How did R4BIA emerge?

Courtesy of http://www.r4bia.com

The owners of this sign were martyred in Rabia al-Adawiya Square by the military coup that took place in Egypt on July 3, 2013.

The Egyptian people, who wanted to reclaim their beliefs, freedoms, future and the votes they cast for the first elected president in Egypt, launched a collective resistance unprecedented in world history on 28 June in Rabia al-Adawiya Square.

It was there that they made the sign for the first time by raising their four fingers. It never transpired who invented the sign or who came up with the idea for it. When they were asked two months later what the sign meant, they explained: “This is the ‘Rabia sign.’ ‘Rabia’ means four or fourth in the Arabic language. The name of this square comes from Rabia al-Adawiya, a blessed lady among the pious servants of Allah. She received the name Rabia because she was the fourth child in the family. We use the sign to cherish her legacy.”

“The second reason why this sign bears significance is the fact that Mohamed Morsi was the fourth President of Egypt after Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak. We make the sign to remind people of his presidency.”

“In addition, those who gather in Tahrir Square to support the military coup prefer the V sign made with the two fingers. We cannot be the same as those people. We use and spread the Rabia sign in order to distinguish ourselves from them.”

When pro-democracy demonstrators made this explanation at the early hours of 14 August, the Egyptian army moved into Rabia al-Adawiya to unleash the biggest civilian massacre that history has ever witnessed. It is likely that those few people who explained what the sign meant were martyred as well. This website contains photos and video footage of those who made the sign for the last time, right before the killings.

Following the massacre in Egypt, the Rabia sign came to be better recognized, and from then on began spreading across the entire Muslim world. Within a short span of time, the sign became a symbol adopted by Muslims of every denomination and from all walks of life who stood up against the states in both the East and the West that chose to ignore thousands of civilians subjected to violence in Egypt.

Among the numerous logos designed to represent the Rabia sign, the one with the black hand on a yellow background caught on more quickly than others. People started using it everywhere. 

Noteworthy about the design is that the creators of the logo are said to have used the color yellow in reference to the golden dome of Qubbatus Sakhra Mosque in Jerusalem, Muslims’ first Qiblah, and the color black to signify the black cloth that covers the Kaaba.

The Rabia sign then spread beyond the national borders with the blessing of Rabia martyrs, and became the symbol of the global Muslim community.

The Rabia sign is the symbol of awakening, triggered in response to the massacres, oppression and long-going political, economic and cultural pressure – both in the West and the East – that have targeted Islam and Muslims.

Western concepts such as democracy, human rights, freedom, equality and right to life, often exercised in a double standard, have utterly collapsed in Palestine, Syria, Bosnia and lastly in Egypt. With the spirit of the Rabia sign, these and similar concepts will be reinterpreted based on Islamic principles.

With help of Allah, this awakening will be a source of inspiration for every individual, irrespective of faith and ethnicity, who seeks justice, equality and freedom in this world. Supporting every well-meant effort in search of rights and freedoms that is spread through this sign is an indication of human decency.

The Rabia sign and the blessing of martyrs are reuniting Muslim peoples and nations, isolated within borders that were set by the occupying states of the East and the West. No single country, group or individual claims this sign as their own. Therefore, they felicitously avoid overshadowing the blessings that Allah bestowed on the Muslim world for the sake of the martyrs.

Insha'allah. The global Muslim community will chart its path on its own.

“And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.” (Surat al-Ahzab, ayah 3)

Citizens worldwide protest against the massacres in Egypt #R4BIA

In light of the massacres of civilians perpetrated by the security forces in Egypt, people have come out all over the world. The crackdown, which resulted in at least 600 killed on August 14 alone, has targeted the freedom loving people of Egypt and seriously hampered the road towards democracy in the country. Protests against the massacres in Egypt took place in countries around the world, including Australia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey and the UK. 

World leaders, including the US, EU and the UN, have condemned the bloody security crackdown on anti-military protesters in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, in which hundreds were killed and thousands more injured. Several countries have withdrawn their ambassadors from Egypt in protest against the violence. This includes Venezuela, whose president, Nicolas Maduro, said: "We have witnessed a blood bath in Egypt. We warned that the [July 3] coup against Morsi was unconstitutional."  

Bangladesh:

The people of Bangladesh have come out in anger at the massacre of their fellow brethren in Egypt at the hands of the security protests in various different demonstrations all over the country. Multiple demonstrations were held in Dhaka led by different Islamic organizations such as Bangladesh Islami Chatra Shibir and  Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The capital Dhaka saw about 3-4 demonstrations alone attended by thousands of civilians protesting the massacre of innocent people in Egypt. 

Apart from Dhaka, rallies and demonstrations were also held in major areas outside Dhaka such as Sylhet, Comilla, Feni and Narsinghdhi among others. Here is a photoblog of some of the demonstrations.

