CAIRO: Egypt’s public prosecutor ordered Monday that 13 teenage boys arrested over the weekend and accused of harassing two women tourists at the Giza Pyramids near Cairo remain in custody pending an investigation.
The arrests came after a video surfaced on social media showing a crowd of boys swarming around two young women at the famous archaeological site, one of Egypt’s top tourist attractions.
The boys are seen jeering at the women and some press close to them as they try to get away. One woman turns and tries to push a boy away. It is unclear from the footage whether any of the boys groped the women. A voice is heard saying the video should be sent to the minister of tourism.
A tour guide who filmed the incident with his smartphone has accused the teens of “verbally and physically” harassing the women, charges they deny, the office of the chief prosecutor said.
The video has drawn outrage on social media in this Muslim majority country where sexual harassment as well as sexual misconduct, mostly ranging from catcalls to occasional pinching or grabbing in public, is rampant.
According to a statement from the prosecutor’s office, the arrested boys are between 13 and 15 years old. The statement did not provide any details on the women tourists.
If charged, the boys will be tried before a juvenile court.
Visitors to the Pyramids at Giza and other famous archaeological sites in Egypt are routinely harassed and followed by young men aggressively offering tours, souvenirs, carriage or camel rides.
The problem of sexual harassment in Egypt gained worldwide attention during and after the 2011 uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, when women were harassed, groped — and in some cases, beaten and sexually assaulted — during mass anti-government protests.
In recent years, women inspired by the #MeToo movement have spoken out on social media about the problem. Authorities have increased penalties for sexual harassment, which is now punishable with up to five years in prison. They have also intensified efforts to combat harassment and aggressive touts at tourist sites.
Egypt arrests 13 teenage boys for harassing women tourists
https://arab.news/55b2u
Egypt arrests 13 teenage boys for harassing women tourists
- A tour guide who filmed the incident with his smartphone has accused the teens of “verbally and physically” harassing the women
Iraqis cover soil with clay to curb sandstorms
- Dust storms have cloaked cities and villages in an endless ochre haze
BAGHDAD: Deep in Iraq’s southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers spread layers of moist clay over sand dunes as part of a broader effort to fight increasingly frequent sandstorms.
Iraq has long suffered from sand and dust storms, but in recent years they have become more frequent and intense as the country falls prey to the effects of climate change.
Sand and dust storms — driven by severe drought, rising temperatures and deforestation — have cloaked cities and villages in an endless ochre haze, grounded flights and filled hospitals with patients suffering from breathing difficulties.
Iraqi authorities have warned that these suffocating storms will intensify further, adding urgency to address the root of the problem.
In a relatively small area between the cities of Nasiriyah and Samawah, not far from ancient Sumerian ruins, laborers are working hard to stabilize the soil by applying a layer of moist clay 20-25 centimeters thick.
The project also includes planting heat-tolerant seedlings like Prosopis and Conocarpus to further stabilize the soil.
“The main goal is to reduce the impact of transboundary dust storms,” said Udai Taha Lafta from UN-Habitat, which is leading the project to combat sandstorms with Iraqi expertise.
“It is a vital area despite its small size, and will hopefully help reduce dust storms next summer,” Lafta said.
A short-term objective is to shield a southern highway where many traffic accidents have occurred due to poor visibility during dust storms.
The Ministry of Environment estimates that Iraq now faces about 243 storms per year, and the frequency is expected to increase to 300 “dust days” by 2050 unless drastic mitigation measures are adopted.
In 2023, Iraqi authorities teamed up with the UN-Habitat and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development in areas that have been identified as major sources of sandstorms.
The project has been implementing several methods in three southern areas, including digging water canals and supplying electricity to pump water from the Euphrates river, preparing barren lands for vegetation.
One of the project’s ultimate goals is to increase green spaces and for farmers to eventually sustain the lands after droughts and chronic water shortages have drastically reduced agricultural areas.
Qahtan Al-Mhana, from the Agriculture Ministry, said that stabilising the soil gives agricultural efforts in sandy areas a chance to endure.
He added that Iraq has extensive “successful” experience in combating desertification and dust storms by stabilising sand dunes.
Since the 1970s, the country has implemented such projects, but after decades of turmoil, environmental challenges have largely fallen by the wayside.
With the severe recent impact of climate change, “work has resumed,” said Najm Abed Taresh from Dhi Qar University. “We are making slow but
steady progress.”
