Are security passes solution to ending terrorism in Sinai?

Although it is not the first time Egypt’s security forces have cracked down on residents of the northern Sinai Peninsula — as the remote border governorate has suffered from marginalization since Hosni Mubarak’s reign — the war on terror declared in July 2013 by the Egyptian government has resulted in an even heavier security crackdown, compromising the freedom of movement of Sinai residents from and into the governorate.

In an attempt to end the suffering, Ahmed el-Askary, a member of the Bar Council in northern Sinai presiding over the youth seat, presented Jan. 5 on his Facebook page to the competent authorities and the parliament a proposal to issue security passes for citizens residing in northern Sinai to alleviate their suffering, provided that the card is renewed every six months — a suggestion that he confirmed to Al-Monitor, even though the Facebook post has been removed. Moreover, no authority would be allowed to arrest any citizen holding this card. If a card holder commits a crime, in addition to being tried in court, their card is confiscated and they are denied renewal.

The proposal has caused controversy among those in favor and those against it. “The people of Sinai are so patriotic that they do not need such proposals. The real problem is the security approach and lack of clear vision. Any movement sought by the people of Sinai is subject to scrutiny for two reasons: first, a lack of clear vision in combatting terrorism, which the people of northern Sinai must develop given that security incompetence enabled the latest bombing of al-Matafi checkpoint on Jan. 9. Second, the news spread about police personnel being loyal to terrorist cells,” Alaa al-Kashef, a Sinai-based activist, told Al-Monitor.

Kashef said, “Could the people of Sinai be the suspects, as some propagate, or is there a security defect? The solution to terrorism in Sinai cannot depend on security measures alone.”