Regrettably, security forces tried to disperse protesters and even arrested some of the demonstrators without charges for their participation in the demnstrations.

Canada: 

Rallies were held over the weekend in a number of Canadian cities -- including Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary -- to condemn the violent repression carried out by the military regime in Egypt. Amr Kassem, a 24-year-old resident of Toronto, was killed while attending a protest in the Egyptian city of Alexandria on Friday. Kassem, who was visiting his parents in Egypt with his wife and 9-month old daughter, was shot by a sniper.  Hundreds gathered before the parliament building at Queen's Park in Canada's Ontario City, holding Egyptian, Canadian, Turkish, Palestinian and Libyan flags and chanting slogans like "Get out Sisi", "Freedom for Morsi", and "Free Egypt".

They also performed a funeral prayer in absentia for those who lost their lives at Wednesday's crackdown by the Egyptian security forces on two main anti-coup sit-ins in Cairo's Rabaa al Adawiya and Giza's Nahda squares.

United States:

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the escalating violence had dealt a "serious blow'' to political reconciliation efforts between the military-backed interim government and Morsi's supporters. "This is a pivotal moment for all Egyptians,'' Kerry said. "The path toward violence leads only to greater instability, economic disaster and suffering.'' 

People from all walks of life joined the protests against the massacres in Egypt in many places around the country.  

 Hundreds of people joined demonstrations to condemn the massacres and the military rule in Egypt at New York.

 Citizens of New York protest against the massacre and military rule in Rgypt

 Women and children took part proudly in protests at New York; against the coup; against the massacre. The R4BIA sign is evident everywhere.

Below are pictures of protests from San Fransisco, Un Plaza.

Here is a video of the protests of freedom loving people from California against the massacres in Egypt, U.S.A,

United Kingdom:

British Foreign Secretary William Hague spoke with his Egyptian counterpart on Sunday about the tragic violence and loss of life over recent days, stressing Britain's condemnation of "all acts of violence, whether disproportionate use of force by the security forces or violent actions by some demonstrators."

British Prime Minister David Cameron said the violence is "not going to solve anything. What is required in Egypt is a genuine transition to a genuine democracy. That means compromise from all sides,'' he said.

Cameron added that he was sorry to hear about the death of Sky News cameraman Mick Deane in the violence, saying his thoughts are with Deane's family and friends. "It is essential that cameramen are in places like Egypt because otherwise none of us would know what is happening.''

People came out in big numbers regularly to protest at various points in time against the massacre of common civilians. Here are some photos from a protest in front of the Egyptian embassy in London.

Police look on as demonstrators shout and chant outside the Egyptian embassy  

Demonstrators show the R4BIA symbol outside the Egyptian Embassy in London.

Women and children take part in the protests.

Another Protest (above) and (below) against the Massacre in Egypt which killed almost 2000 people. It was held outside Downing street in London.

Do we really need a caption?

Support for the great role of Turkey in giving impetus to the #R4BIA protest worldwide from London

Yes my friends, Arab petrol is not dearer to us than arab blood.

Hundreds of Birmingham citizens on 19/08/2013 staged a peaceful demonstration outside the Bullring in the city centre following the aftermath of the deadly clashes which has claimed the lives of more than a thousand Egyptian lives. A vigorous participation can be observed in the photo below.This is a photoblog of the protests.

Germany:

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the government was "extremely worried'' about the "very dangerous'' escalation of violence, indirectly criticising the leadership for its crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesperson, Steffen Seibert, said the "decisive principle'' must be "that the human rights of all Egyptians, independent of their political direction and conviction, have to be respected and protected."

In Berlin, a group of nearly 3,000 people in the German capital of Berlin protested the recent violence against anti-coup demonstrators in Egypt by the security forces.

They shouted slogans against the perpetrators of the military coup in Egypt and carried anti-coup banners that read "3 thousand dead in Egypt, stop the massacre"; "Against military coup"; "Morsi takes office via democratic elections" and "We are the people, we are peaceful", demanding halt to the ongoing bloodshed and the release of Morsi has been kept at an undisclosed place since then.

Slamming the Egyptian army for mounting the military coup against the will of the Egyptian people, the protesters described the Egyptian army as "no different from a terrorist organization so as to fire and pour bullets at its own people."

They also criticized the West for supporting the military coup by remaining silent, calling the Western attitude on the coup and the ensuing violent incidents as a "chronic hypocrisy and double-standard."

The protestors also flashed the "Rabaa sign," -- made by raising four fingers with the thumb resting on the palm -- which has come to represent civilian demonstrations protesting Morsi's ouster and the violence that killed hundreds of people.

Convening before the State Assembly in the western German city of Dusseldorf, European Muslims called upon the Western politicians to intervene and stop the massacre against anti-coup protesters in Egypt, urging for a continued democracy in the country in turmoil.

