Massacres in the Middle East
Dear Sir,
In 2013, Egypt’s public squares were awash with blood of the Mursi government’s supporters.
On July 3, 2013, Egypt’s first elected civilian president, Mohamed Mursi, was deposed. This was followed by widespread protests. Many protesters were killed by security forces.
A year after, a Human Rights Watch report, “The Rabaa massacre and mass killings of protesters in Egypt”, has been released. Tragedy and terror are evident on every single line.
The report says everything was according to a plan: “The brutal manner in which security forces carried out the Rabaa and al-Nahda dispersals appears to reflect policies that Egyptian authorities at highest levels implemented after weeks of planning.” (Page 95).
The HRW report’s author, Omar Shakir, stresses that the massacre of Mursi’s supporters was premeditated and planned.
British barrister and international law expert Toby Cadman supports the report, saying: “Human Rights Watch reports generally have a great deal of credibility; it is something that lawyers will be able to use in ensuring a process of accountability in Egypt.”
But it is shocking to realise that this report has not received the coverage it deserved around the world.
The deafening silence of champions of democracy on this report raises a valid question: do democracies mean massacres in the Middle East? In many Middle East countries, democracy is not welcome. Why?
After reading the HRW report, some simple truths are clear. It would be correct to assume that Western democratic values are not universal. They are just regional. The Western democratic system, it seems, is not for Middle Eastern countries. Western human rights are also not highly viewed in parts of the Middle East.
Nasir Farooq
[email protected]
Untouched by fame
Dear Sir,
It was with sadness and sorrow that I read of the death of Sir Richard Attenborough. Death lends us pause: it visits us with both grief and wonderment and reminds us of our fleeting presence here and eternity beyond.
We should remember Attenborough as that rare man unchanged by fame, for he remained without pomp or guile despite a glorious career.
Farouk Araie
[email protected]
