Cairo, the 16th July, 2009

“Egyptian press disguised depravity…”

Here am I presenting you, ladies and gentlemen…theeeeee one and only…(drums playing)…UNDERRRRRRR… BELLY!”


*** I´m kind of nervous after reading a newspaper note my dear student , Jackie (the wise, crude, lovely voice in my head), brought me to read. Thanks, Jackie!
There´s some great points about not keeping up with the country´s – and the world´s – news. I am deliberately isolated from all the information, commercial intentions, marketing for the big powers and news of the world because I don´t own a television and hate reading newspapers. I believe that press is mainly bought by the Governments and Egypt is not an exception (by God, it isnt´t!) and not much of the truth can, actually, come out.


*** Is it bad or good to only be surrounded by the subjects, objects and people I choose to surround myself with?! I don´t know the answer but I sure feel good about “not reading” journalistic master pieces like this article.
The title of the article says it all: “Exposing the underbelly”.
Just in case the gentleman who wrote this master piece didn´t notice yet (quite possible he didn´t !), the UNDER belly is, calling things and bits by their rightful names, a vagina or a penis. That´s the correct, scientific term for the “under belly” matter.

Not only this gentleman – Ramadan A. Kader – seems to ignore these body parts so common in human beings born on planet Earth but he also proclaims himself as a pervert by so directly identifying Oriental Dance with any kind of “under belly” subjects. By choosing such a title, he´s affirming to the crowds: “Hey guys, I am a pervert. I am such a sexually frustrated character that I CAN ONLY SEE A VAGINA when one of those vile dancers exhibit themselves in public.”

Reducing Oriental Dance to the belly was already bad enough – with all the negative connotations that come along with it – but lowering it to the navel and under it is something that speaks nothing about this dance, in particular, and a lot from the person who writes it and comes up with this “underbelly” term.

“Dear sir, I feel for you. Being sexually, emotionally frustrated in life is a heavy burden to carry by yourself. Reading between and under the lines (and even your own under belly so clearly exposed by your own force of expression!) and what professional actors know as “sub-text” (the things we are saying between spoken words and hidden intentions disguised in empty words), I can see your pain and how it must be so disturbing to watch a dancer and , thanks to your own depravity and unsatisfied desires, being able to see the only thing you have in your mind: the famous and so much oppressed “under belly”.
Reminding you, once more, that the word is VAGINA and it doesn´t bite (well…that can be discussed…yet not here, not now…:(J ), I suggest you find some really good dancer to watch (I will not suggest myself because it would look too cocky!) and some kind of personal, sexual, emotional fulfilment in your life in order for you to be able to appreciate art instead of feeling haunted by pornographic images of your own making.”

THE ARTICLE:
Right after the great title presenting the journalist as a frustrated maniac, here it is a group of wonderful bits from the article discussing what I should call plain hypocrisy.

“A plan to create a governmental institute to qualify belly dancers has raised eyebrows and drawn criticism in this conservative society.”
(…)
Creating such institutes will lead to more depravity in society.” (profered by Mr. Farid Ismail, member of Parliament).

Yeah, right…as if dancers were the source of all degeneration in the country.
In a place where most men (and women) cheat on their spouses and carry unhappy marriages all their lives for the sake of economic or social interests; in a place where men can marry until four wives, beat them and use them as a dolls at their own disposal and be protected by law; in a place where women are sexually harassed everywhere hardly finding a job – any job! – without selling their body once or more for that opportunity; in a country where even my assistant, a poor mother of three who works hard to support her family and sick husband is asked to have sex with a “pasha” in exchange for some thousand of egyptian pounds; in a place where I am perceived as a prostitute only for the fact that I´m a dancer and, in the end of each party, I seem to be the only woman who didn´t leave with a rich guy by her arm…it frightens me and revolts me to the guts to read such ignorant remarks about dancers.

Depravity is everywhere in Egypt – and the Middle East, by that matter – and there´s no need to see a dancer to check this is true.
I am harassed on my way to the gym by a sick man in a wheel chair coming out of the hospital and I assure you I am not wearing my dance dress, quite the opposite. I have a fast made pony tail, I am dressed in a sack of potatoes and Adidas snickers (impossible to look less feminine and sexy!) and my moves resemble a soldier training in the army. I am still harassed by the ill man…

“ A wave of Islamism has recently swept Egypt, manifesting itself as the majority of Muslim women in this country of 80 million wearing the hijab (headscarf) and the niqab (a full body garment covering the face).Official television no longer broadcasts belly dancing, which is frowned upon as un-Islamic. “

The article continues stating the situation of the country and forgetting to say that those veils and body covering devices don´t stop women from fooling around and deliver their phone numbers to strange men in rotten papers from under a long, respectful black sleeve.
It also doesn´t help women to be respected by men. Quite the contrary.
By covering themselves as bodies of shame and guilt, these women promote subjugation to male supremacy (why don´t men cover themselves too if their bodies are sexually appealing to women?!) and sexual harassment (the forbidden fruit is always the most desired), delivering to the ones who choose not to cover the poisoned gift of discrimination and a constant freedom fee you must pay if you dare to go to the street in a t-shirt during summer time!

