Egypt: Bloggers call for a fun-filled harassment-free Eid  · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

As Eid Al Fitr (the end of Ramadan) approaches, women in Egypt are bracing themselves for even more sexual harassment than what has already become a disturbing norm.
Bloggers and online activists are also joining forces to fight the phenomenon, calling for a fun-filled and harassment-free celebration.
It all started on October 25, 2006, when Egypt witnessed the first mass harassment incident on the first day of Eid Al Adha (Courban Bairam).
On that particular incident, SandMonkey wrote:
The story is as follows for the those of you who didn't hear about it: It was the first day of Eid, and a new film was opening downtown. Mobs of males gathered trying to get in, but when the show was sold out, they decided they will destroy the box office. After accomplishing that, they went on what can only be described as a sexual frenzy They ran around grabbing any and every girl in sight, whether a Niqabi, a Hijabi or uncovered. Whether Egyptian or foreigner. Even pregnant ones. They grabbed them, molested them, tried to rip their clothes off and rape them, all in front of the police, who didn't do shit. The good people of downtown tried their best to protect the girls. Shop owners would let the girls in and lock the doors, while the mobs tried to break in. Taxi drivers put the girls in the cars while the mobs were trying to break the glass and grab the girls out. It was a disgusting pandemonium of sexual assaults that lasted for 5 hours from 7:30 PM to 12:30 am, and it turns my stomach just to think about it.
Since that day, sexual harassment has become a regular part of Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha in Egypt. Blogger Mohamed Hamdy launched a Facebook group and an online campaign calling for a fun-filled harassment-free Bairam:
The campaign made it to the Egyptian blogosphere and has been discussed on the following blogs: Shaymaa El Gammal, Mahdy Mubarak, Meshmeshya, Ego, Maha, Woman, Osama Abdel Aal, and Radio Horytna.
Blogger Ahmed El Sabbagh mourned the Egypt he knew saying:
Egyptians are still mourning a sexually harassed Egypt after the most recent Reuters report on harassment that revealed that two-thirds of Egyptian men harass women. Also, April 18 has been declared by harassed Egyptian blogger Asser Yasser anti-harassment day.