Article proposing idea of killing Egyptian street children..

[DJKeefy]

Article proposing idea of killing Egyptian street children stirs fury.

An op-ed in a major Egyptian newspaper which suggests police could kill street children to clean-up streets was pulled from the paper’s website on Friday after a public outcry.

The piece in Al-Masry Al-Youm, written by academic Nassar Abdullah, suggests that the “solution” to the problem of street children in Egypt is to follow what he describes as the "Brazilian solution," referring to the mass killing of homeless children by Brazilian security forces in the 1990s.

"In the 1990s, street children in Brazil's major towns turned from a source of annoyance to a source of terror, increasingly committing crimes including rape, prostitution and murder, while the economic situation of Brazil was similar to Egypt’s present condition," wrote the academic, adding that rehabilitation of street children was costly.

"Thus the Brazilian security forces unleashed a campaign to hunt down and kill the street children like stray dogs, to avoid the dangers," he said.

"That harsh solution managed to cleanse the streets of major cities in Brazil from street children. It happened because the political leadership had the will to reform and to fight corruption as well to provide jobs. This is the lesson everyone should learn from the Brazilian experience," he wrote.

The article apparently refers to the Candelária massacre in Rio de Janeiro in 1990 when at least eight homeless children were killed outside the Candelária cathedral in an infamous incident that created uproar both locally and internationally.

Several men, including policemen, stood a trial for the murder of the children, and two were found guilty.

Abdullah, a recipient of the state award in arts in 2009, is a professor of moral and political philosophy at Sohag University. He is also a writer and translator as well a poet.

Thousands of Egyptians took to Twitter and Facebook to criticise the article, calling on the newspaper to pull the op-ed and apologise.

Estimates of the numbers of homeless children in Egypt vary considerably, but some researchers put the figure as high as one million.

Nelly Ali, an activist who works with Egyptian street children, criticised Abdullah's article in her own blog, stating that the street children were not a disease that needed a cure in the society but rather a symptom of a bigger problem.

"Street children are but a symptom of the ills, not only of society but of delusional and weak governments and states that cannot stop the vulnerable children from escaping abusive homes and adults and finding refuge in the dangers of the street," she said Ali in her post, in which she also recounted the events of Candelária massacre in Brazil.

She also invited Abdullah to join her in her sessions with street children.

"I invite you to accompany us, who work with these children, to the maternity ward and see the abuse by the staff there of the frightened 13 or 14-year-olds who we take in to give birth as they carry the shame, alone, of being raped by a family member, or a policeman, or a carer, or someone on the street,” she wrote.

Al-Masry Al-Youm removed the op-ed from its website on Friday, noting that the institution’s legal advisors had recommended that it be removed because it included an incitement to violence.

"The newspaper is committed to the reader and to society's right for freedom of expression and freedom of views and so it published the op-ed; once again, in view of the right of the reader and of society, it has removed the article,” the statement read.

Recently in the same newspaper, renowned writer Ali Salem wrote in his column that the Egyptian police should form death squads like French far right nationalist group "Honneur de la Police" of the late 1970s to target all those who kill police officers on the streets of Egypt.

Hundreds of police officers have been killed and injured in attacks and clashes since the ousting of president Mohamed Morsi in July last year.

Salem's op-ed also drew huge criticism; jailed April 6 Youth Movement leader Ahmed Maher wrote a letter from prison attacking the writer, saying that he was calling the police force to violate the law and the constitution in the name of the police’s dignity.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/104271.aspx

[Brian Yare]

Would this be the definite or the indefinite article?

Articles only appeared in the written language of Egypt in the New Kingdom, and they are missing from many other ancient languages, including Latin and Homeric Greek. An interesting article [sic] can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_(grammar)

Shall I retreat into my shell now?

[carrie]

Naturally this "article"is a cause for levity and pomposity from you Brian.

[HEPZIBAH]

It just beggers belief. No matter the society, it is always the weak and vulnerable - those who the society have allowed to fall through any safety nets (in the seemingly rare cases where they exist) - that pay the price in multiple ways through no fault of their own.
If it had been an article about the culling of dogs and/or cats that roam the streets of Egypt there would have been a far greater outcry. Is human life really worth so little? Kill off the street children, who is next?

[carrie]

Those with mental problems, physical problems, those who don't share the same beliefs.

[Dusak]

Those with mental problems, physical problems, those who don't share the same beliefs.

They have already started this carrie by way of removing the disability pensions from these unfortunate members of society. Unfortunately most people that suffer so are already looked down upon by most, especially from family members as being of ''no value''-''the Devils children''- ''the unwanted.'' It was only the monthly pension [about 300/400Le] that gave these people any worth in the families view. Not all adopt this attitude. My friends younger brother has downs syndrome, she dedicates her life to give him the best life she can, but has to constantly battle against the negative attitudes of not only her own family members, but people from her village. The other children constantly torment and harass him when he plays outside. A man of twenty seven with the mind of a ten year old child.

I am told that many in Egypt do not like Jews, so perhaps the culling of a nations unwanted children has been formulated via a leaf from their history of persecution. If only they would spend the time on education, create centers for these homeless so they can be reintegrated back into society to not only contribute in a positive way, but to carry on the teachings from their experiences. But as always, such actions need financing, financing that does not exist.

