time for people to rise up and overthrow the gov’t (once the US stops funding their asses).
But then there are probably more psychos willing to take up arms in Egypt than reasonable people.
What on earth is the answer?
November 15th, 2006 at 4:26 pm
Bummer…
*rolls a joint*
Lots of interesting Qs on this thread. Are things in Egypt picking up pace or is the coverage increasing due to the ‘net?
Either way, somethin’s gotta give. Good luck, Misr.
November 15th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
Our ‘friends’ the Egyptians
The idealist in me pretty much hates every regime in the Middle East, including our so-called friends. The realist in me understands that the alternatives to many of these regimes would be worse. So, at the state level, we don’t…
November 15th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
#18 Smarty - “Is the arab world hopeless?”
That’s my personal view. I really think that although the US couldn’t possibly do things any more incorrectly than it has, and we all know that the public reasons it gives do not match it’s true motivations, but I have to agree that somethings has to be done over in that area. You’re just killing yourselves when you’re not killing us.
November 15th, 2006 at 4:55 pm
I am also wondering if protests were ‘allowed’ during the Danish cartoon debacle or other anti-western’ issues…
November 15th, 2006 at 5:09 pm
Arabo-Facism is a scourage, it is seriosly sad to see this go on in Egypt.
I say things would be better with MB. but only time will tell. The Taliban was largely illiterate, I dont know if the MB can read Go, Dog Go. Well Shall see.
In Libya we have direct democracy in Berber Communities. No Arabo-Facists, come to Zuwara and the Mountains. Yeppe for me.
November 15th, 2006 at 5:11 pm
this country has completely gone down the toilet and i am just about ready to flush….argggg….I am getting really angry now!!
November 15th, 2006 at 6:19 pm
Things like this recent Pakistani legislation for trying rape cases are what gives the west it’s poor view of the Islam / sexual assualt connection…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6148590.stm
“Until now rape cases were dealt with in Sharia courts. Victims had to have four male witnesses to the crime - if not they faced prosecution for adultery.”
“A woman is raped every two hours and gang-raped every eight hours in Pakistan, according to the country’s independent Human Rights Commission.
Correspondents say these figures are probably an under-estimation as many rapes are not reported. ”
*** “Existing laws are correct and should be maintained… The changes are not in line with Islamic teaching.” ***
November 15th, 2006 at 6:25 pm
But it’s good to see some attempt to moderate things. It’s just incomprhensible to me how so many Islamic religious leaders from various countries can defend their ways. In my mind, this isn’t limited to any one geographic area or sect - Islam itself is the common denominator.
November 15th, 2006 at 7:08 pm
14. SP:
No sorry, I don’t know Egypt… Lived in Saudi for 4 years during the 80’s but never thought of the two regimes as being comparable.
A peacefull alternative to the sitting government, ie. no demonstrations etc. wouldn’t meet too much ‘resistance’, or would it…? Shouldn’t that just be a matter of attaining a status of sister-party to some western political party? Any harrasment would be met by international condemnations pretty quickly if that were the case…!
November 15th, 2006 at 7:09 pm
“The worse, the better.”
The French revolutionaries understood that before things could get better, they would have to get much, much worse. I’m afraid that the entire Middle East is in for some extremely nasty times before life improves.
Maybe the Powers That Be will wake up one day to realize you can hide a lot under shapeless robes and start cracking down on all groups of women. Especially if the word starts to circulate of men being attacked and humiliated by them.
Maybe the most knuckle-dragging of the radical islamists will wake up one day to the fact that punishing a woman who reports a rape more than the rapist means that their wives and daughters have no choice but to remain silent. In fact, that neighbor can get what he wants from them because he can afford disclosure more than the women can.
What will they do then? The return of the harem? Never let them out?
Maybe the decent people (the ones who, like SandMonkey, missed important steps in their socialization) will wake up one day and decide it’s better to send their daughters off to Europe or the US or wherever than to keep them in their home country which hates them.
All kinds of possibilities — but I can pretty well guarantee that it’s going to get a LOT uglier before it improves.
November 15th, 2006 at 8:51 pm
The Muslim Brotehrhood is a terroist group founded by a terrorists and commited assassinations in the early 60s….maybe you should have listened to the news during the previous elections in egypt and how the MB supporters and fellows used knifes to terrorize the poeple to elect their candidates
November 15th, 2006 at 11:51 pm
How much does Egypt need the US monetary support? Because with the MB in power they are going to get none. Also, figure on Israel back in the Sinai meaning the Suez canal being closed due to it being a war zone. Yes, the MB is a great solution for Egypt.
November 15th, 2006 at 11:56 pm
TINLC
How much Dope have you done today?
November 15th, 2006 at 11:59 pm
Actually Rape is not tried as adultry it’s tried as a Agrravated crime.
