By Sarah Mourad, The Cairo Post After thousands of years of civilization, Egyptian culture still refuses those whose brain hurts. Abbasiya Mental Hospital and Asylum in Cairo – the largest mental institution in the Middle East – and its patients are never given the proper attention and are still a stigma that society fears, looks down on, and does not understand. Psychiatric patients and institutes in general remain taboo in Egypt. Never the proper concern or focus is given to such patients or even institutes. Perhaps the current political situation in the country precludes this from happening. But the truth is, this has been the case for decades. Many decades. Egyptian society still fears insanity and “crazies,” despite it being all around. It’s a disgrace being a mentally ill patient, or associated to someone who is. Even more amazingly, being part of an institution that serves them. Whenever the phrase “Abbasiya” is heard, what comes to the mind of Egyptians is madness, right away. And madness is always associated with danger and criminality. Perhaps of the reasons why in 2010, the buildings of the historic hospital were threatened to be…
