Remembering the Maspero Massacre: The Sectarian State Lives On

Mina Daniel's Autopsy report: "Projectile entered the upper chest and exited from the lower back"

Maspero is on my mind. Yet I find no words to express my feelings. It's no longer sadness, defeat or anger. It's something hallow. I've already collected most of what there is to see, written about how horrible it was, and remembered it last year with a post that aims to look deeper into it. This year, I feel less competent to express anything of value, but I write because I feel I must express what little there is to express.

There is something deeply saddening about the memory this time around. Perhaps it's because people are cheering on an army that crushed protesters mercilessly just because they were Copts and shall not retaliate. Perhaps it's because people are cheering on the unreformed regime that incited against a large section of society through it's state owned media without any real provocation. Perhaps it's because people believe that the regime has been reformed magically without a single serious step to lead them to believe so.

Maybe it's all of these things and more, but to me I'm saddened that where we are now leaves more to be desired. There is a sad and flawed assumption that it is only the MB and Salafis that are sectarian and the corollary of that, is that when they've been removed, all the sectarianism has disappeared. 

This is still a sectarian state, with its army and intelligence still considering anyone Shiite, Christian, Nubian, Baha'i or from Sinai a potential traitor. There is still a sectarian state that will not protect Copts, or other minorities, nor bring the perpetrators to justice. There's still a sectarian state that does not care for citizens and classifies their worth based on their origins or social status. There's still a state we marched against and tied our ropes around its neck in attempts to bring it down.There's still a state with all its flaws, but a people that are willing to turn a blind eye to its flawed structure yet again.

I doubt there's anything words can express about this matter that does the heart justice. It's perhaps well and good that it was decided that it would be a silent protest opposite Maspero. Our voices were mostly inaudible anyway.