“I see no problem in setting up an institute to train belly dancers,” says Dr. Mohamed Abul Ghar, a medical professor. “This won´t harm society. On the contrary, this move will keep this traditional art alive and stop intruders from damaging its reputation.”

Finally a wise voice rising from all the non-sense “under belly” maniac attacks!

“Pharaonic temples are inscribed with images of dancers,” he explains. “So dancing is part of our traditions, which we should protect from extinction.”

Amen. (This is me, not the illuminated doctor).

Besides the wise remarks (someone with a working neuron, for a change!) , there´s an allusion to the tactics able to avoid the “foreigner dancers invasion” (thank you very much as far as I´m concerned…) and still another cave man whom identifies the setting of the institute as an open door to immorality finishing his illuminated remarks by saying the following magic sentence:

“ It´s strange that while the West is interested in promoting research and high technology, we are interested in sensual and depraving dance.”

Wow… That one hit me hard, honey!
My condolences go to this cave man and so many others who can only see the “under belly” matter (it´s VAGINA, dear gentlemen, VAGINA, for God´s sake!!!) everywhere.
They cannot see ART or even realize they are speaking about one of Egypt´s oldest – if not the most ancient of all – traditions : DANCE. They forget that the amount of cloths you have hanging on your body does not define your moral or intellectual standards. They also forget that dancers use their body as their instrument and, therefore, their instrument has to be exposed.
They do NOT forget that Dance is a great way of female empowerment and for THAT they ´re against it.

Forget the easy scapegoat for a second – RAKASAH, DANCER! – and speak it out loud as it is:
The underbelly is everywhere (in your neighbour´s wife whom you lavishly observe when she hangs the wet sheets on her balcony, the co-worker you subtly harass during common shifts, the women in the street, veiled as well as unveiled, to whom you speak as if they were your own private prostitutes, etc).

***Final consideration on the vagina article:

I am a dancer performing and living in Cairo. I know of what I am
speaking about by my own personal experience.
If it is true that most dancers – as well as singers, actresses, all kinds of public performers – prostitute themselves (feeding a vicious cycle that demands that same finger pointed prostitution), marry convenient impresarios and managers in order to have more/better work and rise up in their careers, there´s also the ones – like me – who totally reject any kind of male dominance and grow in their profession due to their talent, hard work and audience approval, love and respect.
DANCE itself cannot define all the misuse you can make of it.
If I ever needed to seduce a man (and I never did, thanks God!), I would not dance for him.

Dance itself is an ancient ART that connects music, movement and feelings uniting musicians, dancer and audience in a common emotional and even spiritual experience that does, indeed, makes us closer to each other as human beings and, ultimately, closer to God!

*** If only men around here could be more satisfied – with their sex lives, their families and wives, their lives in general and the female body in particular– then I guess they would not carry the “under belly” image in their minds ALL THE TIME.
They see a guava, here it is the under belly.
They see a skirt, here it is the damned under belly.
They see an ankle, here it is the most wanted under belly.
They see the tit of a goat, here it is the under belly.
They see a strawberry, here it is the under belly ( fruits and oriental dancers seem to have a common great power to arise the “under belly” allure ).
They see a dancer, here it is the OFFICIAL under belly.
Uff… under belly everywhere.

*** Another suggestion (free of charge!):

"Dear Gentlemen, you may as well work harder to have a real woman to love and share pleasure with (preference for your wife). You may work harder on being a competent lover instead of a clumsy globe trotter and, therefore, receive from your lady the joy and pleasures you wish for yourself. Give it before you receive it (she will appreciate it and you´ll be rewarded for it).
Re-learn the concept of sexuality and love, distinguishing both from animal thrusts and lust (respectively) and dig deep into the subtle nuances of how to deal with your woman. She´s not your property or your servant but your partner for life.

You may also check on some anatomy books to get acquainted with the female body and sexual organs. You can get a science class skeleton (with pink nipples on it, if available) or a rubber doll and just stare at it, shake it up and down, learn about it, educate yourself about the subject, get it out of your damned system and, hopefully, next time you see a dancer performing you´ll be able to appreciate the art, beyond your own sexual frustrations (from the past, dear gentlemen…from the past!) and ignorance. When you´re hungry, all you can see in front of you is FOOD (even if what you see is clear, pure water). Got it?
Thank you very much for your sexually charged attention..

Eternally yours,
Miss Vagina