Memorial service to mourn the victims of the North Sinai mosque attack in Cairo, Egypt, on Nov. 27, 2017. Picture by Ahmed Gomaa/Xinhua News Agency/PA Images. All rights reserved. The most lethal attack in Egypt’s history proves three things above all else. First, that so-called ‘Islamic’ terrorism not only has little to do with Islam except providing a rhetorical banner. Even labelling another Muslim an ‘unbeliever’ (takfir) is profoundly frowned upon – let alone killing fellow Muslims.
Second, that its victims are first and foremost Muslims. Western media may concentrate its attention on attacks in the west, but most victims of this violence are Muslims living in Muslim-majority countries.
Third, this heinous attack and the massive violent response by Egypt’s armed forces emphasise the Egyptian government’s inability to address the roots of the violence and of the country’s instability. Faced with economic dire straits and with political dissent – both evident well before the 2011 revolution – Egypt’s governments and armed forces have responded always only with violence. Yet this violence not only cannot provide answers to the social, economic and political tensions the country is riven with, but actually worsens conditions under which radicalization and violence occur.
