Egypt in the light of the massacre of the 27th of July

Calendars in Egypt will not only remember the 27^th of July 2013 as the 19^th day of Ramadan , they will also remember the day as the day the civilized world condoned a massacre of immense proportions; the day the world lost a little more of its humanity, with minimal fuss.

Statistics of the Coup since President Morsi was deposed in Egypt

The Guardian reports that at least 120 supporters of Egypt's ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, were shot dead on Saturday by security officials in what is being described as the worst state-led massacre in the country since the fall of Hosni Mubarak. Ground sources have however, put the death toll at as high as 200 deaths. Aljazeera reported that Ahmed Aref, the Muslim Brotherhood spokesperson, said 66 people were killed, another 61 are "clinically dead", and a further 4,500 people were injured, 700 of which were injured by live bullets. The health ministry, meanwhile, has put the figure at 80 killed so far, based on the number of bodies received at the morgue. It said 792 people had been injured in the clashes.

The massacre took place in the small hours of Saturday morning, at a sit-in at Rabaa al-Adawiya, east Cairo, where tens of thousands of pro-democracy supporters have camped amidst calls for his reinstatement since Morsi was deposed on 3 July. They were killed over a period of six hours during a drive by Central Security forces (CSF) flanked by  on a road near the anti military coup sit-in at Rabaa al-Adawiya in eastern Cairo.

The butchery only came hours after Interim President Adly Mansour announced, “the state has to impose order by all force and decisiveness.” The same day, Interior Minister Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim warned that security forces would be clearing pro-democracy sit-ins from Rabaa and Nahda squares “soon.”

It needs no reiteration that this slaughter of defenseless citizens materialized less than 24 hours after hundreds of thousands of anti-Morsi protesters gathered in Egyptian streets to give General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, the army chief who ousted Morsi, their assent to crackdown on what he had on Wednesday called "terrorism".

As a verification of the media blackout in place, Egyptian media has largely remained silent. It was a testament to the deep roots of the Mubarak era regime in Egyptian media that the British newspaper, The Guardian was among the first to say this, “Sceptics say this (Sisi’s speech) is a euphemism for a violent campaign on largely peaceful Morsi supporters, who have held sit-ins and marches across several Egyptian cities since Morsi was overthrown – including at Rabaa al-Adawiya. For weeks, most Egyptian media have depicted pro-Morsi supporters as terrorists.”

It was just a few days earlier that the Guardian outlined the dangerous consequences of a failed 'Islamist' experiment in Egypt, emphasizing on repercussions that could affect regions far outside Egypt. As if to test the Guardian perspective, the security forces carried out a bone chilling massacre. In the early hours of 8 July, 51 Muslim Brotherhood supporters camped outside the Republican Guard club in Cairo were killed by security forces. Egypt's military claimed the protesters had attempted to break into the compound with the aid of armed motorcyclists. However, after examining video evidence and speaking to witnesses, medics and protesters, the Guardian uncovered a chilling story of a cold blooded massacre. The Rabaa massacre on the 27th is indicative of a situation that is fast deteriorating towards a point of no return.

Statement of Human Rights Watch:

“The use of deadly fire on such a scale so soon after the interim president announced the need to impose order by force suggests a shocking willingness by the police and by certain politicians to ratchet up violence against pro-Morsy protesters,” said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “It is almost impossible to imagine that so many killings would take place without an intention to kill, or at least a criminal disregard for people’s lives.”

This is the detailed statement on the Rabaa massacre by the New York based human rights organization.

Verifcation of the massacre:

These are on-site video certifications of the massacre in Nasr City, at Rabba's podium on the road leading to Rab'aa Sq. which started on Jul 27th, after 1:00 a.m. and took place on the grounds of the authorization that General Sisi requested from his advocates, to cleanse the country from what he labeled as " possible terrorism."

The result was attacking peaceful, unarmed demonstrators with live bullets, cartouche, and heavy tear gases that turned out poisonous because they have expired; not excluding children or women. The military's armored vehicles joined hands with security forces and thugs against the peaceful marching civilians, in an effort to break in to Rab'aa Sq. to attack the in-sitters there. The demonstrators, however, built human shields with their bare chests to block their way and save the peaceful in-sitters at Rab'aa.

