The story of a young man who was tied up and tortured for 12 hours for stealing two car filters worth only 500 EGP until he died raises two important questions that no one seems to have an answer for in Egypt:
First Question:
What is the measure of poverty in Egypt that would push someone to steal two car filters worth only 500 EGP?
Second Question:
What is the measure of wealth in Egypt that would make someone forgive and let go of 500 EGP?
The Heartbroken Father… and a Video That Says It All
I watched the video of Haj Mohamed Abdel Latif, the father of the young man who was tortured to death. His appearance and words reflected deep pain and helplessness.
He spoke with dignity, emphasizing that his family cooks dinner every Friday, and that his son was coming home to eat. He kept repeating this, as if trying to say, "We are not in need."
But the fact that he insisted on mentioning Friday specifically makes us wonder:
"Did they sleep hungry on the other days?"
Standing outside the morgue, the father said with a broken voice:
"My son died hungry."
Imagine this: A group of people tied up a starving man for 12 hours over 500 EGP, with no food or water, while beating and torturing him.
He didn’t even ask them for food or water—perhaps because he knew they had no mercy.
Did He Steal Out of Hunger? What If the Situation Was Different?
Maybe when the young man saw insufficient food, he decided to steal something to sell and buy food.
This is not an excuse for stealing, but it explains the harsh reality.
Some comments mentioned that the boy was known in his neighborhood as simple-minded and religious, so how could they have no mercy on him?
How could they torture him like that? And in the end, they sent his body back to his father in a tuk-tuk!
Omar ibn Al-Khattab Suspended the Punishment for Theft During the Famine.
During the Year of the Ramada Famine, when hunger spread across the land,
Caliph Omar ibn Al-Khattab suspended the punishment for theft because of extreme poverty.
When some companions brought him a man who stole an entire camel, slaughtered it, and shared it with his family, Omar simply said:
"There is no cutting (of hands) during famine."
And the Two Questions Remain Unanswered
Who is truly poor in Egypt and deserves mercy?
And who is truly rich enough to forgive with kindness?