They also criticized the Egyptian army as well as the European Union and the United States for their silence in the face of the massacres in Egypt.

Holding anti-coup placards, around 2,000 Muslim demonstrators of Egyptian, Turkish, African and German origins living in European countries chanted slogans like "Stop the massacre"; "Peace without arms"; "Sisi, killer of women and children," and "Egyptian army, back to its barracks."

Austria:

Hundreds of demonstrators in Vienna came out to protest the massacres in Egypt against innocent freedom loving people in Egypt. They demonstrated with the Symbol or R4BIA in support of the elected president Morsi and against the bloody massacre.

France:

France demanded an "immediate end to the repression," condemning the "the bloody violence" in unusually strong language. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said an "urgent international position'' reflecting this must be reached, and called on Ban and Paris' main partners to contribute. 

"The current situation will not be resolved by force,'' a statement from Fabius said. He called on all sides to "without delay open a dialogue that includes all Egyptian political forces to find a democratic end to this grave crisis''. The minister said France was immediately available to help bring sides together.

A man stands in solidarity with #R4BIA

Netherlands:

Dutch citizens of Turkish, Egyptian and Arabic origin gathered on Wednesday to protest the army coup in Egypt and the ensuing massacre carried out against anti-coup demonstrators.

The rally was organized at Malieveld Square in The Hague by the Dutch Islamic Federation (NIF) and north Netherlands branch of Milli Gorus organization.

The protesters chanted slogans of support for the deposed President Mohamed Morsi and the Egyptian people. The group also made the Rabaa sign that came to be associated with the civilian resistance in the Middle East nation.

Australia: 

A peaceful protest in front of the Egyptian consulate in Surry Hills was held on Saturday to highlight the violence being perpetrated against civilians in Egypt and encourage a return to the democratically elected Muslim Brotherhood Government. 

This (below) is a scene from people who have come out on to the streets of Canberra to protest the massacre of their brethren in Egypt.

New Zealand:

In Auckland, the capital of New Zealand, people protest against the military massacre whilst saying Sisi committed crimes against humanity

Brazil:

In Brazil People gathered in protest against the massacre of protesters in Egypt who were peacefully protesting against Military Coup.

India:

Protesters against the Egypt massacre outside the Egyptian embassy at New Delhi. They tear up posters of El Baradei for his traitorous role against the revolution of freedom loving Egyptians.

Doctors of Kashmir in solidarity with R4BIA (below)

South Korea:

In Seoul, the capital of South Korea, students gather to protest against the Military Massacre in Egypt. 

Sudan:

In neighboring Sudan, hundreds of people chanted against Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, the army chief who orchestrated the July 3 ouster of Egypt’s first elected president after millions protested to demand an end to his turbulent year in power.

An AFP reporter said about 500 people from various Islamic organizations rallied near Sudan’s presidential palace and the Egyptian embassy, carrying pictures of Morsi and Egyptian flags.

“Al-Sisi: Israeli and USA agent,” they shouted. Riot police monitored the demonstration but did not intervene, which they routinely do against other protests.

Macedonia:

Macedonia against the massacre in Egypt. Protesters confirm their solidarity with #R4BIA

Turkey:

Huge protests took place in Turkey where thousands of demonstrators waving #R4BIA flags and chanting anti-oppression and anti-military slogans took to the streets in Turkey’s two biggest cities. In the capital Ankara, around 1,000 protesters marched from the largest mosque after Friday prayers to the U.S. Embassy, where the crowd, angered by Washington’s failure to call Morsi’s ouster a coup, chanted “Murderer America, get out of Turkey.” 

In Istanbul, hundreds of protesters gathered in the conservative district of Eyup, shouting pro-Morsi and Islamic slogans and waving Egyptian, Palestinian and Syrian opposition flags.

Turkey has emerged as one of the fiercest international critics of what it has called an “unacceptable coup” after the military toppled Morsi last month. On Thursday it recalled its ambassador, prompting Cairo to reciprocate.

Indonesia:

About 1,000 Indonesians staged a protest Monday in the capital, Jakarta, denouncing violence by Egyptian security forces that has killed hundreds of civilian supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

The National Committee for Humanitarian and Egypt Democracy called on the Indonesian government as well as the international community and human rights groups to help stop the bloodshed, which has killed nearly 1,000 people on both sides.

The protesters, who included many women wearing Muslim headscarves, held banners reading “Stop Killing Egyptians” and heartbreaking photographs of victims of the violence.

They also waved banners expressing their concerns, such as "Stop Killing My Brothers and Sisters" and "Save Egypt" during Monday's rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle before marching to the Egyptian Embassy. Some also waved placards supporting Morsi.