Here are video links:

1- Thugs and security forces attack demonstrators with cartouche, live bullets, and tear gases:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re178B8TEFo
2- Security-forces bullets at Rab'aa Massacre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-elQVRRJ2I

3- Martyrs and casualties at Rab'aa Massacre.. All by Security-forces snipers aiming at the head and the heart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLT1cAvmzg8 

4- The first 4 martyrs in Al-Manassa Massacre, with the blessings and care of the military
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JkbQcQNbSM

5- Martyrs and Casualties of Rab'aa Massacre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUJxopFeycg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs7H-p425P4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3e_EY9UDdM 

6- Scenes from the field hospital at Rab'aa Massacre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po7ISnn4oro 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPOEOYUnnGY

7- A demonstrator turns dumb after serious break in the skull during the massacre.. He draws signs in the air meaning "I testify that there is no God but Allah"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDh37QSf-iI 

8- Urgent: cries and appeal for aid from Rab'aa field hospital 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq9qaFJrxA4

9- Doctor Hisham Ibraheem, field-hospital coordinator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBpxgL5Vwzg 

10- Appeal for aid from the head of the field hospital : we need doctors in all specializations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6DGaskVqY8 

11- An eye-witness, Dr. Rabab Mohammad, cries for help after witnessing security forces in masks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQqdJSdaIjs&feature=youtu.be 

12- Another eye-witness who lost an eye in the attack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsx-1MpzjGg

13- A fiery message to Al-Azhar Sheikh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtA9yy5jw50 

14- Urgent: Mohammad El-Beltagy cries and appeals to UN and Human Rights Organizations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXUkv6am2Rs

15- Rab'aa Masacre: police vehicles attacks the demonstrators
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYZQP-7tef8

Here are links to photo galleries of the massacre:

1-Andalou Agency photo gallery: http://www.aa.com.tr/en/mod/photo-gallery

2-One of the most clear and graphic sets of the massacre by Mosa’ab AlShamy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mosaaberising/sets/72157634814310842/

Message from the MOI:

Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim hailed Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and said "he responded to the nation's call" and put the country's best interest above all. Speaking in a graduation ceremony  of police academy on Sunday, he congratulated the "Great Egyptian people" for achieving 'miracles' on June 30 and July 26 when they united with the military and police forces and gave them the mandate to deal firmly and strongly with those who try to destabilize the nation with what they described as "terrorist acts." He said that the police forces were adamant on achieving security and stability and proved that they only had the people's and the nation's security at heart.

Gehad al Haddad’s predicament:

Gehad Al Haddad, English spokesperson for the Muslim Brotherhood , when asked about what precautions the Muslim Brotherhood was taking to avoid further bloodshed in light of the massacre, said,

” There are not many precautions that one can take. These are peaceful protesters, they carry nothing in their hands but their own chants and their own pictures. There's nothing more that they can do except to appeal to the humanity of the one's attacking them, if there's any left in that, or to that of the rest of the world, that are allowing such massacres to continue. But I think that this military coup leadership has already crossed all red lines that it can cross. They killed men, women and children. They arrested thousands of people. The death toll now since the start of this coup is bigger than the entire Egyptian transition period of three years since the January 25 revolution.”

Reactions in light of the massacre:

First it was all silence.

For the world was shocked.

As the condemnations and reactions of millions around the world poured it, a disturbing phenomenon was observed. The governments of the world were mostly quiet.

The state apparatus of Egypt remained mum too. It was the Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei who strongly condemned the "excessive use of force" in Egypt and the resultant deaths after the deadly massacre in light of the attacks by the security forces against the supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi. However, it was limited to one simple tweet from his twitter account. It suffices to say that he was largely ignored due to his inconsequential standing in Egypt’s politics at the present moment.

The sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayyeb, who heads the Cairo-based Al-Azhar, said in a statement that he deplored and condemned the deaths of a number of martyrs who were victims of the day’s events. The grand imam called for an "urgent judicial investigation" and punishment of those responsible "regardless of their affiliation".

