By Mustafa Abdel-Halim,* Common Ground News This August, two young Egyptian musicians released songs on the topic of sexual harassment against women, which has been on the rise since the 2011 uprising in Egypt. These musicians’ songs are two important examples of many similar, serious efforts by artists to help fight this problem. As the pandemic of sexual harassment continues to deepen, one may ask if artists can effectively play any role in combating it. Some believe that art is peripheral to solving a problem that should be tackled by action not words. However, I do believe that words and images still speak as loud as actions, especially in a country like Egypt with a vibrant and influential artistic community. Sexual harassment has reached shocking rates in Egypt, with a 2013 report by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women reporting that 99.3% of Egyptian women have experienced some form of sexual harassment. A key component of stopping sexual harassment is to increase awareness. As a BBC correspondent in Egypt for one year, I interviewed many people, hearing consistently that women are to blame for harassment…
