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Individuality: lost in a woman’s veil?

June 27, 2014
Egyptian women line up to vote. Photo: EPA.

After the first round of the 2012 Egyptian presidential elections, I was standing in Midan El Nafoura in The middle class neighborhood of El Mokattam in Cairo as a part of a “human chain” that supported Mursi feeling proud to be acting as a proactive citizen.But to the by-passers I was an unveiled woman holding a slogan that said “ Ana mesh ikhwan bas hantekheb Mursi “ (I’m not a member of the Muslim Brotherhood but I will vote for Mursi) A few men walked by and rhetorically asked ,“how is it that you’re not wearing a hijab and yet you’re voting for Mursi?” Others applauded my decision because, despite my dress code, I was still voting for the Muslim Brotherhood.Hearing these comments, the only question I was asking myself was ‘what does my hijab have to do with my political choices?’ My religious views and my opinion on hijab did not influence my opinion for whom to vote, but apparently I didn’t look Muslim enough for some people.A photo of me holding the slogan was all over Facebook the next day. I read most of the comments; I wasn’t…


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