The Indonesian protesters enact the terrible scenes at #R4BIA in order to convey the horrible nature of the atrocities committed at Rabaa and Nahda. 

Similar protests condemning the violence in Egypt have been held in Jakarta and other cities across the world's most populous Muslim country since last week. On 17 August Indonesia had it 68th anniversary of their independence. However, the freedom loving people decided to protest against military massacre of their brothers and sisters in Egypt. May Allah accept them.

Even small towns like this found demonstrators conscious about the massacre in Egypt. Down with Sisi!!!

Pakistan:

Thousands in Pakistan have protested the massacre against anti-coup demonstrators in Egypt. The rallies organized by Jamaat-e-Islami Party saw nearly 6,000 people gather in front of the parliament in capital Islamabad, chanting slogans in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood and the first democratically elected Egyptian President, Mohamed Morsi, who is still held by the army. 

The R4BIA symbol stands out.

The group called for Morsi's release and demanded accountability for the perpetrators of the massacre. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Munawar Hasan delivered a speech at the rally, thanking Turkey for its efforts to bring up the issue at UN Security Council.

Another demonstration was held in the southern port city of Karachi, where participation again numbered in the thousands.

Malaysia:

In the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, about 500 Muslims protesters gathered after Friday prayers outside a major mosque in the suburbs to denounce the crackdown.

Protesters held posters that read “Respect the people’s choices, not the coup,” and shouted in unison “Long live Morsi!”

“We want the world to urge the UN to stop the killing,” said Khairudin Abas, a protest organizer with Muslim group ABIM.

The NGO organized similar protests at other major mosques in several states around Malaysia, along with the country’s opposition Islamic political party and other groups.

“We want the military to stop the killing and return power back to Morsi, the democratically elected president,” he told AFP.

Another protest at Malaysia outside the Egyptian embassy there

Yemen: 

Thousands of Yemenis gathered near the Egyptian embassy in Sana’a on the 15th of August to express their anger over the brutal killings of pro-Morsi protesters in Egypt. 

Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakul Karman also condemned the attack on #R4BIA saying in a statement that “What we see now is an actual massacre that effects the freedom and rights (of the people), a real massacre of democratic norms, … They (Egyptian Army) did not only target Morsi, they targeted the emerging democracy in Egypt.” 

“Al-Sisi (Egypt's Armed Forces Chief General) and the authorities which came to power though the coup imagine that they will crack down the peaceful protest. They now turn Egypt's streets and areas into Raba’a al-Adawiya square,” the statement added. 

Libya:

On Thursday the 15th , Libyan protesters held a demonstration in front of the Egyptian embassy in the capital Tripoli. “We came here in a protest and to stand in front of the Egyptian embassy expressing our outrage over the falling innocents; their only fault was they expressed an opinion,” said a protester during the rally. 

Another one said “I came today as a human. What happened in Raba'a and in Egypt in general is not acceptable by any human.” Similar protests took place outside the Egyptian consulate in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi.

Iran:

Iranian university students and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) staged a rally to condemn Egyptian police's violent crackdown on demonstrators. 

Hundreds of students coupled with members of various NGOs gathered outside Egypt’s interests section in Tehran on Thursday, chanting slogans in condemnation of Egyptian police brutality against civilians. They also demanded an immediate cessation of the violence in Egypt, and called for a probe into Egyptian security forces' deadly clamp down on demonstrators.

Morocco:

Around 10,000 people took part in a demonstration in the Moroccan capital Rabat on Sunday the 18th in support of Islamists in Egypt locked in a deadly showdown with security forces.

The crowd carried banners condemning the police operations that have cost hundreds of lives among demonstrators demanding the reinstatement of Egypt's army-ousted Islamist president Mohamed Mursi and posters showing the dead in makeshift morgues in Cairo.

Jordan:

Freedom loving protesters staged a protest outside the Egyptian Embassy in Amman and rebuked Egypt's military rulers as a "tool for corrupt and tyrant military regimes".

Palestine: 

Protests in Palestine extended from Gaza (covered in an earlier post) to the vicinity of the Aqsa. Protests over the weekend were also reported in Ramallah where protesters were actually dispersed by security forces.

Tunisia: 

Rachid Ghannouchi, president of Tunisia's governing party Ennahda, called the crackdown an "abject crime''. He expressed solidarity with the pro-Morsi backers' bid to "recover their freedom and oppose the coup d'etat''. Tunisians came out in their thousands in a show of solidarity for Egypt and the victims of the military massacre. They expressed their signs of solidarity as #R4BIA signs were flashed everywhere.

Sweden:

Demonstrations were held in Sweden to protest the massacres in Egypt at Stockholm on the 16th of August. The demonstrators at Medborgarplatsen denounced the violent actions of the security forces in Egypt and condemned the massacres of peaceful civilians in Egypt.

Source(s): Internet