Khaberni - A video that has widely spread among Egyptians across social networks in the past two days has caused anger and resentment, following the documentation of several individuals throwing water bags at worshippers and citizens after performing Eid al-Fitr prayer in the Nozha area of Cairo Governorate.
Many Egyptians considered the scene a violation of the sanctity of the religious occasion and an unacceptable transgression against those celebrating the holiday.
As reactions escalated against the incident, the Egyptian security forces announced the arrest of the suspects, in preparation for taking necessary legal measures, amid calls for their accountability and the disclosure of the full circumstances of the incident.
First Response
In the first reaction from the family, Yousry Khattab, the brother of the suspects, told Arabiya.net/AlHadath.net, that the family customarily gathers and celebrates with the locals during each Eid, distributing balloons and Eid gifts to children and citizens. He affirmed that this year's incident was not intended to offend the worshippers or deliberately ruin the atmosphere of the prayer as circulated.
Khattab explained that the incident began due to a severe crowding around the family's car, where a number of people suddenly climbed onto it, causing chaos and confusion. He added, "They were forced to get down and push people away for fear of damages or injuries."
He continued that the situation worsened when the crowd gathered again and some climbed onto the car again, which he considered a threat to the safety of those present and to the car, which indeed broke due to the jostling.
He also noted that his siblings threw water bags towards the perimeter of the car to disperse the crowd, not to target the worshippers. He stated, "The situation was out of control, and we did not mean any offense."
Abuse to His Sisters
Furthermore, he disclosed that his sisters were subjected to "abuses and crude language" and severe provocation by some young men, which led to an emotional reaction of throwing water.
He emphasized that the circulated video was "taken out of context" and did not convey the full picture.
The widely shared video clips on social media platforms had caused widespread anger.
Meanwhile, the security forces of the Ministry of Interior succeeded in revealing the circumstances of the video and identifying the perpetrators, where it turned out to be "one person and his two sons."
While the suspects confessed to committing the incident, the father justified their action by claiming that several worshippers sat on his private car after the prayer, alleging that throwing water was intended to "scare them" for fear of damage to the car.
