Friday, July 05, 2013

The dark side of the Egyptian revolution that no one wants to talk about...

It's easy to look at what's unfolding in Egypt with awe and admiration for the citizens courageous enough to rise together against a repressive government. The beautiful images, the emotion evoking videos, and the collective bold chants have become iconic symbols all around the world. Although the massive protests and coup that ensued are emblematic of a successful collective effort, there's a darker side to this revolution, one that many would prefer not to see.

Since the beginning of the protests on Sunday, women have been the target of cruel, systematic and organized attacks by fellow so-called 'revolutionaries' on the streets of Cairo. Human Rights Watch has been following this issue on the ground and is noticing an increase in the prevalence of sexual assault in Tahrir Square.

"The rampant sexual attacks during the Tahrir Square protests highlight the failure of the government and all political parties to face up to the violence that women in Egypt experience on a daily basis in public spaces. These are serious crimes that are holding women back from participating fully in the public life of Egypt at a critical point in the country’s development," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment/Assault there reports that 46 attacks were confirmed on June 30, 17 the next day, and 23 the day after that. During Wednesday's coup, there were many reported assaults as well. Human Right Watch is now confirming that there were at least 100 sexual assaults in Tahrir Square in the past five days. Full story...

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