
That protester stepped out of line, and forfeited her right to “protection.” Again: Muslims took to the streets, incited by state media, to “protect” the army from uppity Christians in the October 9 massacre. Now that soldiers have done this to a Muslim woman in an abaya, among numerous other abuses of protesters, how do they like their army now?
First they came for the Christians. More on this story. “Egypt’s military lashes out at protesters,” by Hamza Hendawi and Maggie Michael for the Associated Press, December 19:
CAIRO (AP) “” Egypt’s ruling military sought to discredit the pro-democracy movement Monday, portraying a detained protester as a woman of questionable morals, accusing a prominent publisher of incitement and alleging the media is trying to sabotage the country.
Blaming Israel or “foreign hands” is probably not far behind.
The verbal attacks by a member of the ruling military council came hours after troops in riot gear swept through Cairo’s Tahrir Square before daybreak, opening fire on protesters and lobbing tear gas into the crowds. At least three people were killed, pushing the death toll from four days of street clashes to 14.
Over the past few days, the military has dealt with the protesters much more roughly than at any other time since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising 10 months ago. The military took power after Mubarak stepped down.
“The ruling military council doesn’t believe in the revolution,” said newly elected lawmaker and activist Mustafa el-Naggar.
The crackdown may reflect the military’s fury over the activists’ distribution of videos showing soldiers bludgeoning women and other protesters. The weak showing of the pro-democracy movement in the parliamentary elections that began last month may have also emboldened the military.
Maj. Gen. Adel Emara, a member of the ruling council, showed videos at a news conference clearly aimed at discrediting those involved in the protest movement.
One image was designed to raise questions about a female detainee’s morals. It showed the woman talking about her husband, then later saying she was not married to her partner. Sex outside marriage is considered gravely immoral in conservative, mostly Muslim Egypt.
It is not clear from this report whether the woman pictured above is the one targeted for defamation here.
Another video showed a young man in detention saying that prominent publisher Mohammed Hashem was using his Cairo office near Tahrir as headquarters for an “incitement ring,” distributing free food, helmets and gas masks to protesters.
Hashem is a leftist credited with publishing young novelists and poets whose works have become literary landmarks in Egypt. His Merit publishing house is a gathering place for young, left-leaning intellectuals.
Hashem told an online news service that he plans to sue the military for defamation and that he is proud to offer protesters protection against tear gas and bullets.
In footage Emara said was taken by the military, men appeared to be rejoicing over setting a government building ablaze. Other images showed a male protester romantically embracing a young woman as they sat on a sidewalk….
And this justifies stripping and stomping on them?