Taharrush - the Arab rape 'game' that's been exported to Europe
What happened in Cologne and other cities in Europe on New Year's Eve is known in the Arab world as Taharrush. It's a rape 'game' and it's particularly unpleasant for the women caught up in it (Hat Tip: Ellen S).
The "rape game" Taharrush is about a large group of Arab men surrounding
their victim, usually a Western woman or a woman wearing Western-style
clothing, and then the women are subjected to sexual abuse.
They
surround the victim in circles. The men in the inner circle are the
ones who physically abuse the woman, the next circle are the spectators,
while the mission of the third circle is to distract and divert
attention to what's going on.
If there is enough men, the woman
is dragged along by the mob, while the men take turns ripping her
clothes off, grope her, and inserting fingers in her various body
orifices.
I have a mercifully short video of it to show you (safe for work, but parental discretion advised - I did not turn on this video with my kids in the room).
Let's go to the videotape. More after the video.
Sounds like what happened to CBS reporter Lara Logan in Cairo's Tahrir Square five years ago, doesn't it? More reading here.
And now thanks to Frau Merkel, it's been exported to Europe. Will the US be next?
Tahrir Square, Cairo, exploding once again after gov't drops all charges against former president Mubarak. #Egypt
— James Miller (@MillerMENA) November 29, 2014
The picture above was taken in Tahrir Square in Cairo around 7:00 pm on Saturday by an Egyptian blogger named The Big Pharoah. But the action is happening elsewhere in Cairo at a rally of supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and ousted President Mohammed Morsy. The Egyptian health ministry is admitting to 38 deaths at that rally, while the Brotherhood is claiming that more than 100 people have been killed and some 1500 wounded (Hat Tip: Memeorandum).
The anti-Morsi camp occupied Cairo's Tahrir
Square in support of the army, after its chief, Gen Abdel Fattah
al-Sisi, had urged people to demonstrate to provide a mandate for its
intervention.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Morsi supporters continued their sit-in protest at the mosque in the Nasr City area.
On Saturday, Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim vowed to end
the sit-in, saying local residents had complained about the encampment.
He said the protest would be "brought to an end soon, and in a
legal manner" with an order from the prosecutor, although this has yet
to happen.
The BBC's Jim Muir in Cairo says the latest violence is the
most serious since the army's intervention to remove President Morsi,
but this does not appear to have been a planned campaign to clear the
area around the mosque.
...
It appears that clashes began after some of the Morsi supporters
tried to block a main road in the area, and security forces responded.
The state news agency Mena quotes a security official as
saying they had been trying to stop fighting between rival sides, and
that eight security personnel had been injured.
The official added that live fire had not been used, only tear gas.
But our correspondent says medics at the hospital believed about 70%
of the casualties were caused by live fire - with many of the victims
hit in the chest or head by snipers firing from rooftops.
Ahmed Nashar, a Brotherhood spokesman witnessed what happened
near the Nasr City mosque where demonstrators built a wall to protect
themselves.
"When I arrived, bullets were whizzing past my ears," he told
the BBC. "Today was just brutal - people were fired at, with live
firearms."
Our correspondent says Morsi supporters are furious about the
role the military is taking, and in particular the head of the army,
General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whom they say is killing Egyptians.
Does anyone really see western troops being sent in to fight for Morsy? I wouldn't hold my breath. Much as President Hussein Obama is in love with the Muslim Brotherhood, he wouldn't dare put American troops at risk for them. Would he?
This picturewas taken overlooking Cairo's Tahrir Square on Tuesday night (Hat Tip: Sunlight).
Let's go to the videotape.
The report makes it sound like a football tailgate party. But it's not.
On Wednesday, there were more clashes in Tahrir Square.
Dozens of police officers
-- backed by trucks firing tear gas -- advanced across Simon Boulevard
Square, arresting many young people, some of whom were beaten by
officers. Protesters continued to throw stones at police.
The latest clashes come
after huge numbers of protesters swarmed into the square Tuesday night
into Wednesday, hoping to revive a democratic groundswell that swept the
country's former strongman from power nearly two years ago.
