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Wednesday, 1 Nov 2006
The story of the Eid sexual assaults have finally made it to the national media, with more newspapers reporting it and doing features about it. The state-controlled newspapers have been walking a fine line of reporting the story and not actually stating that it happend. The Al Ahram newspaper had a page done on the topic, but at the bottom there was the Police's denial that the incident ever took place and blamed "an internet site" of promoting this vicious rumor. The ass-licking government croneys of state-controlled Rose Al Yousef have taken it one step further and flat out accused the blogsphere of just making things up. Nevermind the pictures, the witnesses, or the actual assaults, we are lying and we aim to defame Egypt's reputation. Damn us "street journalists". Damn us!
You almost gotta admire their shamelessness. Almost.
On the other hand, there has been a movment started by the egyptian female bloggers to counter those attacks, and the male bloggers are helping in the background. The idea is to start a grassroots campaign against such attacks and behaviors, and it has to be started by one and run by women, and that's what's taking place right now. I will let you know more about it as it progresses.
November 1st, 2006 at 5:04 pm
Godspeed Egyptian women. Perhaps, you, with the sane men standing at your side (as equals), will bring peace and the 21st century into the misogynistic middle east .
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:34 am
I wonder if that movement might be more effective if it were led by men, Promise Keepers - style.
November 2nd, 2006 at 6:40 am
i was going to ask if this was true
http://forsoothsayer.blogspot.com/2006/10/mass-sexual-assault-in-downtown-cairo.html
guess it is
November 2nd, 2006 at 6:43 am
I really appreciate that you’ve posted about this. I recently started reading your blog and I am so impressed. I enjoy it a lot and am proud of what you are doing. If it’s okay with you, I posted your links on my blog to the Eid stories and I also have the link to your blog in my links section.
November 2nd, 2006 at 6:44 am
Well, for a reason I don’t know some people are trying to turn the movement into an “against the regime” thing instead of the one against the attacks.
And to be honest only 2 or 3 male bloggers helped and still helping out, the rest are practically watching.
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:07 pm
Ya SandMonkey, I am one of those women who intends to make those bastards pay back. This was the last straw. This is not an incidence. EVERY Egyptian woman has been sexually assaulted at one or more moments in of her life. I was wondering what do you think of the idea of having women carry self-defence equipment, like pepper spray and stun guns. I know they are illegal in Egypt, but beroo7 ommohom as if this is the only thing that’s illegal. Please reply to me by e-mail if you’ve got time. Thank you. Great blog btw.
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:15 pm
I’m so glad to hear that the movement is being started and carried by Egyptian women with the help of sympathetic men. Women need to be empowered to take back the streets of Egypt. The kind of sexual assault in the streets that is a daily occurance for many Egyptian women has gone on for way too long. It needs to stop and women need to stand up to it.
Koshari
I used to punch, kick, hit and yell. I used to shame the cowards who tried to grope me inconspicuously and yell out “Ya wesekh, ya ibn el wesekh” and then, becasue my arabic is really really bad when I am angry, launch into a stream of insults in English. That usually scared them off.
I used to let them follow me, wait till they got really close behind me and then jab them in the stomach with my elbow. Then I’d walk off quickly as they doubled over in pain. That was always good fun too.
Try also kicking them in the balls and then swearing at them. You don’t need pepper spray and stun guns. Those things are just going to encumber you. Use your fists, your palms, your elbows, your knees and your stilletos- use them girl like you never used them before! Spray them in the eyes with your perfume, put rocks in your bag and slug them over the head, whip them with your belt- accessories aren’t just good for coordinating your look.
Take boxing lessons- I do. Learn how to give a good right hook and you’ll never ever regret it.
OK I’ll stop now because I’m gettin too excitable :0
November 2nd, 2006 at 3:11 pm
Thank you U.S. for your reply. You go girl! But you see, Egyptian women do not yet know how to dare defend themselves. But one day it will be different I am sure. Your words were very empowering. Keep up the great work
All the best.
November 2nd, 2006 at 5:26 pm
A different perspective-
Sexual assault is a crime…plain, simple and ugly. However, abuse and assault are wrong in any form…”sexual” gets more of a gutteral response…but the stronger messing with the weaker, especially for sport, is ugly…it is much more than physical violation…it is the worse form of humiliation.
I hate bullies in any form…not matter if it is a cop, city official, big kid on campus, abusive neighbor.
Ugly and disgusting and in this case, Egypt is no different than any other place on earth.
November 3rd, 2006 at 11:53 am
koshari,
pepper spray is illegal?!!! since when?
i have pepper spray , a telescope baton and an electric stun gun
al alam malee b al ashrar as my dad says!
November 3rd, 2006 at 9:06 pm
Two items:
1. The monetary impact of this rape-riot to the Egyptian economy: My fiancee wants to see the pyramids and spend time sunning on a warm beach. (She is Russian.) I am fascinated by the Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) and agreed to take her. But since reading about this incident, I have told her we will go to Greece to spend time on a beach.
I doubt I am the only one changing plans because of this rape-riot.
2. Don’t yell ‘Rape!’ Yell ‘Fire!’ Yelling ‘Fire!’ is more likely to bring help. (A tip I learned from the women’s movement in San Francisco.)
November 4th, 2006 at 2:39 am
Hebe,
Have you ever used them successfully in Cairo?
November 4th, 2006 at 6:38 pm
It’s great to hear the women are organizing around this and continuing in to speak out. I agree with Deprieved that men should be with them as equals. Look at the feminist movement in America. It has stopped for the most part because it was seen as a girls against boys movement, not an equality movement. Many men are threatened by feminism and therefore down play and movements that could improve equality between men and women. The same thing could easily happen in Egypt if it is seen as just women speaking out.
“Oh those silly women, they should just continue to never ride in taxis alone. They need a man to protect them.”
Too often the response to a situation like this is to say that the women must change in someway. They must carry items to defend themselves, they must dress differently when they go out, they must not go here or there. That is not addressing the problem it is enabling the problem. The women are not the problem it is the men who are them problem. And unless their behaviour is changed more burden is going to fall on the women to change.
That’s why I believe that men who are ashamed by this so join the women as equals in speacking out against it. Otherwise the real problem will not change. I’m not saying that the women are too weak to give this issue weight without men. They can and they have ever right to, but in this patriarchal world, too often a women’s voice is discredited. If men are along side them saying that their brother need to change then more people will listen. And how cool would it be if you could get various religious leaders on your side to address the behaviour of the men and not just tell the women to change.
Think about it. If you have men and women coming together as equals to speak out against this then it will no longer be just “a woman thing” it rightly become a human thing.
Antares- There is more violence in any other major city in the world than there is in Cairo. I lived there for nearly two year and never felt unsafe, even when my husband wasn’t with me. GO to Egypt, you will love it and you will find that this was just an isolated incident. I would tell your fiance to just be reasonable about what she wears. As a general rule, if you don’t give ‘em a lot to look at they won’t. (And you will be surprised at how many tourist seem to ignore the fact that they are in a conservative country. The people watching was always my favorite part of going to the tourist sights.) Besides you’ll find that most Egyptian men are very respectful and will focus on you not her out of respect for your relationship. Go to Egypt you will love it!