Earlier this week, 21-year-old Sherif Habib died in hospital after suffering severe burn wounds as a result of a suspected arson attack. At least four people have been arrested since the death of the University of Greenwich graduate who aspired to join Sandhurst Royal Military Academy. Back in Egypt, news of the death was quickly politicized by both government supporters and the opposition, including the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt’s media quickly erupted, with television show hosts accusing the United Kingdom of being slow to react to the death of Habib. On Sada El-Balad, where the news was first brought up locally, the television show host questioned why the case has not been investigated to a greater extent, referencing criticism regarding Giulio Regeni’s death in Cairo. Even newspapers were quick to politicize the death, with El-Watan brandishing a headline that read “Sherif is like Regeni”. On Wednesday, a large number of Egyptian members of parliament denounced “Western double standards” in investigating the death of Habib compared to the outrage at the death of Giulio Regeni, who so far appears to have died under completely different circumstances. According to Al-Ahram, the Conservatives Party,…
