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Subscribe to RSSThousands of Egyptian women marched across Tahrir Square Tuesday, calling on their countrymen to join them and demand an end to the abuse of women demonstrators. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports from Cairo.
The plight of women in Egyptian society has been well documented over the years. From enduring daily sexual harassment to being marginalized from politics … being a woman in Egypt has been and is tough.
But there was something about the video of soldiers stripping and dragging women in the street and ferociously attacking them that has triggered public outrage here. Even as their bodies lay motionless on the concrete, the soldiers repeatedly beat them over and over …
On Tuesday, Egyptian women fought back and by doing so, pro-democracy activists say, they lifted the spirit of their cause and their country.
Thousands of women took to the streets of downtown Cairo, walking on the same Tahrir streets where days earlier they had been beaten, arrested and dragged.
PhotoBlog: Egyptians rally to protest treatment of women
They wore black and held signs that read “mourning.” They were protesting abuse by soldiers, not just over the past few days but over the past several months, which included alleged “virginity tests” against female detainees, sexual intimidation and harassment.
The women were from all walks of life. Young and old, Muslim and Christian, rich and poor walked shoulder to shoulder.
Niveen Redha, an Egyptian woman living in Canada and visiting Egypt, joined the march to denounce the military crackdown on protesters and women over the past few weeks.
Others called on people watching the march wind through the streets to join them, shouting, “It could be your sisters and mothers that will be attacked next.”
'True protectors'
As the women marched around central Cairo, men formed a human chain around them, making sure no one could disrupt their march.
On more than one occasion men came up to me and said of the obviously peaceful protesters, “look at these thugs” -- a sarcastic rebuke to the ruling military council, which has tried to paint the pro-democracy protesters as lawless thugs.
One man said the “noble women of Egypt are the true protectors of the revolution” and called on the men of Egypt to “shave their mustaches” – telling someone to shave his mustache is often considered an insult in this patriarchal society.
Images of a veiled woman being beaten and stripped on the street, exposing her upper body down to her bra, have fueled the determination of pro-democracy activists calling on the military council to hand power immediately to a civilian government. The video and the images from Saturday’s crackdown have drawn strong condemnation from the UN and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonors the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform, and is not worthy of a great people," she said Monday.
Sexual threats
Ghada Kamal was one of the women assaulted on Friday. For three weeks she was part of an “Occupy Cabinet” protest outside the prime minister’s office. The protesters there wanted to prevent the military-appointed prime minister from entering his office. On Friday, the military entered the encampment and attempted to break up the protest.
The 28-year-old pharmacist was dragged away by soldiers who kicked her in the face, groped her and clubbed her head with a baton. While she was in military custody, she said, a soldier taunted her by saying, “We will have a party with you today and show you how much of a man I am.”
Such accounts are common among women who are detained by the military. Human rights organizations also have documented cases of women being given forced virginity tests.
In the face of mounting domestic and international criticism, the military said in a statement Tuesday on the Supreme Council of Armed Forces Facebook page that it apologizes to the women of Egypt and said it had the deepest respect for them and their right to protest and to participate in political life during Egypt's transition to democracy. It added that the military would investigate and hold to account all of those responsible for these violations.
The recent military crackdown has united Egypt’s political forces in demanding a quick transfer of power to a civilian government. The closest thing to a civilian government taking shape in Egypt is the lower house of parliament. Two-thirds of that body has been elected, and the final round of elections is expected in early 2012.
But the military says that until then, it has no plans to concede power.
When Egypt's uprising began 10 months, pro-democracy activists trusted the military would protect the revolution. Now that trust is all but gone.
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Right on, ladies!! Show'em what you're made of!!!!
This is very good that these woman are standing up for their rights,the next step is to march on their MOSQUES where the training for these idiots abusing women all over the Muslim world is taught!
Ahhh, the religion of peace. Yes, that's it.
It's great to see people standing up for their rights. Unfortunately, if they did this in the U.S. they'd be told to get a job, take a shower and quit asking for handouts.
Have you ever been to a mosque? Thanks to God the one and only, everyone I've been to tells me to respect women, not go to strip clubs and "respect" them and not to put them in playboys.
