Man Sets Himself on Fire Outside of Egyptian Parliament
From Ahram:
A 49-year-old man set himself on fire Monday on Kasr El Aini Street in downtown Cairo by pouring a container of petrol on himself and lighting a match to his clothes.
Abdo Abdel Hameed, a restaurant owner, was driven to attempt suicide after bread coupons from the government were denied to him.
Pedestrians in the area tried to contain the flames, before a cab driver used his vehicle's fire extinguisher to successfully put the fire out.
An ambulance arrived on the scene, taking Abdel Hameed to the nearby Kasr El Aini hospital. Preliminary reports reveal that Abdel Hameed did not suffer any serious injuries.
The case mimics the incident that sparked Tunisia's riots and subsequent revolution, where a 26-year-old unemployed street vendor set himself on fire when the government confiscated his goods. His act was in protest to rife unemployment and lack of economic opportunity.
And also:
Of 15 Cairo residents – men and women of different backgrounds – who spoke to Ahram Online on Sunday afternoon, there was not a single individual who expressed sympathy for Ben Ali.
With no exception, all expressed much admiration for the Tunisian people, saying things like: "they showed they were much tougher than one would have taken them for"; "they are true men – they changed the corrupt regime of their country"; "they succeeded where many others have failed"; "they changed the regime by their own hands without having to get the Americans into their country as the Iraqis did." ...
There was one question which not single one of those who spoke to Ahram Online agreed answer: Do you think that something similar could happen in Egypt? Those interviewed by phone were disturbed by the question and many ended the call abruptly.
- Comment (6)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
Comments :
Nov '10
Re: Man Sets Himself on Fire Outside of Egyptian Parliament
Obviously, the iron hand of Mubarak rests very heavily upon the people of Egypt.
Oct '10
Re: Man Sets Himself on Fire Outside of Egyptian Parliament
Lighting oneself on fire for democracy. This is better than blowing oneself up in a crowd.
Sep '10
Re: Man Sets Himself on Fire Outside of Egyptian Parliament
If there is anything to this movement it will be played out in Egypt. It occurs to me that I don't know if its even possible to translate our great documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist into any of these languages. All through the cold war I had the sense that we did not do a good job of "evangelizing" on behalf of these ideas. I'd put The Wealth of Nations in there too but "promote' might be a better term.
Jun '10
Re: Man Sets Himself on Fire Outside of Egyptian Parliament
May '10
Re: Man Sets Himself on Fire Outside of Egyptian Parliament
Somehow, I can't get excited about suicide as a political protest.
And this guy did it because he was denied a handout? Yes, this is certainly a story of hope.
Dec '10
Re: Man Sets Himself on Fire Outside of Egyptian Parliament
One must exercize caution when attempting to translate or superimpose the American revolutionary experience to another culture. The American experience, as was the cultue of the time, quite unique and followed by decades of turmoil and instability.
Revolutions have almost always resulted in a tyranny as great or greater than the object against which it was directed.