There is perhaps no clearer visual symbol of solidarity with Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood than the yellow hand with the thumb folded in and four fingers extended. It is referred to as the “Rabea” symbol and is supposed to be a reminder of Mohammed Mursi supporters who refused to disperse from their sit-in outside the mosque where several Brotherhood leaders took refuge before being arrested in August.
R4BIA: The symbol of solidarity with Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood.
That symbol was on display at the Nelson Mandela memorial service.
The Rabea al-Adaweya sign made an appearance on Tuesday during the memorial service for the late South African leader Nelson Mandela at Soweto Stadium in Johannesburg.
While one of the participants was making a speech to the audience commemorating the late leader, someone standing behind him raised the symbol and pointed to it.
The Rabea al-Adaweya symbol of a hand raising four fingers refers to the violent dispersal of a pro-Mohamed Morsy sit-in in Rabea al-Adaweya Square in Cairo on 14 August. The dispersal left hundreds of people dead, including women and children. The word “rabea” is close in pronunciation to the word “four” in Arabic, thus the now-viral symbol was created to reference the event.
Video capturing the flag being waved behind the podium was posted at the Blaze. Watch if you dare; the speaker might put you to sleep:
Considering that Mandela and Arafat – a protege of the Muslim Brotherhood’s founder, Hajj Amin al-Husseini – were quite cozy with one another, Mursi supporters being in attendance at Mandela’s funeral makes quite a bit of sense.
Arafat (far right) at the funeral of Hitler’s favorite Arab, Hajj Amin al-Husseini.