Then what is the problem in that culture Faisal? Why are women forced to wear clothing that hides their entire bodies? How can a woman be raped and then she is the one persecuted? Why are there so many instances of mistreatment against women in the Muslim world? Why can't women be treated as equals and allowed to go to school and get an education and work alongside the men in this culture? What does "respect" mean in the Muslim culture as it pertains to women? Why do fathers disown or stone their own daughter if she has sex before marriage, whether voluntarily or unvoluntarily? Is a woman not entitled to make a mistake in life? We might disown or "want" to stone one of our daughters if she "murdered" someone but certainly not for having sex. I would really be interested in what it is taught about women's roles in the Muslim culture. And where is your Mosque, in the U.S.?
what the women are marching for are rights to be treated like a equal HUMAN being. it has nothing to do with religion. As a woman i understand both sides, i want respect, but i also know that in some respects that that repect needs to be earned, not automatically given. i'm a christian, and i also have some friends that are muslim, so i know alot about there religion, and i don't think anyone who is just seeing the outside without taking a deeper look in should be so judgemental.
Besides, has anyone ever picked up the Quran and actually read it? And if not, then how do you know what that religion requires? Because u seen it on tv? Yeah, and they never lie there huh? know what you speek before its spoken.
descrs--Respect for women is taught in the Koran but has been perverted by Muslim fundamentalists to support a patriarchal autocracy. "Respect" to them translates into the total subjugation of women, making them subservient to not only their husbands but all male relatives, refusing them education, freedom of movement, no choice in their lifestyle or mode of dress or behavior, sometimes even subjecting them to genital mutilation, and basically treating them like property and breeding stock. This is a violation and perversion of Islam and is being increasingly decried within the Muslim world. With the emergence of a truly secular Muslim society, hopefully this will become as rare as snake handling and speaking in tongues is in the Christian world.
"Niveen Redha, an Egyptian woman living in Canada and visiting Egypt, joined the march to denounce the military crackdown on protesters and women over the past few weeks. "
I just love that line crackdown on women. Good grief...they want to crackdown on women??? And this is their military??? Shouldn't their military be there to protect them??? Where are their husbands, brothers, fathers and sons if the military is going to abuse these women and why aren't the male relatives protecting or prosecuting those who are abusing their family members??? Unreal...
You go girls!!! Good to see Christian and Islamic women joining together in their cause.
What alot of people don't understand is that not every muslim is like that or every family, when people say all this offensive things about muslims, your not just talking about the bad one, but the good ones as well. only god can judge. No one need to judge on religion. Take religion in college, christians are no better than canibals even thou its symbolic, " drink of my blood and eat of thyn flesh". no religion is perfect, and no person is perfect. you can't just condemn a whole group by the actions of a few people.
Marci,
Do you think women need to "earn respect" in order to be treated like human beings? That's what it sounds like you are arguing here... think you need to go back to college and study some more. Oh, and by the way, if the "drink of my blood and eat of my flesh" is symbolic, they why do you call Christians cannibalistic??? I don't know of any churches who serve real blood or real flesh at communion. Your comments make very little sense at all. Do you speak English as a 2nd language???
Well, being a "de-programmed" Catholic, and having a first husband who was Southern Conference Baptist, I can safely say Christians have "female issues" too. I've watch these "control freaks" want to stop a women's right choose and the Catholic church is now becoming actively involved in repressing my daughter's rights. So you can save that. Our fundamentalists are just the same.
I am a product of the Catholic education system and yes in an all girl secondary school I told those nuns when the Vatican pays child support, I'll listen and until then they need to back off. (and yes, it was worth the week's detention I got)
These women need to learn how to fight- literally. I am proud and in awe of their courage. The are fighting with their will and their feet by marching. They need to be taught self defense starting as young girls and the mind set needs to be religion or not - a bully is a bully and to fight them is literally the only thing they understand, be it their father, brother, husband or military. Respect is one thing - subjugation is quite another. This why I turned my back on religion, but NEVER on God.
Eqyptians, SHAVE YOUR WHOLE FACE!!!
Or, how about, do to others as you would have them do to you?
There`s much too little information about what`s going on.The Muslm Brotherhood which is a very violent terrorist groupulike al quida.hamas.talebans etc might be using their Muslim Sisterhood for their front ranks.In that case many of these women might be capable of hiding a bomb or suicide vest under their vest.if not now.later..At the monent the miltary is the only secular force that can hold the country together.And another type of crazed pyscho sharia jihad regime in Egypt like in Iran would be a disaster .The protestors got rid og Mubarek.We can`t let them get rid of the whole country!!
If the military continues to abuse women, they will soon find themselves out of power altogether.
Peace 'lover' is anything but.
Anyone else you'd like to add to the 1.2 billion Muslims you just insulted?
Now you are stooping to peace lover's level, Marci. Anyone you'd care to add to the 2.1 billion Christians you just insulted?
Don't take the hater's bait, and don't let it change who you are. God made ALL of us. If you don't like it, complain to HIM.
