Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud
Encyclopedia
Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud was an Egyptian print reporter for the newspaper Al Tawuun, which is distributed by state-run Al-Ahram
. He was shot by a sniper on the balcony of his office while filming the outbreak between Egyptian protestors and security forces on January 28, 2011 during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution
. He died six days later in a local Cairo
hospital, and he was the first journalist to die in Egypt during its Arab Spring
uprising.
's leadership, Egypt suffered from economic instability, political corruption, starvation, high unemployment rates, and the presence of a 'youth bulge'. All of these are seen as reasons for the 2011 protests. According to 2011 World Bank
figures, Egypt's economy grew at a rate of 4.5 percent which was exceptionally well for a third world country. Egyptian corruption levels according to World Transparency reports were ranked 80th. Though levels of political corruption were high, they were low in comparison to almost all other third world nations. What is believed to be the true reason for the political strife is the youth bulge. Due to rapidly increasing life expectancy and rapidly decreasing infant mortality rate people aged 20–24 had doubled since 1995. Just prior to the beginning of the peaceful protests nearly half of the unemployed were part of this youth cohort aged 20–24. Large numbers of youth have been historically responsible for political conflict. In Egypt reasons such as conflicting ideologies were responsible. Of the nearly 2.5 million youth unemployed, 43 percent had university degrees. This can be seen as why the protests were non-violent and of the 300 deaths nearly all were at the hands of the security forces and none from the protestors.
between protestors and Mubarak forces. The killing of a journalist and then the unresponsivness of the ambulance has shaken Egypt's journalism community and furthered protests against the current regime. Mahmoud's widow and fellow journalist, Inas Abdel-Alim, is demanding a full on investigation from the government and a trial for the murder of her husband.
Lucas Dolega
, who was the first journalist killed in the Arab Spring uprising during the Tunisian uprising, was also killed while covering a protest. Dolega was on a photojournalism assignment for European PressPhoto Agency (epa) in Tunis
.
Press Secretary Robert Gibbs
released a statement saying the White House continues to receive, "very disturbing reports". He continued saying, "direct negotiations toward orderly transition" should be made for the power in Egypt. In response to the attack on Mahmoud and others, United States
President Barack Obama
said in a press conference that the attack were "unacceptable", and the Egypt
ian government should "protect the rights of the people".
A symbolic funeral was held in Tahrir Square in honor of Mahmoud. An empty casket with an Egyptian flag drapped over was carried through the streets with thousands of attendees following.
Al-Ahram
Al-Ahram , founded in 1875, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second oldest after al-Waqa'i`al-Masriya . It is majority owned by the Egyptian government....
. He was shot by a sniper on the balcony of his office while filming the outbreak between Egyptian protestors and security forces on January 28, 2011 during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution
2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
. He died six days later in a local Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
hospital, and he was the first journalist to die in Egypt during its Arab Spring
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
uprising.
Death
Mahmoud was shot on his office balcony as riot police were throwing tear gas canisters into crowds of protesters. His office was located near central Tahrir Square which was the central point of fighting between anti-Mubarak and pro-Mubarak forces. Mahmoud was shot by a sniper while filming the incident on his camera phone. Several witnesses have said a uniformed policeman yelled at Mahmoud to stop filming amidst the violence right before he was shot without any time to react. His co-workers called the ambulance several times as they refused to pick him up because of the nature of his attack. They had to drive him themselves to Al Ainy Hospital, the largest hospital in Egypt where he would slip into a coma and die of his wounds six days later on February 4, 2011.Context
At then end of the thirty years of President Hosni MubarakHosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
's leadership, Egypt suffered from economic instability, political corruption, starvation, high unemployment rates, and the presence of a 'youth bulge'. All of these are seen as reasons for the 2011 protests. According to 2011 World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
figures, Egypt's economy grew at a rate of 4.5 percent which was exceptionally well for a third world country. Egyptian corruption levels according to World Transparency reports were ranked 80th. Though levels of political corruption were high, they were low in comparison to almost all other third world nations. What is believed to be the true reason for the political strife is the youth bulge. Due to rapidly increasing life expectancy and rapidly decreasing infant mortality rate people aged 20–24 had doubled since 1995. Just prior to the beginning of the peaceful protests nearly half of the unemployed were part of this youth cohort aged 20–24. Large numbers of youth have been historically responsible for political conflict. In Egypt reasons such as conflicting ideologies were responsible. Of the nearly 2.5 million youth unemployed, 43 percent had university degrees. This can be seen as why the protests were non-violent and of the 300 deaths nearly all were at the hands of the security forces and none from the protestors.
Impact
Mahmoud was the first reporter killed during the uprising in EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
between protestors and Mubarak forces. The killing of a journalist and then the unresponsivness of the ambulance has shaken Egypt's journalism community and furthered protests against the current regime. Mahmoud's widow and fellow journalist, Inas Abdel-Alim, is demanding a full on investigation from the government and a trial for the murder of her husband.
Lucas Dolega
Lucas Dolega
Lucas Dolega, whose birth name was Loucas von Zabiensky-Mebrouk and who was also called Lucas Mebrouk Dolega, was a French/German photojournalist who was reportedly killed by Tunisian police while he was photographing a protest in Tunis...
, who was the first journalist killed in the Arab Spring uprising during the Tunisian uprising, was also killed while covering a protest. Dolega was on a photojournalism assignment for European PressPhoto Agency (epa) in Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
.
Response
In response to the killing, White HouseWhite House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Press Secretary Robert Gibbs
Robert Gibbs
Robert Lane Gibbs was the 28th White House Press Secretary. Gibbs was the communications director for then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama and Obama's 2008 presidential campaign...
released a statement saying the White House continues to receive, "very disturbing reports". He continued saying, "direct negotiations toward orderly transition" should be made for the power in Egypt. In response to the attack on Mahmoud and others, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
said in a press conference that the attack were "unacceptable", and the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian government should "protect the rights of the people".
A symbolic funeral was held in Tahrir Square in honor of Mahmoud. An empty casket with an Egyptian flag drapped over was carried through the streets with thousands of attendees following.
External links
- Shooting the Messenger: Egyptian Journalist Shot Dead by Sniper While Covering Cairo Protests Democracy Now!