Observers suggested the
crowds were the biggest seen since former strongman Hosni Mubarak was
forced out early last year following days of street protests.
...
But Morsy showed no signs of backing down.
Egypt's Cabinet chief,
Mohamed Refa'a al-Tahtawi, said there will be no retreat from the
constitutional decree, state-run EGYNews reported. He reportedly
stressed the president would not back down because his actions were
motivated by democratic aims.
Mahmoud Ghozlan, a
spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsy's political movement, said
Wednesday that it would stage nationwide protests Saturday in support of
Morsy and his decree.
The Muslim Brotherhood
called off a planned "million man" protest Monday amid concerns about
political tensions and potential violence.
There were no official
crowd estimates for Tuesday night's demonstrations, but the square was
packed as protesters clogged the roundabout and tents filled the grassy
area in the middle. The rally lasted into early Wednesday, with some
demonstrators singing and playing drums and guitars while others
listened to speeches.
The Muslim Brotherhood may be in charge, but Egyptian men are as randy as ever
The Muslim Brotherhood may now be in charge in Egypt, but some things haven't changed. One thing that has not changed is Egyptian men and their treatment of blonde, female westerners. I have discussed before on this blog the harassment of women - especially foreign women - by Egyptian men. Now, it's happened again. Another foreign journalist has been attacked in Egypt. This time it's a British journalist... with long blonde hair.
I don't believe that this is an excuse, but note again that Natasha Smith has long blonde hair. Note what I wrote here about the Lara Logan assault.
The second reason I wasn't surprised by the assault was when I saw the picture of Logan at the top of this post. Several years ago, the wife of a friend confided in me that she had been raped before they were married. She was assaulted by an Arab man right here in Jerusalem, and she told me that she attributed the assault that she was blond and that she was wearing her hair loose. She said that blonds have to be particularly careful around Arab men, and she advised wearing their hair tight and in a bun. Look at Logan's picture. See what I mean?
Now, look at Natasha again in the video. See what I mean?
Natasha's full account of the incident is here (via Blazing Cat Fur). I just want to quote a small part of it.
The women told me the attack was motivated by rumours spread by trouble-making thugs that I was a foreign spy, following a national advertising campaign warning of the dangers of foreigners. But if that was the cause, it was only really used as a pretext, an excuse, to molest and violate a blonde young Western girl.
...
Women were crying and telling me “this is not Egypt! This is not Islam! Please, please do not think this is what Egypt is!” I reassured her that I knew that was the case, that I loved Egypt and its culture and people, and the innate peacefulness of moderate Islam. She appeared stunned. But I’m not really a vengeful person and I could see through the situation. This vicious act was not representative of the place I had come to know and love.
But as you can see from my story about my friend's wife and from Lara Logan, this is very typical behavior for the Arab Islamic world, particularly for foreign women with long, blonde hair.
If Ms. Smith returns to Egypt, I would suggest that she temporarily dye her hair a different color and cut it short. As silly as that sounds, it could save her life.
OMG! Carter thinks Egyptian army was helping "Blue Bra Woman" cover up!
I think many of you will remember this photo from the riots in Cairo's Tahrir Square in December.
America's worst ex-President was in Cairo last week, and look at what he had to say about this photo (Hat Tip: Jack W)(original source is the Carter Center website, but why give them traffic by linking them).
"I was received with a friendly welcome as I congratulated the military leaders for what seemed to be a successful election, and then asked a number of questions. It seemed that the SCAF had full confidence that there would be accommodation to their demands by the Muslim Brotherhood and their coalition partners as the new government is formed. Instead of the reported 12,000 mostly political prisoners being held for trials in military courts, the Field Marshal stated that there were no more than 3,000, all of whom were guilty of criminal acts and being tried in civilian courts. He stated that the widely promulgated videos showing military attacks on demonstrators and a woman "with the blue brassiere" were all falsified. He said the soldiers were actually helping the woman re-clothe herself with what was provocative attire. I was assured that the emergency law would be lifted before the presidential election, no later than June."
