Other Good Analyses re Maspero

Dear readers

I went to graduate school at Harvard with Anthony Shenoda.We were Graduate Research Associates at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.  He argues that Copts are largely invisible in Egyptian society until they are attacked. Here is a link to his recent work on Maspero in Jadaaliya, which is a good magazine, by the way.

Reflections on the (In)Visibility of Copts in Egypt. 

Yasmin Salem says the Copts face institutionalized racism in Egypt.

A Case of Institutionalized Racism?

If you read Arabic, here are Maspero testimonies.

Testimonies of Eyewitnesses in Maspero incidents.

My colleague Mr. Hussein talks on his blog Sibilant Egypt about the problems with press coverage that have emerged in the wake of the Maspero incident.


Will Maspiro ever be cleansed?

~WMB

Maspiro: The Aftermath

Mourners at Coptic Funeral. Photo Credit: Sarah Carr

 Well folks,

We are all in mourning here in Cairo. Everyone is in tears. I am reaching out to all of my Copt friends. I just cannot believe that the military fired on, and ran over, unarmed civilians. Regardless of religion, this is very difficult to stomach.

One of my colleagues suggested that the military is actually using the Islamists. That had not occurred to me, but that makes sense in a way. If the country is wracked by sectarian violence, the elections will be derailed, and the military retains power. Another colleague, who is a devout Muslim, places blame squarely on the head of Field Marshall Tantawi, head of the SCAF. 

Regardless of religion, the goal here is DEMOCRACY. Do not get distracted. Keep your eyes on the prize. We need to stay focused on peaceful, free and fair elections for all Egyptians, Sufi, Shia, Sunni, Copt, Bahai and secularists.

Here is the Arabist's take on it. Maspero and Sectarianism in Egypt. 

Here is journalist Sarah Carr's powerful eyewitness account. Marching from Shubra to Deaths at Maspero.

On to the news.

According to the Arabic edition of Al Masry Al Youm, Egyptians demonstrated in Aswan, Alexandria, Ismailia, Qena, Fayoum, and Assiut. Islamic groups held demonstrations in Aswan "condemning Coptic attacks on military personnel." Meanwhile, security forces strengthened their presence around churches to avoid further clashes. ("Egyptians demonstrate in wake of Maspero violence," Al Masry Al Youm, October, 10, 2011)

Umm, is it just me, but why do people believe that the Copts attacked the Army. It just does not make sense from a strictly logical standpoint. Just a little bit of gallows humour here: what are the Copts going to do, fight the Army with giant crosses? But seriously, it is pretty implausible that the Copts attacked the Army. I do not buy it. Many Muslims realize that these clashes represent incitement to sectarian strife, which is ultimately destabilizing.

According to Al Masry Al Youm, political party leaders and activists met Monday and called for an immediate transfer of power to civilian authorities. Political leaders also criticized the state run media's provocative coverage of Sunday night's violence. Leaders in attendance included Naguib Sawiris (Free Egyptians), Amin Iskander (Nasserist Karama Party), former finance minister Samir Radwan, and Hossam Eissa. 

Amr Moussa stated "We as Egyptians are facing a problem. It's not a Coptic and Muslim Problem. It is not a military or civilian problem, but it is a problem in Egypt's flawed society and inter-relations." Amr Moussa is a presidential candidate and a former foreign minister under Mubarak.

Okay, overall that is a good statement. However, I disagree with him on one issue. If the military fires on civilians, that is a military and civilian problem in my book. Call me crazy. . . .Anyway, Moussa lost my support when he stressed the importance of "ruling with an iron fist in order to protect the country from looming chaos." Sounds like he is on the SCAF payroll to me. . . .

Many leaders present criticized the SCAF's rule, and blamed them for their role in Sunday night's events. Those critical of the SCAF included Abdel Gelili Mostafa, leader of the National Association for Change, Mohamed ElBaradei, Ayman Nour, leader of the liberal New Ghad party, Mohamed Abul Ghar, president of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, and female presidential hopeful Bothaina Kamel.The leaders also criticized state TV's coverage of the incidents, stating that this coverage was inciting sectarian violence. (Rana Khazbak, "Political Forces Slam Ruling Military Council for Attack on Copts," Al Masry Al Youm, October 11, 2011)

Egypt's state run media, which whitewashed the Revolution, has been harshly criticized in the wake of the Maspiro massacre. Minister of Information Osama Haikal urged the media to deal "wisely" with the clashes in their coverage. Maspiro (or Maspero) is the site of the Egyptian television, as well as the site of numerous protests. On State Run Channel One, Rasha Magdy said that Coptic protesters had been attacking soldiers and ended her show with a call for Egyptian citizens to protect the military. Many view her call as an incitement to sectarian violence.  Many media personalities who work in state television have distanced themselves from the official coverage of the incident. The main message of the state run news (the state run paper is Al Ahram) is that conspiracies are underway to arouse conflicts between the armed forces and the people. (Mai Elwakil, "State Media Coverage of Maspero violence raises tempers," Al Masry Al Youm, October 11, 2011)