What makes you think all Muslim men disown or stone their own daughters, descrs?
And the vast majority of westerners do not "go to strip clubs" or put women in playboys, Faisal.
The haters want you to react that way, because they want the whole world to be full of hate. Satan laughs at their attempts, while God weeps and waits.
There is hope for Egypt. God bless them.
Not restoring comment # 1. Really terrible derail.
The military junta in Egypt is clueless. They know full well that they have to hand power to civilian control, why delay the inevitable?
They started off ok when Mubarak stepped down, but things are souring quickly.
Yes the military will try to stay in power as long as possible -job security-being a thug and having a full belly--priceless
You people are clueless. Yes the military is abusing their rights, but if you think these women have problems now, wait until the military steps aside and the Muslim brotherhood steps in. Then they will be treated as nothing more then wombs to give birth to sons and curses that give birth to girls. Everyone thinks things are so terrible, but wait until Iran and the rest of Arab rulers that are behind this have their way. Both us and the Egyptian women will be wailing the day they removed Mubarak from power.
Egyptian women are used to having more freedom than Iranian women. This is why they would go on the streets to protest. If the rulers want to take away their rights, they won't go down without a fight.
Just admit it, everywhere the USA meddles, they leave a mess behind.
Zheng He, everywhere the USA meddles we leave a mess behind? hmm? Did we not defeat the Japanese the SLAUGHTERED the Chinese? Perhaps we were wrong? Perhaps we should not have stopped oil and steel sales to Imperial Japan? I mean, Japan attacked the US BECAUSE we did not want our resources that we sold to Japan to be used to murder millions of Chinese.
Were we wrong to Meddle in Japan's business? Hmmm???
A. There is no evidence or reason to suspect that if the Muslim Brotherhood leads a coalition government that women will be abused more openly or severely than now. Abuse of women is not one of their campaign planks.
B. That wouldn't make the abuse of women in Tahrir Square acceptable even if it were true.
Just admit it, you're lying if you blame the abuse of women in Tahrir Square on the US.
Those things were done in Egypt, to Egyptians, and by Egyptians.
i wonder how some of the military men would react if their mother or even sister was treated in such a manner. wise up you wouldnt be here if it wasnt for the female who birthed you.
If that happened in the usa I could definately see some revenge from husbands-boyfriends and brothers from every state in the union. There will never be democracy in that country without everyone working together men and women--I have to say those women are very brave to stand up -who knows what will happen to them in these next days. They are in my prayers for sure.
You think they don't treat the women in their family that way already? All the 'Islam is being unfairly judged' people don't have a clue. Why do you think people try to get into this country using any means possible, and not into Egypt, Iran, Iraq, or any other Islamic country? Because they are still in the Dark Ages over there; full of ignorance, superstition, self-supremacy, and hatred for everyone who is not like them. Some of that mentality still exists over here, but it has been dealt with over the years until such people are in the vast minority.
That is why I speak out against the encroachment of the Islamic religion into American society every chance I get. Not because I am filled with hatred and disdain for them (as most of them, secretly, or not, are towards us), but because I can see for myself who they really are. Things will eventually be the same over here, if we allow it.
I love my neighbor, but not when he is as mean as a snake and spits on my mother and sister.
In this country, the boys are trained to treat their mothers and sisters as second class citizens. My wife worked at a legal aid clinic where we saw this abuse by all male members of these tribal families ... not just the father. I suspect they are no better back in the old country. It is not religious, it is cultural.
you are liar because man
came Mohamed the prophet of Islam said, O Allah's Apostle! Who is
more entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?" The Prophet said,
"Your mother." The man said. "Who is next?" The Prophet
said, "Your mother." The man further said, "Who is next?"
The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man asked for the fourth time,
"Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your father
Steve's right, it's more cultural. That is why I have always told my daughter, never marry anyone "off the boat". Who needs that "old country" attitude.
lonewarder--cogent argument, but what, exactly, is a "vast minority"?
Exactly, Hatem.
Which is why the military rulers are crazy if they allow women to be further abused.
as salaam alaikum.
My guess is lonewarder means "tiny minority" but it sounds more like a large minority.
@Marlen & Jungleboogie -
Spoken like true pigs! I hope your mother, wife, and/or sister are never beaten or sexually assaulted. Then again given your responses I bet the two of you would watch and take bets on the outcome!