I'll put the video up again and you can all decide for yourselves whether the soldiers are beating her or 'helping her' to get dressed.
Let's go to the videotape.
Is Jimmy Carter a moron or what? (Islamist readers coming to 'confirm' Carter's account in 3... 2... 1...).
The 'twitterverse' is all abuzz this morning because Eltahawy has been beaten and arrested in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
Before you feel too sorry for her, go back and watch the video here starting around the 4:40 mark. I wonder if she actually believes that 'Palestinians' are treated worse than Egyptians these days, and whether she still wants to spend her time promoting hatred of Israel.
Or maybe it's only Europeans who view destroying Jews as more important than saving their own states.
Police fired blank shots and rubber bullets at protesters, witnesses said. Two police cars were set on fire in Tahrir square after witnesses said they had seen protesters climb into the vehicles. A third vehicle, close to the headquarters of the Arab League, was also on fire, a witness said.
"The people want to topple the regime!" hundreds of youths chanted as they rushed toward a line of helmeted police.
Riot police later fired tear gas to try to clear the area and they closed off streets leading to the square, witnesses said. They beat protesters with batons while demonstrators broke off cement from sidewalks to throw at the police.
"We are fighting them non-stop," shouted one protester.
The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party said in a statement earlier it "denounced the breakup of the Tahrir sit-in by force".
"The break-up (of the sit-in) ... led to injuries, some serious, according to some media reports," the party said.
"(This is) reminiscent of the practices of the defunct regime's interior ministry."
The April 6th Youth Movement said in a statement it said opposed the use of force against peaceful protesters and demanded that the interior minister "leave immediately."
State news agency MENA cited a health ministry spokesman as saying that 507 people had been wounded in the clashes.
State television reported that "18 troublemakers had been arrested and legal procedures were being taken".
Friday's rally appeared to be the biggest Islamist challenge to military rule since the largely secular uprising that toppled Mubarak in February.
Protesters expressed their anger at a constitutional draft that Deputy Prime Minister Ali al-Silmi showed to political groups earlier this month which would give the army exclusive authority over its internal affairs and budget.
Elections are scheduled to take place in Egypt on November 28.
Israel Radio is now reporting that one person has been killed in Tahrir Square and 650 have been injured.
Squeezed between an assertive military and the country's resurgent Islamist movement, many Internet-savvy, pro-democracy activists are finding it increasingly hard to remain relevant in a post-revolutionary Egypt that is struggling to overcome an economic crisis and restore law and order.
"The liberal and leftist groups that were at the forefront of the revolution have lost touch with the Egyptian people," says Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Institution's Doha Center. "These protesters have alienated much of Egypt. For some time they've been deceiving themselves by saying that the silent majority is on their side—but all evidence points to the contrary, and Monday's events confirm that."
Monday's turmoil in Tahrir followed a massive Friday demonstration on the same square by hundreds of thousands of Islamists, who called for transforming Egypt into an Islamic state—and railed against the liberal and secular youths who had helped motivate millions to rise up against Mr. Mubarak.
The Islamists' numbers dwarfed those of the activists who have re-occupied Cairo's central square since July 8, criticizing the slow pace of reforms, calling for police accountability and pressing for speedier trials of Mr. Mubarak and his associates. The Tahrir sit-in was organized by the April 6 Movement, one of the uprising's main planners, other youth groups and relatives of protesters killed in the weeks before Mr. Mubarak's ouster on Feb. 11.
These activists' criticism of Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has failed to resonate in the streets. Their continuing protests have also angered many Egyptians who want an end to the unrest they say has frightened away foreign tourists, damaged the country's economy and increasingly undermined their livelihoods.
And that last paragraph is key: It's the economy, stupid!
Unlike in previous skirmishes, the activists interviewed Monday didn't allege to be the victims of thugs paid by the government.
