SHEIKH ZUWEID, Egypt — Four years have passed since the Sinai Peninsula had participated in the Egyptian revolution in such a retaliatory and armed manner, contradicting all the peaceful slogans of Cairo, as it was hoping to be liberated from the state suppression and marginalization that had been going on for more than 30 years. However, the people’s hope of change soon turned into tragedy in an area that had always remained calm; only to become a hotbed for violence and continuous conflict, further isolating Sinai from the rest of the country.

On Jan. 27, 2011, the angry and indignant people of Sinai, especially those from the cities of Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah, attacked the security institutions, causing great damage. They used all kinds of weapons, even missiles, in retaliation for what they considered years of oppression by the state. As a result, the police have lost ground in Sinai. This is not to mention the absence of the army as per the Camp David Accords with Israel, paving the way for chaos and violence in the peninsula.

Mustafa Sanjar, a researcher in the affairs of Sinai and the border region, talked about the main reasons that pushed the people of Sinai to engage in violent acts, unlike the general peaceful aspect of Egypt’s demonstrations in Cairo and other squares. “The death of Mohammed Atef, the second martyr in Egypt’s January 25 Revolution in the square [in] Sheikh Zuweid, north of Sinai, and the excessive use of violence has caused the demonstrations to veer off their peaceful course, and pushed angry people to use weapons,” he told Al-Monitor.

However, Sanjar said, “The death of Atef was a mere pretext for the angry people to embark on the path of revenge, as thousands of Sinai residents have been feeling indignant since the 2004 arbitrary campaigns to arrest people, including women and children. These campaigns were part of the investigation and prosecution of those involved in the Taba bombings, not to mention that many have been sentenced in absentia. All these reasons have pushed the people to take up arms and use the revolution as a tool of revenge.”