The recent news that Egyptian student Mariam Moustafa has died of her injuries following a brutal attack in Nottingham, UK, is deeply saddening, bringing to light a societal contrast that needs to be addressed. The Egyptian public is rightly outraged, and social media is abuzz with shock, as well as exclamations that something like this would never happen in Egypt – and this is likely true. It was not long ago that the UK was horrified at the brutal gang rape, and subsequent death of, physiotherapy intern Jyoti Singh Pandey on a private bus in South Delhi, India. The idea that this could happen to a woman on a bus was simply unheard of, and unsurprisingly the case gained national and international condemnation as India became demonised as an unsafe travel destination. Though sexual assault was not part of the recent incident in Nottingham, Moustafa’s injuries were serious enough to also bring an end to her life. What is most shocking about the affair is, however, that it happened both in a public area, and then continued on a public bus – and, with the exception of a man who appears to…