Not much going on here, why too many Men here agree with the Govt, there, women are here for one thing only!! And call me and it what it is, but why do women need Men to help them get what they want, and they need Men protection from other Men, if Men give women what they want then Men will become the weaker sex. because here in the good old usa, Men can only have sex when a woman say he can, and how he can and where he canm and she does not haft to be a virgin either, as in other country. So ladies if you wnt to be the man then go out and hunt, and protect all Men from other women, and come to their rescue when distaster happen, and let men have the role of how and when and where women should have sex and if the man say he want 2 at a time then let him have that too., yea right. And when he get a divorce from you give him everything you have work for, along with your house and opay him money every month while he is with another woman.
You are a very sad individual!
Did you copy your comment from the wall of a cave? Release the hair of that woman you are trying to drag back to your cave and go out and try to kill a dinosaur for dinner.
wtf??? your a moron!
Larry, what country are you from? If you say the USA, then all you will do is reaffirm my view that BEFORE anyone can immigrate to the US, they have to go to a class that teaches them American Values. If they fail the test (in English), they go back home and take that Third World BS with them.
Larry: --- I sure hope that English is not your first language !!!
Joyce I just lost it, that is too funny. I feel dumber for reading this. "Cookin' and cleanin' thats all dey good fo" ha ha I love our women here in the good ole USA. I feel like they are the ones behind starting the revolution for women all over the world.
These women are true heros. Can you imagine the courage required to do this in Egypt? You Go Girls!!!!!!
Agreed
these women better tread carefully...that is their country. Not ours. There are things going on not reported and not shown. This is how they have been treated for centuries. that is their way.
Why is it we proclaim muslims are so peaceful, yet this is evident all over the world? Bring this here is only gonna mess us up worse than we already are.
larry-" here in the good old usa, Men can only have sex when a woman say he can"- your words. Think about it, please.
Aren't we all glad Obama helped rid that tyrant from power, now everything is wonderful in Egypt.
Women are finally standing up to the males? Yes i'd definatly agree that's a step forward!
.
sharia law? is this sharia law? sickening...
The Middle East thought they had problems. NOW they have problems!!! Once the Women unite, the men will be in a world of hurt! As a woman, I know the women will prevail but a small part of me feels pity for the men. They have no idea what they have unleashed!!!! Equality for women in the Middle East. It does have a nice ring to it!!
I hope you are right, but remember, these Women do not have the rule of law behind them. They only have a religious custom that backs the men's repressive actions. As I recall, in Iraq and Afghanistan, the repression of Women was called the "Protection of femininity" or a direct protection of the Women themselves. As if the Women would somehow be damaged or degraded by being exposed to the real world, and given real responsibility and rights beyond the household.
@Docsuby: You are quite correct when you say the Women do not have the rule of law behind them. This is how laws get changed!!! Remember there was not a rule of law in this country ( US ) so that Women could vote -- so the Women changed the law!!!!!! This too will happen in the Middle East. This is going to take years and there will be many 'growing pains' for every country over there, but the change will take place.
Yeah but that is what makes our country so awesome!!! We reason, and I don't think women were in this much danger during protest either. But all aside, I love my strong USA women.
Egyptians have already adopted sharia law and the women complain?? Where were these women before???
Did they think after the Muslim Brotherhood moved in things would be different? The middle east is the most backwards region in the world.
You should see the lower part of east Asia
Well, northern Africa is no picnic.
And then there's ..., oh, never mind.
WOW I hope I have that kind of courage!!! after the GOP & Corp america finish the USA off...
Republicans and women's rights in Egypt: Ok, I see the correlation. Good point bro, give us another one.
You are right we should do away with the free market and corporations. We all make the same money, we all get free health care. Oh and health care, when something is free and no one has any reason to work for anything, people stop caring. I mean if you got paid pennies to wipe someones' behind, do you think you would do a good job? Sorry for the rant back to a point...hopefully. Then things start to get depressing if our government controls and owns us just like EGYPT(correlation) and we have to start a revolution. Orrr, we can work hard and work our way up and become millionaires, possibly. And of course give back when we do get rich. Go live in North Korea if you have a problem with corporations putting up huge buildings in beautiful cities. You are probably one of those overweight 'poor' people in the US wanting more money, but the corporations won't let you. Stop reading liberal propaganda and enjoy your life in the best place in the world.
I thought Obama promoted the uprising in Egypt? Maybe he can now focus on sending Michelle over to help the women?
You go girls !!! Womens lib in the middle east,best thing yet. Ladies get a pistol and cross your legs ,those towel headed idiots will come around to your way of thinking.
You started out well, but then you got nutty.
At least it was only the Iraq treasures not planned for by Bush. Obama didn't plan for all the human carnage removing Mubarak, Gaddafi and taking out US troops from Iraq will cause. Lots of blood on Obama's hands and lots more to come.