In Saudi you are crucified for rape. No Witnesses needed. Its a crime that causes the taking of something by force.
November 16th, 2006 at 12:02 am
Oh yes actually as far as lashing is concerned thats for me only, its spelled out literally in the quran. All men who accuse a chaste women of adultry and do not bring 4 witnesses to testify must be lashed. The Verse never said a word about women accusing men of adultry. But in anycase,m they are accusing them of aggravated sexual assualt. And hence they are put to death like in Saudi Arabia.
November 16th, 2006 at 12:32 am
Gee, my point about the thing in Malaysia was that things are changing — new technology is being used to document the bad acts of the police so that people can’t assume the victims are liars — and people are getting mad about it.
I’m sorry about the racist element in Malaysia, but frankly, I’d be willing to take whatever help I can get. Maybe the reaction of the Chinese shamed some of the power-wielders in Malaysia. Why should the Chinese value their girls more than the Malaysians? Maybe the Chinese reaction reminded some decent Malaysian fathers that their own sweet daughters might not be protected all the time.
November 16th, 2006 at 1:26 am
[...] Rantings of a Sandmonkey » Sexual harrasment protesters arrested Bei Protesten gegen die sexuellen Ãœbergriffe zum Fest des Fastenbrechens in Kairo wurden Journalisten und Protestierende von der ägyptischen Polizei attackiert (tags: blog sandmonkey ägypten kairo polizei repression Eid_ul-Fitr freiheit) [...]
November 16th, 2006 at 1:36 am
god Yellow people. I was so much happier when it was the Middle east and Europe, Caucasions are some much easier to deal with.
November 16th, 2006 at 5:58 am
I weep with you!~
November 16th, 2006 at 7:09 am
Adam B - ya rayt! Egyptians tried a lot of demonstrations last year and got beaten up for their troubles. And the international condemnations were weak, and the people who could have (and did in the past exercise) some leverage in getting the Egyptian govt to back off a bit - the Americans - got scared after things started to go downhill in Iraq and the Egyptian regime smoothies managed to convince them that they’d better be allowed their own “housekeeping” against dissidents or else Egypt would be a mess too.
November 16th, 2006 at 9:25 am
Drima… Amen!!!
November 16th, 2006 at 11:53 am
37: SP:
Yes, but that’s my point - don’t go out in the streets with banners and yell “down with the government”…!
Just start a political party, get a dialogue with like-minded parties in the west, get a sister-party arrangement (same international organization) and then spread the word/start recruiting. As long as you don’t clash with the establishment there shouldn’t be any worries (or should there…?)
32. Joe:
No crucifictions in Saudi - if death sentences are given it’s off with the head…
I remember a case in the mid-80’s where a couple of brothers (from a rich family) had thrown a party for their friends (booze and all). They had made so much noise during the night that one of their sisters had walked over to their part of the house to tell them to quiet down a bit. Some of the friends had opened the door and, upon seeing a woman outside, had dragged her to a remote corner of the house and raped her. She had of course ‘complained’ to her family and the case had gone to court. The molesters had recieved minor sentences and the girl had been stoned to death by her family because she was now ‘unpure’ and thus an embarrassment to the family.
Only case of rape against a saudi that I ever heard about - rape of phillipino housemaids usually went unreported and never had any consequences as far as I know…
November 16th, 2006 at 5:39 pm
good work for bringing the sexual harrassment issues to surface but i m sorry your vehement disapproval jus ain’t washin. You’re trying too hard to make it seem how angry you are at the lack of respect that the perpetrators have for women and their actions but some of your previous articles regarding women show that you, just like them look at them as sex objects.
November 16th, 2006 at 6:35 pm
41:
All men look at women like sex objects - it’s natural…! We look at them like a lot of other things too, but they are not mutually exclusive!!! Besides, I hear women talk about mens’ butts all the time and hear noone complaining…
The thing is, unlike the a**holes they’re protesting against in the article, most of us feel no compulsion to treat women like they have no say about their own body (or life).
November 16th, 2006 at 8:33 pm
Adam B - there are endless hoops you’d have to jump through to start a party and the regime will block you every step of the way and throw you into jail even if you have a very peaceful non-revolutionary program. And a great irony of the Egyptian system is that while the regime happily pockets billions from the US govt every year, any non-regime group getting overseas money or allying with overseas orgs is liable to be punished legally.
November 16th, 2006 at 9:49 pm
I probably wouldn’t agree with their politics, and I’ve no idea where it’s all going to end, but…
there’s something very inspiring about seeing courageous people fighting such an honorable battle. God bless.
November 16th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
41,
In case you haven’t figured it out, yet, the good guys love to look at women, and are flattered half out of their minds when the women look back. Touching does not necessarily have anything to do with it.
