Yesterday the 63th anniversary of the famous execution of Kafr Al-Dawar textile workers Khamis and Bakry.
Mostafa Khamis “18 years old” and Mohamed Bakry “19 years” were young workers in one of Kafr Al-Dawar industrial zone's factories, they were among hundreds of workers who started a strike on 13 August 1952 demanding a raise in their wages.
Next day, the security forces dispersed the strike by force killing 12 people and arrested tens of workers.
The detained workers were referred to a special military tribunal led by members of the Free officers movement. The defendants did not have lawyers in that shameful trial.
Khamis and El-Bakry were sentenced to death in that shameful trial.
On 7 September 1952 , they were executed.
Dear friend Omar Zazou decided to remind the people of what happened during then especially when it comes the role of the Free Officers as well the Muslim Brotherhood in that shameful execution in very short and summarized tweets.
Zazou wrote that first tweet and got that reply from an old Egyptian man who lives in California “ I assume according to the geographical location of the tweet”
So this is how Mr. Ismail looks to the execution to Khamis and El-Bakry, two extremely poor workers who did not reach the age of 21 in 1952 as the perfect role example to follow now in 2015.
I do not know what to say except that comment or reply shows the difference between the old generations raised on oppression and president cult and how young Egyptians look forward to democracy and human rights.
This execution was a huge sign, a huge warning sign to be precise of what would happen next but nobody cared. The old liberal parties did not care and the Muslim Brotherhood cheered for the execution of those communists.
I just do not understand this acceptance of injustice. It won’t bring any stability nor it will make from Egypt a great country !!!
To be honest the view of Mr. Ismail is shared by many Pro-Sisi supporters who believe that anyone who demands his legal rights now should be a traitor and be executed. This is how they look to any strike or sit-in in Egypt now. I do not have doubt that if we have our own version of Khamis and Bakry in 2015 , they would support their execution because they consider that will be for the greater good !!
It is jut sad thing.
It is worth to mention that strikes , protests and sits-in are now criminalized if they are not permitted by the government.
We also got a hike in both military trials for civilians as well executions.
Is it a generational problem as I hinted above ? or a society problem where a right-wing class is too damn strong !? I do not know really. I am provoked by this comment yet I am happy that dear Omar who is younger than Mr. Ismail is defending the rights of Khamis and Bakry despite he is not leftist. There is still hope after all.
By the way despite he signed the death sentence, former President Mohamed Naguib regretted it later. It seems that the execution of two poor young men hunted him when he was an extremely old man in early 80s. In his only TV interview with Shafie Shalaby in 1984 , he screamed “pain” when he spoke about Khamis and El-Bakry.
Mostafa Khamis “18 years old” and Mohamed Bakry “19 years” were young workers in one of Kafr Al-Dawar industrial zone's factories, they were among hundreds of workers who started a strike on 13 August 1952 demanding a raise in their wages.
Next day, the security forces dispersed the strike by force killing 12 people and arrested tens of workers.
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| Mostafa Khamis before his execution |
Khamis and El-Bakry were sentenced to death in that shameful trial.
On 7 September 1952 , they were executed.
Dear friend Omar Zazou decided to remind the people of what happened during then especially when it comes the role of the Free Officers as well the Muslim Brotherhood in that shameful execution in very short and summarized tweets.
Zazou wrote that first tweet and got that reply from an old Egyptian man who lives in California “ I assume according to the geographical location of the tweet”
@OmarZaaZou @ahmad_nady وإحناعاوزين كدةلكل واحدشايف نفسه بس‼️وناسي إن مصرتتعرض لحرب وجود والبلداللي بِتُقَع مابترجعش تاني❗️زي ماقال الريس❗️
— Hassan ismail (@Hassanismail36) September 7, 2015
Omar Zazou : Today is the anniversiary of Kafr Al-Dawar workers Mostafa Khamis and Mohamed El-Bakry by the Revolution Commandership Council in 1952. All what they did wrong was to particpate in a strike after 23 July.
The reply of Mr. Hassan Ismail : And we want that to happen to everyone who thinks about himself alone. Egypt is facing a war now and the country that falls , will never return like what the President said !!Mr. Ismail was referring to the comments of Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to the students of the Military academy in early Sunday morning where he spoke about the dangers of the information wars and the how the country if it falls , will never return.
So this is how Mr. Ismail looks to the execution to Khamis and El-Bakry, two extremely poor workers who did not reach the age of 21 in 1952 as the perfect role example to follow now in 2015.
I do not know what to say except that comment or reply shows the difference between the old generations raised on oppression and president cult and how young Egyptians look forward to democracy and human rights.
This execution was a huge sign, a huge warning sign to be precise of what would happen next but nobody cared. The old liberal parties did not care and the Muslim Brotherhood cheered for the execution of those communists.
I just do not understand this acceptance of injustice. It won’t bring any stability nor it will make from Egypt a great country !!!
To be honest the view of Mr. Ismail is shared by many Pro-Sisi supporters who believe that anyone who demands his legal rights now should be a traitor and be executed. This is how they look to any strike or sit-in in Egypt now. I do not have doubt that if we have our own version of Khamis and Bakry in 2015 , they would support their execution because they consider that will be for the greater good !!
It is jut sad thing.
It is worth to mention that strikes , protests and sits-in are now criminalized if they are not permitted by the government.
We also got a hike in both military trials for civilians as well executions.
Is it a generational problem as I hinted above ? or a society problem where a right-wing class is too damn strong !? I do not know really. I am provoked by this comment yet I am happy that dear Omar who is younger than Mr. Ismail is defending the rights of Khamis and Bakry despite he is not leftist. There is still hope after all.
By the way despite he signed the death sentence, former President Mohamed Naguib regretted it later. It seems that the execution of two poor young men hunted him when he was an extremely old man in early 80s. In his only TV interview with Shafie Shalaby in 1984 , he screamed “pain” when he spoke about Khamis and El-Bakry.
I invited them to my office and ordered them coffee… then it was pain , pain, pain
Mohamed Naguib speaks for the first and last time on camera about Khamis and Bakry.
Nice article Zeinobia. You are right about that generational gap. A generation that does not appreciate freedom and justice will never achieve anything. As MLK said injustice anywhere in injustice everywhere, most Egyptians fail to see that.
ReplyDeleteOn another topic, what's going on in Egypt? several bizarre events don't make any sense. A hype about an exam result for a young girl and then about a transfer of another young girl from one school to another and a minister of health publicly attacking the Governor of Giza for talking down to a doctor. Then the arrest of the Minister of
ReplyDeleteAgriculture. Are these media hype events orchestrated or it is signaling a breakdown in the public order?