A Zionist Attack in Cairo?

A few days ago, a bomb exploded in the tourist-popular area of Hussein Square, Cairo, Egypt. The bomb killed a French teenager tourist, age 17, wounding 20 others. The reports vary about the numbers killed and wounded. Some say four killed and 18 wounded. The attack was reminiscent of a similar one in Cairo in 2005. The Egyptian authorities have arrested many suspects for questioning but the matter remains unsolved. The suspects detained were all Arabs and Egyptians.

An article on Aljazeera.net, the Arabic version, provoked many comments. All condemned this terrorist attack, using the usual rhetoric of the Arabic language, pleading to find the criminals and punish them. But here’s the curious thing: some seem to blame Israel for this killing. Their reasoning is that it is in Israel’s interest to have this bomb go off, creating panic, especially during these weeks of Cairo-sponsored talks to lengthen the cease-fire between Hamas and Israel after the Gaza operation. The Arab mentality when it comes to Israel, generally, is that the Jewish country wants to divide to conquer. Others blamed the Egyptian Authorities for their corruptness and the Islamist radicals for their brutality and inhumanity.

A commentator, called “fares misser tany” (I don’t know what that means) criticized the websites that shows these guys how to create bombs. She/he urged everyone to begin a campaign against these websites. The last few words were, and I translate here, “these destructive Zionist websites.” I’m sorry, what? Zionist? What? I don’t get the link. Most of the time, you can’t trace the creators of these websites anyway.

Another commentator wrote this:

“هل من المصادفه ان يكون ما جرى يخدم اسرائيل سبق و القت بقنبله على مفاوضات التهدئه ماذا تريد اسرائيل؟؟؟؟؟؟؟”

Translation: “Is it a coincidence that what happened serves Israel, bombing the peace talks? What does Israel want?????”

Israel may have an interest in this. I recall the Israeli Consul General in New York, Asaf Shariv, saying that having Ahmedinejad in Iran is the best PR for Israel. I suspect turmoil in Egypt at this point could buy the country some time, delaying the much-unwanted peace talks with a group that is on the terrorists list. But whoever knows a little bit more about Egypt would know about the radical Islamists groups that gained power decades ago, from the days of Gamal Abdel Nasser and the Free Officers movement in 1952. If anything, the Muslim Botherhood make a powerful organization in Egypt that has been linked to many of the Jihadis in Afghanistan, and who, to some extent, have received much funding from Saudis. They have always been suppressed by the Egyptian government and military, most of the time to the extremes of torture and genocide. They, too, have an interest in causing turmoil and weakening the government during these times.

The issue is very complicated. Jumping to blame Israel or even the Muslim Brotherhood is too risky and ridiculous at this point. We’ll have to wait for better information. This mentality of putting Israel at the forefront of our problems is ludicrous, however. We have many bad people in our own societies and among our own people too. Don’t jump the gun just yet.

Here’s a BBC video on the aftermath of the incident…

Palestine in Take Back NYU

“Take Back NYU” has gained much publicity lately. It is an organized student movement that took over the New York University Kimmel Center for student activities, on Wednesday night, February 18^th. About 60-70 students (the numbers vary) walked to the cafeteria on the third floor of the building and barricaded the place. They remained there over the next couple of days, producing a list of demands, many of which are reasonable. It wasn’t a hostage situation. The rebels happily saw protests held outside in support of the cause. There were many rumors, broadcast reporters and various reactions on and off campus. It ended when the university administration ordered security officers to break in and get everyone outside. Thirteen students are now suspended awaiting judicial hearings at the university.

Their main demands relate to New York University’s financial transparency, its attitude toward student workers, disclosure of endowments and strategies… etc. However, it also included the demand to provide annual scholarships to 13 Palestinian students, with full coverage of housing, food and travel expenses. Another demand was to donate excess supplies and materials for the rebuilding of the University of Gaza.

It is admirable that these students, oceans and continents apart from the conflict, could include such a demand. I’ve always thought that those who are most involved in updates of the conflict belong to one of the two main sides. These two demands, however, were seen as somewhat absurd, along with another demand to ban Coca-Cola due to the company’s connections with warlords in the Republic of Columbia. If anything, these demands seem disconnected. Some people may even call them radical. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is put, yet again, on the front page, attached to rebellious activities, not so completely peaceful, not to mention totally successful.

I wondered how the students came to the number 13, and why they have chosen Gaza specifically. There are many people around the world who suffer like the Gazans, if not more, say the Darfurians, the Burmese and even the Kosovians. The theme of this demand, instead, should have been to help disadvantaged youth around the world, in places of war and destruction in general.

Movements like these need leverage; numbers, numbers, numbers. The students have made their opinions public, and that deserves applaud. It hasn’t been effective, however… so far.