"The people were beating us and helping the army," said protester Mahmoud Abdallah, catching his breath in a side street off Tahrir as an army truck hauled away detainees. "The people don't know what is good for them. They don't have any awareness. They just want to make money."
As he spoke, Tareq Shawky, a 42-year-old toilet equipment vendor, interrupted the conversation. He said he had heard about the army moving against the protesters, and drove to the square so he could help dismantle the encampment.
"The Egyptian citizen wants only two things—security and low prices," Mr. Shawky shouted. "The millions of Egyptians will do anything that the army tells us to do."
Abdallah sounds like a typical liberal anyplace else in the World, doesn't he? But this isn't Europe and the Egyptians aren't buying it? Aren't you glad we got rid of Mubarak? What could go wrong?
The above developments have been clearly reflected in the behavior of one of the members of the Council of Armed Forces, General Mohsen Fangary. From the beginning of the revolution on January 25th, he supported the rights of citizens to express their opinions peacefully, and has been very popular among the masses. Two weeks ago, on July 12th, he appeared on local and international media and, in a frightening and intimidating tone, read a statement issued by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces while waving his finger threateningly: “. . . The council will not relinquish its role during this critical period in Egypt’s history . . . Freedom of expression is guaranteed to all, but only within the boundaries of the law. Elections will be the first step, after which the constitution will be drafted. The special courts (i.e. military courts) will not be abolished. The army will not allow violent protests or the obstruction of economic activity; it will not permit the spreading of rumors and misinformation which could lead to disunity, disobedience and the dismantling of the homeland; it will give precedence to the interests of the public over those of individuals. The council will not allow anyone to seize power and will take the necessary measures against threats to the homeland.”
Millions of Egyptians listened with great concern to this threatening announcement, which made it clear to them – from no less than the thundering voice of the popular General Fangary – that the period of hugs and flowers had ended, that the army intends to stay in power for more than half a year, and perhaps for a much longer period. General Fangary, with his menacing finger and booming voice, let the audience know that what had been will no longer be and that he would not permit the Woodstock atmosphere in al-Tahrir Square to evolve into anti-army protests.
Egypt is now at the height of a hot summer; the overall atmosphere, as well as the air temperature have risen. In less than two weeks, at the beginning of August, the month of Ramadan, during which Muslims grow close to Allah, will commence....
In the next few weeks or months, the Arab Spring is liable to turn into the Egyptian Summer – hot, steamy, violent and repulsive – in which the cat will be let out of the bag and the youth of Al Tahrir Square will realize that they have replaced one group of officers with another, that instead of Mubarak, they have Tantawi or Fangary, all cut from the same cloth. If conflict erupts, Heaven forefend, it will take place between the revolutionary youth and the army, which, this time, might fire massively at them.
The army may in the interim throw protesters some bones, such as a show trial for Mubarak (if he lives), his wife and sons, and the public might even get to see them swinging from a rope in al-Tahrir Square; aside from momentary joy, however, this will not calm the street. The standing of the Israeli embassy and the peace agreement with Israel might also be impacted, because the army may employ such a stratagem to douse the flames.
In the event of major clashes between the army and the population, many Egyptians are liable to try and reach Israel via Sinai and the open border. Israel must prepare for such a scenario so that it is not caught by surprise when thousands of Egyptians arrive daily, fleeing the cruelty of their army.
As it is, it often happens that Sudanese refugees cross the border and the IDF tries to save them from being shot at by the Egyptian army. What will happen when the refugees are Egyptian? Whom will the Egyptian army try to smuggle across the border with them?
Egypt administered virginity tests to female demonstrators
An Egyptian general - who of course wishes to remain anonymous - has admitted that the Egyptian army administered involuntary virginity tests to women arrested at a demonstration in March. And he's trying to justify it.
In the weeks following the 9 March protest, Amnesty International published a report that alleged women had been beaten, given electric shocks, strip-searched, threatened with prostitution charges and forced to submit to virginity checks.
Despite previous denials that such events had taken place, a senior general has now admitted that ‘virginity tests’ were conducted – and also defended the practice – to CNN (Hat Tip: Memeorandum).
