Cairo, the 15th November, 2009


“Pepper throwing”

“A man can be a Red without necessarily being attacked on grounds related to his “moral behaviour”. For a man it is used as a description of his political stance. But when a woman is described as a Red, then it follows that her personal life is licentious, that she runs around with men, freely indulging in “Red nights” with them. In our language, a man of the street means an ordinary normal citizen, but a woman of the streets is a prostitute. To be a free man means to be a proud, courageous person who believes in freedom and defends it. A free woman is, however, a woman who is licentious, immoral, and sleeps around.”

Piece of text taken from “Walking through Fire” by Nawal el Saadawi

In Europe, the fact that I am a dancer doesn’t affect my personal life. It never did.
It’s understood I work as a dancer, singer or actress. Neighbours, boyfriends, friends, family and students see me on television, read my interviews, come to my shows and so on.
It’s understood I am a normal, decent person besides my professional sphere and no one would question my moral standards because of my job.

In the Middle East, things go quite differently.
My professional and personal life are mixed 100%. It cannot happen otherwise.
Being a dancer in the Middle East means lots of things and none of them seems to be positive.
Being an intelligent, educated, FREE woman in the Middle East also means lots of things and none of it also seems to be positive. Educated, intelligent women are seen as potential headaches because they will not take continuous abuse and unfair treatment from their “fiancées” or husbands. Ignorance is still a bliss for a true lady as she will obey her husband and say “YES” to everything he says or does.
All kinds of bosses, dictators and monsters praise ignorance. When you’re dealing with ignorance, you rule easily.

I couldn’t agree more with Saadawi’s point of view when she expresses the unfair way women are still seen and treated in relation to men.
“I can do it cause I am a man. You can’t.” This was something I heard a few times by some cave men I even dared to consider intelligent, interesting individuals.
Men seem to have special privileges that women can never share.
When will this change?

“The Egyptian Constitution stipulated that all citizens were equal before the law, but the Shariah of God said men were “a degree” above women. The contradiction between the constitution and the Shariah was glaring but I did not notice it when I was twenty one. Absolute faith had made me blind, unable to see contradictions which were easy for all to see.”

Piece of text from the same book by Nawal El Saadawi

Waiting for polemic opinions on the subject. Feel free to comment.
Being intelligent and educated also means I am prepared to discuss, listen to other people’s points of view and, eventually, accept another ideas that contradict mine.

CURRENTLY READING:
“Price of Honour, Muslim Women lift the Veil of Silence on the Islamic World”, by Jan Goodwin

A sociological study about the “real” way women are still treated “indoors” and in the public space all over Middle East.
Crude, well researched and often shocking.
I consider reality is multilayered and both women and men end up being victims of a system perpetuated by ignorance and cruelty disguised as traditions but the feminine side of the world is still a degree – or many – bellow the masculine side. When will balance and justice come?!
Only God knows what’s the direction this subject will take.