[Bombay]

Activists file legal complaint against writer who called for street children killing

Rights lawyers file legal complaint against academic Abdullah Nassar, accusing him of inciting murder

Several Alexandria-based rights lawyers filed a legal complaint on Saturday against an op-ed writer who wrote approvingly in an article about the killing of street children in Brazil by security forces, reported the Al-Ahram Arabic website.

In an op-ed published on Friday in Al-Masry Al-Youm daily, academic Nassar Abdullah suggested that the “solution” to the problem of street children in Egypt is to follow what he describes as the "Brazilian solution," referring to the killing of homeless children by Brazilian security forces in the 1990s.

The article was pulled from the paper’s website on the same day following a public outcry.

Lawyers Mohamed Ramadan of the Arab Network for Human Rights as well as Mohamed Maghraby, Dalia Salah and Omnia Salem of the Egyptian Institution for Raising the Status of Children have filed a legal complaint accusing Nassar of inciting murder and putting the lives of children at risk.

The lawyers also demanded Nassar is forced to pay LE1 million as compensation to street children, to be put in a fund for their protection.

Abdullah, a recipient of the state award in arts in 2009, is a professor of moral and political philosophy at Sohag University. He is also a writer and translator as well a poet.

“In the 1990s, street children in Brazil's major towns turned from a source of annoyance to a source of terror, increasingly committing crimes including rape, prostitution and murder, while the economic situation of Brazil was similar to Egypt’s present condition," wrote the academic, adding that rehabilitation of street children was costly.

"Thus the Brazilian security forces unleashed a campaign to hunt down and kill the street children like stray dogs, to avoid the dangers," he said.

"That harsh solution managed to cleanse the streets of major cities in Brazil from street children. It happened because the political leadership had the will to reform and to fight corruption as well to provide jobs. This is the lesson everyone should learn from the Brazilian experience," he wrote.

Thousands of Egyptians took to Twitter and Facebook to criticise the article, calling on the newspaper to pull the op-ed and apologise.

Estimates of the numbers of homeless children in Egypt vary considerably, but some researchers put the figure as high as one million.

[newcastle]

Trolls on internet forums post articles designed to cause outrage and I would class the article in question as a literary equivalent. The only aspect of it I found other than ridiculous, and worthy of contemplating, was the apparent "credentials" of the author and why he thought this would do anything to enhance them.

[Bombay]

It was not written by a "troll" on an internet forum it was written on a newspaper's website and the newspaper editors didn't think to take it off before the lawyers said to and a public outcry.
If it had been about cats or dog's it would have caused more concern even on these forums.

[HEPZIBAH]

It was not written by a "troll" on an internet forum it was written on a newspaper's website and the newspaper editors didn't think to take it off before the lawyers said to and a public outcry.
If it had been about cats or dog's it would have caused more concern even on these forums.

Wouldn't it just! But hey! They are only street kids - let clear them up and maybe it will make the place better to live in and attract more tourists too!

Some years ago on this forum there were posts about a deformed lamb/goat that some were trying to find sanctuary for. I suggest that it should be put in the pot which is what it was bred for, not to become someone's pet or pet project. I remember being shot down in flames well and truly over that. Yet a post about the culling of children raises barely nothing but stupid comments. What a sad and sorry state of affairs.

[newcastle]

........ Yet a post about the culling of children raises barely nothing but stupid comments. What a sad and sorry state of affairs.

Couldn't agree more....about the stupid, indeed any, comments about this piece of nonsense.

[newcastle]

It was not written by a "troll" on an internet forum it was written on a newspaper's website .....

Isn't that exactly what I said ? Try reading my comment again

[BENNU]

If it had been about cats or dog's it would have caused more concern even on these forums.

Wouldn't it just! But hey! They are only street kids - let clear them up and maybe it will make the place better to live in and attract more tourists too!

I find it more respectful not to join a debate on whether or not children should be killed.

[newcastle]

I find it more respectful not to join a debate on whether or not children should be killed.

At last......thank you Bennu

[Bombay]

If it had been about cat's or dog's it would have caused more concern even on these forums.

Wouldn't it just! But hey! They are only street kids - let clear them up and maybe it will make the place better to live in and attract more tourists too!

I find it more respectful not to join a debate on whether or not children should be killed.

Its not a debate about "whether or not children should be killed" its about the website and the author.

[carrie]

I don't think it is lack of concern Bombay that prevents comment, the first post I read from B Yare in response to this post sickened me so much that I didn't want to read anymore. Sometimes I just hold up my hands in despair.

[Bombay]

Yes I added this comment to the FB page and thought I had added it here:

"And they had to wait for the "lawyer's" to tell them. Says a lot about those that run "Al-Masry Al-Youm" also. Perhaps someone should bring prosecutions to all concerned."

This is the author I hope he is fired and stripped of whatever award he was given.

"Nassar Abdullah, a recipient of the state award in arts in 2009, is a professor of moral and political philosophy at Sohag University. He is also a writer and translator as well a poet."

[Mad Dilys]

I was so upset at reading the "article" that I cannot express how I feel. It's moving me to tears as I write.

[Ruby Slippers]

I was so upset at reading the "article" that I cannot express how I feel. It's moving me to tears as I write.

Me too, MD! Me too!

[Dusak]

Of course it was a most terrible suggestion, and some form of legal punishment towards the author of the article should be implemented. Any poster that finds it warrants a sick reply, should be treated with the contempt they deserve, but discussed it must, as keeping quiet about such things could be seen as a form of acceptance from the wider audience, especially concerning this countries human rights record.