In stark contrast, the Coptic Pope, Tawadros II, sent a thank you tweet to the army, which read:  “Thanks thanks thanks ... For all of the open doors of hope for all of us: Egypt's great army, the police, the people of Egypt inherent;”.

The April 6 national Movement called for removal of the interior minister while the main ex-opposition, the National Salvation Front released a statement, expressing "deep sadness" for the deaths of Egyptian citizens in the clashes while ultimately going on to blame the Brotherhood for organizing the protests in the first place, raising questions as to how much aggrieved they really were.

The U.S. and the EU mouthed eloquently worded statements that reeked of complicity with the new regime in Egypt, as they diplomatically showed shock at the deaths on the streets, while being limited to scolding the military to be a mite more careful in doling out human rights to the supporters of the deposed democratically elected President Morsi. The flow of aid to the Egyptian military still continues unabated to this minute.

The only voice of dissent was the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who actively condemned the violence, saying "In Egypt, democracy was massacred, national aspirations were massacred, and now the nation is being massacred."

"Those who remain silent in the face of this massacre have blood on their hands and on their faces," 

As self professed progressives turned secularists of the world unite in finding thousands upon thousands of excuses of the how the Brotherhood was responsible for it all, I shall finish with a quote by Gehad Haddad: “This is the beginning of a new military [dictatorship] in Egypt, even if a few civilian faces are slapped on top of it”

Odhikar has every reason not to trust the government of Bangladesh

On the 10^th of July, the Ministry of Information sent a letter to the human rights organization Odhikar requesting a copy of fact finding report carried out by Odhikar on ‘Assembly of Hefazate Islam Bangladesh and Human Rights Violations’, citing the enthusiasm of the  government to make public the ‘real facts and actual number of deaths’. The government further said that it was conducting a further in-depth investigation as there has been ‘confusion’ regarding the death toll during the clash between Hefazate Islam and law enforcement agencies. To implement this successfully, it requested a copy of the report including “the detailed list of the 61 deceased persons along with the names of their fathers, mothers and their addresses.”

   Odhikar’s fitting reply:

   The main facets of the reply were as follows,

1.      Odhikar underlines the importance of the government compiling its own list of casualties.

2.   Despite the evidence of human rights violations perpetrated by the government, security forces have repeatedly denied any casualties. At a press conference on May 8, 2013, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Benazir Ahmed said that “no one was killed during the operation that flushed out Hefazate Islam men from Shapla Square in the capital. No lethal weapons were used in the operation.” (Source: New Age, 09/05/2013)

3.   Furthermore, leading Parliamentarians belonging to the ruling party have time and again claimed in Parliament that no one was killed in the assembly of Hefazat-e-Islam on the night of 6^th May and that not one bullet was fired (?). The tally includes leading figures such as Awami League Presidium member and MP Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim along with PM Hasina herself.

4.      From the above, it can be deduced that the claim that nobody was killed that night by the government proves that it actually wants to refute its responsibility; and that it is absolutely not interested to conduct any fair, unbiased investigation, forget making any figures public.

5.      The true fact is that the family members of the deceased are living in insecurity and fear. The government filed 23 cases at different police stations accusing at least 133,500 unnamed persons over the Shapla Square incident. The families of the victims fear that the government will harass them further and are afraid to speak out in public.

6.    This is because there is no victim and witness protection law in Bangladesh. Being a human rights organisation, it is Odhikar’s duty to ensure the safety and security of the victims.

7.      A few suggestions that the government will most likely lose interest in while reading up to this point.

Simple thoughts supporting Odhikar’s stance:

Hasanul Haque Inu, the minister of Information, is no friend of the media or justice. His single handed fat headedness in dealing with the issue of the media blackout on the 6^th of May should still be fresh in the minds of many.

PM of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina is no believer in justice. On June 19, 2013, during the speech on point of order before the Parliament, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that “there was no shooting on Hefazat activists on May 5, rather Hefazat activists acted dead by using red dye. They were sleeping in the streets wearing red dye. Later they ran away in fear of the police” (Source: Newsevent24.com, 19/06/2013).

