Protesters carry an injured comrade during clashes in a side street near Tahrir Square in Cairo, on November 23, 2011. (Photo: Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)
Losing his eyesight completely on the Day of Rage, 25 January 2011, Helmy Abu El-Maaty Ibrahim says that many of those injured during the revolution are preparing for a demonstration in protest at Parliament’s decision on Monday not to increase the amount of financial compensation to which the injured are entitled.
Parliament, which voted in favour of raising the amount of compensation for the families of those killed during the revolution to LE100,000 has voted against raising the compensation for the injured from LE15,000 to LE 25,000-50,000, according to Abu El-Maaty.
“What can a person like me do without both his eyes?” asks Abu El-Maaty, a father of three, including a disabled son. He says the government claims jobs are being offered for the injured, although many who apply have been refused following a medical checkup which found them unequipped for the available positions.
“Those parliamentarians would not have been there occupying the seats if it was not for those who got injured making this revolution happen. They [the Muslim Brotherhood] used to be referred to as the outlawed organisation.”
A demonstration is planned to take place during the next parliamentary session. Abu El-Maaty says many of those injured during the revolution will be coming from different governorates to protest the decision in front of the parliamentary headquarters.
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