Conflict Inspired By Regional Events

by Shobrawy

Our focus in the Middle Eastern blogosphere has been the metamorphosis of the region and specifically of our individual nations. We’ve watched in fear as our countries have mutated into a terrible monster and as a result we have rushed to our computers to fight back, to defeat the beast.

The first step to fighting back is understanding what has fueled the change, stopping to stand back and say, “what were the events that brought us to our current plight.” In the case of Egypt you can see how specific events domestically and regionally inspired new ideology distinctly with Islamic extremism.

In 1996 I visited Egypt to see family and friends. I noticed an average amount of women wearing hijab, nothing more or less than I was used to. In my estimation about 10-15% of women, nothing unusual. Also I could count the number of zabeebas on one hand (you know that dark bump on the forehead of a pious Muslim, I can actually remember each one by face.) In 1996 the political obsessions of most Egyptians were negligible, they focused on general topics but there was no stand out issue being mumbled collectively in the streets. Even the Khobar Towers Bombing failed to bolster the collective shock of Egyptians towards the U.S. and international terrorism. No doubt that Egyptians weren’t exactly in love with the U.S. back then but they lacked the fervent anger that many possess today.

2002 I returned to Egypt and noticed significantly more women wearing hijab, it was like coming back to see a new style take hold. In my estimation close to 30-35% of women. I noticed many more men with zabeebas, too many to count, everywhere I looked. Also the streets were buzzing with several stand out issues, condemnation of Israel, George Bush, the U.S., sympathy towards Osama bin Laden and more fervent hate expressed towards “zaa West”. With no doubt the biggest topic was hate for Israel, Jews, Ariel Sharon and conspiracy theories about 9/11 which naturally implicate the Jews.

So what changed between 96-02? About a million things but most inspiring to the Egyptian public was the start of the second Palestinian intifada in 2000 which gave Egyptians yet another reason to complain about Israel. Throughout the 90′s Egyptian radicalism has been tied directly to the evolution of the Palestine/Israel conflict. It became apparent to me that many Egyptians aligned their personal struggles with those of other Muslims in the region especially Palestinians. The worse the Palestinian situation became the more angry Egyptians became and the more they turned to radicalism. Increasing unemployment and desperation added fuel to the fire and many reached out to an ultra conservative brand of Islam, basically imported Wahabism thanks to Egyptian migrant workers returning from Saudi Arabia.

By 2004 when I returned again, the ball was already in motion and the changes I witnessed in my last visit were 10 fold. So many women wearing hijab that a group of women not wearing hijab were concluded to be either Christians or prostitutes. I saw more zabeebas on all kinds of people, young guys my age, old men who certainly used a hot coal to define their zabeeba and even women with a zabeeba, which I have never seen before.

This has become the trend and culture, Egyptians are looking outward towards regional issues to define their own, it outlines a purpose in a country where people have nothing better to do than sit home, listen to fanatics and get angrier. Basically these people need a more productive hobby.

So who are they observing and taking notes from now? Unfortunately I think its Iraq, I hate to say it but the sectarian violence of that country is inspiring a trend that is closely tied to extremist ideology anyways. That trend is not to go out and look for the minority but hostility is growing between Muslims and Christians in which both sides share partial responsibility. The last few months have seen several small clashes that may be a spark to deadly clashes of a larger scale, the kind of clashes which are just waiting for Government instability, something I fear Egypt is on the verge of.

Last month Christians and Muslims clashed over a dispute for land between a mosque and a church in the Giza village of Bamha. The result of the skirmish was 9 wounded (mostly burn victims) and 3 burned down homes. Earlier this month on Al Gaish street in Alexandria a church was attacked after an argument between a Christian man and a local Imam. A few days following in the village of Saft Maidoum in Beni Sweif a fight broke out between Christians and Muslims after a Christian boy accidentally crashed his bike into a Muslim girl who then fainted. The family presumed her to be dead and attacked the Christian families house in response. 35 people were arrested and the local government held reconciliation meetings to resolve the dispute. And finally on Saturday 7 Christians and 6 Muslims were injured over a fight for the status of a tenant.

All of these conflicts were meager, they were mostly everyday disputes that occur between neighbors but they exploded because of existing animosity between both religions. The responsibility is on all of us to denounce the sectarian violence and identify it before it no longer requires minor disagreements to kick start battles in the streets. If we look outward to Iraq it should be as a vivid example of what not to do.