The question of Egyptian culture’s compatibility with feminism has been one highly debated in recent years. In this discourse, Arab women become entrapped in the confines of both the Western feminist lens which neglects them, and Arabs who oppose Western influence. The history of Egyptian feminism is both rich, and complex in that it is intertwined with Islam, nationalism, and post-colonialism. The reason for this is that national consciousness, which emerged in reaction to Western colonialism in the 18th century, developed simultaneously with feminist consciousness. Inevitably, with this comes the argument that feminism was a Western import of decadence to the Arab world. However, this argument is flawed in that it oversimplifies and overlooks the contexts in which any movement arises. Defining Feminism Although feminism encompasses an extensive framework with varying beliefs, at its core, it calls for equality. Arab culture is situated as non-Western, and formerly colonized, thus, post-colonial frameworks of feminism are most relevant to this exploration. The feminism that will be applied in this article refers to Islamic Feminist Scholar Margot Badran’s understanding that “women have suffered forms of subordination or oppression…and an advocacy of ways to…
Reclaiming My Identity: Why I Changed My Name
Being a first-generation Australian-born Egyptian is confusing. I grew up on Vegemite (Egypt’s closest equivalent is Mesh) sandwiches and Molokheya. I listened to Ehab Tawfik and Savage Garden. ‘Sheb-sheb’ was the standard word for ‘flip-flops’, which were used to swat both flies and my backside. I spent many of my formative years near Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Surfing was part of the wider culture, while eating was part of my family’s. While I loved the sea in all its splendor (I’m a Pisces), I could never stand up on a surfboard. Luckily, I did not have to withstand this identity dissonance for long. After moving to a school in Western Sydney, my friends became more diverse and our activities ventured beyond watersports. Something, however, was still missing. I never felt I truly fit in. I was still uncomfortable asserting my Egyptian identity to my non-Egyptian friends. I felt I still needed to show that I related to them, referencing movies they knew, rather than teaching them about my Egyptian-influenced taste in the arts. This, unfortunately, continued well into my adult years. Not realizing how important having a solid identity was, I…
Cash for Recyclables: “Go Clean” Incentivizes Citizen Recycling in Egypt
“Go Clean” is a recycling solutions company aiming to reward citizens for their good and eco-friendly habits. It aims to increase awareness about the environment by involving the consumer with the recycling process through easy steps for which he or she is rewarded, not unlike Bekya. The company was founded two years ago, in 2017; it was recycling with factories, companies and cafes. However, GoClean started the household door to door initiative in February 2019. The founder of GoClean is Mohammed Hamdy, an alumni from the American University in Cairo with a Bachelors degree in philosophy. Hamdy realized that Egypt needed more consideration and practical steps regarding recycling. He decided to shed light on Egypt’s pollution issues by including the Egyptian consumer in the recycling process. This is done through easy four steps which are: firstly letting the consumer sort the recyclables by separating plastics, metals, and papers. Then second step involves contacting Go Clean by phone or by sending a WhatsApp message with the location, and for the third step being for Go Clean to pick up the consumer recyclables. The final stage is rewarding the consumer by exchanging…
Egyptian Police Kills 7 Hasm Terrorists in Cairo Suburbs
According to a press statement by Egypt’s Interior Ministry, police forces have killed seven terrorists in Cairo’s 6 October City on Thursday. The terrorists belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated group Hasm. “The State Security Department acted upon reliable intelligence that a group belonging to Hasm had been planning to plant an IED on Thursday morning,” the statement said, as per Al Ahram. “Police forces set up a checkpoint to stop a white-semi truck suspected to be carrying the terrorists, who opened fire after approaching the checkpoint, injuring one police officer,” it added. Three of the terrorists were disguised as electricity maintenance workers; they were shot at and killed by the Egyptian police forces who also raided the apartment in which the four remaining terrorists were hiding. One police officer was injured when the attackers opened fire at the police. The attack was followed by a confiscation of ammunition and live arms in both the truck and the apartment hideout. There was also an improved explosive device in the truck. This is not the first time that Egyptian security forces clash with the terrorist group. The latter, an Islamist militant group named…
Egyptian Trans Woman Arrested for Protesting Fears Being Placed in a Male Prison
News of a young Egyptian trans woman being arrested at her home on 6 March have hit social media as people fear the possible threats she may face if placed in a male detention center. Malak Al-Kashif is a 19-year-old Egyptian trans woman who, according to her lawyer Amr Mohamed, was arrested for participating in the anti-government protests that took place on 1 March triggered by the horrific train explosion. In an article released by Mada Masr, at least 70 people who took part in the demonstrations have been arrested, but 10 have already been released. However, after her arrest by National Security Agency, Malak’s location is still unknown to her family and lawyer. As soon as news of her arrest circulated social media, people expressed their concern for her vulnerable position given that her national identity card and official papers still list her as male. Malak has been trying to change the gender she was assigned at birth officially for three years as a result of the tedious process and governmental paper work she has to go through despite undergoing the sex reassignment surgery. Because of this, it is…
