CAIRO: A leading Egyptian retired general and advisor to Egypt's military junta has justified the attack on the “Tahrir Girl,” who was brutally attacked by soldiers last weekend, with soldiers stripping her dress off in the attack that left Egyptians angered over military violence. General Abdel Moneim Kato, who made headlines earlier in the week after calling on protesters to be put into “Hitler's ovens,” told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that the woman, whose blue bra has quickly become a symbol of military aggression, “had been insulting the army through a megaphone” before she was attacked by soldiers, stripped and beaten ruthlessly. The video of her being beaten by soldiers quickly went viral on social networking sites and created the impetus for a number of women's rights marches across the country. “Insulting” the armed forces has become a red line for the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), who have already sentenced thousands of civilians in military trials over such action, including blogger Maikel Nabil, who has been in jail over such comments earlier this year. The head of the United Nation entity tasked with promoting gender equality today voiced concern over reports of attacks against female protesters in Egypt who turned up to exercise their freedom of assembly and expression. “Women along with men and children have been victims of the excessive use of force against peaceful protesters over this past weekend and this week,” said Michelle Bachelet, the Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), in a statement. She said that the thousands of women who assembled on the streets of Cairo and in the city's Tahrir Square on Tuesday night only wanted to assert their right to democratic participation in charting their country's future. “We call upon the political and military authorities in Egypt to guarantee women's political and civil rights, and to offer the Government support in ensuring these rights are respected and that those who violate them are held accountable,” she said. Bachelet noted that UN Women has consistently stressed the crucial role that Egyptian women have played in the country's democratic revolution. “Women from civil society have been one of the primary engines driving the social movement for political opening, public participation in decision-making, and an approach to citizenship that embraces inclusiveness and respect for individual human rights,” she said. Other international leaders, including American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have lashed out at the Egyptian military for their treatment of female protesters. The “Tahrir Girl” as she has been dubbed by activists has been instrumental in creating a wider net of female activists in the country, with a group of young university students telling Bikyamasr.com on Friday morning that she gave them “the inspiration to head to Tahrir” for the massive demonstration on Friday to “regain honor” and demand the military council step down from power. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/kG0Q3 Tags: Brutality, featured, Occupy Cabinet, SCAF, Tahrir, Tahrir Girl Section: Egypt, Latest News, Women
