Egyptian Women Begin to Fight Back Against Rampant Sexual Assault -- And Who Do They Think Is Behind It?

In this Monday, Aug. 20, 2012 file photo, an Egyptian youth, trailed by his friends, grabs the backside of a woman crossing the street in Cairo, Egypt. (Photo: AP)

The grassroots Egyptian media organization ​Mosireen​ has put together a video on how Egyptian women are are starting to fight back against sexual assault-- and it contains some noteworthy information on who they think the perpetrators are.

Most Americans were introduced to the horrors of how women can be treated in Egypt-- particularly the iconic Tahrir Square-- after CBS reporter Lara Logan was viciously attacked while reporting on the so-called "Arab Spring."  A number of foreign reporters have been assaulted since, and not surprisingly, Egyptian women find themselves targeted just as often.

"Why shouldn't women go out to Tahrir?" an Egyptian girl says as the video opens.  "It's their right!  This is their country!  The sexual assaults are part of the reason they're going out to the square in the first place."

The clip then goes over the background of how women are treated-- including a horrifying aerial image of a jostling mob seemingly attempting to surround a girl-- before a field doctor from a Tahrir clinic is interviewed.

He says:

“Most of the time they form a long chain moving together, their hands on each other’s backs like a train...They push into the crowds of protesters and they pick particular people – foreigners or Egyptians – they start surrounding them, and then the assault starts..."

The video cuts back to the animated Egyptian girl from the beginning of the video:

"They attacked the girls.  They ripped off their clothes and sexually assaulted them.  I’m so disgusted, I feel a huge sense of guilt because we weren’t able to get to anyone.  I’m trying to help in any way I can.”

A jostling crowd seemingly tries, in a coordinated manner, to surround someone. (Photo via Mosireen)

A second girl then explains how, though sexual assault has always been a problem, it has markedly increased with the recent wave of unrest against Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

The attacks "took place in a very organized way," she states evenly, "which makes us suspect that someone is behind these assaults."

In her opinion, which is seconded by the Egyptian field doctor, it is likely that someone is orchestrating the attacks to make the protesters look like "human trash who assault women."  The obvious implication would be that President Morsi's regime is behind it, though both stop short of explicitly calling out the man who recently gave himself absolute power.

But over the weekend, the Daily Mail reported on similar allegations that Morsi is "paying gangs to go out and rape women and beat men protesting in Egypt."  At the very least, the current regime is wildly failing at keeping the streets safe.

A young man then appears to explain how he and others have begun rescue groups for girls in need.  Their efforts are still in the extremely fundamental stages, but they have to start somewhere:

“The most important step in preventing an attempted assault is to first reach the girl...You have to do it calmly and without making any violent moves until you’ve reached her. Try to stay calm, try not to shout, try as much as possible to calm her down and secure her because she’ll be panicking and afraid of everyone around her.”

Watch the entire video, below (click on the "CC" on the bottom right toolbar to see the subtitles):

(H/T: Gateway Pundit)

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Related:

• Mob of 300 Reportedly Strips, Assaults 3 Girls Near Mosque in Tahrir Sq. 
• British Journalist Details Horrific Sexual Assault in Tahrir Square After Muslim Brotherhood Victory
• Why Are Islamists Blocking Child Sex Trafficking Laws From Egypt’s New Constitution?