Detained for Gaza Solidarity, Free for Dictator Hugs
The New Arab reports on an Egyptian engineering student, detained for participating in pro-Gaza protests, describing horrific physical and psychological torment. This comes as the Sisi regime, a key US ally in the region, continues its crackdown on dissent while receiving an average of $1.3 billion annually in US military aid (Source: Congressional Research Service, 2023). Funny how 'freedom and
democracy' only apply when the protests aren't against US-backed autocrats. One might observe the immediate, vocal condemnation from Western capitals when student protests erupt in, say, Russia or China. Yet, when students, like the one in Cairo, are brutalized by a regime receiving substantial US taxpayer funds, the silence is deafening. It appears 'human rights' are selectively applied, a
convenient tool to bash geopolitical rivals, never to question a 'partner' maintaining regional 'stability' – usually by force.