“The girls who were detained were not like your daughter or mine,” the general said. “These were girls who had camped out in tents with male protesters in Tahrir Square, and we found in the tents Molotov cocktails and (drugs),” he said.
“We didn’t want them to say (the military) had sexually assaulted or raped them, so we wanted to prove that they weren’t virgins in the first place,” the general continued. “None of them were (virgins).”
Enough stereotypes there for you about bad girls asking for it?
In the 63 years of the State of Israel's existence there has not been a single proven case of rape committed by an IDF soldier against an enemy non-combatant.
May I suggest a Tahrir Square alternative? Announce that every Friday from today forward will be “Peace Day,” and have thousands of West Bank Palestinians march nonviolently to Jerusalem, carrying two things — an olive branch in one hand and a sign in Hebrew and Arabic in the other. The sign should say: “Two states for two peoples. We, the Palestinian people, offer the Jewish people a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders — with mutually agreed adjustments — including Jerusalem, where the Arabs will control their neighborhoods and the Jews theirs.”
Tom, do you really think that's what the 'Palestinian' goal is?
If Palestinians peacefully march to Jerusalem by the thousands every Friday with a clear peace message, it would become a global news event. Every network in the world would be there. Trust me, it would stimulate a real peace debate within Israel — especially if Palestinians invited youth delegations from around the Arab world to join the marches, carrying the Saudi peace initiative in Hebrew and Arabic. Israeli Jews and Arabs should be invited to march as well. Together, the marchers could draw up their own peace maps and upload them onto YouTube as a way of telling their leaders what Egyptian youth said to President Hosni Mubarak: “We’re not going to let you waste another day of our lives with your tired mantras and maneuvering.”
Crazy, I know. Bibi is reading this and laughing: “The Palestinians will never do that. They could never get Hamas to adopt nonviolence. It’s not who the Palestinians are.”
Hey Tom - the 'Palestinians' won't ever do this. You're organizing a march of Israeli Leftists. No one in Israel listens to those morons anymore.
Take a break, Tom. Go cover the Sudan or something.
As well continue to repeat the mantra that the 'Arab spring' has nothing to do with Israel or Jews, a massive rally against Israel took place in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday.
Egyptians gathered at Cairo's Liberation Square -- the epicenter of the Egyptian revolution that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak's regime.
The Cairo rally -- named a million-man march -- coincides with the anniversary of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories in 1948.
Activists have called for a march to neighboring Gaza, which is under Israel's siege.
Meanwhile, several thousand also held protest outside the Israeli consulate in Alexandria, calling for an end to Cairo's relations with Tel Aviv.
They demanded their military rulers to abandon Israel and lift the blockade on the besieged Gaza Strip.
Protesters have threatened to continue massive protest rallies if the current government does not move to cut off ties with the Israeli regime.
Egypt's political parties say the Gaza blockade serves the interests of Israel and the US and threatens regional stability and independence.
Oh, and guess how the demonstration was largely organized. Ready? On Facebook! Hahaha. Those youthful hip twittering moderate young people!
Also notice how this is all happening before elections install a radical, nationalist, anti-Israel, anti-American president and a parliament dominated by revolutionary Islamist anti-American antisemites. What are we going to see after the people have spoken?
We can also look forward to similar demonstrations in Palestine’s capital, after independence takes place, demanding an abrogation of the Israel-Palestine peace treaty and the end to Israeli occupation of…Israel.
After people finally figured out in April-May what they should have known in January-February about Egypt, might be better to learn the lesson now rather than to repeat the same mistakes infinitely?
