Tahrir Square attack affects all of Egypt

A violent attack on Egyptian women protesting against sexual assault prompts suspicion about political manipulation, and also shows the level of difficulty women face there.

Ahead of the presidential run-off, Tahrir Square is getting dangerous again. To see how much still needs to be done in post-revolution Egypt, look at what happened on Friday: a march of about 50 women, surrounded by a larger group of male supporters, entered the Square to demand an end to all forms of sexual assault. At some point, a larger group of men (reports suggest hundreds) overwhelmed the supporters of the march and attacked the women, chasing them and groping some of them.

The reaction has been furious and defiant. On social networking sites, Egyptians are venting their anger at such thuggery and are refusing to be cowed. "Attacking us tonight didn't scare or break us," wrote one person.

Could the attack have been orchestrated for that very purpose? Some observers wonder whether remnants of the old regime - a so-called "hidden hand" - orchestrate such attacks as a way of frightening women out of the Square. One suggestion is that by dividing protesters and frightening female supporters, the pro-democracy movement can be cowed.

Lacking proof, this is just a theory. But if it were true, such an attack would play into the "stability" platform espoused by Ahmed Shafiq, the presidential candidate associated with the old regime.

Orchestrated or not, the attack is an extreme form of the harassment many Egyptian women face daily. Securing the rights of women is one of the critical tests for Arab countries after the uprisings.

As the final presidential vote nears, politics is taking a darker turn. State television has aired warnings about speaking to foreigners. Calls for a boycott of the vote grow louder, as do the voices of those who fear what might happen if the Muslim Brotherhood, which already has significant representation in the Egyptian parliament, wins the presidency as well.

In Tahrir Square, arguments occasionally turn violent. The camaraderie that once defined the Square - and the revolution - is in danger of fragmenting. Friday's attack is an illustration of this, a shocking assault on protesters calling for legitimate change. It may, as with assaults in the past, simply encourage more people to enter Tahrir.

It would be tragic for Egypt if instead it pushed women out of the political change they played such a large role in creating.