According to Ahmed Zaki Osman, some eyewitnesses claim the military threw the bodies of dead protesters into the Nile during Sunday night's clashes. These reports are unverified. (Ahmed Zaki Osman, "Eye-witnesses claim military threw protesters bodies into the Nile," Al Masry Al Youm, October 11, 2011) 

A Guest Blogger Comments on Maspiro: The Massacre of Christians in Cairo

Photo Credit: L'Indro

Dear friends,

This post was written by my teaching assistant. His name is John Ehab. He is a Copt, a journalist, an activist, and a masters student at AUC. It was published in an Italian newspaper. If you read Italian, check it out here. Un Esercito Contro I Copti, L'Indro.

Here it is in English.

After a deadly evening in Cairo Sunday night, families gathered to bid farewell to the 24 victims in a crowded mass funeral. The ceremony took place in Cairo’s central Coptic Cathedral in the presence of thousands of family members, supporters, activists and politicians. The killings took place after hundreds of Copts marched to protest the destruction of a church early last week in Aswan, which has not been resolved by the state.

Eyewitness accounts say that they were showered with live ammunition by members of the Egyptian armed forces. Witnesses added that protestors were literally bulldozed by Armored Personnel Carriers(APC), leaving behind a number of casualties. The Coptic Church synod, the highest council of the Coptic Church in Egypt, issued a statement that was read at the funeral assuring that violence had come from the side of the Armed Forces, not from the Copts. “We confirm that violence, with all its forms, was not used (by the protestors).” The statement also expressed that “Copts feel that the problems are reoccurring continuously without punishing the perpetrators”. The church called for three days of fasting and prayer to show that, for the Christians in Egypt, their only hope is to turn to God.

Many analysts have pointed out that the church’s statement reflects a lack of hope in the state. “You can read between the lines that the church no longer trusts those who run the state in Egypt, whether from the Security Council of Armed Forces , or the Cabinet,” said Ahmed Zaki Osman, a reporter familiar with Coptic issues. “The Christians simply have no hope in the state to bring them their rights anymore.”

One of those who attended the funeral, Zachariah Adly, who had also participated in the march the night before described his experiences to L’indro. Adly, a truck driver, said that the march had started in the primarily Christian area of Shobra, and continued several kilometers to the area of the state run TV, known as Maspiro in central Cairo.

“On the way people started stoning us from a bridge, until we reached the street leading toward the state TV building. Armed forces started shooting directly in the air and then began aiming at us. A few minutes after we saw their tanks coming towards us quickly to disperse the crowd.” Adly had to jump over a car onto the sidewalk to keep from being run over by the rushing vehicles.

Adly pointed out that the violence had come from the armed military forces, rather than civilians or even the security police. “In the same spot there were tens of riot police standing by and there were no clashes with them.” 

That afternoon state TV, the mouthpiece of the Egyptian army, had announced that the army was calling for “honest citizens” to go to the streets to help protect security forces from the Christian protestors.

Witnesses who were at the Coptic hospital to donate blood for the victims told L’indro that thugs surrounded the hospital and started attacking the families of the victims late at night.

Initially, the state-run TV reported that 3 soldiers had been killed by Copts during the riots, without mentioning any civilian deaths. However, the SCAF never made an announcement to confirm or deny this report. Many activists began to challenge this claim.

Doctor Aida Seif El-Dawla explained to L’indro, “even the state-run media was unable to fabricate any photograph of Copts carrying weapons as they have done in the past.” She explained that usually if any member of the army died, the state-run news would air extensive coverage including details about him and his family in order to gain the sympathy of the public. In this case there was none of that.

Not only the national media, but other sources including Al-Jazira issued reports accusing “the Coptic youth” of instigating the violence. However, reports on the ground show otherwise. According to Seif El-Dawla, the founder of Al-Nadim Center for the rehabilitation of victims of torture, “it is very clear that the army is responsible. They are the ones that carry arms, and they are responsible for this massacre. The army took advantage of widespread prejudice toward the Copts to defend their behavior.” 

The Coptic problem is one of the most vulnerable issues that has the potential to divide Egyptians, especially with the recent increase in Islamic fundamentalism.

Al-Nadim was among the independent human rights organizations in attendance at the Prosecutor General’s autopsy of the victims. Doctor Magda Adly, manager of the Al-Nadim Center, attended 7 out of 17 of the autopsies that took place at the Coptic Hospital in central Cairo. Four other bodies were buried earlier in the day without autopsies, and another five were reported to be in other hospitals.

Two of the seven, Adly reports, died by bullets, while the other five had been crushed by military vehicles with multiple fractions throughout their bodies. This confirms what can be seen in videos posted on YouTube of the APCs rushing protestors.