Ummm... So how is a war not started by Obama, not sanctioned by the Congress, and ended by popular decree, blood on the hands of the person that enabled that end. Or is the continued blood of US Soldiers better to your liking?!?!!
Obama doesn't know what he is doing and is totally unqualified for the office of President of the United States.
Please vote him out in 2012.
What does his qualifications have to do with this? You know as well as I do that the Iraqi war was a bull crap war and we have been there trying to fix is since. Yes Saddam needed gone, but he was the best guy in the middle east against Al-Qaida. We traded an effective foriegn weapon for our own blood and billions. We need out of this tar pit. And Afghanistan. As quick as we can. Stop spending our lives and money on these people that have been killing each other for thousands of years. We cannot fix their problems. Period.
Ya'll maybe hating on obama, but he's in the middle of trying to fix what that REPUBLICAN retard f***ed up while he was in office for 8 years. And so, i think he's doing good, i mean bush tried for 8 yrs to get osama, and guess who gets him. Obama must be doing something right. the damage that was done can't be fixed over night, it takes time, and i'm willing to give it to him.
Marci, are you really that d**b to think that it was Obama that got Osama. WOW, absolutely amazing... And things are getting worse with Obama as President. He has made our deficit grow more in 3 years than Bush did in 8!
No doubt Charles is congratulating himself for getting Osama bin Laden.
President Obama campaigned on making the capture or killing of Osama bin Laden the number one priority of the war on terror. As President, he gave the orders and allocated the resources to make sure that happened.
And it DID happen. It took a lot of people working together, but it happened.
You have to be really naive to think that people in positions of power and authority don't follow the President's orders.
And you have to be much worse than naive to shovel up the garbage that President Obama was somehow trying to protect Osama bin Laden and yet the Seals took bin Laden out anyway, against the wishes of the Commander -in-Chief.
He has made our deficit grow more in 3 years than Bush did in 8!
Are you talking abut the national debt?
Because what made the deficit grow was welfare for the rich, courtesy of the Republican Party giving evry welathy family in America an AVERAGE of $130,000 a year, and two unfunded wars, one with a $1 trillion price tag after we were attacked, and another with a $3 trillion price tag just to take out a dictator. (While we're on the subject of dictators, for $1 billion, President Obama got rid of one with American blood on his hands and an actual pursuit of nuclear weapons. The average American family's share works out to about $40,000 to get rid of Saddam Hussein and $12 and change to get rid of Muammar Gaddafi.)
The GOP took a surplus in 2000 and turned it into a deficit, more than doubling the national debt within 8 years.
This is the only 'front lines' most women will ever see or experience. They are quite satisfied to allow men to die in war as they go to the beauty parlor or dancing. The notion of gender equality indeed a pathetic sham.
Another twit...although I do agree with you on gender equality, we are still paid less than men! Right now, there is no draft, so a lot of guys that have an option whether to fight or not. You have no clue what women have to deal with...when you can experience childbirth, get back to me.
Don't be a dope!
Millions of women want to fight and serve their countries. You are so ignorant! Women who are in the military now go to court over inequalities they find while in the military. Go read a *&^% book or newspaper.
How old are you anyways? rockofages, YOU are a male chauvinist pig! My mom served in the military, I served in the military and so have many of female co-workers. And let me tell you something, these women are walking in battle zones!! Just being female is dangerous in those countries. Those women need to band together and form their own female militias! Mainly to fight stupid men like YOU!
Just turn our US Marine Corp women on those savages and they would sing a new tune - in a higher key too...
If woman around the world really want to stop this bull@!$%#, they are going to have to learn how to shoot. I know that's not politically correct, but it's the god damn truth, plain and simple.
Good going ladies-wish you the best on equal rights.
The United States declared it's independence in 1776. One hundred and forty plus years later, WOMEN were allowed to VOTE. Then, it took another 25 years for women to begin to stand up and say "I can do it".
It's time, Muslim women, to throw the burka away.
March on women of the world, protest the ill treatment and less than human status they heaped on you.
As to you women who have overcome and become free of bondage, revel that fact and quit your bitchen.
Right on!
Democracy is only something you can trust when you can have a direct control of it in your hand.
Egyptian women are hot, and need to be spanked, that will keep them quiet
Harry - and if life is fair, kharma will dictate that you accidently step in front of a speeding bus.
Jerry: --- Better, yet! Karma should make Harry a woman the next time around...and the next time and next time, etc., etc., etc. On second thought. Why take it out on women???
What is wrong with people in this world? Have they no respect for human kind? No wonder so many people come to America, to get away from all the violence ways of people who have no descent respect for anyone.