Egypt Divisions Cemented as Violence Worsens
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To Mahmoud Sayed, Mohamed Mursi’s election as Egypt’s president a year ago was an opportunity he’d wanted for years: a chance to grow a beard as a sign of his faith. Islamists, he figured, wouldn’t be persecuted as they had under former president Hosni Mubarak.
That changed the day after the military deposed Mursi on July 3 following mass street demonstrations. Sayed, a 35-year-old driver, was accosted by two men. He was robbed, beaten and, in a final insult, spat upon and told to pass it on to Mursi.