November 17th, 2006 at 12:21 am
[...] Egyptians demonstrate against harassment of women by the police. UPDATE: Several demonstrators detained . Sandmonkey has several must-read posts with links to exclusive videos of such a brutality here and here [...]
November 17th, 2006 at 2:08 am
guys where is SM?!!!!! its been long time and he hasn’t showed up with any posts. hmm i kinda feel somethin bad is goin on
November 17th, 2006 at 5:31 am
He Joined the egyptian government.
They offered him a position, didnt you guys here, SM is now the ruler of egypt. Hail Pharoh Sand Monkey!
November 17th, 2006 at 5:34 am
Free Thoughts
Prussian Blue just sold 100,000 copies of their Cd in its first week. They are on Billboard. I think white America has finally awaken to the jew. The Whole world knows ya buddy. Its over buddy, take that pita bread of your head, before Iran blows it off for ya
November 17th, 2006 at 7:23 am
“Prussian Blue just sold 100,000 copies of their Cd in its first week. They are on Billboard. I think white America has finally awaken to the jew. The Whole world knows ya buddy. Its over buddy, take that pita bread of your head, before Iran blows it off for ya”
wtf? I know this comment was a stupid joke, but why would someone wear pita bread for a hat? Why is it the “jew” and not “the jews”? It isn’t one specific jew running the world is it? Free thoughts is a blog run by an Italian, Iran can’t do shit and never will be able to (the serious kind) and you are either somewhat funny or retarded.
November 17th, 2006 at 7:53 am
The obvious question about the Prussian Blue twins is…when they grow up will Lynx eventually eat Lamb ?
November 17th, 2006 at 11:20 am
It’s quite hard for me to decide who I find more dispecable, the police or the women-molesting animals of the Eid incident.
If I had to choose, I would say the police get the honor. Crushing the demonstration only proved that the police had all the power they needed to stop the eid incident, sp they must have decided NOT to stop it. But it still puzzles me why they did that, what was the reason they decided to allow it?
Were there a lot of police or their friends in the woman-molesting crowd?
Did they send men to stop it only to find out they decided to join the crowd?
Did someone actually organize the eid molestation-fest by pulling some strings?
Didn’t they just care about the women they hate so much?
What on earth were the true motives of the police for allowing the Eid incident?
November 17th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
Ooshi,
I’m wondering the same thing. Helllllllllllllooooooooooooo………………..(hello…helllo…hello). The echo is worrying.
November 17th, 2006 at 6:47 pm
Uragan Says:”The obvious question about the Prussian Blue twins is…when they grow up will Lynx eventually eat Lamb ?”
I would have thought that a more obvious question is when are they going to break free from their mother and will they join the rest of us when they do?
They are certainly growing (and porking) up so it shouldn’t be long.
Can’t wait.
November 17th, 2006 at 7:49 pm
Well … the Eid rampage was late at night and they didn’t break it up and they made no arrests. The demonstration was around lunchtime and was disrupted and they arrested people.
Obviously, most of the police force works 9-5 and was not available to stop the Eid rampage, but they are doing what they can to keep the streets safe by arresting women during the day.
November 18th, 2006 at 6:10 am
Psst, Suz
Perhaps SM is in Hurghada.
November 20th, 2006 at 1:35 am
So the rapists were left free while the police was at the rape scene, and the protesters agains the mass rape got arrested. Thats Egypt for you.
November 21st, 2006 at 2:51 pm
I see ‘Al Wafd’ mentions the Eid Al-Fitr incident now:
http://www.alwafd.org/v2/News/NewsDetail.php?id=2230&type=last&PHPSESSID=d89018240ae0404e1bbcaa6639f7cad2
November 22nd, 2006 at 9:28 pm
[...] (Cairo) No primeiro dia de uma festa muçulmana (Eid), uma multidão constituída por centenas de homens assediou sexualmente raparigas e mulheres (egípcias ou estrangeiras, veladas ou não), perante a passividade das forças policiais - que parecem ter um historial em facilitar agressões a mulheres. Os ataques duraram cerca de cinco horas e a única ajuda partiu dos locais que ofereceram refúgio às raparigas e mulheres em lojas ou em táxis. A polícia recusou todas as queixas apresentadas pelas mulheres e o incidente foi inicialmente censurado pelos media árabes (a Al Jazeera foi mesmo impedida de emitir imagens dos incidentes pelas autoridades egípcias). Mas vários bloggers que testemunharam o mega-assalto, fizeram a denúncia nos seus blogs através de descrições, vídeos e fotos, e organizaram manifestações nas ruas de Cairo (na segunda manifestação alguns manifestantes foram presos). A discussão na blogosfera acabou eventualmente por chegar aos media nacionais. [...]