Egyptians have hijacked the hashtag setup in support of coup leader and President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to highlight the numerous human rights abuses carried out under his leadership.
The hashtag is part of the World Youth Forum which Al-Sisi is hosting.
While some were using the hashtag #WeNeedToTalk for its intended purpose…
#WeNeedToTalk History shall declare that POE Sisi has embraced youth of Egypt&transformed them into positive energy 4 serving the country. pic.twitter.com/ifAa4FzSPT
— Mahameho 𓌳𓉔𓄿𓁐 (@Maha_SalahElDin) October 31, 2017
Others showed how Egypt is not an inclusive society and not everyone is being invited to talk.
He must have missed his invitation to #WeNeedtoTalk pic.twitter.com/hwUk5SSMra
— Mona Seif (@Monasosh) October 30, 2017
In fact, Timothy E Kaldas believes Egyptians have been trying to talk to the government for years “but the govt [sic] imprisons & tortures those challenging it”.
Sisi hosting World Youth Forum with hashtag #WeNeedToTalk. We've been trying to talk but the govt imprisons & tortures those challenging it. pic.twitter.com/6jkWmW4I9c
— Timothy E Kaldas (@tekaldas) October 30, 2017
Using #WeNeedToTalk, social media activists have published pictures of those tortured by security forces, detained for years without charge or for simply opposing the coup.
Sisi has called a World Youth Forum Nov4: PR slogan is #weneedtotalk. Yes, we do. #weneedtotalk about torture pic.twitter.com/OMMemMzFqy #Egypt
— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) October 31, 2017
Since Al-Sisi took over control of the government in a military coup in July 2013, over 60,000 people have been arrested, with hundreds handed death sentences in shoddy mass trials and over 15,000 civilians charged in military courts. The volatile situation in the country has also allowed Daesh to strengthen its standing in the Sinai Peninsula where it has carried out attacks targeting police and army figures as well as civilians.
Read: Human rights should not be judged from a Western perspective says Sisi
Al-Sisi has claimed that it is Daesh’s presence in the country that has forced the government to crackdown on dissent. But not everyone is convinced.
#WeNeedToTalk about human rights violations under the name of counter-terrorism !
— Amr Bakly عمرو بقلي 🇺🇦 (@ABakly) October 30, 2017
Radwa Medhat raised the case of Mahmoud Abu Zeid, also known as Shawkan, an Egyptian photojournalist who was arrested for taking photos at the Rabaa massacre on 14 August 2013 in Cairo and who has been detained ever since. Amnesty has called for his release as details were revealed that he had been tortured in prison.
https://twitter.com/radwamedhat80/status/925024238347735041
While Ahdaf Souief highlighted the case of Socialist Popular Alliance Party activist Shaimaa Al-Sabbagh who died of gunshot wounds on 24 January 2015 while peacefully marching to commemorate the hundreds of demonstrators killed during the Arab Spring uprising of 2011.
The picture of Al-Sabbagh’s last moments drew international attention as she was being held up by a fellow protester.
#WeNeedToTalk about Shaimaa el-Sabbagh and why she was killed. pic.twitter.com/f2V2gKhrts
— Ahdaf Soueif (@asoueif) October 30, 2017
It is not only activists whose lives have been turned upside down by the coup government; students in Egypt have also been affected by its policies with children being forced to back election campaigns.
#WeNeedtoTalk about how school children are forced to participate in a regime camapaign to re-elect the current president
. pic.twitter.com/7uRXYFDbI1— MIMO (@longlivesegypt) October 30, 2017
“We need to talk, so we can hear you, see you … jail you!” Mona Seif wrote, outlining the regime’s current policies.
You need to talk, so we can hear you, see you .. and jail you!.#WeNeedtoTalk pic.twitter.com/R70paw8QUK
— Mona Seif (@Monasosh) October 30, 2017
As new stories emerge almost daily of violations on women’s rights, with a lawyer saying yesterday that women are inviting “rape” by wearing ripped jeans, the issue was also highlighted as a talking point which cannot be ignored.
#WeNeedToTalk about this never-ending nightmare for women in Egypt. pic.twitter.com/O76kkZwiGc
— Amro Ali (@_amroali) October 30, 2017
For the most part Twitter users had one message:
#WeNeedToTalk to stop making stupid people president pic.twitter.com/qxMQmAYmZn
— Danny Boodmann T.D. Lemon Nineteen Hundred (@khaled_faid) October 30, 2017