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the 18^th of July said her government will make sure that those who were engaged in vandalism demanding cancellation of quota system in public service recruitment will not get government job in future. “We’ve the pictures, we’ll place them before the PSC before the viva-voce examinations so that these notorious elements can’t get government jobs,” she said in her introductory speech at the Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC) meeting at her official residence Ganobhaban.

Conclusion:

With the presence of such biased personalities in offices of power, it is hardly surprising that human rights organizations such as Odhikar find no common working space for that important entity called trust.

Although the government has tried hard to keep major human rights organizations in its pocket, and has succeeded in quite many instances (bootlickers such as Ain o Salish Kendro, the Bangladesh chapters of HRW and Transparency International, and the ever oozing National Human Rights Commission spearheaded by the well known government stooge Mizanur Rahman), the human rights situation on the ground has remained largely such that few can ignore its frightful nature. Odhikar as a champion of human rights has succeeded in many instances in filling the voids that the others have so conveniently and intentionally left glaring open. 

Debunking the Propaganda: Allama Shafi 'viral' video

I was inspired to write this article in response to a campaign that has surfaced recently in social media that has sought to target Hefazat chief Allama Shah Ahmed Shafi. The centre of all this furor is a video clip which various media describe as being “a recent YouTube video clip of Hefazat-e-Islam chief Shah Ahmed Shafi” which they say has created “much outrage in social networking sites.”

Before I continue, let me give you my opinion on this video.

That could be summed up into one word, “ PROPAGANDA”.

Let me explain why.

Sneak peek: Shahbag versus Allama Shafi,

Let us start by looking at this video that was shot on the 14^th of February 2013.

The contents of the video are clear to anyone who will care to listen. The crowds are chanting, “Ekta ekta Shibir dhor, dhoira dhoira jobai kor”. Translated into English, that means, “Catch (Bangladesh Islami Chatro) Shibir (activists) one by one; catch them and slaughter them”.

So what do you understand by this?   

At the first look, one will decry the slogans and term them as barbaric and out of sync with the ideals of any modern nation. What barbaric people would call for the slaughter of their fellow human beings? Typical.

Let us then add that this video was shot at Shahbag on the 14^th of February 2013 when the crowds were calling for the hanging of the war criminals of 1971. On the mention of such information, many readers will jump up and proclaim that these slogans are just part of the wide movement and will vociferously proclaim the glorious nature of these protests and rant on about the democratic, nationalistic and secular nature of such public demonstrations.

In short, it will eventually be labeled as a ‘misrepresentation’ of the original context

Now let us look at the ‘miracle’ video that our ‘progressive’ friends have unearthed!

This is the video that Dhaka Tribune has kindly consented to host on its website for everyone to see: http://video.dhakatribune.com/h3L6/hefazat-e-islam-chief-shah-ahmed-shafi-addresses-his-followers/

The explanation provided is as follows, “In the video, he told to his followers not to educate girls after the primary level, to keep them at home and not to let women become financially independent.” Further explaining the scenario, the Tribune continues, “It has not yet been identified when and where the Hefazat leader delivered the sermon. One Akash Malik uploaded the video on July 6. According to the scroll information, it was distributed by Al-Arab Enterprise of 46 Madrasa Market, Hathazari in Chittagong.”

Debunking the fallacy:

It seems that the furor about the video began after July the 6^th, 2013. One of the earliest articles to be written on the topic was on dnewsbd.com on the 8^th of July. The content was based on the clip exclusively, but neither the origin nor the date was mentioned while quoting from the clip. By then the 25 minute 30 second (so carefully cut!) video had supposedly gone viral on various social networks. Aiding in its propagation was an English translation that ‘progressives’ used to further the spreading of the video. Then it spread onto the media outlets and it finally made it big on a talk show at Ekattor TV when a talk show host used the clips to quiz a member of the Hefazat inner circle.

However, a bit of investigation revealed a world of information. The writer discovered the complete, unabridged and uncut version of the sermon of Allama Shafi which had acted as the source of the ‘viral’ video.

