Nasser Nasser/AP/Press Association Images. All rights reserved.A quick glance at the official Ultras Ahlawy Facebook page offers a harrowing reminder of the last five years in Egyptian history. Instead of a timeline dedicated to football fandom and hardcore support for the Al-Ahly club, poignant pictures of various youth crowd the screen, each with a similar caption – birthday wishes to members no longer among them.
A September 7 post read: Happy Birthday, martyr Khairy Fathy. Paradise awaits you, god willing.
Though less than a decade old, Egypt’s Ultras have long lost their innocence. The group were labeled heroes for their bravery during the Egyptian uprising in January 2011, when they represented disenfranchised youth struggling to survive and to have their voices heard.
