Maybe now we can dispense with the feminist mantra that the US is unfair to women. I tell my dd all the time that is no better time or place to be a girl than in the US right now. I am so sorry that this happened to her though. It is a tough lesson to learn.

If all this is actually true, I probably missed the sensational news or the channels that show on the cafeteria tv's did not show this news. I somehow find it hard to believe that something like this happened and has not been flashed on major tv networks for days and months on end.

I guess I understand the impulse for a reporter to cover this from a woman's perspective and so on, but where's the pragmatism? Only a woman insane or a willing sacrifice would go to Egypt now. Nothing and No-one will change this, it's a religious mandate of a theocracy. Going there in protest or to report won't change it one whit. Who could condemn this that would change it? Western women have less rights than dogs there, and no strongly worded press release from the UN will change that.

So. What does it leave? The best bet is for the Copts to resettle somewhere else, and for westerners to simply stay away. Maybe some years down the road, something may be done...

The story is spreading. The UK Daily Mail has picked up on it, tying Smith's experience in with similar assaults on Laura Logan and Mona Eltahawy last year. Huffington Post and other sites seem to be talking about it, too.

The quick Google search terms I used were: "Natasha J. Smith + Tahrir Square". Lots of results, including the one cited above, should appear.

All women are famous in the world the moment they make a claim of abuse. It does not take a famous woman to make a claim of being abused to make it to the news. Even crystal gail mangum got in the news for a long, long time.

Now if it were a guy, it is a different matter. Take the case of Thomas Ball. Even with cameras around, it does not make the news

"No camera there to record it, it doesn't exist?" - Actually, its cameras/media for the women and still it hasn't made the news, then something is wrong

Goddess:

Barbarians. I believe this behavior comes straight out of the disrespect and devaluing of women

- and here I thought you'd connect it to circumcision...

/eyeroll

It happens in America too, independent of islam. And as I recall the first woman to go to the police was shushed.

In scorching 90 degree heat, thousands took part in the celebration of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade on June 11, 2000. In the hours after the parade ended, the revelry turned ugly in and around the northeastern end of Central Park.

Reports of women being harassed and sexually assaulted began to pour in. Police began gathering local news footage and amateur video of the parade's chaotic aftermath. Amidst allegations that the 4,000 officers on duty at the parade failed to assist the victims, some 30 men were arrested in the rampage that included dousing nearly 50 women with water and fondling them.

Eighteen men were eventually convicted in the melee and the longest prison term handed down was five years.

HTML fail. Grr, the em tag was supposed to go at the end of the text.

Amazing that even something like this can spark the whole, "Women have it so much better than men" whine.

Newsflash: This is one of the best countries in which to be a woman. It's also one of the best countries in which to be a man.

It happens in America too, independent of islam. And as I recall the first woman to go to the police was shushed.

And it's happened again how many times since then? oh, and do you think the Egyptian authorities are going to do something like: [e]ighteen men were eventually convicted in the melee and the longest prison term handed down was five years?

Remember, this is the third time in a year this has happened (to my knowledge).

Amazing that even something like this can spark the whole, "Women have it so much better than men" whine.

Now isn't exactly the best time to be a boy growing up. There aren't that many programs to promote their self-confidence, and in fact there is an author advocating that boys lose their 'swagger'. The schools are busy doping them up with ADD drugs, and otherwise trying to turn them into girls.

In fact, it wasn't so long ago that a higher ed type suggested that a false accusation of rape would be good for a young man to endure.

I am going to say this until I'm blue in the face. Until the women of the Muslim countries rise up and reclaim their independence, and raise their children, both male and female, to respect all people, they will never be anything more than savages. As long as these women accept their slavery, both physical and mental, nothing will change.

Brave women like Ayaan Hirsi Ali are what the Muslim world needs to lead them into the 21st century, and they are unfortunately too few and too far between. Not to mention the Western worlds lack of support for the true feminists in the third world.

Rebecca Watson needs to read more stories like this.

This is getting lots of attention because a Western reporter was involved, but it's mostly local Muslim women who are the targets of mob sexual assaults. Here's how they celebrated International Women's Day in Tahrir Square last year:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/womens-rights-marchers-in-cairo-report-sexual-assaults-by-angry-mob/2011/03/08/ABrDkQP_story.html

That's what happens to women in Muslim countries who rise up, Kat.

I know, Martin. It's shameful that we don't do more to support, protect and encourage the brave ones. Instead we have NOW nags bitching about non-existent sexism in the US, while they ignore the blindingly painful examples like this.

I weep for the future, and for what is in store for my daughters, if we don't correct this now.

I weep for the future, and for what is in store for my daughters, if we don't correct this now.

As do I, Kat, and my mother as well, who is now 75 years old and has been talking for years about the dangers of Islam and Sharia law to anyone who will listen, and still it falls on deaf ears.

What is needed is a serious pandemic in the Middle East. Hopefully afflicting the entire male population of Muslims. Alas, that will never happen either.

You also don't want to be a beardless boy/man in Muslim countries either.

They set a new level of disgusting in pederasty. They make Sandusky look like a piker.

Egyptian guy I was with REFUSED to take me to Egypt. He was a liberal Muslim guy, and he told me men used to harass his mom and his sister in very explicit ways the whole time they were there. When I asked him if I could go he made this face and explained that he would probably have to get into a physical altercation to defend me.

I will continue to whore around and enjoy my freedoms as an American whore woman.

"In scorching 90 degree heat, thousands took part in the celebration of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade "

Let me tell you a story. Hot blonde friend of mine was in Japan, and a guy took out his cock and started following her off the bus stop jacking it. (Nothing physical happened to her) Even in Japan you get this kind of stuff and basically there is 0 fucking crime in japan.
This kind of stuff happens but in a civilized world it is seen as an aberration. Now if my hot blonde friend was walking around in the Muslim world, alone, without a veil you really think she wouldn't be group raped on a daily basis?

These people are so segregated that the men lash out sexually twaords both women and young boys in violent ways on a daily basis.

YUCK!

There is a world of difference between a creepy guy flashing you, and literally hundreds of men ripping your clothes off and mauling you. If lil' Peter had jacked off in front of me, I would have laughed at him.
Not so much, if it had been the other.
We cannot play the "It happens everywhere" game. That's BS. My Eldest spent 2 years in Italy. She's 5'11'', a gorgeous red-head, and got whistled and cat-called and all sorts of male attention, but never once did anyone lay a hand on her, even when she was out and about without her husband. She traveled by herself all over Europe, stayed in hostels, rode trains, went sightseeing all over the frelling place *by herself*, and never once feared for her safety, or had anything happen to make her feel unsafe.
Why is it that Western Civ can be held up to one standard, and Middle Eastern can not only *not* be held up to our standard, but can be allowed to wallow in the degradation and filth and total lack of human dignity that lets things like this become commonplace?
Stop the world. I want to get off.

all over the frelling place

Farscape fan indentified

"all over the frelling place
Farscape fan indentified"

dude, we are everywhere. :devil:

I sure am happy they got rid of that despot Mubarak and got democracy. It obviously solved all their problems. Or not.

If you travel there, you help to enable this. Our government gives them money. Go figure.