Crisis in Tahrir

Egypt sheikh condemns “Tahrir Girl” for being at protest in first place

| 21 December 2011 | Comments (9)

The "Tahrir Girl" has become an iconic figure in the recent activism in Egypt.

CAIRO: Egyptian Sheikh Khaled el-Gendy questioned why the woman who was stripped by soldiers was where she was in the first place, in comments on the al-Qahira al-Youm news program on December 19 and asked the audience to ask questions before calling for an apology from the military.

“The woman who was stripped, I want to say that we all refuse that and we all condemn it,” he said.

“But there are more questions, who let her out in the street and why was she there, and how could the women deal with these people and other questions. And before we ask for apologies from anyone, we all owe an apology,” Gendy added.

The woman he is referring to made headlines around local and international media after she was caught on video being brutally beaten by soldiers, who stripped open her dress, revealing her bra.

The image angered conservatives and liberals alike, who strongly condemned violence against women by the military forces during the latest clashes that erupted in Cairo on Friday morning.

Gendy thinks Islam is the solution and said “we need the implementation of Islamic Sharia [Islamic law] to control what happens in the country.”

He also gave his condolences for those who died, but expressed “greater” sorrow over the burning of the scientific building.

He said the protesters were “Barbarians” and that talk and dialogue “doesn’t work with them.”

El-Gendy, who was initially a math teacher, and became wealthy off the first Islamic phone line business, said before blaming or pointing fingers at those who killed, “also know that some people break the law and go out of the social codes.

“We are in need of a definition of the word martyr, the word is sacred,” he said, objecting to call any of the dead protesters “martyrs,” as activists have referred to their fallen demonstrators.

“Its not a salutation at a wedding or a nickname,” he argued.

Since Friday, the military has killed 14 people, including children, and injured over 700.

BM

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Section: Egypt, Latest News, Women

Egypt in Crisis
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  • Salam-i

    I wholeheartedly agree.  Under sharia law, this would not have happened because, just like in Saudi Arabia, women would not be allowed to be by themselves and would have to be with a male relative.  Problem solved.

  • SaudiArabiaLeaveEgyptAlone

    This is exactly why we don’t want Islamists to take over Egypt. They are anti-democracy, anti-freedom, anti-justice, -anti-equality, anti-liberty and they can not possibly claim to speak in the name of Islam.  It’s people like El Gendy who make Islam look really bad. Instead of being a productive member of the society these people make money out of preaching bullshit.  A society can never advance and florish without the active participation of women. 

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  • Mcochat

    Of course they are barbarians, they are Muslim. Nothing but savages that have not contributed anything positive to society.  Just like all the shieks, clerics and iman, all barbarians.

  • Mo Farag

    Thanks Sheikh, you’ve cleared up any confusion I had over the position of religion on human rights.

    And thank you BikyaMisr for mentioning the fact that he left math tutoring for the more ludicrous business of preaching.

  • http://ironburka.blogspot.com/ Mullah Lodabullah

    I gather that the sheik is not familiar with the fate that awaits Egypt, under a cruel lord who is prophesied to rule over it. The burden of Egypt (Isaiah 19, Holy Bible).

  • No way

    Is he stupid or what ?