Yesterday was the third anniversary of the worst single day killings of protesters in modern times, popularly known as Rabaa Al Adawiya massacre, that took place in Cairo in 2013. Egyptian security forces raided two camps of civilians who were protesting in Cairo’s Rabaa Al Adawiya Square and Al Nahda on August 14, 2013 against the military coup that ousted country’s first democratically-elected president Muhammad Mursi. The raids were so brutal that Human Rights Watch described it as “worst single day killing of protesters in modern history”. The Egyptian government claimed that over 600 people were killed, while Human Rights Watch estimated the death toll to more than 1,500. The exact toll of the crackdown is still unknown as the regime imposed obstacles in collecting the data about the massacres.
Even after three years no officials or members of the security forces have been held accountable for the massacre while, those who have voiced against the coup and the brutal army crackdown are languishing in jail. The deposed president Muhammed Mursi and several leaders of his Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) as well as its parent body Muslim Brotherhood have handed death sentences by military courts. The military-backed government of Abdel Fattah Al Sisi has kidnapped, detained and tortured suspected enemies, and outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood.
In spite of Egypt’s growing authoritarianism, its Western allies including the US, refused to criticise the military coup that brought Al Sisi to power and unseated modern Egypt’s first elected civilian president. Instead, they care more about international political and security concerns, like Suez Canal passage, counter-terrorism cooperation, or Israeli security, than human rights and rule of law in Egypt under ex-military chief. Obama had even restored US military aid to Egypt, which was suspended briefly after the coup, citing the need to combat Islamic State militants. Recently, an Italian graduate student was murdered apparently by Egyptian security services but Rome has been reluctant to pressure Al Sisi regime as it doesn’t want to endanger business deals.
As demonstrations broke out against the Rabaa killings, a four-finger sign gained worldwide fame and became a symbol for anti-coup demonstrators. This hand gesture has been used by Palestinians to protest violations by Israeli occupation forces and Jewish settlers. In Turkey the symbol is being used widely during anti-coup rallies. At the night of the coup attempt on July 15, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waved to the people at Istanbul airport with Rabaa symbol. The lukewarm condemnation by Turkey’s international allies towards the failed coup that targeted a democratic system once again reminds the world that Rabaa Al Adawiya is more than a symbol.
Yesterday was the third anniversary of the worst single day killings of protesters in modern times, popularly known as Rabaa Al Adawiya massacre, that took place in Cairo in 2013. Egyptian security forces raided two camps of civilians who were protesting in Cairo’s Rabaa Al Adawiya Square and Al Nahda on August 14, 2013 against the military coup that ousted country’s first democratically-elected president Muhammad Mursi. The raids were so brutal that Human Rights Watch described it as “worst single day killing of protesters in modern history”. The Egyptian government claimed that over 600 people were killed, while Human Rights Watch estimated the death toll to more than 1,500. The exact toll of the crackdown is still unknown as the regime imposed obstacles in collecting the data about the massacres.
Even after three years no officials or members of the security forces have been held accountable for the massacre while, those who have voiced against the coup and the brutal army crackdown are languishing in jail. The deposed president Muhammed Mursi and several leaders of his Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) as well as its parent body Muslim Brotherhood have handed death sentences by military courts. The military-backed government of Abdel Fattah Al Sisi has kidnapped, detained and tortured suspected enemies, and outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood.
In spite of Egypt’s growing authoritarianism, its Western allies including the US, refused to criticise the military coup that brought Al Sisi to power and unseated modern Egypt’s first elected civilian president. Instead, they care more about international political and security concerns, like Suez Canal passage, counter-terrorism cooperation, or Israeli security, than human rights and rule of law in Egypt under ex-military chief. Obama had even restored US military aid to Egypt, which was suspended briefly after the coup, citing the need to combat Islamic State militants. Recently, an Italian graduate student was murdered apparently by Egyptian security services but Rome has been reluctant to pressure Al Sisi regime as it doesn’t want to endanger business deals.
As demonstrations broke out against the Rabaa killings, a four-finger sign gained worldwide fame and became a symbol for anti-coup demonstrators. This hand gesture has been used by Palestinians to protest violations by Israeli occupation forces and Jewish settlers. In Turkey the symbol is being used widely during anti-coup rallies. At the night of the coup attempt on July 15, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waved to the people at Istanbul airport with Rabaa symbol. The lukewarm condemnation by Turkey’s international allies towards the failed coup that targeted a democratic system once again reminds the world that Rabaa Al Adawiya is more than a symbol.