The decision to perform the autopsies came 20 hours after the deaths, a procedure which is normally done as soon as possible to optimize the results. The former director of the forensic medical unit was fired back in March due to similar delays in investigating the deaths of protestors from the January 25 revolution.

“Field Marshal Tantawi should face trial like Mubarak,” Zachariah Adly believes. “Demonstrators have torched a police station and stormed the Israeli embassy, and no one killed them like what happened with us.”

Maspiro clashes against the Copts

Photo Credit: Mohammed Hossam Edin

  
Dear readers,

Please forgive my sketchy cite form as I attempt to get the news out.

Violence occurred last night against the Coptic people of Egypt. Ten percent of Egypt's 80 million people are Copts. Cairo on Edge After Deadly Violence A group of mostly Coptic protesters clashed Sunday with military and police forces in the Maspiro area of Cairo.  I have not been feeling well, so I learned of this from my Coptic teaching assistant. I have reached out to some of my Coptic students to make sure they are okay. They appear to be fine.
 
Sarah Carr reports that Coptic protesters rallied regarding an attack of a church in Aswan on September 30th. I summarize and paraphrase her compelling, vivid, and scary report here. The march began in the Cairo district of Shubra. (Sarah Carr, "A Firsthand account: marching from Shubra to deaths at Maspiro," AMAY 10/10/2011)  The march statred at 4 p.m. The army had apparently hit a priest while dispersing protesters in front of the Maspiro state TV building on Wednesday. The march came under attack around 6 p.m. rocks were thrown at protesters from the bridge. Outside the Ramsis Hilton Hotel, gunfire began. Two armored personnel carriers started driveing through the protesters, and soldiers began firing at random. An APC drove toward the crowd, flattening protesters. Sarah Carr, "A Firsthand Account: Marching from Shubra to Deaths at Maspiro," Al Masry Al Youm, October 10, 2011

Other reports confirm that the army shot bullets intensively once the march arrived at Maspiro. ("At Coptic Hospital, Christians Hysterical over lost relatives," AMAY, 10/10/2011) Several victims were run over by Egyptian military armored personnel carriers. According to medics at the Coptic Hospital, all dead bodies were either run over by military vehicles or shot with gunfire. The floor of the Coptic Hospital was covered by blood.

Egyptian state TV has reported that "Christian protesters stole weapons from the army and killed soldiers."

The violence at the Maspiro state TV building left 24 dead, and 272 injured. ("Clinton Made no Statement," AMAY10/10/2011) The US embassy did ask people to remain calm. US Embassy statement about Maspiro Violence

I am at the AUC campus in New Cairo, and we are perfectly safe here. The university has issued no official security warnings. I am holding class tonight, and I have told my students they can choose whether to attend.


Prime Minister Essam Sharaf warned Egyptians of a "despicable conspiracy against Egypt." ("Sharaf: We are facing a conspiracy," AMAY 10/10/2011) Is this guy serious? I really do not think the New York Times got this story completely right. But, feel free to make up your own mind. Church Protests in Cairo turn deadly


As of 12:18 a.m this morning, eyewitnesses were reporting that groups of thugs were attacking Christian-owned businesses. A fierce street battle occurred on Ramses Street near the Coptic Hospital between groups in civilian clothes. Rioters set cars on fire, and threw molotov cocktails. Hundreds of thugs attacked the Coptic Hospital but were unable to get inside. Street clashes continued until early this morning. The MB condemned the clashes, but blamed both Coptic protesters and the military. By last night, the police had control of Tahrir Square, and protesters had left the area. ("Live Updates: As death toll rises in clashes," AMAY, 10/10/2011)

Some are concerned that the clashes could have been instigated by provocateurs. I second that emotion.  It is not plausible that unarmed Christians attack the military.  Mohamed Selim al-Awa, an Islamic thinker and presidential hopeful says that he has a video clip which exonerates the Coptic protesters from shooting at army soldiers. He says that gunmen arrived from  nearby streets and shot at protesters and army forces at the same time. ("Islamic Presidential Hopefuls condemn violence," AMAY 10/10/2011) Some Muslim Activists have expressed solidarity with the Copts, stating that the problem is not between Christians and Muslims, but between the military and Christians. ("At Coptic Hospital," )

The question of the day is who is the instigator? It could be a bid by the old NDP to derail democracy. One of my colleagues suggested that it was the Copts trying to bring attention. I do not believe that, because why would the Copts attack their own hospital?  Some Islamists have suggested that the incidents in Maspiro could be a bid by the military to tighten its grip on power. This strikes me as plausible. Or it could be the military working with the NDP . . . .

And then this craziness by Presidential candidate Aboul Fotouh who says "Christians picked the wrong time and place."

Oh dear. Gloria dios, se pican los pecados del mundo, ten piedad, ten piedad.