CAIRO – In one of the most passionate American films, "Before Sunset" (a 2004 sequel to the romantic drama Before Sunrise from 1995), the French actress Julie Delpy, who was playing the character of a French lady who lived in US for a while, said that she was starting to get paranoid because of all the media and gang violence, murders and serial killers. She remembered that one day she called 911. A policeman came and asked her if she had a gun. She replied of course not. He countered: "You better think about getting one. This is America, not France. Okay?" When watching this well-written scene six months after the January 25 Revolution, Randa Mohamed Rashad, a 24-years-old English teacher at a private school, didn't think the day would come when Egypt was as unsafe as many American towns. She recalled that a few months ago during the Revolution, when she and her mother were alone at home, they heard a noise. They tried to call the police but fear paralysed them. They knew that the thugs wanted to smash the door of their flat and steal everything, rape or kill them. It was a long night of fear, screaming and fast heartbeat. Although the thugs didn't succeed because the whole building gathered and beat them, she still can't forget this night, simply because Egypt used to be so secure and safe. "You can't imagine how we felt. We were two women alone. I thought my life was ending. I was afraid that even if they didn't kill me, they would rape me and kill my mother," said Randa. "I don't know how they reached our flat, since we live on the third floor. May be they knew us or came to us by chance. Thank God, I didn't see their faces; the neighbours beat them severely. But you know, I still feel afraid at night and every night," she explained. Since the January 25 Revolution started, Egypt has been experiencing a state of internal lack of security. There is no real police presence in the streets. During the 18-day revolution, there were violent clashes between security forces and protesters. About 846 were killed and 6,500 demonstrators injured, according to a National Fact-Finding Committee formed by the Cabinet. Randa contemplated buying a pistol to keep at home just in case something happened again. But the question was how and where to buy it. If a woman wants to get a firearm licence in Egypt, she has to be 21 years old and not been accused or involved in moral turpitude. She also should be wealthy. The nature of her work should constitute an endangering factor. This includes lawyers, journalists, police officers and deputy secretaries, administrative prosecutors, judges, ambassadors, businesswomen and members of the People's Assembly and Shura Council and the wife of the president of the republic. In fact, Randa is just a teacher whose salary never exceeds 1,000 pounds per month (around $150). But she is in need of buying a weapon to protect herself and her mother. The chance came finally when she surfed the net. She found a group on Facebook called ‘Weapon Dealers in Egypt', where anybody can buy unlicenced weapons. Such an illegal thing never happened before. She got the phone number, dialed the first digits and slammed the phone down, because she felt a shiver that made her think again. Then she decided not to call from her own number. She bought another number and asked one of her close friends (male) to call the number and ask about the weapons' prices. "Let me suggest a 9mm Turkish pistol 'full auto', I will sell it for LE1,700," said a husky voice on the other side. "Isn't it expensive?!" asked the friend. "It's the Ekol Jackal Dual, you can ask for its price. Believe me you won't find it cheaper. If you want more than one piece, I'll give you a discount," said the voice and added that if they came to an agreement, he would suggest a meeting place. But Randa's friend, who was also afraid, asked her not to buy this illegal weapon and said he would not help her. So, she abandoned the idea. Over 15 firearms including eight automatic rifles, seven handguns and 200 bullets were handed in to the Cairo police on the first day of Egypt's two-month weapons amnesty, which ends on July 31, an Interior Ministry official said. "I am delighted that so many firearms have been taken out of circulation," Major General Marawan Moustafa, Ministry Media Officer, told a press conference, adding that the Ministry had launched a nationwide campaign called ‘Hand over your Gun'. The amnesty was announced by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and came in the wake of a series of high-profile fatal shooting incidents and burglaries targeting police stations on January 28. Maj. Gen. Moustafa said the amnesty would play a major role in stopping violent crime, arguing that only tougher sentences for carrying weapons would ultimately act as a deterrent. Lack of security is interfering with the daily lives of Egyptians and severely damage national unity and cohesiveness. The sectarian strife in Egypt, sporadic before the January Revolution, is now so pervasive that it threatens to cloud the gains of the Revolution that got rid of a close-fisted regime of 30 years. More than ten people were confirmed dead and dozens injured when riots erupted in the Imbaba district of Cairo last May. Police and military forces struggled to separate angry Muslims, most of whom were reportedly Salafists, and Christians in front of Mary Mina Church. "We lost our best advantage; we used to say Egypt was the only country in the world, where you could walk day and night without fear," said Amir Ra'afat, a young Christian man who works as a doctor. When asked whether he wanted to be armed, he replied: "For myself I don't care. I have Muslim friends and I know people are not the same. But for the sake of my wife or sister I can say yes, I need a gun during this period." A recent human rights report showed that the level of violence against Egyptian women rose after the January 25 Revolution and that domestic violence was the major occurrence. The report also highlighted that there were 94 documented incidents of violence, including 51 murders. "Before the Revolution there was sexual harassment and some annoying practices, but it was not as bad as now," said student Noha Ahmed, 22. Although Egyptian women played an important role in the Revolution, they paid a heavy price after Mubarak was toppled. "We were in Tahrir Square. No one was harassing or teasing us. I believe like many other people that this lack of security and violence is part of a counter-revolution," said Lamia Adel, a political activist, who participated in the Revolution. Lamia has suffered political marginalisation and violence as a result of insecurity. The total number of victims of violence in the first half of the year is 94, including 51, who were murdered, 11 injured, 15 raped, 12 kidnapped and five who committed suicide, according to the report. The first three months of the year witnessed a small number of violent incidents (18), while April, May and June saw the highest number (57). The report also stated that the Revolution, subsequent events and the attention on sectarian problems didn't allow the violence against women to become public knowledge. The rate of violence increased after the first three months as a result of lack of security that allowed many outlaws and thugs to exercise violence without fear of consequences, particularly incidents of kidnapping and rape.
