Egyptians say Daesh brutality unites Egypt, Jordan

AMMAN — With the announcement of the killing of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya on Monday by Daesh, several Egyptians saw the angry reaction in the street a continuation of the rage caused by previous crimes, including the murder of fallen Jordanian pilot Muath Kasasbeh. 

Much like the Jordanian response to Daesh in Syria following the death of Kasasbeh, Egypt began air strikes on Daesh, or the so-called Islamic State terror group, in Libya. 

Following the death of Kasasbeh, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi called on all countries to unite against this “terror” group, and their “barbaric, cowardly acts that violate all religious concepts”, reports said.

The killing sparked outrage in the street. “They killed him with no mercy as if they were doing it happily,” Ramy Hashem, a student of mass communications at the Modern Sciences and Arts University in Cairo, told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

“It's all a big game to show the world how Islam and the Arabs in general are barbaric. I am against anything that is being called in the name of religion because there is no religion in the world that allows violence.” 

“The death of Muath highlights the difficulties and risks of partaking in external intervention — a risk that is currently being taken with Libya. However, the difference is, ISIS in Libya poses a direct threat [to Egypt],” Mohamed Khairat, founder of Egyptian media outlet, Egyptian Streets, said. 

“Egypt shares a very long border with Libya and the crisis in Libya impacts not only Egypt’s security, but also economy.”

Recent economic turmoil in Egypt has caused thousands of Egyptians to cross the border to Libya in search of work, according to a recent Reuters report. 

However, Khairat did not dismiss the impact both the death of Kasasbeh and the Coptic Egyptians had on himself and other Egyptians. 

“I was shocked and disgusted. In fact, I hadn’t felt so sick in a while. Despite being desensitised to most violence these days, thanks to largely having to look at it everyday and report on it, this was different. This was truly and utterly disgusting,” he said. 

One Egyptian family felt so connected to the Kasasbehs’ pain that they decided to name their son after the fallen pilot. 

The family, who said they chose the name to commemorate Kasasbeh’s heroism and sacrifice as well as means of offering their condolences to the family, gave birth to baby boy Muath Kasasbeh on Friday, reports said. 

This reaction to Kasasbeh’s death, the activist said, came despite the fact that Egyptians have seen too much violence on their own streets in recent years.

Many Muslims in Egypt were quick to denounce the acts of Daesh as a misrepresentation of their religion.  

Ahmed Mohamed, a practising Muslim and banker in Cairo, said he was upset over the trivial way the terrorists treated Kasasbeh and the Coptic Egyptian lives. 

“I’m sad to see blood shedding for hocus-pocus reasons,” he said. “May Allah place his mercy on those who were killed and give patience to their families.”