Egyptian Christians and Muslims alike gathered in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square on Sunday to unite in prayer for those who have lost their lives in the past 13 days of anti-government protests. The melting pot of Egyptian society showed the government, the country and the world that this was a movement for Egyptians, by Egyptians.
It comes on the heels of worries that the protests have become dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood – Western media was keen on discussing this point – and anti-Christian sentiments. Protesters on the ground have told Bikya Masr that this idea is “ridiculous” and “misses the entire reality here in Tahrir and across the country.”
Mona, a 38-year-old teacher, told Bikya Masr that after rounds of prayers by both Christians and Muslims, “the people are united and remain so until the end of the dictator Mubarak is gone and we have our country for each other. Go Mubarak, we are ready for a new country without corruption and torture.”
By Sunday afternoon tens of thousands of Egyptians had gathered in Tahrir Square – the symbolic gathering point for the anti-government protests – and families of all walks of life had made the journey to join efforts to force an end to the three decades rule of Mubarak.
Following two days of violent clashes last week between anti-Mubarak demonstrators and pro-Mubarak thugs, Tahrir Square appears to have returned to its previous peacefully festive atmosphere.
Ahmed Tarek, 31, a graphic designer told Bikya Masr that what is happening across Egypt “is brilliant. We are now in the millions and in Alexandria as well. This is the end of the Mubarak government. Mubarak, go away, we don’t want you.”
All this comes on the heels of Thursday’s event, where protesters, foreigners and media became targets of indiscriminate as government-backed thugs. At least 20 foreign journalists were attacked, detained or beaten by pro-government thugs. One Norwegian reporter said on Twitter that he had been stopped by police when trying to leave Egypt on Thursday morning, but they stood their ground and were able to make it to the airport for their flight.
Others were not so lucky, as streams of reports came in from foreigners and Egyptians, who were extremely concerned for their safety. A number of foreigners, attempting to get supplies from local supermarkets were stopped by plain clothed officers and army, who took them to their headquarters. One woman said she was beaten by a woman in front of the army after she had her passport and identification taken. She was then told to leave the country.
“While walking to the academy with the soldiers [after being stopped] nobody told me what would happen, they took my passport and claimed my phone but I refused. Of course everyone in the street was looking on and asking what had happened. The soldiers said I were a traitor , against the system and a woman started hitting me in front of everyone,” she said.
Egyptians, as a whole, have said the attacks on foreigners are wrong. Demonstrators have repeatedly said that agitating foreign suspicion is a campaign by the government to invoke fear in the wider population.
“We are all united here and will be until our goals are achieved, Muslims and Christians,” said one Christian protester who had joined Christian and Muslim prayers on Sunday. He called the actions of the government “a declaration of war, but we will not have war because we can achieve a new Egypt through peace and protest.