Features of the video include,

a) The length of the actual video is 1 hour, 13 minutes and 38 seconds. 

b)The video was uploaded on the 13^th of July 2011, i.e. exactly two years ago. This debunks the myth of                                                  a ‘recent’ event by Allama Shafi.

c)The ‘viral’ video is a cut and edited version from about 30 minutes into the original source video which did not contain any location or timeframe.

Explaining the video,

To do justice on his speech, the whole video needs to be viewed and not quote out of context. The theme of his speech was mainly to do with Quranic and Shariah injunctions relating to Purdah/niqab or veiling of women. Those giving statements about Allama Shafi in the media are mainly associated with secular or liberal movements which in turn are associated in some way or the other to the ruling Awami League and its allies in the left. Either they have not viewed the whole video or are intentionally on a mission to smear him. Barring that they are ignorant of the context in which he advised women to stay indoors and compared them with tamarinds.

The Quran clearly has commanded us to lower our gaze. Mufti Shafi quoted the Quranic verse which underscores the need for women to dress modestly and not appear in public without adhering to the Islamic dress code. He pointed out some of the human desires and nature of the human weakness. And it is true that men are attracted to the opposite sex; especially if the women wear revealing clothing, display their beauty, and freely mix with the opposite sex. This characteristic is universal to every human being, whether a saint or a sinner. So the desire of human beings for the opposite sex is universal and natural. Allah (SWT), knowing this weakness, instructed men to lower their gazes and women to dress modestly in order to avoid being tempted or fall in to the trap of the Shaytan (Devil).

Mufti Shafi, while explaining the above concept, simply gave the example of a tamarind so as to make people better understand him. This association should be used comparatively, not as an instrument for personal attack.

As for his advice to women working in garments factories, this also needs to be viewed in context. Anybody viewing the former part of the full sermon will notice the definition of adultery (zinaa) by Allama Shafi as being one explained in the light of the Quran and Hadith. This includes the adultery by eyesight and does not necessarily absolutely allude to adultery as in a physical act; for in the eyes of Islam both are grave sins. I shall not back down from repeating that the key to understanding the sermon of Allama Shafi is to view it in the light of Islam.

Another attempt to divert thy attention?

Now that we have gained insight into the backdrop of the sermon, let us look at the backdrop of the furor that is being created in context of much discussed propaganda spewing ‘viral’ video. As of late, Allama Shafi was branded as a misguided soul by various media outlets. Shomoy TV on the 13^th of July, 2013, ran a handful of news items and has included a number of ‘testimonies’ that indicate that probable legal action is on the way.

In other news, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday came down heavily on Allama Shah Ahmed Shafi for his ‘derogatory and indecent remarks’ about women. This seems to have come out of nowhere in light of,

a.       A rising tide of public opinion which manifest itself in the loss of the ruling Awami League in all the 5 city corporation elections held in the last couple of months.

b.      The spread of the anti-government anti-quota protests in all notable educational institutions in the country. A looming student movement ahead.  

c.       A highly negative image of the Awami League and its rogue student arm, the Chhatra League in light of its unpopular stand against established Islamic organizations and movements, namely the Hefazat-e-Islam.

d.      Widespread state sponsored oppression of the opposition in Bangladesh.

e.       Highly prevalent rampant corruption and a severe shortage of civic amenities such as gas and drinkable water.

Conclusion,

The people of Bangladesh voted the Awami League into power in the parliamentary elections of 2008 after the party promised sweeping changes. An example of the rhetoric the incumbent PM had used at that time included promises such as making rice available as cheap as 10 taka, something she has terrible failed in.

Those days have long gone, and promises such as these seem something of a bygone era. People in Bangladesh have become more focused on simple survival than ever as family fortunes dry up, sources of income trickle down, price of essential commodities shoot up, civic amenities become less accessible and the gaps between the various strata of society widen.

However, drama is something that the people of Bangladesh always tend to fall for and the dramatic turn of events surrounding Allama Shafi is sure to interest even the most nonchalant of observers. Perhaps that is why a full-fledged Prime Minister is more interested in playing along with the turn of events than get to the task of doing the thing that matters most- running the country.