Wednesday 8 April 2020 marked the 50 anniversary of Bahr el-Baqar school massacre.
In case you do not know what is then let me tell what happened from 50 years ago.
On 8 April 1970, Israeli Air Forces bombed a Primary school in a small Sharkia governorate village called Bahr El-Baqar aka “Cows’ Sea” killing 46 Children and injuring over 50 others.
An IAF Phantom Fighter struck the single-floored and three classrooms school at 9:20 am with five bombs and two air-to-ground missiles as part of its response on the war of attrition launched by Egypt.
There were 150 children in that poor school then.
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| From Ahram's archives, the shoes of the students at Bahr El-Baquar school Colourized by Abdel Latif El-Tahan "My Heritage" |
Interestingly, all the targets of Egypt during the war of attrition were military and never reached that civilian depth.
Israeli officials said that they thought it was a military building and their war criminal defence minister then Moshe Dayan claimed that may be Nasser regime planted a school inside a military base !!
Here is a video produced by the Egyptian government then from Modern Egypt’s Memory Project.
In the end, they admitted it was a “human error”.
A “human error” that killed children in school but according to my knowledge, I do not remember reading that there was an official apology to the citizens of the village or the Egyptians themselves.
I do not remember reading that there was even a proper world condemnation considering the fact it is a war crime.
Israel has got away with that war crime like other war crimes it had gone with it since its army was just a bunch of Zionist gangs branded as terrorists by the British mandate.
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| From Ahram's archives, an injured student from Bahr El-Baquar school at the hospital Colourized by Abdel Latif El-Tahan "My Heritage" |
Bahr el-Baqar went for a small unknown village to a symbol.
It shocked the Egyptian society and the shock was translated in sincere pieces of arts whether music or paintings.
Egyptian legendary Diva Shadia sang “ The class is over”. It is probably one of the important patriotic, sad and sincere songs she had ever presented.
Its lyrics were written by Egypt’s famous poet Salah Jahin and its music was composed by Sayed Mekawy
Only on Wednesday thanks to the amazing Reem Khorshid, I was introduced to that painting by late abstract Pioneer Egyptian painter Menhat Allah Helmy and her amazing painting in 1971 dedicated to the children of Bahr Baqar.
Sadly after 50 years, high-level officials in Egypt did not remember this sad event and decided to commemorate it by putting a bunch of flowers on the Memorial at the village. They will claim that it was because of Coronavirus. Well, a little statement would not have hurt.
Only the mayor of the district which the village follows in the governorate commemorated it.
Various European countries were invaded by Germany during WWII and now they have excellent relations with it even on the popular level which Israel knows it may never reach it with its neighbours.
Now those European countries commemorate the victims of the Nazi invasion openly and proudly.
Never again is a big myth in this world.
More about Bahr el-Baqar massacre and its people here from Ahram Online.