You will recall that in the Glenn Beck video I showed you in an earlier post, he pointed out the difference between democracy and freedom. Egypt is a classic example. They don't want democracy - they want Islamism. And they want the freedom to go to war with the Jews. As the Sandmonkey pointed out before he got sucked in to the current revolution (and wiped this post clean):
But then I rememebrd that we- the majority of us anyway- don't want peace with Israel, and are not interested in any real dialogue with them. We weren't then and we are not now. The Entire peace process has always been about getting the land back, not establishing better relations. Even when we do get the land back, it's not enough. People in Egypt lament daily the Camp David treaty that prevents us from fighting. In Gaza they never stopped trying to attack Israel. In Lebanon Hezbollah continued attacking even after the Israeli withdrawel. And the people- the majority of the arab population- support it. Very few of us are really interested in having any lasting Peace or co-existance. I mean, if our left is asking for war, what do you think the rest of the population is thinking?
I think that the Israeli want peace with us because they don't want their lives disrupted. They don't want to have the IDF soldiers fighting in Gaza, rockets coming into their towns from Hamas or having to go to wars against Hezbollah to get their soldiers back. I think they want peace because they want their peace of mind. They view us as if we were a headache. We view them as if they are a cancer.
And now with Mubarak gone they're free to try to cut the 'cancer' out. What could go wrong?
Video: Putting women's rights back on the Middle East media agenda
Why does our mainstream media give the Arab and Muslim countries of the Middle East a pass when it comes to their treatment of women? I don't know. I'd suggest that it's the racism of no expectations. We don't expect these brutes to behave any differently, so we write it off by saying that we cannot expect them to behave differently.
On Tuesday, I chanced upon this post, which claims that Lara Logan wasn't raped at Tahrir Square in Cairo. The post is based upon nothing but the writer's impressions. As our rabbis tell us "lo ra'iti eino ra'aya" (the fact that I didn't see it doesn't prove anything). I don't believe that post for one minute. Sexual harassment of women is routine on the streets of Cairo. But if I had not read about it five years ago, I would not have known it from our mainstream media.
Let's see if we can change things, starting with getting our mainstream media to tell the truth.
The attack on Lara Logan in Cairo two weeks ago was carried out by Muslims who believed it was their religious duty writes Andy McCarthy.
You are just supposed to assume it was a “mob” — the sort of thing that could have happened in any setting where raw emotion erupts, say, Wisconsin’s capitol.
Except it doesn’t happen in Madison. It happens in Egypt. It happened in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, in the riots that led to Suharto’s fall — as Sharon Lapkin recounts, human-rights groups interviewed more than 100 women who had been captured and gang raped, including many Chinese women, who were told this was their fate as non-Muslims. It happens in Muslim countries and in the Muslim enclaves of Europe and Australia, perpetrated by Islamic supremacists acting on a sense of entitlement derived from their scriptures, fueled by the rage of their jihad, and enabled by the deafening silence of the media.
As Jihad Watch director Robert Spencer has detailed, al-Azhar University endorses a sharia manual called Umdat al-Salik. It is quite clear on the subject of women who become captives of Muslim forces: “When a child or a woman is taken captive, they become slaves by the fact of capture, and the woman’s previous marriage is immediately annulled.” This is so the woman can then be made a concubine of her captor.
This arrangement is encouraged by the Koran. Sura 4:23–24, for example, forbids Muslim men from consorting with the wives of other Muslims but declares sexual open season on any women these men have enslaved. (“Forbidden to you are . . . married women, except those whom you own as slaves.”) Moreover, Mohammed — whose life Muslims are exhorted by scripture to emulate — rewarded his fighters by distributing as slaves the women of the Jewish Qurazyzah tribe after Muslim forces had beheaded their husbands, fathers, and sons. The prophet himself also took one of the captured women, Rayhanna, as his concubine. And, as Spencer further notes, Mohammed directed his jihadists that they should not practice coitus interruptus with their slaves — they were encouraged to ravish them, but only in a manner that might produce Muslim offspring.
Video: Sheikh Qaradawi in Tahrir Square (with translation)
Here is a video of part of Sheikh Qaradawi's speech on Friday in Tahrir Square before 2,000,000 Egyptians, with translation. The last minute or so deals with the 'Palestinians' and you will note that the Egyptians there all yell "Amen."
Let's go to the videotape.
You will also note that the Rafah crossing into Egypt has been reopened.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
