Arabisc: Sexual Harrassment and the Egyptian Blogosphere · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

After a month of abstinence (from sex naturally) during daylight hours in the Holy month of Ramadhan, a mob of sex starved Egyptians decided to celebrate Eid by attacking and sexually harassing women on the streets of Cairo.
The first the incident was made public was during a television show, posted on You Tube by Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas. From what I gathered from reading blogs, women were attacked by mobs, who touched them up, hit them and tore off their clothes in the busy Cairo streets. While others were lucky to take refuge in shops, some were pulled out of taxis, where the orgy continued.
The mobs became more organized on the second day of Eid, following sporadic attacks on the first, with the police keeping a safe distance as if it wasn't their business.
Blogger Malek gives us a chilling account of the abuse he witnessed.
فوجئنا بفتاة في أوائل العشرينات تعثرت على الارض والتف حولها عدد كبير من الشباب يقومون بتحسس اجزاء جسدها ونزع ثيابها عنها
لم افهم او لم استوعب بمعنى ادق ما يحدث قامت الفتاة مسرعة مره اخرى وحاولت الركض في اي اتجاه الى ان رأت مطعما سوريا يدعى المضيفة او شئ من هذا القبيل ودلفت الى الداخل وحاوط الشباب المطعم ولم ينصرفوا الا بعد ان صاح اخر (في واحده تانية قدام ميامي
ركض الجميع اتجاه شارع طلعت حرب مره اخرى ووجدت هناك فتاه محاصرة تماما داخل دائره محاطة بمئات من الشباب يحاولون ان يتحسسوا جسدها وينزعوا عنها ملابسها انقذ الفتاه هذه المره سائق تاكس قام بإركابها لكن الشباب لم يدعوا التاكس يمر وشكلوا حوله دائره
مره اخرى تدخل بعض اصحاب المحلات وقاموا برش المياه على الشباب وجذب الفتيات الى داخل المحلات
Malek, whose post has other incidents which he witnessed, said he and his friends were forced away from the scene.
الصور التي اخذت لم تكن دقيقة بما فيه الكفاية ولم تظهر حالات الانتهاك كما يجب لانه عند كل حالة انتهاك كان يتم تشكيل دائرة ضيقة جدا وتكون الفريسة في داخل الدائرة ولا يرى احد ما يحدث بشكل جيد
The attacks he had witnessed left Malek with more questions than answers.
Malek, who was also at the scene on the second day, was also surprised at the lack of police intervention.
لم يكن هناك ا ي تدخل امني على الرغم من وجود قوات امن مركزي بجوار جامعة الدول العربي وبجوار السفارة الامريكية الذين لايبعدون سوى 5 دقائق سيرا على الاقدام من مكان الاحداث.
كان هناك اليوم تطور في الأداء بعد ان كان بالامس مجرد هجوم عشوائي اصبح الشباب يشكلون قطارات بشرية ويقتربون من الفتاة بسرعة ويحاوطونها تماما ويبدأون في التحسيس على أجزاء جسدها .
For many sexual harassment comes as a shocking despicable act, but according to illustrious Egyptian blogger Ala, “everybody knows it's prevalent but denial flows like a river in Egypt.”
Why is sexual harassment bugging the Egyptian blogosphere as I am writing this? Why has it united almost all Egyptian bloggers under one theme, which has generated scores of posts and hundreds, if not thousands of comments, over a few days? Why is it making all those people tick? Was the attack of a mob on girls during the Eid festivities because of religion, poverty, drugs, corruption, unemployment or lack of human rights, freedom and democracy in a country with a population of 70 million and growing? Well, according to Egyptian bloggers, it could be all of the above.
According to Ala, it could be the start of a new Egyptian folklore.
Radwa, who witnessed incidents on the second day of the attack, tried to analyse it differently. At first, she reacted to the incident with shock and horror.
Back in the safety of her home, Radwa reflected on the youth involved in the attacks as well as the victims fleeing the scene.
Radwa is at a loss in what brings all those men together in this brutal attack on women.
Radwa doesn't hide her disappointment at the lack of media coverage of the attacks.
From Mansoura, Gemy Hood, bring another link to the story, which is truely shaking the Egyptian blogosphere.
Gemy lists other incidents in which girls were harassed and then urges women to protect their rights by not keeping silent.
Meanwhile, Bint Saad, attempts to analyse the situation as a social phenomena that has always been there.
Bint Saad says a number of factors contributed to the chaos witnessed during Eid.
فلا اجد سوى ان اقول . اللهم ارفع غضبك و مقتك عنا
Amen.