Egypt’s Constitutional Amendments Council Begins Drafting Process Before National Referendum
Sayed El Sherif, deputy house of representatives, stated that the Legislative and Constitutional Committee of the Council is currently working on drafting the proposals submitted by the members of the council bodies, institutions and individuals to amend the Constitution, Al Masry Al Youm reports. The committee will continue to receive the proposals until the end of next week, after which the hearing committees will be held for 15 days. The committee will invite university professors, representatives of institutions, unions and other influential entities in the country. After that, there will be closed meetings for a week to discuss the proposals and present the final report to the plenary session of the parliament for a vote, which must include two-thirds of the members of the House. El Sherift added that the vote will be in the plenary session on each article required to be amended only, then the proposal is sent to the President of the Republic to invite citizens to participate in the national referendum on it. A number of parties and civil society organisations have already organised public rallies to explain their position on the amendments. The Nation’s Future…
Asbestos Use in Egypt: a Growing Threat to Public Health?
There is a long-standing history of asbestos use in Egypt. Dating back to the 2000-3000 BCE era, asbestos was supposedly used to assist in the embalming of Pharaohs, where they would be wrapped in asbestos cloth to limit the amount of decomposition that would occur. While asbestos is not used in this way today, it currently lingers within many aspects of Egyptian society. Despite a country-wide ban of this mineral in 2005, the people of Egypt are still seeing diagnoses of asbestos-related illnesses. With the current ban in place, people are left wondering what exactly is causing these illnesses and what can be done to prevent this from becoming a larger problem. What is Asbestos? Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that was once praised for its durability and unmatched heat-resistant qualities. Due to the traits of this mineral, it was commonly used in a wide variety of building materials. However, asbestos has been identified as a carcinogen to humans, causing life-threatening diseases such as mesothelioma cancer to develop from exposure to airborne fibers. Asbestos fibers become airborne when asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) such as insulation or concrete become disturbed…
Egyptian Actor Amr Waked Sentenced to Eight Years in Jail for “Spreading False News and Insulting State Institutions”
Prominent Egyptian actor Amr Waked said he has no intention of returning to Egypt at the moment, after what he called “the confiscation of his rights”, in response to his political positions as of July 2013. On Monday, Waked tweeted “I have been informed that he is a high-ranking absentee from the Egyptian ‘military’ judiciary on behalf of Cairo with five years of imprisonment and another sentence of three years imprisonment on charges of publishing false news and insulting state institutions. They refused to give me a copy of the two charges, because they have not yet ratified them since May.” He confirmed to the Mada Masr that lawyers tried to obtain the details of the sentences issued against him; to be able to take the necessary legal measures, but they have only received the charges that he was convicted, noting that lawyers are trying again to get any clarification on the provisions. Waked also said on Twitter that the Egyptian authorities abroad refused to renew his passport which expired in November 2017. He explained to Mada Masr that he went to the Egyptian Embassy in the Spain, where he has…
Egypt’s President Approves New Law to Form the National Council of People With Disabilities
On 5 March, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi agreed to a draft law to establish the National Council of People with Disabilities Law No.11 of 2019. “People with special needs in Egypt represent 9-10 percent of the total population,”Sisi said during International Day of Persons with Disabilities event. The establishment of the Disabilities Council will have a separate body that will highlighting their rights as well as cater projects to help those with disabilities. Early this year, the Egyptian Parliament approved the draft law presented by the government to establish this new body. This body will have a separate budget and administrative team allowing the council to host activities and participate in various campaigns. The council will also participate in events, conferences and forums that discuss and raise awareness to the issues surrounding people with disability. The goals is to structure the council as follows: a president, a vice-president , 17 members to represent people with disabilities in addition to public figures who advocate for the cause. Accordingly, the council will be in touch with all the ministries to form the provisions the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This…