Coup-backed thugs "attack supporters and opponents" alike

The murder of Khaled Dumian, a member of the supreme council of Egypt’s Social Democratic Party, and his cousin in Sahel Selim in Asyut by thugs recruited by the army tells us a lot about the internal security situation in Egypt. A gang led by a renowned thug murdered Dumian and his cousin. The same gang is alleged to have burned-down Asyut police station following the military coup in July.

The leader of this gang had demanded protection money from Dumian and his cousin; a “bribe” of ten thousand Egyptian pounds. Dumian refused and lodged a complaint at Sahel Selim police station and to the assistant director of Asyut security department.

However, the coup leaders’ policy of recruiting thugs and registered felons as a militia to aid the security forces meant that the police did nothing to protect the latest victims of the criminal violence sweeping Egypt. This should not surprise us as these thugs and security forces have often been photographed side-by-side as they dispersed the demonstrations at Rabaa AL-Adawiyya and Al-Nahda Squares, and at the scene of the Republican Guards’ Club and other massacres of innocent people.

Dumain was killed within 48 hours of lodging his complaint to the police. Thanks to the thugs who killed him, forensics experts have been unable to have access to his body, which remains unburied.

The details of the incident were given by the Secretary General of the Social Democratic Party, Ahmad Fawzi ,on An-Nahar TV. “If this happens to a member of the ruling party,” asked Fawzi, “what about the ordinary citizen? What should he do and who protects him?”

The incident represents dozens, even hundreds of others taking place in Egypt daily since the military coup. In carrying out there savage attacks, the gangs of quasi-official militias are protected by the security services.

The Social Democratic Party’s took part in the coup against democracy, and its officials are part of the interim government represented by Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi. The killing of their colleague Khalid Dumain is but the latest of many such murders carried out in the coup’s name. The government appears to have little respect for the blood of its own people, supporters or opponents alike. The oppression and mayhem created by the “honourable people” operating on behalf of the coup leaders will and do hurt anyone and everyone indiscriminately.

We have to ask ourselves if it is “terrorism” to demonstrate peacefully to demand the restoration of democracy; or is it terrorism to allow bands of thugs armed to the teeth to inflict pain and misery on ordinary Egyptians?

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.